Pub Talk - Long Distance Runners..what if?

No_Ta_Doctor

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the first black Kenyans start earning money cycling. They've got a depth in running that means that athlete's that would be national champions almost anywhere else in the world don't even get a look-in for national team selection.

As others have already pointed out, there's not enough grass roots cycling to sift through and find the future stars. But conversion of athletes who can't quite get to the top of the Kenyan running elite - that's a possibility. And once one of them finds the way, others will follow.

No_Ta_Doctor

iainf72 wrote:

Read the Sports Gene :P

Africa has an enormous genetic pool - Considerably bigger than Europe in terms of variety so there will no doubt be people from some regions who'd be possibly very good bike riders

http://blog.ted.com/2014/03/20/whats-ma ... t-ted2014/

Find the Ted talk and watch it as well. It's fairly mindblowing

Just watched that, cheers.

I came away wondering how to fit a frame for those Kenyan runners though... People are already complaining the frames are too small and the seat posts too high :-D

And thanks for making the point about the African gene pool being so diverse, I've been banging on about that for years.

DeVlaeminck

No tA Doctor wrote:

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the first black Kenyans start earning money cycling. They've got a depth in running that means that athlete's that would be national champions almost anywhere else in the world don't even get a look-in for national team selection.

As others have already pointed out, there's not enough grass roots cycling to sift through and find the future stars. But conversion of athletes who can't quite get to the top of the Kenyan running elite - that's a possibility. And once one of them finds the way, others will follow.

It's possible but cycling and running are different enough that even if some of the best running talent in Kenya decided to switch to cycling it's equally possible, in fact very likely, that they'd fail to make the grade as pro cyclists. Following Iain's point the depth of the gene pool in Africa does mean it's quite likely that there is going to be some real talent there but it's not a given that it'll be found in the same locations as we find the most talented runners.

mm1

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails2011.asp?id=MTAxMzI&MenuId=MTYzMDQ&LangId=1&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI8%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuID%3DMTYzMDQ%26LangId%3D1 tweeted by Brian Cookson a couple of days ago.

RideOnTime

FocusZing wrote:

skylla wrote:

I'm always impressed at how well fellrunners are at riding non-feller riders off their socks..

Yes I can understanding that, running up/down mountains must help develop a similar strong muscle structure. I am sure you have heard of this guy, but for anyone who has not, well worth reading more about him. A humble none of your celebrity waffle athlete personified.




http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Naylor

ruined by doping...

No_Ta_Doctor

DeVlaeminck wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the first black Kenyans start earning money cycling. They've got a depth in running that means that athlete's that would be national champions almost anywhere else in the world don't even get a look-in for national team selection.

As others have already pointed out, there's not enough grass roots cycling to sift through and find the future stars. But conversion of athletes who can't quite get to the top of the Kenyan running elite - that's a possibility. And once one of them finds the way, others will follow.

It's possible but cycling and running are different enough that even if some of the best running talent in Kenya decided to switch to cycling it's equally possible, in fact very likely, that they'd fail to make the grade as pro cyclists. Following Iain's point the depth of the gene pool in Africa does mean it's quite likely that there is going to be some real talent there but it's not a given that it'll be found in the same locations as we find the most talented runners.

Yes. The point made in the Ted talk Iain linked to that within Kenyan running its a specific tribe, with a specific genetic advantage (very long light legs) that hold all the records is worth noting. While the altitude adaptation is certainly an advantage, that might not be the absolute best body shape for cycling.

FocusZing

I wouldn't mind seeing how a Sherpa mountain guide does riding some peaks.

Paulie W

A friend of mine raced in Yak Attack, a MTB race in Nepal. He said that the (very lightweight) local riders flew up the slopes but were slow on the descents and on the few and far between flat bits. Didnt stop them winning though.

RichN95.

There's a PhD Sports Science student in my hockey club who does a lot of reasearch on the Nepalese and the effects of altitude on the cardiovascular system. I'll have to ask him about it sometime.

FocusZing

RichN95 wrote:

There's a PhD Sports Science student in my hockey club who does a lot of reasearch on the Nepalese and the effects of altitude on the cardiovascular system. I'll have to ask him about it sometime.

It sounds like they have around 10 genetic markers which gives them advantages at altitude, then of course living there too.

FocusZing

Paulie W wrote:

A friend of mine raced in Yak Attack, a MTB race in Nepal. He said that the (very lightweight) local riders flew up the slopes but were slow on the descents and on the few and far between flat bits. Didnt stop them winning though.

Ha, Yak attack is a good title. I can imagine they would be good, yes decents would take some time to learn, be confident with.

Sounds like a good experience.

No_Ta_Doctor

FocusZing wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

There's a PhD Sports Science student in my hockey club who does a lot of reasearch on the Nepalese and the effects of altitude on the cardiovascular system. I'll have to ask him about it sometime.

It sounds like they have around 10 genetic markers which gives them advantages at altitude, then of course living there too.

I Think it was Ross Tucker on Science of Sport site that posten something about the Nepalese having a completely different set of altitude adjustments to the Kenyans. The Columbians might be different again. One lot basically had adaptations to increase oxygen uptake, the others adaptations to increase metabolic efficiency.

In the Sky Secret Mountain Cave Headquarters Brailsford is running a cloning and DNA splicing program...

jawooga

No one has mentioned Ethiopia. Eritrea to the north and Kenya to the south, mountainous in the east, massive population although admittedly very poor country, and history of world class distance runners at mens (Haile Gabresalassie) and womens (Tirunesh Dibaba). I also (though have no facts for this) believe they're more powerful, compact frames than Kenyans.

joelsim

Having done a half marathon and been overtaken by the leading Kenyans doing the race at about 8 miles, I can happily say that they were about 7 stone in weight. If they can get the infrastructure and training from a young age they could definitely start providing the next Quintana.

Ben6899

FleshTuxedo wrote:

skylla wrote:

I'm always impressed at how well fellrunners are at riding non-feller riders off their socks..

+1 round my way in Yorkshire, there's loads of good club riders from fell running backgrounds. Doesn't prove anything, but that's good enough for pub talk.

Fell runners are just RIDICULOUSLY fit.