Insight: A Winner’s Numbers in Belgium

trainSharp coached and Inspire Talent Programme rider, Tom Portsmouth took his 3rd win in Belgium recently and the coaches at trainSharp look at the numbers for the ride

Insight: A Winner’s Numbers in Belgium

trainSharp coached and Inspire Talent Programme rider, Tom Portsmouth took his 3rd win in Belgium recently but what does it take to win one of these races? Well as you can see from the screenshot, Tom averaged 273 watts for 2 hours, had a normalised power of 324 watts, then in the final sprint Tom peaked at 1429watts and held 1127 watts for 20 seconds.

So, in a nutshell you need a lot of power!

Tom had a test with us at the start of the month and despite a disrupted block of training (due to the demands of school) Tom improved by over 20 watts at MAP in less than 6 months.
From the results screenshot you can see the Maximum Aerobic Power that a rider like Tom is able to generate by following a dedicated training plan.

Some words from Tom: “It was one of the hilliest Kermesse courses I have ever seen, and I managed to win it, solidifying my transition to be a TT/break away rider on the flat to being able to climb with some of the best in junior racing. I wanted to win this, and I had the right mindset going into the race.

In the first part of the race I was very comfortable and not panicking and followed the winning move of the day when it went up the climb. I played my cards well and refrained from doing too much work and sat in for the sprint which I executed to perfection by winning with a good bike lengths lead. I felt strong but never brilliant unlike Langemark and Dentregem so I was always concerned with attacks up the final climb.”

What about You?

If you a Junior or Under 23 looking to make the next step upwards with your performance? Then why not contact us for more information and find out how we can help you.
email info@trainsharp.co.uk