Iban Mayo

Originally Posted by italiano

Yeah, I was meaning general mortality… high premature mortality in bici from all reasons: heart patologia, blood pressure, doping, race accidents, hard GT racing… all reasons. I remember a friend sent me email. He read a book about 100 best cyclist of all times. If my altzhimeric memory correct, he counted more than 30% died before 60. I should look for this book. They say to us elite sport is healthy. I memorize reading that scientist found elite sportive people lived longer than general Italian population. Why ciclisti and not cross country sciers dieing so young?

Originally Posted by JohnO

Interesting subject... I ran a quick spot check on TDF winners for the last 50 years. Most of them are still alive. Anquetil died from stomach cancer, Ocana committed suicide. Charly Gaul died recently at age 72 from a pulmonary embolism. Roger Walkowiak is still alive at age 80, as is Bahamontes at 79. Granted, this doesn't cover all cyclists, but it does cover some of the best. Doesn't appear to be any chronic early death going on there.

Of course, most of them were riding in the pre-biotech drug days, too. It remains to be seen what happens when steroid and HGH fueled bodies start paying the price for artificial acceleration.

Originally Posted by cyclingheroes

I Just did an interview with Jan Janssen (TdF winner 1968), he is 67 and still riding his bike...

Originally Posted by italiano

I comprehend that many riders live long after retirement. But it is unuseful to analyze unitary cases if you want to see a big picture. Think how many exciting interviews were lost, CH, if Bobet, Coppi, Pantani, Binda, Bottecchia, Ocana, Simpson, Gaul were still around? Think how many cyclists could study from Petit-Breton if he did not die at 35?

Oke. I found the book: it is THE GIANS of CYCLING by Jean-Paul Ollivier. He collected together more than 80 magnificent championis of the preset and past. 29 of them are dead of the book’s writing. 16 of 29 died before 60. The media life duration was 59. This is not scientific research. This is tragic realtà.

Today we have better medical care and nutrizion. We have better potential for riders to live longer. May be some one will rewrite that book when the remaining 50 championis die.

Originally Posted by thunder

I believe a larger heart, needs considerably more strength (pro rata) to push a blood one pump volume around the body.

The heart is made and developed (hypertrophied) via the training regimen of a professional athlete, and thus, when the regimen recedes, the heart loses strength, but the atrophy is less in volume, and more in strength.

So the volume remains (or recedes a little) but strength reduces, and thus is taxes the heart a great deal more than the average person.

Thus most advice is to not exercise over 3 hours in length. High intensity aerobic exercise.

I am just going off memory here, perhaps the confused fan might weigh in later.

Originally Posted by thunder

we should get this thread back on track.

Mayo.

Originally Posted by TheDarkLord

I don't know the history of doping, but where people doping the way they are doing now in the 1960s? Then, there is also the issue of how some people are apparently immune to the stuff. Once a while, you hear about some person who has lived to a ripe old age without any major medical problems in spite of smoking for a very long time, while on average, smoking has been shown to cause various diseases.

Originally Posted by thunder

we should get this thread back on track.

Mayo.

Great climber on dope, had Armstrong scared to wits. I think Armstrong instituted backchannel interference to hurt EE doping programs.

I think Mayo got fat and greedy. Well, EE were paying him a ridiculous amount, I think similar to what Valverde gets.

Then he tanks without dope. Perfect example of what the sport has come to. Without dope, you cannot compete. With dope, you can be a champion and put out 450 watts on l'Alpe d'Huez.

Originally Posted by JohnO

Interesting subject... I ran a quick spot check on TDF winners for the last 50 years. Most of them are still alive. Anquetil died from stomach cancer, Ocana committed suicide. Charly Gaul died recently at age 72 from a pulmonary embolism. Roger Walkowiak is still alive at age 80, as is Bahamontes at 79. Granted, this doesn't cover all cyclists, but it does cover some of the best. Doesn't appear to be any chronic early death going on there.