Increasing /maintaining sprint power at the end of the race?

edten

In training I have a 5sec sprint of about 1250w which isn't too bad at 65kg. However at the end of the race I seem to be less able to put a real big sprint in - obviously after racing for 1hr - 2.5hrs I'm not expecting to put out the same watts as in a test but the fall off in power once I start sprinting in a race often holds me back. I dont see myself as a sprinter, I prefer to throw in late attacks as I'm strongest in shorter sustained efforts - power profile wise 1min and 5min is good. However I think with a stronger sprint at the end of the race I would definitely have more opportunities to place high, and I'm always hearing 'train your weaknesses'!

My endurance is very good so I'm pretty sure it's not that and I avoid unnecessary work being able to hold position reasonably well. My cadence is typically 95-105 in a race so no masher.

So does anyone have any specific training suggestions that will help with increasing my sprint power at the end of the race as well as improving a dramatic fall off in power when doing maximal efforts? I've thought about introducing sprint intervals at the end of long endurance rides though not sure what these should look like as far as length and intensity. Thanks for any suggestions!

buckles

Apparently improving your FTP will help. Makes sense to me as everything you do before your final sprint will then be a lower percentage of your FTP, thus less fatiguing than if you had a lower FTP. Less fatigue --> more power at the end of the race...

amaferanga

If you can't hit your short duration numbers at the end of a race then you're clearly fatigued.

Good 5s power won't win you many races anyway. If your 30s - 1min power is good then you should be in with a chance on any uphill finish. What level are you racing at?

DHTT

Move any intervals you do to later on in your rides, a lot of people do them early then carry on riding, whereas if you do them later you've already got some built up fatigue explained better than I can do myself here:

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2010/04/pro-training-secrets/

buckles

madasahattersley wrote:

The team SKY article is probably the most useful, but ultimately just says "condition yourself better." I'd be interested in hearing from some coaches about training that can help with this sort of thing.

Link!

shortcuts

British Cycling has links (for members) to cycling 'sportive' training programmes separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Herbsman

shortcuts wrote:

British Cycling has links (for members) to cycling 'sportive' training programmes separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Have you accidentally clicked on the wrong thread? :?: :?

shortcuts

Herbsman wrote:

shortcuts wrote:

British Cycling has links (for members) to cycling 'sportive' training programmes separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Have you accidentally clicked on the wrong thread? :?: :?

Given the OP I don't believe that I have. If my attempt at being helpful has made me appear to be a bit of a knob then please accept my sincerest apologies.
P.S.. Whilst the training programmes to which I referred are marked as 'sportive' training they do go into more depth.

ozzzyosborn206

I do not own a power meter and don't know a huge amount about power but with a FTP of 365-370 you should be riding away from everyone in a 2/3/4 RR. There is riders mixing it in the top end of the domestic scene with lower FTP than you. You must need to work on your endurance how long was the race? who much do you weigh was it hilly?

madasahattersley wrote:

I'm not sure about the 'increase FTP' suggestion. I struggle enormously with fatigue and cramping at the end of longer road races.

My 5s power is the same as yours (well 1255 actually ;-) ) but my FTP is pretty high at 365-370.

Even today just doing a 2/3/4 "chipper" race where I could have blitzed the sprint my legs just shut down when it mattered and barely got 10th.

The team SKY article is probably the most useful, but ultimately just says "condition yourself better." I'd be interested in hearing from some coaches about training that can help with this sort of thing.

okgo

Plenty of people with getting on to those numbers in 2nd cat. Yes they probably shouldn't be but they are.

Do wonder though as race results suggest you're not using it wisely (or are dns / mechanicals a lot) as I know people in those races that competed at the sharp end with far less power!

Op are you taking on right fuel to help stop cramping etc? Seems common to cramp up down to lack of electrolyte etc in a long race.

Maglia

okgo wrote:

Plenty of people with getting on to those numbers in 2nd cat. Yes they probably shouldn't be but they are.

Do wonder though as race results suggest you're not using it wisely (or are dns / mechanicals a lot) as I know people in those races that competed at the sharp end with far less power!

Op are you taking on right fuel to help stop cramping etc? Seems common to cramp up down to lack of electrolyte etc in a long race.

I was in the same race as madasahattersley on Sunday, tried to break things up in the first half hour with 20 minutes at 4.97w/kg but nothing stuck. NP for the 94km was 290. If it's a flatish 2/3/4s race with a number of strong riders then riding away won't happen unless you're a freak.

Being able to bang out 1250w when fresh doesn't mean anything if you can only do 800w at the sharp end. I guess the secret is to do less work during races that are likely to end in sprints (I.E. Flat ones with decent riders in) & replicate the demands of sprinting on tired legs in training.

On a separate note not having a sprint means that getting results in the ERRL is a lot harder, the courses are too flat for a big FTP or 5 minute to have the same impact as a good sprint #woeisme...

okgo

1250 isn't going to win you bunch sprints even at 4th cat level unless its up a hill at that weight. So best off trying to get away I suppose. W/kg again is barely relevant on a flat course. Your 5/wkg could be a bigger blokes tempo. And on flat it makes little odds if someone is 5kg heavier etc.

Tom Dean

madasahattersley wrote:

Race was only 96km, like Maglia I spent most of it trying to get away but the bunch was in a weird chasing mood (not usual for a chipper around here) and I'm 74kg.

This is why you suffer from fatigue at the end of the race - you can't expect to get close to your best sprint after riding like that. I think 10th is a good result considering!

Regardless of how much energy you do save in the early stages, the point remains that if your FTP was higher, you would have more of your sprint left to use at the finish. I don't think this shows a specific weakness, other than that your plan A strategy failed.