Two years on: Cycling and the Credit Crunch 2011

Over two years ago I wrote a piece and the impact of the liquidity crisis on cycle. Here is the follow up.

It's not the credit crunch that's killing the sport.

I said, two years ago, that the "credit crunch" would be good for cycling, my reasoning being that it is a very cheap and effective form of marketing. This seems only to have applied to the top tier. The top tier is very much a closed doors situation; there are at least another 800-1000 riders in the world that merit decent pay and professional conditions.

If we observe recent events surrounding Geox/TMC and the "Pegasus" Australian cycling project, we can see that merit and pure competition has no place in the top tier. Soon after the Pegasus project flopped came GreenEdge. A project with all the cunhas*...

If there is money, let there be more teams. Of course only 20 or so teams can take part in the snore fest that is the Tour de France, but if there is a lack of big events, make more big event instead of ridiculing project like the Tour of America. The sport as a whole would grow. Look at motor sport FAI control WRC, F1, Touring Cars, etc...  All valuable franchises.

I adressed the "World Tour" above. Now my little team: We do battle with the best and we earn the equivalent of a house cleaner or gardener. Is it fair? No, it's a bitch. As I said two years ago "Cycling mirrors society" what we are seing is the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. It has got nearly imposible to cycle professionally here.

We need people who love cycling but are not cyclist or athletes to help run the sport.

*Cunhas is a Portuguese word meaning "in-laws" and is used as an expression when someone gains position through someone they know.

VO2 max test on Monday

On Monday we have a VO2max test. I've done loads of tests over the years and the improvements are small. The tests we do are not proper VO2max tests. It is not VO2max that we are looking to find, they last about twice as long as a standard test as the increments in power increase are much smaller than the standard test. I did a couple of "standard" VO2max tests in 2006 and scored 530w and 91.8 ml/min/kg.

VO2max is kind of a useless measurement: A bit like the cilinder capacity in a combustion engine; what really matters is the power of the engine, not it's size, hence we look for the power of the "aerobic"engine.

Races are usually won in supra-maximal efforts (4-5km climbs, sprints, short TT's) generally efforts that fall into this range are efforts up to 12 minutes. This accounts for most cycling races.

I am not sure of the exact physiology, but quick people (people with oxidative type II fibres) have amazing stamina and speed combined. This because they "recover" energy from lactic acid in the cori cycle in the muscles and liver.

You are what you are. A test is merely a method of determining training intensities.

www.cyclealgarve.com

Cycle Algarve is currently a series of one week cycling tours through the Algarve. In the future I have some grand plans to put in other types of activities, but for the time being and until I get the funds to develop a team for this project, it will remain as it is.

I had this idea in 2007 but, dropped it as I turned pro, but I resurrected it.

I will do training camps in the off-season for those interested, just message me.

I am interested to hear from anyone who would like to get involved with the idea and advise is always welcome!