Physical Demands and Performance Indicators in Male Professional Cyclists During a Grand Tour: WorldTour Versus ProTeam Category

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the physical demands and performance indicators of male professional cyclists of 2 different categories (Union Cycliste Internationale WorldTour [WT] and ProTeam [PT]) during a cycling grand tour. Methods: A WT team (n = 8, 31.4 [5.4] y) and a PT team (n = 7, 26.9 [3.3] y) that completed “La Vuelta 2020” volunteered to participate. Participants’ power output (PO) was registered, and measures of physical demand and physiological performance (kilojoules spent, training stress score, time spent at different PO bands/zones, and mean maximal PO [MMP] for different exertion durations) were computed. Results: WT achieved a higher final individual position than PT (31 [interquartile range = 33] vs 71 [59], P = .004). WT cyclists showed higher mean PO and kilojoule values than their PT peers and spent more time at high-intensity PO values (>5.25 W·kg−1) and zones (91%–120% of individualized functional threshold power) (Ps < .05). Although no differences were found for MMP values in the overall analysis (P > .05), subanalyses revealed that the between-groups gap increased through the race, with WT cyclists reaching higher MMP values for ≥5-minute efforts in the second and third weeks (Ps < .05). Conclusions: Despite the multifactorial nature of cycling performance, WT cyclists spend more time at high intensities and show higher kilojoules and mean PO than their PT referents during a grand tour. Although the highest MMP values attained during the whole race might not differentiate between WT and PT cyclists, the former achieve higher MMP values as the race progresses.

Durability and repeatability of professional cyclists during a Grand Tour

“…considering the general classification). However, sub‐analyses by week revealed that WT cyclists showed higher durability (that is, a higher capacity to attenuate the fatigue‐related decline in MPP values during each stage) at least during the first week of the race, and also attained higher MMP values than PT as the race progressed from the first to the third week, which is in line with our previous preliminary findings in the same cohort (Muriel et al, 2021). Indeed, although no major differences in MPP values were found between categories in the “fresh state” (0 kJ·kg −1 ) the magnitude of these differences enlarged when MMP analyzed under accumulating levels of fatigue ( i.e.…”

“…Given that in professional cycling decisive moments often occur at the end of the race, the ability to perform in the fatigued state would be of paramount importance (van Erp et al, 2021), which is at least partly supported by our findings. Previous studies have failed to find differences in the MMP values attained by professional cyclists without considering the amount of fatigue undergone (Muriel et al, 2021; Pinot & Grappe, 2011). In fact, the present study failed to detect differences in MMP values between WT and PT cyclists in the “fresh” state (0 kJ·kg −1 ) when attending to the whole race or when separately analyzing the first week – – in which cyclists were still expected to be much less fatigued compared to later phases of the event.…”

“…In this context, we recently reported that although the highest MMP values reached during a professional Grand Tour did not differ based on cyclists' competition level (WorldTour [WT] or ProTeam [PT], respectively) WT cyclists attained higher MMP values than their PT referents as the race progressed (i.e. during the second and third week) (Muriel et al, 2021). In other recent reports, van Erp, Sanders, and Lamberts (2021) and Leo et al (2021) observed that cyclists with a greater performance level (i.e.…”

Influence of COVID-19 Restrictions on Training and Physiological Characteristics in U23 Elite Cyclists

“…Despite reductions in training session frequency, most athletes focused on maintenance of general endurance and strength rather than exploiting sports-specific training [ 4 , 10 ]. Muriel et al [ 11 ] studied the training and physiological characteristics of 18 male professional cyclists during the 10 weeks prior to the COVID-19 confinement and during the seven-week confinement period: Total training volume significantly decreased by 33.9% during the lockdown. Weekly volumes (hours per week) by standardized training zones declined between 25.8% and 52.2%.…”

Development of Cycling Performance Variables and Durability in Female and Male National Team Cyclists: From Junior to Senior

“…Intriguingly, training interventions from our group on well-trained athletes have shown to improve performance-related measurements in the semifatigued state to a larger extent than measurements in the fresher state (16,19,20). Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the ability to maintain performance, like maximum mean power values, with accumulating levels of work performed and thus increased energy expenditure (i.e., durability), might be a better determinant of cycling performance than the values assessed in fresh conditions (21–24). Thus, performance measurements in a more fatigued state, after a substantial amount of work, may better reflect the performance level of elite cyclists than measurements obtained in a fresh state.…”