Where Is The Limit?

Yes, It's possible to do without drugs.

It is possible to race consistently. To do it to the maximum limit day in day out is impossible.

Yes, race consistently sure, but when we see the Tours and Giro's I just wonder how can those guys do it, it's more than the body can handle I am guessing.

The average speeds were lower in the Tour and Giro years ago. They would have slower days. They only took amphetamines back then.

Lemond and Hampsten were the last clean cyclists in my opinion and both got out when EPO and T became ubiquitous.

Always remember that pros do this for a living as a full time job. If you have the time to train and get in 300-400 miles a week you could get better. Of course it helps to be born with good genetics.

I don't know, I have been reading a number of autobiographies about pro cyclists...and they make it sound awful. I mean they never make it sound like they are having fun when competing. They talk about suffering over and over again and waiting until they could abandon races or retire at races. Pro cycling as described by the pro's themselves sounds terrible. I may glance a the Tour De France this summer but I don't think I will ever follow it.

I am not a big fan of participation trophies and lowering the bar, but these grand tours are nuts... if they don't want to make the race easier- then please add more rest days.

The average person can not perform at that level. Get involved in sports, get to know some really good marathoners, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes and you will discover that a lucky few are genetic marvels.

It is possible to achieve a very high level of performance through training and stellar genetics. Through my perspective as an average cyclist that trains hard, pro level competitors are super human; out of envy it may be tempting to claim that they must dope to perform so well.

Weatherby said:

The average speeds were lower in the Tour and Giro years ago. They would have slower days. They only took amphetamines back then.

Lemond and Hampsten were the last clean cyclists in my opinion and both got out when EPO and T became ubiquitous.

Many people believe that Sostre won clean in 2008. It was his win that convinced Dopestrong to end his retirement and come back doped stronger than ever.

Evans in 2011 is another guy who some believe was clean.

Hinault won the Tour in 1981 with an average speed of 24.4 mph. Contador in 2010 with 24.7, Evans in 2011 with 24.9.

Hinault > Evans therefore Evans absolutely must be doping!!!!!@!@!!!!!!!!!

:P

lol, nice to see some humor here but we cannot compare the technology from Hinault time with the technology today, bikes are way lighter and faster and cyclists are more "energysed" too.

Everything is possible in my perception. I just wonder why you would want to go beyond your personal limits and wreck your body. For money? If it is for money, bear in mind, that later you might have to use that money for physio therapytreatments, drugs, or even surgery. I often look at athletes with some kind of pity. Of course, it's wonderful to be amongst the best and gain fame and fortune, but at the end of the day they have to deal with the consequences of continuously straining their bodies.

Sunflogun said:

lol, nice to see some humor here but we cannot compare the technology from Hinault time with the technology today, bikes are way lighter and faster and cyclists are more "energysed" too.

We can definitely compare the technology from the 80's to now. It's not exactly rocket science. Define the parameters you wish to test and test them.

It's possible to do it, just you have to have a lot of energy because it can be seriously tiring. But also it's not good to exhaust your body so doing it is not really recommended, unless, you don't do it too hard but slowly and calmly.

swampy1970 said:

We can definitely compare the technology from the 80's to now. It's not exactly rocket science. Define the parameters you wish to test and test them.

OK, I am not an expert, but with today bikes isn't it easy for the pros to ride faster?

Sunflogun said:

OK, I am not an expert, but with today bikes isn't it easy for the pros to ride faster?

Not being a self proclaimed expert would make you an exception around here.(:

Its all about muscle training and efficiency. It is possible to ride those kinds of distances without the use of drugs, but you are going to have to be willing to put in the massive ammount of effort in order to reach up to their level. It takes dedication.

OK, so you are all experts here jhuskey? 😄

I agree with that ZX, it's training and technology, that is why I feel that today it has to be "easier" to ride faster.

Sunflogun said:

OK, so you are all experts here jhuskey? 😄

I agree with that ZX, it's training and technology, that is why I feel that today it has to be "easier" to ride faster.

You're absolutely right. It is training and technology, thank goodness we have a brain lol. I also think we need to be careful though not to make assumptions and say it's okay to ride faster because it's easier, there's times where you have to be careful speeding because you might lose control.

Genetics play as big a role as anything else.Or chemically adjusting for what genetics shortchanged you.