Interesting podcast with Lance Armstrong

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by 9tubes

Ha! I doubt that his pre-doping teammates would agree with the 450 figure. His pre-doping performance wasn't that impressive according to his Motorola teammates. He was strong but not top-ten-in-the-Tour strong. This is supported by his early results as a pro. The top-ten-in-the-Tour riders are a breed apart, even in the early years.

This is just Lance pushing the PR theme of "I was a superstar anyway."

6w/kg isn't in the top ten of the tour, which is 450w @ 75kg.

To put half a watt per kilo in perspective. When I am firing I can do 5.5w/kg for 30. I am nowhere near the local pros on climbs, and I am a climber.

A young lad (17 y.o) here did 6.1wkg for 24 mins up a berg, he will get a ride with a national series team (basically conti level) and I hope to see him ride the WT... but even with that number, he's not guaranteed a ride anywhere.

Lots of people can hit 6's. It's the guys who can do 6.5 repeatedly (and late in a GT) that are really special.

[9tubes]

Good points, Jimmy. Lance was always coy about his weight. He was reportedly 5'10" and 75kg would be pretty porky at that height. With his (and Signor Ferrari's) obsession with weight I'd bet closer to 70kg. I suspect the team inflated his weight number in case someone calculated his wattage from climbing times.

At 70kg and 450watts, he would be at 6.5w/kg. Could he do that undoped? I doubt it but who knows. His early results speak volumes. But who cares? We know the real story now. Lance isn't going to rehabilitate himself with more bloviating unsupported claims.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by 9tubes

But who cares?

With all due respect... I think you seem to care, haha

[54ny77]

My legs are like LED bulbs: feels like 150 watts, but it's only putting out 40....

[LegendRider]

Lance said his pre-cancer weight was 175lbs and his post-cancer, Tour weight was 160 - 165lbs. Using these figures along with the 450 watts (estimated clean) and 500 watts (juiced/actual) he claims from testing on the Madone, you can see what a huge difference the weight loss/EPO make.

50 additional watts from EPO seems high, but needing a ~7 watts/kg to win the Tour during that era seems plausible.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by rain dogs

It's just an opinion, or are we not allowed to share those?. But wait, it is my personal opinion... so you must have got me!

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by LegendRider

Lance said his pre-cancer weight was 175lbs and his post-cancer, Tour weight was 160 - 165lbs. Using these figures along with the 450 watts (estimated clean) and 500 watts (juiced/actual) he claims from testing on the Madone, you can see what a huge difference the weight loss/EPO make.

50 additional watts from EPO seems high, but needing a ~7 watts/kg to win the Tour during that era seems plausible.

No argument with anything that you said, but aren't all the power figures from the era LA estimates?

[LegendRider]

Originally Posted by jimmy-moots

No argument with anything that you said, but aren't all the power figures from the era LA estimates?

Lance didn't race with a power meter, but he trained with one and claims the 500 watts on the Madone to be measured, not estimated.

[benb]

Sure there were guys not doped in the Pro Peloton back then but they were the low level guys that the TdF teams were lapping in pedestrian races without appearing to work hard. It was routine to hear about guys like LA, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd, etc.. easily lapping the field in a crit or something.

I am still skeptical of all the #s. No one has shown me what the magic training aid is that has allowed today's top Pros to put out #s in the same ballpark as doped Lance without today's guys being on dope too.

I would kind of expect LA's 450w # to be doped too and the 500w is bragging/exaggeration, but maybe it's just degree of dope.

400w range is easy to believe, and it'd be easy for me to believe the tougher environment today makes it possible to dope to 450w but harder to get to 500w.

LA is fun to listen to and was fun to watch.

[benb]

The whole thing with holding a HR of 200 for an hour is certainly interesting, doped or not.

Anyone else in that ballpark in their prime?

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by jimmy-moots

Lots of people can hit 6's.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here

[benb]

I think this is the first time I've heard Lance confirm Chris Carmichael wasn't doing anything...

Definitely an interesting podcast.

[cash05458]

this idea of lance growing...lance's journey...and rehab...please...and that has nothing to do with doing peds...the idiot is like the kardashian version of riding...**** him...lance in therapy..oh please...

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here

Any city with a decent cycling scene will have at least a small handful of semi-pro climbers who are doing 6 on 20-30 min climbs... 360w-390w at 60-65kg is not special. Fast it is, special it is not.

[jimoots]

Listened to the pod, about halfway through, really good listen. Thanks for the recommendation.