How fast could Contador or Quintana run 10K

A 1.15 on a half IM should put you in 32m territory.
Here you have a list over Norwegian skiers on 3,000m http://www.langrenn.com/...er.5315748-1743.html

Ole Einar Bjorndalen ran a 10k under 34 when he was 13.
Hjelmeseth just ran a marathon in 2.32, not bad for a retired skier.
Anders Aukland is still active and still runs fast, he is now 43.

Henrik Ingebrigtsen 3.51 miler, 3.31 1500 became Norwegian Champion as 15y in skating.
Ben True USA, is the fastest former male skier.

Fastest skier turned runner is Ingrid Kristiansen. She was a skier and on the national team even as a senior before switching to just running. She ran close to 9 minutes on xc-skiing training.

interesting stats or individual metrics, I think though that you have pointed out that running is part of the off season program and also a large part of their junior “history” with skiers from Nordic countries (running in rubber boots and all that :wink:

I think with AC and other “pure” cyclists you would have a durability issue.

Maurice

I think the assumption is that they are pure cyclists only because today we see them riding all the time. If you are an elite athlete in Spain or Colombia, you probably spent a few years playing a sport involving running and kicking a ball. There are countless protour cyclists who all took this path and then only in their teens they got put on bikes. For all we know they already have the running mechanics.

OK, so I checked wikipedia on Contador…see the part in bold:

Personal life and early careeredit]
Contador was born in Pinto in the Community of Madrid, the third of four children. He has an older brother and sister and a younger brother, who has cerebral palsy. Having previously practised other sports, such as football and athletics, Contador discovered cycling at the age of 14 thanks to his elder brother Francisco Javier.
When Contador was 15, he began to compete in races at the amateur level in Spain, joining the Real Velo Club Portillo from Madrid. Although he got no victories that year or the next, he demonstrated great qualities and was soon nicknamed Pantani(after Marco Pantani, regarded as one of the best climbers of all time) for his climbing skills. In 2000, he experienced his first victories, winning several mountains classification prizes from prominent events on the Spanish amateur cycling calendar.
He dropped out of school at the age of 16 without having finished his Bachillerato and signed with Iberdrola-Loinaz, a youth team run by Manolo Saiz, manager of the professional ONCE cycling team. In 2001, he won the under-23 Spanish time trial championship.
Contador lives with his wife Macarena in the city of Pinto when not competing, and enjoys hunting in his spare time. He has a fascination for birds, keeping personally bred canaries and goldfinches at home.