Late age Top Talent?

Mar 22, 2011
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I am a cyclist of middling talent. I started training since 13. When I were 16, I met our local hero. He started his first race just after a few times of rode with a 100 usd bike. In his first race, he won by sole effort at the very begining of race easily.

Weeks later, he won elite open race with junior age.

Then, he was discovered by coach and years later, he became world champ.

I knew that no matter how hard I train, I cannot touch to him.

IMO, a world class talent could be easily identifed from middling talent.
It will be more clear if the World Class Talent grew up from a weak cycling community.

I trained 10 years and can't win a small race in asia. If I could drop everyone easily sunddenly from late age, I think there is only one reason.

What do you think?
 
Feb 10, 2010
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toolittle said:
I trained 10 years and can't win a small race in asia. If I could drop everyone easily sunddenly from late age, I think there is only one reason.

What do you think?

Yes, doping. See most of Sky's grand tour squad.
 
Aug 31, 2012
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toolittle said:
If I could drop everyone easily sunddenly from late age, I think there is only one reason.

Incorrect. There are in fact many legitimate reasons that can account for a marginal proportion of that performance increase. Jointly, however, they can account for all of it!

What if you started to warm down, bring your own pillows to hotels, train properly, used a wind tunnel for the first time in your life, got rid of a parasites you may have been carrying around all this time? Further, suppose that all this coincided with the dawn of a new era of cycling where the peloton doesn't dope any more.

It's possible you would be able to drop everyone easily.
 
Jun 14, 2010
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DirtyWorks said:
Yes, doping. See most of Sky's grand tour squad.

I think those who dont trust sky are better off waiting for someone introducing them into a discussion and then offering counterobservations, rather than just jumping on them as a rule in every thread.

The sky issue was hovering above this thread anyway. It was unlikely anyone was going to make a comment that they believe late career transformations are suspicious, without suspecting Sky. And if they did, it would have provided a good opportunity to point out their hypocricy to them.
 
Jul 9, 2009
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SeriousSam said:
Incorrect. There are in fact many legitimate reasons that can account for a marginal proportion of that performance increase. Jointly, however, they can account for all of it!

What if you started to warm down, bring your own pillows to hotels, train properly, used a wind tunnel for the first time in your life, got rid of a parasites you may have been carrying around all this time? Further, suppose that all this coincided with the dawn of a new era of cycling where the peloton doesn't dope any more.

It's possible you would be able to drop everyone easily. :rolleyes:

Post corrected. You are welcome.
 
Jul 23, 2010
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Okay Hugh. You had me reading and re-reading and comparing posts. What did I miss?? Did you mean to insert the word “cotton” before “pillows”?? :)
 
Sep 29, 2012
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Microchip said:
Okay Hugh. You had me reading and re-reading and comparing posts. What did I miss?? Did you mean to insert the word “cotton” before “pillows”?? :)

just the sarcasm emoticon :rolleyes:


:)
 
Mar 18, 2009
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I'm still waiting for my late age jump to kick in. Any day now...any day...maybe if I washed my hands more.
 
Oct 14, 2012
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Not that I trust any pro-cyclists these days, but I think most of Sky's team WERE actually identified at any early age as being talented.
 
Apr 3, 2009
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TrackCynic said:
Not that I trust any pro-cyclists these days, but I think most of Sky's team WERE actually identified at any early age as being talented.

Are there teams pulling in riders they've identified as non-talented?
 
Oct 14, 2012
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I doubt it, most Pros are usually at least junior national champs in road, crit or track (and sometimes MTB). Just saying that Sky's riders, to me, seem no different to the rest - no better, no worse.
 
Aug 30, 2010
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BroDeal said:
I'm still waiting for my late age jump to kick in. Any day now...any day...maybe if I washed my hands more.

Try peeing on your hands. I believe it is even more sanitary.
 
Aug 5, 2010
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BroDeal said:
I'm still waiting for my late age jump to kick in. Any day now...any day...maybe if I washed my hands more.

Is 22 too late? There may still be some hope left for me!!!1
 
Mar 18, 2009
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Parrulo said:
Is 22 too late? There may still be some hope left for me!!!1

The big jump in performance appears to happen in the twenty-six to thirty range. You can totally suck before that and still turn into a world-beater. So there is still hope for you. I suggest you start looking for a yellow Lamborghini to match your upcoming TdF jerseys.
 
Jun 14, 2010
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BroDeal said:
The big jump in performance appears to happen in the twenty-six to thirty range. You can totally suck before that and still turn into a world-beater. So there is still hope for you. I suggest you start looking for a yellow Lamborghini to match your upcoming TdF jerseys.

youd be surprised how much money goes to the coach. For errr, telling you to wash your hands and warm down properly.
 
May 23, 2009
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TrackCynic said:
Not that I trust any pro-cyclists these days, but I think most of Sky's team WERE actually identified at any early age as being talented.
EVERY pro was identified at an early age as being talented, even ones who transitioned from other sports (they were identified early in another sport). That's why they are pros.

We are talking about the best of the best when it comes to these guys, they have to have natural talent to be worth the investment in the first place.

This is why sudden leaps and bounds in ability are so suspicious.
 
Mar 22, 2011
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Froome started cycling under coach since junior age.
Till his 23, he raced UCI "B" TT and losed to a Chinese rider.

Last year, he beated all the talents of same age around (28).

Kenya national coach, Balo World Coach and Sky coach all eat sh.....
They overlooked the greatest talent of the decade.

All pro cyclists are talents. All star cyclists are great talents. Best cyclist is grestest talent.

talents are domestic for great talents. great talents are the domestic for greatest talent.

I think coach could easily indentify the greatest one from talents.

But Chris Froome seemed to be overlook for years by team managers and coaches.