Can Sprinters Time Trial?

Roy Gardiner

Even Cipollini, bulky by cycling standards, is a stick-man by normal measurements 187cm and 75kg if I remember. It's just that pro cyclists are so skinny! Van Steenbergen is the only road sprinter I recall being big.

I used to be acquainted with a track Masters world sprint champion; he couldn't even keep up with a very ordinary 1/2/3 criterium.

Another world-class track sprinter I know contends that they in fact have more in common with other sprinters (e.g. 100 metre runners) than with other cyclists, both physically (they really *are* big men) and, much more important, mentally.

What I learn from these observations I don't know; just my 2p

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Roy Gardiner, Hainault Roads Club

2LAP

And metabolicaly (perhaps the most important difference between the two groups)...
Sprinters having high anaerobic capacities/low aerobic capacities while endurance riders (including RR sprinters) low anaerobic capacities/high aerobic capacities.

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2LAP

All (well nearly all) humans have a capacity for endurance, but I would like to see the track sprinters competing in a RR or pursuit race. Relative to the specialists (just by watching) you would probably decide/see that they have little aerobic capacity.

Sprint efforts and recovery from sprint type efforts requires energy from aerobic metabolism, therefore sprint training does improve aerobic capacity. So the sprinters may have more aerobic capacity than a similar untrained person.

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colavitabolla

This is not true, the team that I ride for ( I am a Junior Racer from New Jersey, on the team Colavita-Bolla) the team captain is a 9 time Argentinean track sprinter. Now he is racing in the U.S in regular criteriums and Road races and has absoluetly no problem. In Fact he got third place at the Tour Of Somerville, which is easily one of the biggest Criteriums in the U.S. He also lives right by the Track at trexlertown and still races there and does well there as well.

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2LAP

While I can't speak for individual cases; comparing like with like (i.e. world class riders) the track sprinters and endurance riders of the GB, Australian, etc. teams would be very weak when competing in the others events. It would be like asking a '100m' sprinter to run a marathon!!!!

I am not sure that the likes of Quealy, Staff, Edie, Hoy, etc. who are all world class sprinters could complete a world class RR or have a chance in the good level criterium or complete a pursuit race in a good time (although that does produce some funny images of them competing) while they contine to train for sprinting!!!

Remembering that all track races are not sprints and that a world class sprinter may well have more endurance capacity than a lesser trained endurance rider. Physiologicaly, sprint races are those races that are less than one minute (i.e. match sprint, 200m, 500m, olympic sprint, 1km) while endurance races are events over 1 minute (i.e. the pursuit, points race, madison, etc.).

It sounds like the rider you state is now a regular rider in crits and RR, as such is doing a lot of 'endurance training'. It is quite feasable for a 'sprinter' to become an 'endurance rider' (or vice versa) through training; however their ability in their 'first' event (in this case sprinting) is likely to decrease significantly... their potential in their new event also be reduced (in this case endurance).

There are also individuals that will be 'good' sprinters and endurance riders, due 'talent' or 'genetics' or 'training' etc. However I cannot think of any male rider that was a world class rider (or even national standard rider in a country where cycling is a high standard) that was national standard or world class standard in both sprint and endurance.

As a youngster you will also no doubt know young riders that are very talented sprinters and endurance riders relative to people of their own age (in the UK we had Wiggins (now world pursuit champ) and Mathew Hayles (now on GB sprint squad)). For these young riders the sprint and endurance talent can be put down to 'talent', 'early development' and a concept that children & adolecents are not 'metabolic specialists'. The transition to world class level for these riders requires specialism to either sprint or endurance.

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colavitabolla

What about all-rounders like Domestic Pro Chris Horner? He is neither a sprinter or an endurance rider and still wins many races.

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sylvain007

he is an endurance rider! All the road races riders are endurance riders! And Horner is very good in Time Trialing, so he has very good endurance capacities!

colavitabolla

I stand Corrected

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"No one in this race isn't less tired than you are"