warren <
[email protected]> wrote:
> But more riders have retired by their early 30's because they aren't as fast anymore. What is the
> average age of a Grand Tour winner or WC race winner?
> Normally the VO2max will decline about 10ml (e.g. 75 goes to about 65) for every decade in age
> after about 30 years old. That is a significant
> % drop in the ability to go fast. I know of one Olympian who's VO2max
> was 85 in 1984 and his training goal right now is to get his VO2max up to 60.
For the Tour:
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/tour/tour_age.html
Gimondi won the Giro in 1976 at age 34. I think Pou-pou was 37 or thereabouts when he took a podium
spot in 1976. He also took 2nd in 1974.
The early 30s seems to be a very critical age for grand tour participants. But for classics racers
it appears to be much less important, especially the cobbled classics. P-R may as well be a FM race
with recent winners like Gibbus, Ballerini, and Museeuw.
I don't have the data on sprinters but I don't think anyone should be surprised that Cipo is no
longer the big dog in sprinting at
36. The people at Saeco thought that was the case a few years back and he's still winning races,
even if he is no longer the best bet.
All you guys that are hoping for Pantani to get a spot in the Tour to liven things up... I don't
know what you people are thinking. He's 33 and given the lack of meaningful racing for him in the
recent past I think his days as a force in the mountains are over. But the history on his side is
Van Impe who took polka dot jerseys at ages 34 and 36.
Bob Schwartz
[email protected]