Grand Tour Winners : Physiological and other Stats 1995.

[limerickman]

Grand Tour Winners : Physiological and other Stats 1995.

Just dug out a copy of the Cycle Sport Magazine October 1995 which had a fascinating article on the physiology of the 4 GT winners : Anquetil, Merckx,
Hinault and Indurain :

Some numbers :

Resting Heart Rate :
Anquetil 45BPM
Merckx 44 BPM
Hinault 38 BPM
Indurain 28 BPM !

Maximum Heart Rate :
Anquetil 180BPM
Merckx 182BPM
Hinault 170BPM
Indurain 190BPM

Lung Capacity :
Anquetil 6.9litres
Merckx 6.9litres
Hinault 7.2 litres
Indurain 7.8 litres

Power Output :
Anquetil 400 Watts
Merckx 500 Watts
Hinault 450 Watts
Indurain 550 Watts

Height :
Anquetil 1.74metres
Merckx 1.83metres
Hinault 1.73metres
Indurain 1.87metres

Weight :
Anquetil 68Kilos
Merckx 75Kilos
Hinault 68Kilos
Indurain 79Kilos

Three of the four actually abandoned a TDF that they started : Anquetil and Indurain abandoned 2 each, Hinault 1.
Merckx never abandoned a TDF (or any other GT) that he started.

Number of TDF stage wins :
Anquetil 16, Indurain 10, Hinault 28 and Merckx 35.

Largest winning margins : Merckx 1969 TDF 17mins 54 secs, Anquetil 14mins
56secs, Hinault 14 mins 35 secs and Indurain 5mins 39secs.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Thanks Lim. Interesting. I wonder how much Indurain's resting heartbeat was affected by EPO?

I didn't realise Hinault was that light. I thought he would have been at least on a par with the rest. I suppose he was shorter and that made him lighter.

 

[POK88]

Power Output :
Anquetil 400 Watts
Merckx 500 Watts
Hinault 450 Watts
Indurain 550 Watts

I've always wondred what these numbers mean. I would like to know for how long the riders could substain that kind of power. IMO the "Power Output" should be based on the number of watts that the riders could produce for 1 hour, or on the final climb on a TDF stage. If you look at Merckx, i think 500 watts is far off in that perspective. For his hour record in Mexico, the model of analyticcycling.com gives 360-380 watts. So that should be a baseline

In cyclismag i think they said that no rider in the 80's exceeded 400 watts on TDF climbs, and they had Lemond at 380-390 watts. I would guess that Hinault would be as strong as Lemond. Indurain's hour record was at 505 watts, and he did TDF climbs at 525. I really don't know about Anquetil.....

So the list would now look like this:

Anquetil 360-370 Watts (guess he would be around Merckx)
Merckx 370 Watts
Hinault 390 Watts
Indurain 525 Watts

This better shows the HUGE leap in power from the late 80's to the 90's

 

[jhuskey]

Interesting to look at these stats. Eddie probably should have abandoned in 1975 considering his injuries.

 

[MintID]

I've always wondred what these numbers mean. I would like to know for how long the riders could substain that kind of power. IMO the "Power Output" should be based on the number of watts that the riders could produce for 1 hour, or on the final climb on a TDF stage. If you look at Merckx, i think 500 watts is far off in that perspective. For his hour record in Mexico, the model of analyticcycling.com gives 360-380 watts. So that should be a baseline

In cyclismag i think they said that no rider in the 80's exceeded 400 watts on TDF climbs, and they had Lemond at 380-390 watts. I would guess that Hinault would be as strong as Lemond. Indurain's hour record was at 505 watts, and he did TDF climbs at 525. I really don't know about Anquetil.....

So the list would now look like this:

Anquetil 360-370 Watts (guess he would be around Merckx)
Merckx 370 Watts
Hinault 390 Watts
Indurain 525 Watts

This better shows the HUGE leap in power from the late 80's to the 90's

I don't think +500 can be achived naturally...

 

[POK88]

I don't think +500 can be achived naturally...

I agree

 

[sopas]

I've always wondred what these numbers mean. I would like to know for how long the riders could substain that kind of power. IMO the "Power Output" should be based on the number of watts that the riders could produce for 1 hour, or on the final climb on a TDF stage. If you look at Merckx, i think 500 watts is far off in that perspective. For his hour record in Mexico, the model of analyticcycling.com gives 360-380 watts. So that should be a baseline

In cyclismag i think they said that no rider in the 80's exceeded 400 watts on TDF climbs, and they had Lemond at 380-390 watts. I would guess that Hinault would be as strong as Lemond. Indurain's hour record was at 505 watts, and he did TDF climbs at 525. I really don't know about Anquetil.....

So the list would now look like this:

Anquetil 360-370 Watts (guess he would be around Merckx)
Merckx 370 Watts
Hinault 390 Watts
Indurain 525 Watts

This better shows the HUGE leap in power from the late 80's to the 90's

Indurain had probably the higher power output of any TdF winner ever. Climbing Alpe d'huex in 39 minutes weighting 80 kilograms is very different than doing it in the same time but weighting only 70 kilograms.

 

[sopas]

Hello limerickman,

According to my data from several spanish magazines, Indurain stats were as follows:

Heart Rate: 32 BPM
Max Heart Rate: 200 BPM
Lung Capacity: 8 litres.
Power Output: 550 Watts on a static bike.
Height: 1.88 metres
Weight: 80 kilos

 

[EvilJediJ]

I am surprised that Merckx, Anquetil, to even Hinault's RHR are so high, and at how LOW all of their maximum heart rates are.

Although considering they their MHR are given as such nice clean numbers for three of them. 170,180,190 ..I have to question their accuracy.

 

[poulidor]

I am surprised that Merckx, Anquetil, to even Hinault's RHR are so high, and at how LOW all of their maximum heart rates are.

Although considering they their MHR are given as such nice clean numbers for three of them. 170,180,190 ..I have to question their accuracy.

I agree with you.
MHR decreases with age...so when was it measured? And how ? Manually or by electronic? Average of multiple measurements?

 

[azdroptop]

7.8L lung capacity! Holly ****!

 

[artemidorus]

I don't think +500 can be achived naturally...

Of course it can, by a big rider. Don't forget that W/ kg is the important measure, not total wattage. Someone like Cancellara probably has an FTP well above 500W.

 

[artemidorus]

7.8L lung capacity! Holly ****!

That will be total lung capacity, not vital capacity, which is what a spirometer measures. 7.8 l is large for a TLC, but nothing to write home about.

 

[sopas]

7.8L lung capacity! Holly ****!

Yes, but keep in mind that Indurain was a very very big guy for a cyclist.

Any profesional rider who is 1,85 cm or more can easily have a 7-liter lung capacity.

Ullrich and Armstrong had about 6,5 liters if I remember correctly.

 

[azdroptop]

Agreed, but still big.

Yes, but keep in mind that Indurain was a very very big guy for a cyclist.

Any profesional rider who is 1,85 cm or more can easily have a 7-liter lung capacity.

Ullrich and Armstrong had about 6,5 liters if I remember correctly.

 

[Jono L]

Someone like Cancellara probably has an FTP well above 500W.

********.

 

[Jono L]

Power Output :
Anquetil 400 Watts
Merckx 500 Watts
Hinault 450 Watts
Indurain 550 Watts

For what period of time?

 

[mitosis]

Bump, good thread to follow.

 

[MintID]

********.

+1


David Millar did the first TT in this years TDF at 400watts... he placed higher than cancellara.

 

[adamastor]

I'm actually surprised nobody gave equivalent figures for Armstrong. Does anyone actually know? It's funny how apparently books were written about Armstrong's natural talent. Any core figures available, comparable with other big four?