Originally Posted by
Morelock
pretty impressive, but sort of makes sense too.
He has had some experience with track in the past. He's mentioned a few times that since "retirement" he's actually gotten quite a bit stronger on shorter / punchier climbs. (Which again, makes sense when you don't need to kill yourself daily) quite a few years of big base to pull from as well.
It's not "that hard" to take a guy with big power and make him ~ .2 cda. Once you nail the w/cda, it's just getting down the technical / going full nerd on the aero gains, and then putting in the specific training. If he's doing 4:30 on a "lark" he's not too far off.
Yeah, his story isn't unique among pro (and recently retired pro) roadies.
This is why I think it's an untapped resource.
I've told this story a few times before, but, the guy who won the US Elite Nationals Points race back-to-back 2010 and 2011,
lapping the field (which included Olympians)
both years, was a low-tier former pro roadie. Coincidental/Lucky lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. That was strength and skill.
I think he was team manager of the development squad or something (not sure on how all that works) for Team Type 1 (now
Novo Nordisk). Dan Holt.
He was local to DLV and spoke with him. He was 100% gung-ho to represent the US in international competition (World Cups, Pan Ams, etc...), but it's my understanding that they passed on him in favor of other riders.
So, I know it's costly to scour the country for untapped talent like British Cycling did before their rise to prominence by taking ergos to schools and testing kids and whatnot. But, geez, you got thousands of roadies with billions of miles in their legs to pick from. Pick some, pay them, groom them, profit.
I know the top guys won't bite (Phinney was supposed to be the next great track champion for the ages, but passed to race road), but there are guys and ladies slugging it out being domestiques hauling water bottles up hills for minimum wage when they could actually be Olympic caliber trackies. Get them on board.