Originally Posted by
Doge
I specifically said "Top Juniors" which would include those you mention I've been involved with. I've spent a lot of time at the side of the road in Europe and and a lot of the time in the car next to USA pros and Cat 1s and juniors. We get a lot of WT riders in the off season in SoCal. They can go and go and go, but my comment was on speed, not finishing 130 miles races day after day.
The TdF averages ~24mph most years. Very few WT races carry 28MPH average speeds over 100 miles, while "Top Juniors" may. Many USA Cat 1 crits are north of 30mph.
Like I said, you have an extremely small sphere. It's not representative of amateur or junior cycling in any way, shape, or form.
Your last paragraph is so wildly irrelevant I don't even know if it's worth responding to. Comparing 60-90 minute crits with 150+ mile WT races or Grand Tours is beyond pointless. No kidding that you can go faster when the distance is significantly shorter. Why even bring it up?