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#41
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
archer wrote:
Even with a lot of training, Bo Jackson would never make it over the hills in the Tour. He wouldn't make the time cut, unless he lost a lot of weight. There is a reason why no pro cyclist weighs 225 lbs. No way of proving it, of course, but I'll bet in his playing days he could have finished the course with no problem (at least if there was a bike strong enough for him). He had tremendous power in his legs, and is one of the greatest natural athletes in the last 50 years. But did Bo Jackson ever demonstrate any aerobic talent? Leg power means nothing in cycling, at least not in a stage race. It's aerobic power-to-weight ratio that gets those riders over multiple passes per day within the cut-off time. Note the physiques of the pro riders, lean to the extreme. That's no accident. -- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/ |
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#42
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
archer wrote:
It takes a significant amount of endurance to play an entire NFL game at running back, which he did at the very highest levels. No, it doesn't. At least not the type of aerobic endurance required for a stage race with huge mountain passes. Running back effort: 10 second sprint, 1 minute rest, repeat a few times, sit on a bench for several minutes. He could have held his breath while the ball was in play. Now, had he been an elite soccer player, that would be a different story. Those guys are aerobically strong. -- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/ |
#44
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
"Stephen Harding" wrote in message ... And then a full week to recover for the next installment of doing it again. The TdF is just about every day. I think that can make a huge difference in going the distance. Furthermore, the psychology of the event might be more a factor than with other, shorter duration, sporting events. I've come to think the TdF is one of the toughest tests of human sporting activity to be found anywhere in the world, and for endurance type events, usually the big "beefcake" types don't fare so well. SMH Yes, and what about other sports that require a different body types. Could Bo Jackson, for instance, ever have seriously competed in the Olympic Marathon? I doubt it. The concept is that any great athlete can win at cycling. But just like distance running, it just isn't so. M. |
#45
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
x-no-archive:yes
I've always been sort of simultaneously revulsed and intrigued with the close-ups of the quarterbacks, who seem to spend half their time with their hand in the center's sweaty crotch, and the other half licking the palm of the same hand. Yecccchhhhh.... "Zippy the Pinhead" Zippy, the quarterback is actually moistening the tips of his fingers to get a better feel for the football. Maybe that's why Canadian football isn't as good as US Football---they're licking their palms! Pat in TX |
#46
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
archer wrote:
Bo Jackson, or anyone else with his bulk, wouldn't finish the Tour. They'd miss the time cut in the first mountain stage. This is simple physics. Strap 65 lbs. on Armstrong's back, and he would also be eliminated. Possible, but I doubt it: the extra 65 lbs on Bo's bike would be muscle, not dead weight. You need to study up a tad on power-to-weight ratio, because you're missing the point entirely. Muscle, fat, bone, water, they all reduce one's power-to-weight ratio. If your ratio is below a certain amount, you can give up any hopes of making the time cut on a mountain stage. The best cyclists in the world can produce over 400 watts indefinitely, giving them a power-to-weight ratio over 5 watts/kg. For the sake of argument, say that Bo Jackson could produce as much power as the world's best cyclists. His power-to-weight ratio would be 3.5 at best. If the guys at the front are finishing the climbs in 2 hours, the hypothetical Bo would be doing them in 3+ hours, and he would be eliminated. -- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/ |
#47
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
Preston Crawford wrote:
it was his assuming this is an American trait we should be proud of that bothered me more than anything else. Anyone who thinks that was Kaufman's point is impervious to irony. -- Paul Turner |
#48
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Tour de France - is it unAmerican?
"Chris Phillipo" wrote in message .. . In article , Of course then you look at a guy like Indurain and say, "What's he, a wrestler?" Indurain didn't win until he lost around 20 pounds to put him at around 165, and even then he had to win in the time trials, never attacking in the mountains. M. |
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