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I am really impressed with Rassmussen. But, despite being less than 1 minute behind LA he is not a GC contender b/c of the time he losses on the TT's. Having never TT'ed, I have what may be a silly question to those of you who have.
If you have the legs to ride like Rassmussen does on the climbs, why is he so slow during the TT's? I get the difference btw. sprinters and climbers, but not climbers and TT'ers. Thanks for the info, you're saving me from spending the $19.99 on Bob Roll's Companion Guide to the Tour DE France
Raw power output and superior aerodynamics.
Rasmussen has awesome power/weight but I'd guess his raw power output is significantly less than the main contenders.
Climbing ability can be measured by your power to weight ratio over an extended period as your weight is the main thing slowing you down. On a flat course, time trialing ability is mainly a function of your power and your aerodynamics. Making up numbers here, if Lance can do 450 watts for thirty minutes and weighs 70 kilograms, Rasmussen *only* has to do about 385 watts to keep up at 60 kilograms. However when it's flat, weight is only a factor in that your weight and height can sort of be used to estimate your aerodynamics and these two guys are not that different for a rough guess at aerodynamics, so assuming Rasmussen is a bit more aero but not very much. Then Lance's 450 just overpowers the 385 for Rasmussen. All numbers made up to illustrate the point.
One other factor that can't be measured is motivation. Some riders have a hard time pushing without the dynamics of a group. Pre cancer Lance admittedly had this problem. Lotsd of riders would beat him in TT and he said that he thought he was going hard until he got passed and realized he could keep up with the passers.
I think its a very long shot, but if Ras can pick up 3 minutes on LA in the mountains he may be able to make a race of it, through pure motivation alone.
Thats one reason why B Hinault, who was a superior TT never went for the hour record. When asked about it he always laughed and said a race with only one person in it is silly.
Styrrell
Aero lids are to be avoided.
customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.
You're really impressed with Rassmussen? Not as impressed as Rassmussen is with Rassmussen though. Among other things like claiming he's the man to beat Lance he also stated in the latest interview that he can TT if he wants to. Just that in the past he had no real reason to excell.
...the answer is easy. Post your position on slowtwitch. Have the aero gurus tweak it...and bam...you'll beat Lessing, Bjorn or Lance :-)
BTW TriKitty,
A powerhouse Time Trialist has the ability to power and spin at speed and rhythm at anaerobic threshhold for the relatively short duration of the TT. Being bigger is not a disadvantage provided the power and stamina are there.
A climber needs even better aerobic fitness and an ability to push uphills steep, less steep and false flats constantly changing tempo. Power to weight ratio is a great advantage and hence the small guys like Rass have an advantage. These climbs many are tortourously long and bigger guys have to haul all thiose extra kilos up them mountains.
Some guys like Lance, Basso and Tyler and I hope Ullrich too still can do both.
the climber/tt difference is largely determined by the power/weight ratio for climbing, power/drag ratio for TT.
Rasmussen weighs just 130lb, vs Lance's 160 or so. (see http://cbs.sportsline.com/cycling/riders/page/400396). He can generate significantly less power and still climb with Lance. But on the flats in a TT, the difference in drag between the slim 5'7" Rasmussen and the slim 5'10" Lance is either negligible, or favors Lance, given his attention to aero detail. So R cannot keep up anymore, with his lower power.
I'm a good climber but mediocre TT, which is kinda a drag for a triathlete.. at 6'2" and 160, good p/w, but I'm tall, broad and inflexible, which adds up to lousy drag numbers..
"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview
1. High power output, not just w/kg, but I'm talking 400+w CP60 here
2. A great aero package, position+gear
3. Mental toughness, ability to TT through the pain
www.timetrial.org
TT is very much mental. You ever wonder why even in a climb, you can follow a wheel, but if you were on the front, you'd have a hard time keeping that same pace? The work load is the same for you, yet you have no wheel to follow. That's the difference between TT and racing in a pack. I know a lot of my fellow cyclist in our club who are great in group rides, climbing or on the flats, yet in TT's they don't do so well. I always tell them "it's in your head". When you TT, you literally have to drive yourself like a crazed animal.
I can't wait to see that spider monkey in an aero helmet.
_________________________________
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
They kept saying Rasmussen couldn't climb like Lance because he couldn't handle the accelerations which is weird. They said Rasmussen is a former mountain biker which usually offers "a few" accelerations while climbing =)