The Training, Physiological and Performance Differences in Under-23 Cyclists that Turn Elite vs. Those That Don’t
by Doug Stewart
A recently published paper explored the differences in under-23 cyclists and looked at the variances in those that went on to ride at the elite/international levels versus those that did not make the cut.
These are all highly talented and trained individuals riding for under-23 teams at a very high level. 20 cyclists participated in the research and were identified after they had either progressed onto an elite team or not. The researchers then separated them as either in the elite group or non-elite group and looked at their data when in the under-23 team.
There were 10 cyclists in each group. When analysing the training data, power output and physiological characteristics it revealed some interesting insights.
Those riders that made the elite level had a higher power output for maximum power, 2-minute, 5-minute and 12-minute power durations than those that did not. So, from a purely power output perspective, the riders making the step up were producing more.
This is maybe not a surprise as the stronger riders are the ones selected for the elite teams.
Additionally, the elite riders had marginally higher VO2 Max (76.2 vs. 75.2) which may in part explain the higher power output. However, the training was also significantly different.
Those that made it to the elite level amassed a greater number of training hours which translated to more distance cycled and meters climbed. They also did a higher number of sessions, and overall had a higher level of training stress.
Source: Leo et al., 2022
Squares = Elite, Circles = Non-elite
As can be seen in the graph, there was no significant difference in time spent training in heart rate zone 2 and heart rate 3 (in a 3 zone model). However, the elite (the squares on the above figure) spent significantly more time training at low intensity than the non-elite group (circles).
As always with this type of research, it is hard to know if the additional training led to the increased performance and physiological measures, or whether the physiological differences confer a benefit to these riders allowing them to train more? However, these are some interesting findings looking at what it takes to “make it” in professional cycling – from a physiological and a training perspective and certainly could be useful for coaches and team managers in helping identify areas for rider improvement and those that may make the step up to the elite level.
References:
Leo, P., Simon, D., Hovorka, M., Lawley, J., & Mujika, I., (2022) Elite versus non-elite cyclists – Stepping up to the international/elite ranks from U23 cycling, Journal of Sports Sciences DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2117394