Elite endurance cyclists ARE bigger than elite distance runners.
Much bigger, lungs heart, VO2max and musculature.
There is decent overlap. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is a lot bigger than a whole slew of top cyclists like Egan Bernal, Jonas Vingegaard, Miguel Angel Lopez, Remco Evenepoel, and Tom Pidcock who are all about 130 lbs +/-. Even sprinter Caleb Ewan is about 134 lbs.
The physiology is not the same. The best cyclists have a much bigger serobic capacity than distance runners. I know nobody here wants to believe this, but it has been known for 50+ years that this is the case.
One thing I've noticed is that cyclists look way better built than distance runners. They seem to have more muscle on them and just look more athletic. Look at and compare his build to Kipchoge. Wouldn't cyclists want to be as skinny as possible to reduce the amount of weight they are pushing? And why are cyclists in general look like they have more upper body strength than elite distance runners?
This is something I have learned as someone who ran at a high level and now bikes at a high level. There is an element of digestion and nutrient absorption, I believe. When running a lot my guts often seemed bothered. Cycling doesn't seem to do that. I surmise that the body is better able to process the nutrition put into it without the mechanical processes of running.
You are way off base. I have been to spectate at a lot of cycling events and with the exception of the sprinters (who have no chance of winning an overall event) the cyclists are scary thin. They have the worst anorexia of any male athletes that I know of.
Runners can be a much bigger mix of body types since the 1500m guys can be quite strong. Centro was ripped but nobody is stronger than Lopez Lomong:
Elite endurance cyclists ARE bigger than elite distance runners.
Much bigger, lungs heart, VO2max and musculature.
If a runner wants it badly enough he or she can log miles in whatever footwear is available. For Emil Zatopek, combat boots. Miruts Yifter jogged in place in his prison cell for nine months, circa 1973. Runners can run on grass sans shoes if a runner prefers. No one buys all the expensive cycling gear if a cyclist is superior to runners. Cyclists need to put in 5 times mileage as elite Marathoners to reach equal aerobic stimulation. Elite runners tend to train at (10 to 13) miles per hour. Cyclists are not averaging 55 miles per hour so cyclists need to put in more hours for equal results. Lastly, male cyclists rarely run a Marathon sub-2:20 Cyclists only slightly impress me.
Don't look at the climbers or GC guys, they have the anorexic build of distance runners. Neither is speaking.
In both sports, cycling and track, look at the sprinters. Sprinters are far, and I do mean far, superior athletes in both sports and that is especially true for track.
Don't look at the climbers or GC guys, they have the anorexic build of distance runners. Neither is speaking.
In both sports, cycling and track, look at the sprinters. Sprinters are far, and I do mean far, superior athletes in both sports and that is especially true for track.
He did have a high VO2 max but there are other cyclists that were higher. Greg LeMond, Miguel Indurain, Thor Hushovd, Chris Froome, Edvad Hagen, Peter Sagan, and Kurt Asle Arvesen are just some of the cyclists with higher VO2 maxes.
Hushovd & Sagan are interesting because they was/are sprinters. (Sagan is still active & Hushovd is retired). Climbing specialists or all-arounders generally have the highest VO2 maxes among cyclists. Indurain is also interesting because he was a pretty big guy. He was probably 6'1" and about 180 lbs. He climbed like a much smaller guy but he pushed big gears and did not look like he was working hard. Sagan is also big and many sprinters are. He is probably 6' 185 lbs.
All of that said, as talented as Armstrong was, he was doped to the gills. Most in his era were. Armstrong does not have a fraction of the talent or genetic gifts that LeMond has. If they were both the same age and rode without PEDs, LeMond easily beats Armstrong 99 of 100 times.
He did have a high VO2 max but there are other cyclists that were higher. Greg LeMond, Miguel Indurain, Thor Hushovd, Chris Froome, Edvad Hagen, Peter Sagan, and Kurt Asle Arvesen are just some of the cyclists with higher VO2 maxes.
Hushovd & Sagan are interesting because they was/are sprinters. (Sagan is still active & Hushovd is retired). Climbing specialists or all-arounders generally have the highest VO2 maxes among cyclists. Indurain is also interesting because he was a pretty big guy. He was probably 6'1" and about 180 lbs. He climbed like a much smaller guy but he pushed big gears and did not look like he was working hard. Sagan is also big and many sprinters are. He is probably 6' 185 lbs.
All of that said, as talented as Armstrong was, he was doped to the gills. Most in his era were. Armstrong does not have a fraction of the talent or genetic gifts that LeMond has. If they were both the same age and rode without PEDs, LeMond easily beats Armstrong 99 of 100 times.
Don't believe the really high numbers. Greg Lemond didn't have a 93 VO2max, nor Miguel Indurain have an 88 VO2max, his actual number was 79.
There is and was a lot of number fudging that goes on.
Lemond and Armstrong had very similar abilities. You can exaggerate all you want, but I want to see people being more realistic about Oxygen Kinetics and not spouting constant nonsense. It doesn't help the sport in any way to keep repeating stupid stories
Don't believe the really high numbers. Greg Lemond didn't have a 93 VO2max, nor Miguel Indurain have an 88 VO2max, his actual number was 79.
There is and was a lot of number fudging that goes on.
Lemond and Armstrong had very similar abilities. You can exaggerate all you want, but I want to see people being more realistic about Oxygen Kinetics and not spouting constant nonsense. It doesn't help the sport in any way to keep repeating stupid stories
You can exaggerate all that you want as well. LeMond and Indurain both were much more genetically gifted than Armstrong was.
It doesn't help the sport in any way to keep hyping Armstrong. Was he gifted? Yes. Without the EPO, blood transfusions, HGH, testosterone, and all of that, though, he wouldn't have been a fraction of what he was.
Lance was is also a scumbag. He is a horrible person.
As we’re well aware, women and men come in all shapes and sizes. This saying has never been so apparent than in New York photographer Howard Schatz’s latest series of photographs, which documents the amazing diversity of body...
If you look closely, it says 6'0 Bob Kennedy weighed 146 lbs. and 5'4 Joseph Chebet (second from the right) weighed 114! Kennedy was 30 lbs bigger than some of his rivals! Bonkers!
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