Jack from HTT either mentioned during a pod or posted it on IG that his coach said his last 20 min test was 508.

That puts his estimated FTP somewhere around 480W, and according to this PTO profile he weighs 79 Kg... that's 6.1 W/Kg

Wow. That is top pro cyclist level. He is hands down the strongest cyclists in triathlon but 508 W over 20 minutes is Ganna-ish levels.

Yeah don’t think Long can claim strongest legs in triathlon anymore….

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Let food be thy medicine...

Would be really interesting to see him go toe to toe with the pros on a longer TT, can’t be too far off from top level.

Makes me wonder if Blu's strategy was to draft Ditlev. He and Gustav did it in Kona as well.

Ditlev didn't seem to happy he towed Blu to the front.

Ditlev's numbers are insane. It seems the Norwegian Method may have a new meaning. After all, they know their science.

Probably higher than Ganna, and he is also lighter! On a W/kg basis it would be much closer to Evanepoel and Pogacar who are probably in the 6.1-6.3 range!

I really don't believe those numbers. That FTP would put him well over Bradley Wiggins on his world hour record. He'd be even close to Miguel Indurain, who is supposed to have had the highest FTP ever and that was in a cycling period in which weight wasn't as determinant.

W/kg is not the only limitation. A 100kg cyclist would never get to 600w on a 6w/kg because physiologically there is a limitation in how much power a human can produce in an hour. Doctors and specialists say anything over 450-480w could be a sign of doping (as seen in the 90s and early 2000s).

If that FTP were true, his error would be to make a living being a triathlete. He'd be earning 10 or 20 times more towing the peloton. And maybe even having a crack at major TTs

Yeah, I think you might be correct.

One of triathlon's best cyclists (Sanders) went 51 kph on the track while a not-in-great-shape Ganna went 56 kph. I reckon Ditlev is a stronger cyclist than Sanders. His position is not as aero as Ganna, but it is still somewhat similar to a rider like Rohan Dennis. With those numbers, he should be closer to Ganna's speeds than Sanders, and I just don't see it. Yeah, I know it's on the track, but I chose the example as it is the only place to compare somewhat apples to apples.

Often wondered how Ditlev would stack up in pro cycling (same goes for Taylor Knibb) seeing how they're levels ahead of other strong cyclists in triathlon. Surely they must be better than plenty of mid to lower tier members of the peloton, and they've room to improve further if they didn't have to spend time running and swimming.

But as mentioned above, the sheer financial disparity between the two sports surely means that if they had the capability we would not be having this conversation

Isn't Wurf the top guy

Not a chance in hell.

Indurain' FTP was ~ 480 at the same weight, and let's not kid ourselves about Banesto in 1990.

I got confirmation by a close source from him. Assuming the power meter is properly calibrated, it's truly amazing and close to top WorldTour level guys, the "slight" difference being they can produce those watts after a hard stage and during a grand tour instead of a fresh test.

there's also a huge amount of skill involved in tri and road cycling. we usually under-weight that in conversations like this, but there are plenty of riders who do well with mediocre FTP, or athletes with huge VO2 max who don't do as well.

the mental game, the tactics, handling skills, sweat rates, gut absorption, injury resistance . . . all that matters too.

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

Assuming he is (I actually think Ditlev, Laidlow and others are a bit stronger), Wurf has never won a single race as a professional cyclist either on the road or TT. I think Ditlev could work as a domestique in a Pro Tour team, but that's a long way from taking the top dogs like Ganna or Remco. So probably makes sense for Ditlev to be one of the best triathletes and actually win races as he wouldn't be achieving anywhere near the same results as a cyclist.

In response to the Indurain comment, despite the "90s lifestyle choices" in the pro peloton (and I am suspicious this isn't over yet). The guy did some random university test back in 2012 years and despite carrying a few extra pounds, he still recorded a lab measured 450 W FTP without much training. So the guy definitely had some talent.

This.

Yeah, we've had 20 min power described as FTP. We've have "heard from a guy."

This is what we call internet Watts. Those are really impressive internet Watts, though.

They're internet watts, and the "FTP is 95% of a 20 minute TT power" rule is an internet rule.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

I have no doubt he can produce huge power. He is at least the top 3 cyclist in tri and probably the best. But, there are so many variables with measuring power. Furthermore, pros have an alterior motive when it comes to "Advertised FTP". We have heard the story time and time again of this or that pro must be drafting because my power is so much higher than his/hers. I would wager a good amount of money that his FTP is much below 508 watts when measured with laboratory grade equipment.

If my twitter feed is to be believed, the very best guys are closing in on 7 w/kg for 20min on a climb at the end of a stage during a stage race. Could the best triathlete cyclist possibly do 6.4 in a relatively rested state under ideal conditions? Seems quasi-plausible.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Ah...the classic skeptic chimes in with doubt. I suppose everyone is doping too, while we're at it. Let's just make all the assumptions because being snarky and critical makes us the smartest person in the room on the "internet".

All in good humor! Ditlev is an amazing athlete regardless.

Ah...the classic skeptic chimes in with doubt. I suppose everyone is doping too, while we're at it. Let's just make all the assumptions because being snarky and critical makes us the smartest person in the room on the "internet".//


No kidding, all one has to look at is how dominant his rides are in the group of best cyclists in the sport(and one from cycling too). I have no doubt he is strong enough to be a great cyclist in the peloton, only his tactical mind is in question. Only way to know that is to actually pitch up and do some big races. I remember a couple decades ago when Bjorn was this guy, and I was the guy telling stories of his crazy power numbers. Dont remember his exact weight at the time, but he put out about 465 watts for 45 minutes when he set the hill climb record up our little mountain here. And then he would go to Clearwater, ride off the front of 10 guys all pushing the draft limits, and still come in ahead of them in 1;58. He dabbled in bike racing, mostly TT's, but did do some foreign stage races where he was the strongest guy in the peloton. To the point that all the little columbians would gang up on him on the climbs to try and get rid of him. He was over a head bigger than everyone too, but they could not drop him, and likely he was one of the only clean guys riding in the group. Guy didnt even do coffee or cokes for most of career, about as clean as an athlete can get...

Why do people think cyclists make good money? They are as poor as triathletes unless you are in the top tier. I think he has more potential to continue earning at triathlon than in cycling, at this point. It would take years to get to the top tier, even with excellent power numbers.

Maybe he just likes swimming and running too? Just because he's good at cycling doesn't mean he loves it. Maybe he loves triathlon.

Call me a skeptic though. Clearly he is an excellent cyclist but those are some serious numbers. Just think about the amount of calories/energy he has to replace at those power levels. But who knows.

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My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist