Yes, really.
I don’t much care what elite coaches, cyclists, triathletes, etc think. They’re wrong on this one. There are some solid studies (see cyclecoach.com for info) showing no benefit from weight training for endurance events. Of course, postural issues and serious weakness are exceptions.
Cousin E, by your logic, track sprinters would be able to pour out some serious continuous watts then, since they can peak at >2000w. Come to think of it, powerlifters would be good at it, too. But we know that ain’t so. And opposite to that, skinny climbers, who sprint at a measly 800w, wouldn’t be able to turn a big gear. And we know that ain’t so as well. The key thing to understand is that unless you are really weak, you can turn more then enough peak power. Sustaining it for an amount of time that’s meaningful on a bike isn’t a strength issue, but rather an aerobic issue.
It took me awhile to buy the arguments against weight training, too.
BTW, just because you hear/read that coaches like Charmichael prescribe weight training doesn’t mean it’s so. I’m CTS-coached, and when I opted to stop lifting, my coach was glad. It’s fairly clear to me that at least part of the reason these coaches include it is because they’re ‘expected’ to.
Someone is almost sure to say “Lance lifts!” and my answer will be “So?” He could be succeeding despite that, or he might not lift so much as you think…