Question Lance Armstrong best watts/kg sustained

[ingsve]

Are the current numbers being reported for top riders comparable to the old numbers? From what I see in some graphics, the current W/Kg numbers are normalized to a weight of 60kg regardless of the riders actual weight.

https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK

View: https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK


So if Armstrong was doing 500 W then that would be 8.3 W/Kg with the weight normalized to 60 Kg.

 

[Divergence]

Are the current numbers being reported for top riders comparable to the old numbers? From what I see in some graphics, the current W/Kg numbers are normalized to a weight of 60kg regardless of the riders actual weight.

https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK

View: https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK


So if Armstrong was doing 500 W then that would be 8.3 W/Kg with the weight normalized to 60 Kg.

The normalization does not work that way. There was some article explaining it. The just of it is that you can calculate the W/kg (so, the ratio) but not the absolute watts because you do not know the rider's weight.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Are the current numbers being reported for top riders comparable to the old numbers? From what I see in some graphics, the current W/Kg numbers are normalized to a weight of 60kg regardless of the riders actual weight.

https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK

View: https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK


So if Armstrong was doing 500 W then that would be 8.3 W/Kg with the weight normalized to 60 Kg.

No, it wouldn't. Normalization is something completely different. They still obtain w/kg from VAM numbers (Armstrong would have to reach crazy 2300 m/h to be close to 8.3) but normalization enables to compare climbing performances in a more fair way: due to power needed to move a bike the same w/kg don't result in the same climbing speed for two guys of different weight (w/kg takes into account a rider without a bike). The difference is roughly about 0.1 w/kg per 10 kilos i.e. a 70 kg guy performing 6.9 w/kg has about the same climbing speed as a 60 kg guy performing 7 w/kg.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Contador did 460 for 20 and he is much lighter

Pre TdF tests hit way different from actual in race performances. I believe this is the main source of confusion about the 500 claim

61,6 kg

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Are the current numbers being reported for top riders comparable to the old numbers? From what I see in some graphics, the current W/Kg numbers are normalized to a weight of 60kg regardless of the riders actual weight.

https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK

View: https://imgur.com/a/Tnf3BmK


So if Armstrong was doing 500 W then that would be 8.3 W/Kg with the weight normalized to 60 Kg.

I hadn’t paid attention to the key before. Man, peak Chris Froome was not so good! It seems like peak Chris Froome gets smoked by Pogi, Vingegaard, and even Roglic and (pre-ban) Contador. Where would Lance stack up?

 

[Netserk]

His claims are for a pre tour all out effort on his fave climb, with a power meter.

Anything more from me and I need to head to another part of the forum

Similar to when Contador did 7.4 W/kg for 20 minutes before the Tour.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

61,6 kg

His exact weight was 61,60000000000000000005 kg

 

[Peyroteo94]

His exact weight was 61,60000000000000000005 kg

He posted on social media. He delivered 458 watts during 20 minutes and he was 61,6 kg.

 

[Miha81]

He posted on social media. He delivered 458 watts during 20 minutes and he was 61,6 kg.

Pre or after recovery beer

 

[E_F_]

His claims are for a pre tour all out effort on his fave climb, with a power meter.

Anything more from me and I need to head to another part of the forum

Wait this is in Professional Road Racing? lmao

 

[E_F_]

I hadn’t paid attention to the key before. Man, peak Chris Froome was not so good! It seems like peak Chris Froome gets smoked by Pogi, Vingegaard, and even Roglic and (pre-ban) Contador. Where would Lance stack up?

Peak Froome and peak Lance would be domestiques or in breakaways in the tour this year... Romain Bardet was a somewhat credible threat during the Froome era; now - better than ever - he's nowhere to be seen.

 

[Froome]

Peak Froome and peak Lance would be domestiques or in breakaways in the tour this year... Romain Bardet was a somewhat credible threat during the Froome era; now - better than ever - he's nowhere to be seen.

It doesn't make any sense doing that comparation.

The guys of the past would be more faster today, with the access of these news things this guys are taking.

If you put Vingegaard and Pogacar in 2011, they would be way more slower.

 

[E_F_]

It doesn't make any sense doing that comparation.

The guys of the past would be more faster today, with the access of these news things this guys are taking.

If you put Vingegaard and Pogacar in 2011, they would be way more slower.

Well sure, but we're talking about w/kg - you know if they time-travelled on the start line.

 

[Oldermanish]

My point about the era is that the peloton produced less watts in general than they do now (even with epo) so it is unlikely that he had numbers that would make him competitive with today's best.

A small point on nutrition. It isn't just about the calories consumed during the race, it is the cumulative effect of being in a caloric deficit day after day for the whole TDF. Also, back in the day, the teams pretty much relied on whatever the hotel they were assigned to happened to provide for food. So you could have completed a massive race during which you did not consume enough and then get to the hotel and they serve you some vegetables and snails (ok a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point). Today, teams bring chefs and mobile kitchens so the riders get exactly what science says is optimal for them.

There are many other reasons why more watts are produced today than 20 yrs ago. Probably the most important is that kids as young as 13 or 14 are doing structured training using modern scientific principles and tools.

Also you can replicate much of the benefits of doping with epo with altitude training which is universal now.

I am still not convinced of the numbers Lance claims. Did he even have a power meter while racing?

Your point about nutrition and the associated team organizations explains much. Lance's teams almost always controlled their own meals, recovery as much as was possible and enjoyed some benefits towards recovery.

As far as the claims of numbers? He sounds like another victim of "witchhunting" exaggerating crowd size. As long as Lance believes it, it must be real.