Last year as a first year U23 rider i raced Remco and a bunch of other pro's in a pro kermesse race in Belgium (the town is Gullegem). Just by competing in the race i witnessed what a difference there is between pro's and guys like me. It's huge! For me it's all about the fun and seeing how much i can do as a U23, besides the pro life wouldn't fit me.
@@spokedhq I only started as a last years junior. I did pretty well and got to race some big races. But when i raced the top of my category i felt like they were really dominating. Seeing them not necessarily going pro but really progressing at a super fast rate. I feel like that's one of the huge diffrences. Also my best mate is joining Soudal - Quick-step devo team this year. Seeing what he has to sacrifice and also seeing the diffrences in our numbers is just an indication that i'm not strong enough. I can race good and hard because of my good sprint and 10 minute power. He can race just as good and hard with those same numbers but his wattages stay way higher on longer races then mine.
@@thomasvanassche5346 you're showing an attitude above your years 👏 You obviously have talent as you've gotten into a few nice races. Now being a second year U23, you're going to benefit from that hard racing last year. Who knows how you'll progress this year with hard work and sacrifice. I didn't make a dent per se, till my 3rd U23. That said, the main thing is enjoy your riding and racing. Best of luck for 2023 and beyond. Rich.
@thomas vanassche nothing wrong with being outdone by someone signing with Quick Step. But there are plenty of pro teams out there and there's potentially space for someone like you if you wanted to stick to it. You're benchmarking yourself against a top prospect going to a team that recruits all over the world.
Started riding in 1970 aged 8. Never stopped. By 1983 1st Cat. Rode with an elite team for 1 year and didn’t make the grade. Never a pro. Raced Cat 2/3 until 2002. TT,d until 2016 then retired. Still ride 5 days a week to maintain fitness my fitness. Still keeping up with kids 35 years younger than me. In hindsight I never had what it takes to be even an elite racer.
Fair play for giving it a good crack! I know just going through that process no matter what heights we reach is something to be proud of. Keep up the great riding. Rich.
I would say running is the most competitive and difficult sport in the world. The cost of entry is below 100 dollars, which means more people can compete. I can handle 30 hours a week on the bike but running as much as a pro runner just destroys me. I hit 70 miles per week and was wrecked.
Also for an example of a pro cyclist who runs is Matthew Riccotello with a one mile pr time of 4:57. This isn’t even enough to make the podium at a high school track meet.
Cat 1 road racer in the US here. I’m 27 now, been racing since I was 16 and doing 100 mile rides since I was 13. I even had my VO2 tested when I was 16 and it was very high, however that doesn’t mean anything at such a young age, plus my power lacked compared to others my age racing. I was taught bike handling under pressure very young. I even did a season of racing where I raced 80+ days and got good results regionally and nationally. Sounds impressive right? Well let me tell you. My opportunity truly ended to even have the slightest chance of seeing a domestic pro contract when I was on a development team at 17 years old. I participated in Tour de L’abitibi in Canada. A nations cup in northern Quebec. I was on a US composite team like half of the riders and the other half were National teams. I had bad luck and crashed heavily at ~35-38mph and bruised my ribs, lucky if you ask me. That was it, couldn’t breathe so I couldn’t perform. From there I never saw another big opportunity to be noticed and make the right connections to prove myself further. What’s truly wild. Is the fellas on the national teams. Many of them don’t even ride anymore… they were thrown into the lions den over and over again. Until they were burnt out completely or didn’t get another shot. To put it into perspective, a decent amount of the guys on the US junior national team that year, went on to race tour of California. They got close to getting results, but from what I remember they didn’t and after that I never saw their names in cycling news again. Plus, the US has a terrible infrastructure for developing young riders. You truly have to go to Europe and win… which means being able to financially do it yourself with the right connection or making the national team and not being chewed up and spat out. The reality is you have to start younger than I did. You have to have more than just support. You have to have the logistics, the connections and a lot of LUCK. Of course, the obvious potential all around to begin with. Which a decent amount of younger riders have, but cycling is as cut throat as it gets. Second chances are rare, let alone the opportunity to prove yourself to begin with. Now I’m on a good amateur elite team with very strong riders. Like many years past. We all have fun racing together and do a decent amount of national events. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had since I started racing. There’s still pressure to perform, but not because we’re all trying to do the nearly impossible. We just want to win as a team and we get to mix it up with the pros sometimes. Meanwhile, I have an amazing job that I love going to 5 days a week and I hangout with friends instead sacrificing most of my life trying to train like a pro… Thx for the video. PS. I was told I was fat and needed to lose weight as a junior at 155lbs - 5’ 8”. Eventually ended up getting down to 125lbs for a season, it was not healthy. Don’t give into that toxic culture/ environment if you’re an aspiring junior or u23 rider. Eat plenty and have fun riding!
Hey Dimitri_pedals, thank you for sharing your story. I can definitely resonate with a lot of it and it's brilliant to hear you're enjoying your racing once again 👏 Striving to become the best cyclist you can, is tough and ruthless. It does chew up and spit out a lot of riders, but perhaps that is the nature of the beast. It is a performance based sport (when striving for the top) so it takes a special type of character to handle those stresses. Reflecting on my career, I perhaps cracked in the last couple of years. The pressure got to me. However, it's this experience that has shaped me who I am today and helped me build Spoked etc. I agree, to reach the top you need a lot of resources and element of luck. I am Aussie, so I was fortunate to race in Europe to prove myself with the AIS squad. Could I have done that alone, I doubt it. Best of luck for the 2023 season and beyond. Rich.
Hi, I am 16 years old and I have a Vo2max of 70, FTP of 5,0 W/kg (my weight 56.5kg and W 280). I noticed that I have talent in sports. My question is: Can I make it pro pure on the stats. I know that the future isn't certain and everything can change. your Answer can be straight to the pont. I love your videos and have been following you for a while. It's very interesting, keep it up!
Hey TB. Thanks for sharing your story. Your numbers are impressive, but the short answer is no. I think good numbers help open up doors, but they don't secure the deal. Perhaps look at Zwift Academy for example. You need the numbers to get in, but then they test your bike handling, see how you handle pressure etc. My advice to you (you can ignore it too) is to simply enjoy your riding and embrace the journey. Don't put that pressure on yourself that you need to succeed. What I've discovered is if you want something so bad, it normally works against you. Well this is what happened in my last few years of riding. If you have any questions or thoughts, add it below or you can drop me a note at rich@spoked.ai. Thanks for your support and best of luck. Rich.
@@spokedhq thank you so much for your Answer!!! it's such a nice gesture that you put in so much time to respond to me. Cycling is sometimes a harsh world with all the data we have today. your answer got me thinking and we all think that if you have the numbers you can make it but this isn't true. A good example is a compatriot: Xander Vervloesem. I will take your advice. I am sometimes too competitive and sometimes I just need to enjoy cycling more and maybe I'll get better myself if I just enjoy more. I have 1 question I always say: I absolutely don't want to overtrain myself and I think many peers overtrain themselves my rule is 4 training per week. I see some people doing almost 12 hours per week. Is this good at my age our a year younger/older? again i thank you so much for your reply and see you next video !
@@TRB3 it's the least I can do. The the harsh reality about professional cycling is, it is a hard and cutthroat environment. When you're flying, everyone wants to be your mate. And when you're not, no-one wants to know you. So with that in mind, it's important you do you. If you can achieve that, the outcome looks after itself. re.my first impressions of 4 training days per week, sounds good. Especially if it's of high quality. Plus you make a good point of not wanting to overtrain. Remember there are a multiple jnr. world champs who burn out. Focus on yourself and build a network of coaches or people you can lean on. I hope that helps. Rich.
Don't know where you got the vo2 max number but that ftp is solid. Results in high level road racing will be the best way to progress towards being a pro. If you want to become a pro, you have to aim to get on the national team as a 17-18 and try to get to Europe to race, doesn't need to be on the national team. What country are you from?
Wow, Road Race Cycling 🚴♀️ is one of the hardest sports to make it. No wonder my friends who rides on under 23 gave it up for University degrees and these guys are good with wins under their belts.
It is pretty cut throat and I like your friends, dropped out of uni at 18/19 to pursue my cycling career. When I got a spot on the AIS squad, it was pretty hard to pass. That said, I've gone back to university and not sure it was that helpful. Rich.
I'm not interested in becoming pro level, I am interested in being the fittest/healthiest for my age in my area. (Which is infinitely easier to achieve I would imagine)
I'm 48, 250 lbs, take a beta blocker that keeps my max HR somewhere below 170, and I'm a giant wall of non-aero breaking my way into the wind every ride. I rode 3k miles last year. What do you mean I can't make it?! Haha
Well, I don't mean to burst your bubble 😀. But in all seriousness, if you can get out there and build some consistency that's a achievement. The main thing is staying active. Rich.
@@spokedhq there is a lot of info on training and nutrition (but probably, you will be able to talk about that in interesting way and if yes you could try) but what is interesting for me (what I can think about right now) is to know more from the life of professional cyclists some kind of aspects or sides of there training, probably some stories... By the way for me is interesting the ways how guys recover (if you understand me), there are a lot of videos from powerlifting, bodybuilding about medicine but no info about this in other sports. But all this only if you run out of ideas) I subscribed so that means you was interesting.
I'm 21, started cycling in 2019 did some races in 2020 before lockdown and then stopped riding, went into weightlifting but came back to the bike because I love it. Been riding consistently ever since mid 2021, did almost 20k km in 2022 despite 2 big crashes resulting in broken collarbone.. Going back to racing in regional category in 2023 and I want to reach national level. I'm a big guy (1m98 & ~83kg) and training really hard, did a good base almost 100h of training in january 85h on the bike + gym. Did an FTP test after a recovery week and got 346W for 20mins, was hoping for 360W but it's alright, I've done nothing but Z2, lil bit of Z3 & gym and rn I'm at the same fitness that I was in august 2022 at my peak, hoping I can reach ~400W soon with intensity & racing coming. Do you think there's still a shot for me ? I gave myself until 2025 to reach a national division
Hey Gugus, where about are you based? You've committed a lot to the bike and that in itself is a great achievement. In terms of goals, I wouldn't focus on the end outcome, but rather focus more on the short term targets? By focusing on the short term targets, can help build motivation and help you understand progress. If you tick off the right things, the outcome almost looks after itself. What do you think? Rich
@@spokedhq Hey Rich, I'm in France in Paris. Thanks for the tips, this goal of joining a national division is like the big big goal that I hope to achieve in few years, but I also have short terms goals of course, I'm in my last month of really big volume before race season and I'll do another ftp test at the end of the month, I know I'll be fitter and faster than last time but hoping for 360W for 20mins, and when race season will come and I'll start threshold/vo2 stuff I hope I'll fly. In terms of races I'll use the first ones in march&april to build fitness, get to know the fast guys in my category and I'm hoping for a fitness peak in May when I'll do a 50k duo TT with my friend, who's 18yo and wants to become a pro, he's one category above me and he's way shorter only about 60kg but his sprint is insane, also raced in national qualification championships on the track, he took a year off studying and is dedicating it towards becoming a pro, if I discovered cycling just a few years prior or something it would've been better, I see all these guys that are 3 years younger than me, are lighter and can push as much if not more watts than me, it motivates me so much but also tells me I have to full gaz it because my time window is closing I guess
@@alavroff01 what's important to remember here, is not to forget why you ride and what makes you happy. I was in a similar position, consistently focused on my next goal, then the next. Before you know it, time flies by and you think - where has it gone? With the races, I would race to win. You want to continuously be putting yourself in a racing winning opportunity. There are times, it may be too quick and that's ok. But at least you can be proud of your effort - as you did everything possible. Best of luck! Rich.
@@timvanmonero2720 working on it boss 340-350W feels easy now ftp should be around 360, got a race in a few hours with some cat1/elite guys so we'll see how it goes
I wonder if the problem with some people is they just train TOO much. I've noticed with me, if I take 2 or 3 days off, I'm astonished at how much better and crisp my legs seem to be when I do get back in the saddle. And now with all the results coming out that show zone 2 to build mitochondria the best, I've got to wonder if the whole hellbent training thing is actually not the greatest way to go about it. I think people get too caught up in the numbers too. Mark Cavendish had poor numbers in his early days. I prefer to train like it's the 1960s, just pedal, forget the damn numbers and graphs and all that crap.
Hey Michael. Thanks for sharing! We as cyclist get caught up thinking more is better. I know I did! I fell into that trap of doing TOO much. And I agree, a few days off the bike normally does more good than harm! I am big believer of polarised training as it gets people to think about their intensity on the bike. There are lot of benefits. But I am also getting vibes of a Fad Diet movement too. The only way to lose fat is to put butter in your coffee, or you can only eat after 2 pm. If you vary from this, you're wasting your time. What's wrong with people listening to their bodies and see what works for them and their circumstances etc. Yes, people do get too hooked up with numbers and lose the feel of riding. However, we can use data to our advantage and it's knowing what data to be guided by. This is something we're focusing at Spoked. Thanks for watching. Rich.
Mark never really had bad numbers. He was simply extremely unmotivated to train inside and hated paying attention to data and still doesn't like those things.
It was 1998 and I was trying to get a pro contract in Germany after spending 6 years in Europe as an elite rider.When I noticed that you couldn't make it unless you took epo and alot of other drugs.People don't know this but you become a drug addict when you become a pro cyclist.And if you don't do drugs you don't have a chance of making it.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. Cycling does have a history of drugs, and full credit to you for sticking to your guns and not giving into those pressures. Do you still currently ride? Rich.
There have always been teenagers making it big. And there will always be guys making it in their late 20s. It's even more common for women to get on pro teams for the first time at later ages.
I think making it in your late 20s for a male rider is becoming more and more difficult. And I think the women's scene is slowly becoming the same. I don't know how these young riders are so strong so young. Perhaps, it's why I never really made it. Rich.
@Spoked sure but still possible and something that nearly never happens in sports like football. As for kids being strong, riders are starting with power meters at a younger age and training is better. Also, PEDs are easier to attain through the internet now.
@@spokedhq would be nice if PEDs were avoided but there will always be dopers. Before, kids normally only got PEDs if their parents were on board. Now kids often have their own credit cards. As a high level athlete offered PEDs for the first time(for free but I didn't take them) at 14 over 25yrs ago, it's only gotten easier and more accessible now. My bet is that over half the pro peloton had their first taste of PEDs as juniors. That was maybe 25% with teens to become pros from Lance's era.
@@spokedhq I'd like to know your opinion. I'm 18 and I aspire to go pro, I started cycling at 16 and this year will be my first year doing structured training. I am from Kenya, and I hope to get help from the AMANI House to pursue my dream (look it up) I would like to know your take on my situation and any advice you'd have for me. Thank you.
Last year as a first year U23 rider i raced Remco and a bunch of other pro's in a pro kermesse race in Belgium (the town is Gullegem). Just by competing in the race i witnessed what a difference there is between pro's and guys like me. It's huge! For me it's all about the fun and seeing how much i can do as a U23, besides the pro life wouldn't fit me.
Thanks for sharing Thomas, I admire your attitude to racing. May I ask, at what point you thought it wasn't for me. Rich.
@@spokedhq I only started as a last years junior. I did pretty well and got to race some big races. But when i raced the top of my category i felt like they were really dominating. Seeing them not necessarily going pro but really progressing at a super fast rate. I feel like that's one of the huge diffrences. Also my best mate is joining Soudal - Quick-step devo team this year. Seeing what he has to sacrifice and also seeing the diffrences in our numbers is just an indication that i'm not strong enough. I can race good and hard because of my good sprint and 10 minute power. He can race just as good and hard with those same numbers but his wattages stay way higher on longer races then mine.
@@thomasvanassche5346 you're showing an attitude above your years 👏 You obviously have talent as you've gotten into a few nice races. Now being a second year U23, you're going to benefit from that hard racing last year. Who knows how you'll progress this year with hard work and sacrifice. I didn't make a dent per se, till my 3rd U23. That said, the main thing is enjoy your riding and racing. Best of luck for 2023 and beyond. Rich.
@@spokedhq thanks for the kind words! Also keep up the superb videos! Straight to the point and very informative.
@thomas vanassche nothing wrong with being outdone by someone signing with Quick Step. But there are plenty of pro teams out there and there's potentially space for someone like you if you wanted to stick to it. You're benchmarking yourself against a top prospect going to a team that recruits all over the world.
Started riding in 1970 aged 8. Never stopped. By 1983 1st Cat. Rode with an elite team for 1 year and didn’t make the grade. Never a pro. Raced Cat 2/3 until 2002. TT,d until 2016 then retired. Still ride 5 days a week to maintain fitness my fitness. Still keeping up with kids 35 years younger than me. In hindsight I never had what it takes to be even an elite racer.
Fair play for giving it a good crack! I know just going through that process no matter what heights we reach is something to be proud of. Keep up the great riding. Rich.
I would say running is the most competitive and difficult sport in the world. The cost of entry is below 100 dollars, which means more people can compete. I can handle 30 hours a week on the bike but running as much as a pro runner just destroys me. I hit 70 miles per week and was wrecked.
Also for an example of a pro cyclist who runs is Matthew Riccotello with a one mile pr time of 4:57. This isn’t even enough to make the podium at a high school track meet.
Cat 1 road racer in the US here.
I’m 27 now, been racing since I was 16 and doing 100 mile rides since I was 13. I even had my VO2 tested when I was 16 and it was very high, however that doesn’t mean anything at such a young age, plus my power lacked compared to others my age racing. I was taught bike handling under pressure very young. I even did a season of racing where I raced 80+ days and got good results regionally and nationally. Sounds impressive right?
Well let me tell you. My opportunity truly ended to even have the slightest chance of seeing a domestic pro contract when I was on a development team at 17 years old. I participated in Tour de L’abitibi in Canada. A nations cup in northern Quebec. I was on a US composite team like half of the riders and the other half were National teams. I had bad luck and crashed heavily at ~35-38mph and bruised my ribs, lucky if you ask me. That was it, couldn’t breathe so I couldn’t perform.
From there I never saw another big opportunity to be noticed and make the right connections to prove myself further.
What’s truly wild. Is the fellas on the national teams. Many of them don’t even ride anymore… they were thrown into the lions den over and over again. Until they were burnt out completely or didn’t get another shot. To put it into perspective, a decent amount of the guys on the US junior national team that year, went on to race tour of California. They got close to getting results, but from what I remember they didn’t and after that I never saw their names in cycling news again.
Plus, the US has a terrible infrastructure for developing young riders. You truly have to go to Europe and win… which means being able to financially do it yourself with the right connection or making the national team and not being chewed up and spat out.
The reality is you have to start younger than I did. You have to have more than just support. You have to have the logistics, the connections and a lot of LUCK. Of course, the obvious potential all around to begin with. Which a decent amount of younger riders have, but cycling is as cut throat as it gets. Second chances are rare, let alone the opportunity to prove yourself to begin with.
Now I’m on a good amateur elite team with very strong riders. Like many years past. We all have fun racing together and do a decent amount of national events. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had since I started racing. There’s still pressure to perform, but not because we’re all trying to do the nearly impossible. We just want to win as a team and we get to mix it up with the pros sometimes. Meanwhile, I have an amazing job that I love going to 5 days a week and I hangout with friends instead sacrificing most of my life trying to train like a pro…
Thx for the video.
PS. I was told I was fat and needed to lose weight as a junior at 155lbs - 5’ 8”. Eventually ended up getting down to 125lbs for a season, it was not healthy. Don’t give into that toxic culture/ environment if you’re an aspiring junior or u23 rider. Eat plenty and have fun riding!
Hey Dimitri_pedals, thank you for sharing your story. I can definitely resonate with a lot of it and it's brilliant to hear you're enjoying your racing once again 👏
Striving to become the best cyclist you can, is tough and ruthless. It does chew up and spit out a lot of riders, but perhaps that is the nature of the beast. It is a performance based sport (when striving for the top) so it takes a special type of character to handle those stresses. Reflecting on my career, I perhaps cracked in the last couple of years. The pressure got to me. However, it's this experience that has shaped me who I am today and helped me build Spoked etc.
I agree, to reach the top you need a lot of resources and element of luck. I am Aussie, so I was fortunate to race in Europe to prove myself with the AIS squad. Could I have done that alone, I doubt it.
Best of luck for the 2023 season and beyond. Rich.
@@spokedhq Best of luck to you and all the aspiring racers out there. Cheers man!
I don't see how you could have even had any muscles at 125 lbs at 5'8" Pretty much all your weight would have been bone weight it seems like.
Hi, I am 16 years old and I have a Vo2max of 70, FTP of 5,0 W/kg (my weight 56.5kg and W 280). I noticed that I have talent in sports.
My question is: Can I make it pro pure on the stats. I know that the future isn't certain and everything can change. your Answer can be straight to the pont.
I love your videos and have been following you for a while. It's very interesting, keep it up!
Hey TB. Thanks for sharing your story. Your numbers are impressive, but the short answer is no. I think good numbers help open up doors, but they don't secure the deal. Perhaps look at Zwift Academy for example. You need the numbers to get in, but then they test your bike handling, see how you handle pressure etc.
My advice to you (you can ignore it too) is to simply enjoy your riding and embrace the journey. Don't put that pressure on yourself that you need to succeed. What I've discovered is if you want something so bad, it normally works against you. Well this is what happened in my last few years of riding.
If you have any questions or thoughts, add it below or you can drop me a note at rich@spoked.ai. Thanks for your support and best of luck. Rich.
@@spokedhq thank you so much for your Answer!!! it's such a nice gesture that you put in so much time to respond to me. Cycling is sometimes a harsh world with all the data we have today. your answer got me thinking and we all think that if you have the numbers you can make it but this isn't true. A good example is a compatriot: Xander Vervloesem. I will take your advice. I am sometimes too competitive and sometimes I just need to enjoy cycling more and maybe I'll get better myself if I just enjoy more. I have 1 question I always say: I absolutely don't want to overtrain myself and I think many peers overtrain themselves my rule is 4 training per week. I see some people doing almost 12 hours per week. Is this good at my age our a year younger/older?
again i thank you so much for your reply and see you next video !
@@TRB3 it's the least I can do. The the harsh reality about professional cycling is, it is a hard and cutthroat environment. When you're flying, everyone wants to be your mate. And when you're not, no-one wants to know you. So with that in mind, it's important you do you. If you can achieve that, the outcome looks after itself.
re.my first impressions of 4 training days per week, sounds good. Especially if it's of high quality. Plus you make a good point of not wanting to overtrain. Remember there are a multiple jnr. world champs who burn out. Focus on yourself and build a network of coaches or people you can lean on.
I hope that helps. Rich.
@@spokedhq thank you so much !!!!! ❤
Don't know where you got the vo2 max number but that ftp is solid. Results in high level road racing will be the best way to progress towards being a pro. If you want to become a pro, you have to aim to get on the national team as a 17-18 and try to get to Europe to race, doesn't need to be on the national team. What country are you from?
Wow, Road Race Cycling 🚴♀️ is one of the hardest sports to make it. No wonder my friends who rides on under 23 gave it up for University degrees and these guys are good with wins under their belts.
It is pretty cut throat and I like your friends, dropped out of uni at 18/19 to pursue my cycling career. When I got a spot on the AIS squad, it was pretty hard to pass. That said, I've gone back to university and not sure it was that helpful. Rich.
I'm not interested in becoming pro level, I am interested in being the fittest/healthiest for my age in my area. (Which is infinitely easier to achieve I would imagine)
And that's great perspective to have! Who knows where that will lead. All the best! Rich
I'm 48, 250 lbs, take a beta blocker that keeps my max HR somewhere below 170, and I'm a giant wall of non-aero breaking my way into the wind every ride. I rode 3k miles last year. What do you mean I can't make it?! Haha
Well, I don't mean to burst your bubble 😀. But in all seriousness, if you can get out there and build some consistency that's a achievement. The main thing is staying active. Rich.
it's very interesting to listen. Thank you/
Thanks Yaroslav! If you have any other training or nutrition topics you want me to cover, just shout. Rich.
@@spokedhq there is a lot of info on training and nutrition (but probably, you will be able to talk about that in interesting way and if yes you could try) but what is interesting for me (what I can think about right now) is to know more from the life of professional cyclists some kind of aspects or sides of there training, probably some stories... By the way for me is interesting the ways how guys recover (if you understand me), there are a lot of videos from powerlifting, bodybuilding about medicine but no info about this in other sports. But all this only if you run out of ideas) I subscribed so that means you was interesting.
I'm 21, started cycling in 2019 did some races in 2020 before lockdown and then stopped riding, went into weightlifting but came back to the bike because I love it. Been riding consistently ever since mid 2021, did almost 20k km in 2022 despite 2 big crashes resulting in broken collarbone..
Going back to racing in regional category in 2023 and I want to reach national level. I'm a big guy (1m98 & ~83kg) and training really hard, did a good base almost 100h of training in january 85h on the bike + gym.
Did an FTP test after a recovery week and got 346W for 20mins, was hoping for 360W but it's alright, I've done nothing but Z2, lil bit of Z3 & gym and rn I'm at the same fitness that I was in august 2022 at my peak, hoping I can reach ~400W soon with intensity & racing coming.
Do you think there's still a shot for me ? I gave myself until 2025 to reach a national division
Hey Gugus, where about are you based? You've committed a lot to the bike and that in itself is a great achievement. In terms of goals, I wouldn't focus on the end outcome, but rather focus more on the short term targets?
By focusing on the short term targets, can help build motivation and help you understand progress. If you tick off the right things, the outcome almost looks after itself.
What do you think? Rich
@@spokedhq Hey Rich, I'm in France in Paris. Thanks for the tips, this goal of joining a national division is like the big big goal that I hope to achieve in few years, but I also have short terms goals of course, I'm in my last month of really big volume before race season and I'll do another ftp test at the end of the month, I know I'll be fitter and faster than last time but hoping for 360W for 20mins, and when race season will come and I'll start threshold/vo2 stuff I hope I'll fly. In terms of races I'll use the first ones in march&april to build fitness, get to know the fast guys in my category and I'm hoping for a fitness peak in May when I'll do a 50k duo TT with my friend, who's 18yo and wants to become a pro, he's one category above me and he's way shorter only about 60kg but his sprint is insane, also raced in national qualification championships on the track, he took a year off studying and is dedicating it towards becoming a pro, if I discovered cycling just a few years prior or something it would've been better, I see all these guys that are 3 years younger than me, are lighter and can push as much if not more watts than me, it motivates me so much but also tells me I have to full gaz it because my time window is closing I guess
@@alavroff01 what's important to remember here, is not to forget why you ride and what makes you happy. I was in a similar position, consistently focused on my next goal, then the next. Before you know it, time flies by and you think - where has it gone?
With the races, I would race to win. You want to continuously be putting yourself in a racing winning opportunity. There are times, it may be too quick and that's ok. But at least you can be proud of your effort - as you did everything possible.
Best of luck! Rich.
400W and drop to 70KG. we can talk.
@@timvanmonero2720 working on it boss 340-350W feels easy now ftp should be around 360, got a race in a few hours with some cat1/elite guys so we'll see how it goes
I wonder if the problem with some people is they just train TOO much. I've noticed with me, if I take 2 or 3 days off, I'm astonished at how much better and crisp my legs seem to be when I do get back in the saddle. And now with all the results coming out that show zone 2 to build mitochondria the best, I've got to wonder if the whole hellbent training thing is actually not the greatest way to go about it. I think people get too caught up in the numbers too. Mark Cavendish had poor numbers in his early days. I prefer to train like it's the 1960s, just pedal, forget the damn numbers and graphs and all that crap.
Hey Michael. Thanks for sharing! We as cyclist get caught up thinking more is better. I know I did! I fell into that trap of doing TOO much.
And I agree, a few days off the bike normally does more good than harm!
I am big believer of polarised training as it gets people to think about their intensity on the bike. There are lot of benefits. But I am also getting vibes of a Fad Diet movement too. The only way to lose fat is to put butter in your coffee, or you can only eat after 2 pm. If you vary from this, you're wasting your time. What's wrong with people listening to their bodies and see what works for them and their circumstances etc.
Yes, people do get too hooked up with numbers and lose the feel of riding. However, we can use data to our advantage and it's knowing what data to be guided by. This is something we're focusing at Spoked. Thanks for watching. Rich.
@@spokedhq And thank you too for sharing your knowledge with us all!
@@michaelstratton5223 Thanks for watching Micheal. I appreciate it. If you have any other training or nutrition questions, just shout. Rich.
Mark never really had bad numbers. He was simply extremely unmotivated to train inside and hated paying attention to data and still doesn't like those things.
It was 1998 and I was trying to get a pro contract in Germany after spending 6 years in Europe as an elite rider.When I noticed that you couldn't make it unless you took epo and alot of other drugs.People don't know this but you become a drug addict when you become a pro cyclist.And if you don't do drugs you don't have a chance of making it.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. Cycling does have a history of drugs, and full credit to you for sticking to your guns and not giving into those pressures. Do you still currently ride? Rich.
There have always been teenagers making it big. And there will always be guys making it in their late 20s. It's even more common for women to get on pro teams for the first time at later ages.
I think making it in your late 20s for a male rider is becoming more and more difficult. And I think the women's scene is slowly becoming the same. I don't know how these young riders are so strong so young. Perhaps, it's why I never really made it. Rich.
@Spoked sure but still possible and something that nearly never happens in sports like football. As for kids being strong, riders are starting with power meters at a younger age and training is better. Also, PEDs are easier to attain through the internet now.
@@veganpotterthevegan that is true access to better training methods and power meters have contributed to it. I would hope PEDs are avoided.
@@spokedhq would be nice if PEDs were avoided but there will always be dopers. Before, kids normally only got PEDs if their parents were on board. Now kids often have their own credit cards. As a high level athlete offered PEDs for the first time(for free but I didn't take them) at 14 over 25yrs ago, it's only gotten easier and more accessible now. My bet is that over half the pro peloton had their first taste of PEDs as juniors. That was maybe 25% with teens to become pros from Lance's era.
Hi, are you still replying
Hey there. Yep, still replying 😀 How can we help? Rich
@@spokedhq I'd like to know your opinion. I'm 18 and I aspire to go pro, I started cycling at 16 and this year will be my first year doing structured training. I am from Kenya, and I hope to get help from the AMANI House to pursue my dream (look it up) I would like to know your take on my situation and any advice you'd have for me. Thank you.
Team AMANI*