You Power Profile

[sabrops]

would you not agree though that top sprinters have very high top end 5 sec power, and that the reason non sprinters can't beat them is that they have lower power over such a short duration?

I know someone who rode with Thor Hushovd at the Tour of California and Thor, who had just started using an SRM this past offseason, told him that he maxed out in the 1500-1600 watt range in the sprint. So he was probably in about the 19-20 w/k range for 5 seconds. But, as acoggan pointed out, the trick is that he is there at the end of the race in position to sprint. My powertap says I can do 1300 watts for 5 seconds @71 kg (1355 max) but I am usually pretty cooked by the end of a crit from all the accelerations during the race and unable to even contest the sprint. Guys with much lower 5 second maxs than me are easily able to beat me.

Oh and fwiw
5 second: 1299
1 minute: 580
5 minutes: 370
60 minutes: 291 (this was on Mt. Diablo but it came 2 hours into the ride) I've done 330 for 30 minutes in a race so I suspect that I could do higher for an hour.

 

[BullGod]

Compared to, say, a GC rider, sure. Compared to, say, a match sprinter (or many a high school football player), not really.



1. Sprints are almost always longer than 5 s.

2. You can sprint to a win in a flat stage of something like the Tour de France while producing a peak power of only ~15 W/kg. To do so, though, you first have to ride >200 km and generate >8 W/kg for at least a minute just to be in position to unleash your "massive" kick.

this makes a great deal of sense.....thanks.

 

[HammerHead]

this makes a great deal of sense.....thanks.

ditto

I've ridden casual rides with a local div3 pro, and I can usually take him in a sprint while goofing around. As he rides with a PT as well, I also know I have a higher 5sec power (when fresh).

I've ridden with the same guy in a small group ride where we are really going at it. Never beat him in the sprint. Never been next to him in the sprint. Never stayed on his wheel long enough to even consider the sprint.....

 

[rmur17]

Current P-P
Age: 44
Mass: 85 kg
Years training: 2 in the late 80's, 3 in the mid-90's and the last five (10 total).
Favorite: FLAT TT's.

5-sec: 1050W (race)
1-min: 625W (race)
5-min: 450W (race)
20-min: 414W (training)
60-min: 400W (training)

All average powers from a PT Pro.