Bitter at anyone who shows greatness, Greg LeMond seethes bitterness at his new target, Alberto Contador. Looking at the final climb of Mt. Verbier.
“Never has a rider in the Tour climbed so fast.”
Where does he get his opinion? LeMond takes some postulations from Antoine Vayer, former Festina Trainer. The face that Vayer clearly states that he makes a significant number of assumptions in his calculations did not sway the former Tour Champ.
“Contador would have needed a VO2 max of 99.5 ml/mn/kg to produce such an effort. To my knowledge this figure has never been achieved by any athlete in any sport. It is a bit like if you took a nice Mercedes out of the car showroom, lined it up on a Formula 1 circuit and won the race. There is something that is wrong. It would be interesting to know what is under the bonnet.”
The Science of Sport outlines these assumptions (including a big assumption of a 490 watt output) and how any conclusions made from watching TV are not worth the paper they are written on. From article:
Last week, we looked at Contador’s climbing rate (VAMs) and using Michele Ferrari’s formula, arrive at a power output of 6.78 W/kg, or 420W. Alex Simmons very kindly provided some calculations for the climb, given the speed and gradient, and he arrived at a value of 422 W. He went on to show that if you assume even a small following wind, this power output drops to 397W. Using the same principles, but making more “aggressive” assumptions, I have calculated the power output at around 440 W - this is an upper end, call it the “worst case scenario”, because I think Alex has pretty much arrived at the accurate figures using his equations (which match the estimation of the Ferrari equations based on VAMs)
Given the seriousness of doping allegations, you better be damn sure of your facts Mr. LeMond. You are the first to sue based on baseless allegations. You of all people should understand the damage you can do by lobbing these type of grenades.
LeMond is nothing but a jealous attention-seeker who can’t stand that riders who came after him have achieved more than he did.
I wish like hell that someone would ask LeMond how he managed to come back after a two-year layoff from being shot, looked awful in the early races of 1989, and then won the Tour de France out of nowhere. I don’t think he cheated, but one could just as easily make the accusation based on what he did.
All the great champions of the Tour can speak of Contador, and Armstrong before him, with class and grace. All except Greg LeMond.
It’s time for everyone just to ignore him and quit giving him the attention he obviously craves.
Sorry guys, I have to agree with Lemond.
I loathe Lemond and he is very outspoken, but this time I have to agree with him.
Contador was literally like a butterfly on the pedals over the last week in the mountains and my prediction, even before I read about Lemond making this statement is that Contador is going to test positive.
I hope I am not right and I am forced to eat my words, but – lets see what happens.
Sorry guys. You are so off-target. this is top-sport. So first we enjoy the game and the results. The ‘leistung’. But then after contemplation it is appropriate to apply hesitation and be a little bit sceptical.
Doping was one trick of a pony, medicine after health-dangering illness that also help performance were the other one. Still not cleared up.
Now we can see the cyclists use medicines that are not yet allowed on the market but provide perfromance enhancement.
And now, Greg LeMond introduced another way of looking at the performance of cyclists, and others, in using sportscience and measurements that raise questions about the reality we see during the game, match, TdF. He doesn’t diminish Contador’s performance as Armstrong does.
Ignorant viewers are welcome to the sports. Lost of money and hapiness do they bring in. Progress in the sports cannot be expected from that corner.
Wish you well enjoying the sports.
RG
WATCH THE 1990 TOUR ON LUZ ARDIDEN. THE PACE + WILLPOWER OF LEMOND SAYS EVERYTHING. NO TEAM. NO RADIO.
THE WHOLE RACE WAS BLOWN AWAY UP THAT MOUNTAIN.
Everyone talks about the England/West Germany in 1966 and that Geoff Hurst goal, even the 1986 Hand of god, why is it that now if anyone talks of a sporting event without sapping it up, they are bitter people?