The Horrible Gulf in Class

pottssteve

...between me and the pros.

I was out watching the Volta Limburg last weekend and although I enjoyed it I was also tremendously depressed by the ease and speed with which they tackled the same roads that make me a huffing, puffing wreck. OK, most of them are a lot younger and they ride almost every day. And the crappy weather and illness has meant I haven't ridden very much. But even so, it's really, really depressing.....

Maybe I should take up darts instead - I'm quite good after a couple of pints.

Yellow Peril

Great confession Pottsy and even better when you recover the situation by referring to crap weather and illness which as we all know is the only thing that makes pro's better than us!

The fact that I'm 6'5", 15 stone and 50 next year doesn't mean I wouldn't have been third wheel to Canc and Sagan last week.

Mate forget those well paid wannabees, you will always be the real Gilbert to me.

pottssteve

Thanks for the positive reinforcement, Mr. Peril. Clearly whatever chemical enhancement you are on is working....I think the only way I'd keep up with Mr. Gilbert was if he was towing a tractor tyre.

Obviously a fair proportion of their ability comes from genetics. Then there is the dedication, diet, core work, stretching and lack of Belgian beer in (most of) their training regime. The power meters, wind-tunnel testing, threshold testing, heart rate monitors and state of the art bikes, kit and components. Whereas I'm hauling my saggy arse up modest gradients on an aluminium Tricross and my idea of a warm up is a second banana.



Still, it continues to be effing depressing.....

ben@31

... Plus they don't have to work for a living. So they can cycle all day every day.

Don't have to worry about buying kit.

Have a team of support staff from cooks, nutritionists, masseurs, drivers, sports scientists to mechanics.

They can go to Majorca all winter to cycle.

I don't doubt their cycling ability. But I reckon they are in an environment that helps massively with a lot of support in the background.
One of us with a full time job, wife and kids at home would struggle to be as dedicated.

johnny25

I know, it's sickening isn't it?

il_principe

Came across some FDJ riders on the Tourmalet last Sept. They were obviously just out for a spin whereas I was honking my way up. One of them let me catch up to him and then rode off with contemptuous ease, no idea who he was, certainly not a 'big' name. They are far beyond the reach of us mortals that you have to laugh. Oh to have the legs of a pro for just a day.

smoggysteve

pottssteve wrote:

...between me and the pros.

I was out watching the Volta Limburg last weekend and although I enjoyed it I was also tremendously depressed by the ease and speed with which they tackled the same roads that make me a huffing, puffing wreck. OK, most of them are a lot younger and they ride almost every day. And the crappy weather and illness has meant I haven't ridden very much. But even so, it's really, really depressing.....

Maybe I should take up darts instead - I'm quite good after a couple of pints.

If I were out for a run (and I am pretty fit) and Mo Farah flew past me, I don't think I would contemplate giving up running. Enjoy your cycling for what it brings you, not how good you are compared to others.

VTech

As Ben said, with a decent team, a fit and young enough guy could reach performance figures he never though achievable. Working doesnt help with any sport as even game sport (darts/snooker), require practice and as such, working and family life takes a hit.
When I was 17 I ran the 100m in 11.72s which was great for me, I was quite quick as a kid but there was a 12 year old who flew past me and was many strides ahead of me. Sport is like that, even very small differences can be such a huge distance that it leaves you struggling to take it all in but as with everything, there are winners and losers and coming second, third, forth, hundredth etc etc still means that you were in with a shout and thats what counts.

pinno

I know what your saying. If I had nutritionalists, therapists, dieticians, a soigneur, an athletic body, 7.5 litre lungs, a VO2 max machine, sports psychologists, a physiotherapist, altitude simulator, a 400 watt output up an average 1 in 4 for 6 hours solid, I would be a great cyclist, if I had great legs, fantastic natural fitness and I was 25 years younger with a great diet.

If I had bread, I would have bread and butter, if I had butter.

goonz

Good advice Smoggy sometimes we forget that as another post mentions, they train all day, have no other worries like job. Most have been cycling all their life, they dont have a break ever, get paid and dont need to worry about any kit etc.

Its like playing football with Ronaldo and then saying you will never play football again. It's strange because we do not say the same thing about other sports but all of us somehow think we might just might be good enough to cycle with a pro.

ddraver

pottssteve wrote:

my idea of a warm up is a second banana.

Dunno why, but that tickled me nicely....

smoggysteve

ddraver wrote:

pottssteve wrote:

my idea of a warm up is a second banana.

Dunno why, but that tickled me nicely....

You like being tickled by bananas?

You got issues man!

Burndust

i see this a lot on strava.....i think i'm doing pretty well avergeing at 16mph along a section on my cx then see the top guys are twice as fast, but then i remember i am giving away about 4st in body weight and about 6kg in bike so that eases the pain a bit lol