Cyclists of the elite variety are true masters of their
game. Just watch a rider returning to the bunch after puncturing or fetching
bottles for teammates: I don’t think that we can truly appreciate what it takes to do
something like that. And that is just one small example.
Conrad Stoltz’s third place in the recent South Africa Time
Trial Championships is therefore a phenomenal achievement. Whilst the
“Caveman’s” cycling prowess (both on and off-road) is well known within the world
of multisport, his recent exploits against those who pedal for pay is more than worth
a mention.
Now there are those who will say that his result was in a time trial
and not a road race, the individual test being perfect for a triathlete who is
used to riding solo and so on. Whilst that is most certainly true, we have to
look at Conrad’s result in terms of the bigger picture.
Consider the following two pointers:
- Race specific preparation
- Body Type
The first two podium places were taken by Daryl Impey and
Jay Thomson respectively, both of whom are fulltime cyclists for professional
teams. Impey has just finished the early season Tour Down Under in the top ten
on GC, whilst Thomson was one of the main protagonists in November’s Tour de
Rwanda. Results in those tours aside, the condition and residual effects that come from simply riding a week-long stage race is incalculable, especially in terms of time trial fitness. Many a contender for the annual World Championships use September’s
Vuelta a’ Espana as preparation for both road racing and chrono disciplines. National
track squads (pursuit/endurance disciplines) are regular participants in some
of the smaller stage races held in Europe, sometimes purely for conditioning purposes. In fact, the
now-defunct Giro del Capo would have more than a couple of track riders on its
start list annually. The sight of a few more sturdy looking riders muscling
their way up Kloof Nek provided many a great shot for enthusiastic photographers.
There is no fitness like race-fitness and the day-to-day grind of a stage race
coupled with some active recovery post-tour generally results in form difficult
to replicate in training. They call it super-compensation.
A closer look at the podium reveals the body types of the first
three riders. Thomson is marginally taller than Stoltz, but only with the help
on the higher podium step. Whilst Impey and Thomson are not exactly
featherweight “grimpeurs”,
their physiques are somewhat smaller in stature to the triathlete-build of
Stoltz. Pro cycling is well known and even notorious for its attention to body-weight.
Literature over the past few years has brought this fact to a more public
audience, where tales of intended “sleeping-through-meals” and caloric deficits
can be quite prevalent. Not to say that Daryl and Jay fall into any form of
eating disorder category, but their day jobs do result in a skinnier physique
than that of a triathlete. They call it an athlete’s power-to-weight ratio.
This is not to say that Conrad’s preparation
is anything to be sneezed at; quite the contrary in fact. With his time trialling
quest having started back in 2011, his podium place in Durban is result of diligently
adjusting his approach, position and methodology in tandem with his coach, the
well-known Capetonian sports scientist Ian Rodger. More telling though is his somewhat
unorthodox approach to a sporting discipline so steeped in tradition. The unlikeliness
of Stoltz actually following a more conventional buildup may well get a few pro
cycling aficionados to sit up and take notice.
As they say, there is always
more than one way of doing something.
Photo credit: Conrad Stoltz
