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However, nobody increases tallness through training, but cyclists can reach their highest potential vo2 max by exercising. One's height is thus simply a fact, a piece of unalterable data; whereas vo2 max isn't a constant and relies upon genetic predisposition and the will to train to reach highest potential level. In cases like Lemond for cycling, having such good genetics for an incredibly high vo2 max with rigorous training is usually called talent.
yea, whatever, the point is that people only pay attention to things they can see with their eyes. They can see height, so it's a tangible, unalterable thing that exists. They can see someone riding 6 hours a day, so that's a thing that exists. They can't see a genetic predisposition for aerobic capacity, so it must be some je ne sais quoi we call "talent". But that "talent" is just as much something you're born with as height is.
Well, you can see someone's height. This in and of itself doesn't usually constitute a particular talent, but you can't see genetic predisposition for vo2 max, which, if extremely high is in cycling called the essence of talent. Train your height? That's just called meeting normal dietary requirements. Beyond this, there's nothing you can do to grow taller except bs about it. So, no, you can't "train height" to gain centimeters, the way you can exercise to increase vo2 max. Leonardo da Vinci was born with an extraordinary predisposition for draftmanship, but he still had to become Verrocchio's apprentice and apply his talent to reach sublimity in art. By contrast, a lesser talent, even with the best artistic training and application, a Leonardo he does not become. The cycling equivalent is you can't make a donkey into a race horse.
It used to be argued here quite often during the Froome/Sky era that that was possible!
What has being tall got to do with aerobic capacity? If anything being tall is disadvantageous to cycling as that makes you heavier and hence a lower watts per kilo potential all else being equal. Being tall might help in TT as potentially you have a flatter, more aero back. But climbing its all about watts per kilo.
Why don’t they celebrate this anniversary instead of reminding us of the before picture in a shampoo commercial dropping his chain.
Correct, and probably Gianetti told Pogi to be more diplomatic in the second interview.
Not the best anniversary
Man, one thing I don't like is seeing Gianetti at races.
That's a great point. The modern era of professional bodybuilding is called the "mass monsters" (i.e. freak show. Lol). They take huge amounts of anabolic steroids, testosterone, growth hormones, IGF-1, anti-aromatization drugs, etc, spending thousands of dollars a month on their PED habit.
I've seen Pumping Iron a few times and I think Arnold and that whole generation of bodybuilders looked so much better and more natural (despite the steroids and whatever else), their bodies and muscles looked well-defined and well-proportioned. (Especially Arnold.) The muscle monsters of today look like bloated freaks who look more like cartoons... of course, the bodybuilding community has standards of its own, to them the obvious steroid freak (like Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler) looks beautiful, I guess.
I mean, the most obvious example in blood doping/EPO golden age was always that there were guys with comparably low hematocrit naturally that would then gain more improvement than guys that were comparatively high already. And I guess a little bit you can use that argument for all performance-relevant parameters like testosterone, growth hormone, and so on and so forth.
On the RAI coverage the way of putting it is: "He does another sport" ("Fa un altro sport"), meaning he's in a class of his own.
That’s one way of putting it, and technically correct. But, either way, we are so very back into an era where everyone is being instructed not to ‘piss in the soup’.
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