Division of Movement Science and Exercise Therapy, Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Former Professional Cyclist, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2024 Jul 27;19(11):1209-1217. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0476. Print 2024 Nov 1.
To describe and compare the race characteristics, demands, and durability profile of a male and a female Grand Tour winner.
Overall and stage-type-specific (ie, time trials, flat, semimountainous, and mountain) demands and race characteristics during 2 Grand Tours were determined and compared between the female and male cyclists. In addition, relative power output distribution and pacing, percentage of functional threshold power (FTP), and changes in maximal mean power outputs (MMPs) with increasing levels of kilojoules burned were determined.
Although many differences were found between course and absolute racing demands between the male (FTP: 413 W; critical power: 417 W) and female (FTP: 297 W; critical power: 297 W) cyclists, similar power distributions and pacing strategies were found if data were expressed relatively. However, the female cyclist rode a higher percentage of her FTP during the first 2 quarters of flat stages (14.7%-15.1%) and the last quarter of mountain stages (9.8%) than the male cyclist. Decrements in MMPs were only observed after burning 30 kJ·kg-1 in the female and 45 kJ·kg-1 in the male Grand Tour winner.
Both the male and female Grand Tour winners produced very high 20- to 60-minute MMPs, whereas decrements in MMPs were only observed after having burned 75% (female) and 80% (male) of total kilojoules burned during a stage. These are the latest and lowest in MMPs reported in the scientific literature and highlight the importance of durability in combination with excellent climbing and time-trial skills, which are needed to be able to win a Grand Tour.
描述并比较一位男性和一位女性大环赛冠军的种族特征、需求和耐久性特征。
在 2 个大环赛中确定并比较了男女自行车运动员的总体和阶段特定（即计时赛、平地、半山地和山地）需求和比赛特点。此外，还确定了相对功率输出分布和配速、功能阈值功率（FTP）的百分比以及随着消耗的焦耳数增加最大平均功率输出（MMP）的变化。
尽管在男性（FTP：413 W；临界功率：417 W）和女性（FTP：297 W；临界功率：297 W）自行车运动员之间发现了许多在赛程和绝对比赛需求方面的差异，但如果以相对方式表达数据，则发现了相似的功率分布和配速策略。然而，女性自行车运动员在平地赛的前两个四分之一段（14.7%-15.1%）和山地赛的最后一个四分之一段（9.8%）中比男性自行车运动员更多地骑行其 FTP 的百分比。只有在女性和男性大环赛冠军分别消耗 30 kJ·kg-1 和 45 kJ·kg-1 的能量后，MMP 才会下降。
男性和女性大环赛冠军都产生了非常高的 20 至 60 分钟 MMP，而只有在消耗了一个赛段总消耗的 75%（女性）和 80%（男性）的能量后，MMP 才会下降。这些是目前科学文献中报告的最新和最低的 MMP，强调了在具有出色的爬坡和计时赛技能的情况下，耐久性的重要性，这是赢得大环赛所必需的。
