4 5 6 THE IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER
CYCLING WEEKLY|February 24, 2022
What’s your dream threshold? Four, five, maybe even six watts per kilo… At what point does the target number become impossible except for pros? Joe Laverick finds out.
4 5 6 THE IMPOSSIBLE NUMBER

Is there, for amateur riders, an impossible number – a power figure so high that only pros can achieve it? Likewise, for pro riders, is there a figure that’s literally beyond the limits of (clean) human performance? We cyclists are preoccupied with questions like this – we are obsessed with data and comparing ourselves to the eye-popping outputs of WorldTour riders. So much data is available that you’d think it would be easy to predict who is going to be the best in the world. But it’s not. Cycling performance is like an onion, it has many layers – and in this feature, we’re going to find out why.

Cast your mind back to spring 2020: the whole world was in lockdown and attention turned to online racing. WorldTour riders were on the start line of Zwift races rather than Monuments, many receiving the unpleasant surprise of getting thrashed by Joe Bloggs, a second-cat with a full-time job. Some of these pros cried foul play – but their suspicions may not have been justified. It isn’t uncommon to hear of amateurs who have raw power figures superior to those of some WorldTour riders. Why, you might ask, are these big-number-hitting amateurs not competing at the top level? Because, as we shall see, racing success is determined by a complex interplay of power, skills, tactics, experience, instinct and fatigue resistance – to name but a few of the factors involved.

CW Club 10 test

This story is from the February 24, 2022 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 24, 2022 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CYCLING WEEKLYView All
CAV'S FINAL ASCENT
Cycling Weekly

CAV'S FINAL ASCENT

In pursuit of a record-breaking 35th stage victory in the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish added a special ingredient to his preparation - altitude. Chris Marshall-Bell finds out why

time-read
7 mins  |
March 14, 2024
Zwift Hub One £550
Cycling Weekly

Zwift Hub One £550

Designed with simplicity in mind, Rachel Sokal finds the Hub One trainer offers plenty of adaptability

time-read
3 mins  |
March 14, 2024
Will Giant's 10th gen TCR be its last?
Cycling Weekly

Will Giant's 10th gen TCR be its last?

With the new frame claimed to be 4.2 watts faster than the previous TCR, the gap to Giant's Propel aero bike is getting ever smaller

time-read
3 mins  |
March 14, 2024
QUICK STEPS TO THE TOP
Cycling Weekly

QUICK STEPS TO THE TOP

Meet the World Tour's youngest performance director

time-read
9 mins  |
March 14, 2024
AFTER THE BOOM, THE BARGAINS
Cycling Weekly

AFTER THE BOOM, THE BARGAINS

As the bike market cuts its losses from four years of instability, RRPs are slashed and deals abound. Charlie Allenby surveys the industry to find out if now is the right time to buy

time-read
7 mins  |
March 14, 2024
Brit kick-starts pro career on the cobbles of Kigali
Cycling Weekly

Brit kick-starts pro career on the cobbles of Kigali

In his first race for Israel-Premier Tech, Joseph Blackmore won the Tour du Rwanda overall. He tells Adam Becket where it came from

time-read
3 mins  |
March 14, 2024
FRED WRIGHT Race to the rain
Cycling Weekly

FRED WRIGHT Race to the rain

Last week was Paris-Nice, an important early-season stage race that has it all.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 14, 2024
Milan-San Remo
Cycling Weekly

Milan-San Remo

Milan-San Remo will start 40km south in Pavia this year after relations between RCS and the Milanese authorities turned sour. The name, however, stays the same, as does its status as the longest Monument, with 288km leading to the finish on the Via Roma after the ascent of the Cipressa followed by the Poggio, the race’s final climb.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 14, 2024
Jack Hartley quells Ribble Rebellion at Eddie Soens
Cycling Weekly

Jack Hartley quells Ribble Rebellion at Eddie Soens

Cycling Sheffield rider steals hyped new team’s thunder in Aintree

time-read
2 mins  |
March 14, 2024
British 2026 Grand Départ bid abandoned
Cycling Weekly

British 2026 Grand Départ bid abandoned

UK Sport confirms that there will be no funding for bringing 2026 Tour de France to the UK, but the door is open for 2027

time-read
2 mins  |
March 14, 2024