THIS is why you’re not good enough for the Tour de France

Ever wondered what is holding you back from a professional contract? Dave and Jamie decided that Liam should be subjected to a number of tests to find out why the average rider is being held back. Is there just one thing stopping you, or is it something major that just can’t be fixed?
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[@lynnebarkas6906]

I’m a keen road cyclist. I know why I’m not a TOF cyclist. I’m 71. 😬

[@krisbowditch827]

Might of just gone past your peak 🔥❤👍

[@beesplaining1882]

There's always "Masters" racing!

[@Baltimoreborn]

😂😂😂

[@gwhite7011]

Give it time

[@BlueMoonday19]

It's all in the mind...

[@petyrkowalski9887]

I am 59 and rode a TDF climb in France 2 weeks ago…. One specific one in the Massif Centrale…. 13km at average 7%. My average speed was. 12km/hr… the pros went up averaging 19-20km/hr. Unbelievable.

[@fredlast4547]

not unbelievable when they're on epo.

[@MarkMash17]

So crazy

[@saschab3710]

They only have one fking job 😁

[@dan_lazaro]

My perspective as a pro rider that has not yet been signed on the pro conti atleast is, I can ride 19-20kmh on an entire climb with a pro-continental team, but they can attack me easily and I won't keep up. Basically at 7% 19-20 is my limit and if I have to maintain it for more than an hour at a time I will physically implode. I'm doing better though my sweetspot at a similar gradient is more like 15-17. Then the pros' "chillride" is how fast attacks go on my level of racing.

[@Hugh23132]

As a rider of the same age I can say you are doing exceptionally well! Comparing yourself to pros in their 20s is always going to hurt

[@davidwilson192]

The glee with which you say Liam will be in a world of pain after crossing lactate threshold is perfect

[@ari7474R]

Hey mate, i think those numbers are really good for an amateur cyclist. Other than work commitments, i would think the life balance of an amateur cyclist or weekend warrior or local racer is the best. You do as much training and diet as you want. Thanks for sharing this vid and keep up the good work. Cheers.

[@herculesrockefeller8969]

It looks easy. You just put on some fancy sportswear and spiffing glasses, get on an elite bike, and YOU TOO! can win the Tour de France! After all, these guys are just doing something that many, many people have done, that is, ride a bike. Riding a bike is easy, and so is putting a ball through a net, into a net, or driving a car at high speed. This video helps to show us why it isn't so, and these cyclists (the women , too) are really special and elite athletes; you didn't even touch on the mental toughness and competitive drive either. Thanks for a great video, and nice effort!

[@BlueMoonday19]

I'm not even sure it looks that easy

[@pierrex3226]

Dude you're a beast. 350w FTP at 64kg, and 64 vo2max? You are in the 1pc, maybe 0.5pc.

[@noobcyd6418]

No, his FTP is slightly above 300W.

[@martins.3070]

@@noobcyd6418 It‘s still 4.7 W/kg. Much better than average.

[@noobcyd6418]

@@martins.3070 yes.

[@Yi5Zhou]

He is really good.

[@ronm7114]

@@martins.3070 not nearly 1 pc though.

[@MorningCarnival]

I did a vo2max back in the late 80s for X-country skiing and got a score of 71, but I was a skinny bugger.

[@kilianbader9786]

I got the same vo2max at 80kg. Still I really suck, always losing against my mates and finish last in races. 😂

[@mikexkennedy]

For proper pro reference... Lance Armstrong 84. Miguel Indurain 88. Greg LeMond 92.

[@wendklenff133]

@@mikexkennedy But LeMond wasn´t doping..noooooo, ofc not :D best joke of the century imo.

[@davebobolink5340]

Super video. Honest, informative, entertaining. Targetted testing, ditto diet, ditto training, throw in altitude and heat, mental strength and endurance etc etc. Suddenly I want to be a team boss!

[@foobarbazquux]

And a dash of syringes

[@j.milleraabamsc9400]

I wouldn't be upset or depressed about those results, given the training load, lack of training elements, and diet.

[@dclark142002]

Good thing sports is fun as well as competitive. I love playing soccer / football. Am I any good? Not really. Doesn't change the fact that playing is fun. If you're not enough without (winning), you'll never be enough with (winning). Winning is a bonus of doing well at a sport you love. Fun is the bonus of enjoying a sport you love.

[@ahmadjooma8850]

As a doctor in a different field this is such a great video. Epic 👌🏾👌🏾

[@ricksaunders3889]

The only thing holding me back is the aerodynamic drag of my rear derailleur.

[@MrPeperoni79]

The only thing that is really a limiter is the VO2Max as there is a genetic treshold. The anaerobic treshold is the more important metric, but as the anaerobic treshold always is a fraction of VO2Max it is also limited. Muscle fiber composition is only a limiter as to what rider type you want to become.

[@joelbellJB]

I like how someone made a video about why you can’t race with the worlds best cyclist

[@Strange_Brew]

I’m over 60 and I can keep up with the fastest riders in my area because I have been commuting on a bicycle for the last 25 years. I don’t own a car. I was laughing at this young guy on a 15,000$ bicycle yesterday barely keeping ahead of me! He was some local crit racer. He actually broke off from his group to try and catch me. Vinegarrd and Pogacar come from areas where 25% of the people commute solely on bicycles. Some of the Europeans ride 60 miles a day commuting from town to town. A lot of ability is genetics but repetitive exercise is also good. Americans drive everywhere these days.

[@marcellushoods7912]

Great job on this investigation. Super informative 👌

[@jaydeister9305]

Wow, very interesting. I'm pretty sure i would not make the pro athlete fitness level criterion, however, i might be a little bit faster with the 'road.cc' racing kit!

[@x0UncleSam0x]

And 63 is extremely superior. Probably top 1%.

[@RB-xv4si]

Of what?

[@philipk4475]

@@RB-xv4si of males his age

[@abdul-kabiralegbe5660]

That runny nose definitely showed you gave it your all! It's funny, but supposing you do improve your numbers, you'd probably look back at this footage and wonder why you felt this knackered at such a now relatively meagre effort. Such is the power of improvement!

[@TheLanorth]

Rocking that Windows XP to measure quad strength, epic! @7:44

[@anttitapio4145]

Great video and effort guys!

[@add1cted2l3arning]

Good on for getting real testing

[@bilginaydin9756]

Good enough for the club ride. Would love to have those numbers and the depression at the pub.👌

[@ricf9592]

Garmin has given me a VO2 Max of 77.0 I ride at over 4Watts/kg. At 200 Watts my HR is around 120bpm. 61 years old.

[@DKofDAH]

Very great video. Thanks for this one

[@darinsteele7091]

gc riders dont need very much muscle, they actually get rid of some for the big events like tour de france, look how thin chris froome is. it's an oxygen/blood sport unless you're a sprinter.

[@Foxtrottangoabc]

I read yesterday how pro cyclists have bigger veins to carry blood around easier

[@Bozza36]

Same as Vingegaard, super skinny but powerful.

[@MarkRiddellRacing]

I’m 40, only been cycling 4 years and vo2 max is 58, ftp 252w at 73kg. I think that’s alright.

[@aaronpostlethwaite8449]

Interesting. Looking at HR I would've said Liam's Z2 would be in the region of 200W but looking at lactate it appears to be significantly higher (Peter Attia says 1.7-1.9 mmol)

[@jamesd5241]

Well the top range of z2 or your first lactate threshold "LT1" is based on approx lactate of 2mmol but in reality its more like a 1mmol rise above baseline, as for many pro athletes the LT1 is usually lower around 1.5 ect. But z2 power is a large range. it could be 60-80% of 1 hour power max for example

[@darthvulcanis4002]

This was extremely informative. Excellent video 👍🏽

[@durianriders]

78 was my highest vo2max tested at the local university. My diet was fruit, sugar, white rice and corn. 4% body fat.

[@alg3n320]

ok Harley!

[@blinzi69]

63 is still insane - I am sitting at 54-56 for years now - no idea how you can get that far even lol - I'm 38 years old, weighing 72kg at 175cm

[@wawanlapandua]

his weight is 63 at 173, if he got 58 Kg it will be 70, i try simulate this and obviously weight give much effect , height -110 = good VO max

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Lots of zone 2 steady state training.

[@blinzi69]

@@richardmiddleton7770 so like 65-75% max HR for many hours? could be my problem, because I ain't got no time for long rides, so I mostly go short and slow or short and hard.

[@TSonemusic]

Yeah! I got my vo2 max tested ar 65 so I won! Not competitive at all though…😳

[@armandoariza8488]

Great video, you should feel proud.

[@janwillemkuilenburg7561]

Compliments, interesting and great video!

[@MarkMash17]

I cycle all the time, I don't even know if I could keep up with them for 10 mins

[@3521rob]

Not enough rest 😂

[@gonzalezdeara]

Very interesting insight from an expert

[@b-manz]

Suggest a good mic would be a nice upgrade on these videos

[@SteveNinetyski]

Awesome. Takes me back to 2003 when I did one as a 17 year old. My vo2 was 71 and my w/kg on the FTP was 6.5 w/kg

[@ronm7114]

Yeah man me too, just slightly higher. I was younger as well; 8.5 w/kg at 13. I wasnt bothered becoming pro though. I felt sorry for them.

[@SteveNinetyski]

@@ronm7114 Good one, mate.

[@ronm7114]

@@SteveNinetyski yeah, just like ur comment.

[@SteveNinetyski]

@@ronm7114 Mine wasn't taking the piss though lad. I was in the GB Junior track team in 03 and 04.

[@ronm7114]

@@SteveNinetyski thats still far from 6.5

[@channul4887]

Them are nice numbers. Nuffink to be depressed about.

[@garyfry3795]

Maybe we need a few more 110 meter hurdlers in the TdF 🤷‍♂️

[@IronMan-mo5gy]

Pretty sure it has nothing to do with the Capri Sun that Lance Armstrong is sharing with them.

[@diegomartinez7420]

Nice video to summarize what many may know. In my case I know the theory by hard but then the execution sucks 😎. I always struggle to find age group data split by avg population and elites. It may bring a lot more insights for regular people like most of us. For example I am 57 train 10 hours a week have 55 VO2 and 3.5w/k and when I look into the existing charts I cry!!!!. Then going out on the road I defend myself (riding with amateurs but way younger than me).

[@IronHorsey3]

I’m good to go for the 2023 tour. 🥇 Ok, maybe not. 😝

[@reinier660]

Interesting vid 👍

[@markbentley4343]

As predicted, the sports scientist says best way to get better and build the foundations is base training. Great you did the test, Liam. We need more focus on the importance of such testing for endurance athletes. At less than 200 quid, a test is great value for money. I did 2 in the past 6 months. But what is the training prescription of the sports scientist exactly?

[@cappaslangmurderer]

find out what causes most adaptation in your system and do more quality work on that area

[@markbentley4343]

@@cappaslangmurderer I have a prescription but just wondering if they gave Liam any draft plan or advice

[@roadcc]

they did, and we might even make him stick to it

[@markbentley4343]

@@roadcc great! 😊 Would be fantastic to see you put that into KZbin vids. About time someone documented doing a real sports science-based training plan based on lactate turning points etc

[@James-zu1ij]

I don't understand, at 9:30 the graph says Liam is using much less O2 at 250W.

[@tobiasadersjo1267]

Maybe its saying he is less able to produce or use O2 at that level. Which mean if he keeps up at that wattage he will fatigue quicker then them.? Maybe thats why they always talk about base training? Me guessing... Does someone actually know, please comment.

[@dazza9360]

Why is the test protocol 4 minutes each step? Seems extreme

[@guitarrerist698]

If theres a "2 pump chump" (LOL) version or a mediocre version of a Tour de France, I'd probably do pretty good in it.

[@niinuetey9878]

You could have edited out the slime coming out of his nose at 0:38 . We know it happens but not very good on camera, especially this not being a movie but a documentary. I had to suspend eating my food.

[@noternunstoned]

If they threw in a live, angry Grizzly bear just before he bonked, he could have had 500 more watts for power.

[@kidkarbon4775]

I can't afford the medication required to win a grand tour

[@JFomo]

So what supplements can I take to be an elite level athlete?

[@lawrencefranck9417]

Hgh and epo

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

@@lawrencefranck9417 GH just leads to bloat. All you need is EPO, kenacort and salbutamol. Just ask cookie man.

[@fredlast4547]

visit Holland and Barrett they have some great supplements, creatine, testosterone booster powder, BCAA pills, high protein shakes.

[@guitarrerist698]

they used to go fucking crazy with EPO back in the 80s to early 2000s. Made everybody's blood so thick that every rider was just failing every damn doping test they have. Nowadays I bet they still do EPO but on a very contrled and targetted method that evades the tests.

[@RevelCris]

any lab in nyc that can do this for me ?

[@lovenottheworld5723]

Training doesn't always help. Some experiment was done with Kenyan runners on bikes. They gave them six weeks training and took all the measurements and they were phenomenal. Then they had six months of training and they didn't improve very much. Good athletes are already very good so there isn't that much room for improvement.

[@philersnooze7397]

The key is not training, it’s smart training

[@user-by7hj4dj9s]

nah i dont think thats it, i think its the fact i have not biked further than 20km in like 15-20 years

[@Dr.Schlitz]

Does anyone need a video to explain why they’re not good enough to ride as a pro?

[@glywnniswells9480]

119% is world class

[@livibam]

Get in the gym, do a vigorous strength and conditioning program and get on the PEDs.. that’s the difference maker.

[@derekbiggerstaff]

Ah that hoary old lactic acid chestnut.

[@TheFloridaBikeVlogger]

they call it a dream because you have to be sleeping to believe it all. fuck it, 10mil to the dome it is

[@deepazure]

And probably also the fact that you, and most others, wouldn't dare to descent with 110km/h

[@foobarbazquux]

So you’re saying we should just take EPO then. Then anybody can be competitive!

[@johnpaullaxa5486]

The lab technician is so considerable about he's result.

[@stevek8829]

What??

[@Catharsis791]

I don’t dope enough indeed

[@adamopel7667]

You went to wrong doc. Only dr.Ferrari.

[@St1ff]

whoa they're using windows xp

[@Requiredfields2]

I didn't need to see the splooges.

[@fumanpoo4725]

Because I am worthless and weak?

[@knife1406]

didnt watch but thumbnail made me comment lol. top level athletes are born not made, yes they have to work hard to get where they are but they were born with that potential. also everyone in tdf is on the juice, this isnt even a controversial thing, nor do I care really, its just how it is.

[@Penalist]

Factless inferences. Nais.

[@barisbolat7152]

I’m sure you guys can afford some collar mics

[@BigBrownMonke]

Cuz I am Fat

[@mortenrobinson5421]

I know why i'm not good enough. All the other riders are doped up and i'm not 😜

[@abone2pick]

Every single rider in the peloton would destroy you with or without drugs. The same way a pro boxer would beat your ass with or without drugs.

[@mortenrobinson5421]

@@abone2pick yeah you're probably right. Maybe if I quit smoking 20 cigarettes a day I'll have a chance?

[@rephayeel2021]

woah

[@tommavrakos]

I'm 69. I can keep it at 19 to 21 mph.drugs should be allowed

[@johnshanks8390]

I’m not even good enough for my 15 year old road bike

[@donwinston]

10% body fat is too high?

[@guitarrerist698]

thats pretty high

[@Penalist]

For a road cycling racer, who will have to climb, yes.

[@GustavoTravel264]

EPO

[@SuperGoldenX]

I mean i guess🥲

[@andreafrigerio2982]

Talk for yourself dude

[@detolerandisstultorum]

Why would you torture yourself to achieve nothing. It is popular knowledge that those in the tours use all kinds of scientific things to advance their born natural talent. Doping, oxygen were 20 years ago. Now we do not know, but they use them for clear.

[@rustyelder]

or - we could seriously talk about all of the other contributing factors that color a professional cyclists career. Ya may have lost the genetic lottery but we've proved - time and time again - its not just the engine. It's the assistance. Period.

[@christopherhogg2661]

FTP?

[@guitarrerist698]

Are you asking for the unabbreviated meaning or the result he got?

[@stingray6737]

Simple answer, you need a steroid program...

[@tonyg3091]

Why would I want to be a TdF rider? The only professional sport dumber than cycling is profesional bodybuilding. The winner of the TdF wins same money as the world champ in darts, I kid you not. Cycling and especially road cycling is the best sport in the world, but done professionally? Nah…

[@oscar6938]

Sounds like something a guy named Tony G would say

[@lawrencefranck9417]

$3-6 million a year of or the top riders. PGA until now pays very little but the elite make $100 millions.

[@tonyg3091]

@@lawrencefranck9417 Compare that to the elite footballers,basketball players, hockey players etc. Cyclists make absolute peanuts. Which is a shame of course.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

I suppose it's all relative to what other options in life you realistically have at hand. Perhaps if you ask Vingegaard right now if it was worth training to be a Tour winner vs what he was doing professionally only a few years earlier - processing fish in a factory as a laborer, I'd be confident in what he might say about it.

[@tonyg3091]

@@oldtwinsna8347 Yes, good point. What a story Jonas has.

[@timtaylor9590]

this guy doesnt look like he rides much, avg. looking shape

[@roadcc]

he came top 50 in the UK national hillclimb championships last year. But I'm sure you were right up there too.

[@timtaylor9590]

@@roadcc in confident in my abilities and accomplishments. youre absolutely right he does look like a top 50 rider, im always a contender tho. and my comment wasnt meant to induce a pissing contest, just saying he looks out of shape, nothing wrong with that, personally i dont have an off season whereas most ppl live their entire lives in the off season, and some like top 50 may have both. btw top 50 out of 50 or 2000? those hill climb events favor smaller riders and dont have the biggest field of rider. its a good thing he's not a sumo wrestler he wouldve be top 60.

[@guitarrerist698]

Yeah and Bob is my uncle