Not saying it was smart just saying they were tougher. I will add that they were meaner also. Nobody had anything on Conrad Dobler. Look at Arizona a few years ago, players walked out because their coach was too tough on them in practice. Look at Colorado and Dan Hawkins meltdown because of the players were winning about two a days.
That is it exactly. To reiterate, you can train for high performance, or endurance, but it's actually really dangerous to push the limits of both at the same time.
No, not you. You'd never reiterate.
Seriously, folks unfamiliar with pro bike racing know that Lance was considered a short course guy and sprinter, pre-cancer, certainly not a TdF contender. While he didn't look like Trent, he certainly tended more towards that body build than the Lance everyone became familiar with later. In fact, if he didn't have such distinctive facial features, you'd swear it wasn't the same person. He was a much thicker person. Some French publications (they generally belong down in the pig pen, with the rest of the swine) said that his chemotherapy actually helped his progress. I'll never know how much EPO helped his career. I tend to buy his argument that it was a drug-soaked sport and I no longer follow it. I do know he would never had the success he had without remaking his body into a different image, with much lower mass and a much higher spin rate in hill climbing. IOW, I agree with you. I think Lance, drugs aside, realized he couldn't compete in the longer races with a thicker, more muscular body...
Someone mentioned Junction earlier. Know why Coach Bryant wouldn't be allowed to do that today? Because it was anything but safe. As dangerous as the game is today due to player's weight or anything else, coaches are going to make sure the players stay hydrated.
Exactly.
There's a clear phenotype for pro bike racers, especially the guys who compete for the GC (overall) in the grand tours. As evidenced by the past few winners of the TdF:No, not you. You'd never reiterate.
lance's body is also ridiculously efficient at processing oxygenNo, not you. You'd never reiterate.
I remember a documentary/special they did on him and IIRC it was about how his body processed oxygen at high altitudes so much more efficiently than others. It's why he always built his huge lead in the TDF in the mountainous parts of the course.
I tend to agree with this statement, especially the highlighted part. Try to think like an opposing coach playing SEC heavy weights, Alabama, LSU, UF, UGA. These teams have so much talent, speed, strength and are so well coached that in order to be able to compete you must have an offensive philosophy to counter their strengths or use their strengths against them.
Mario Cristobal played OT on the 1992 Miami team. He was 6'4 and 280. I'm not sure there's a starting OT in the NFL that weighs 280 or less. That was 20 years ago. Norm Evans was a tackle on the 1972 Miami team. He was 6'5 and 250.
Anybody's body is ridiculously efficient at processing oxygen when you have a ridiculous hemocrit count. (cough...EPO...cough)
I know someone who used to ride with Lance. Key phrase is "used to". I'll let everyone decide why he stopped, and to what degree it was voluntary. But, he did totally rebuild his stature, post-chemo. He never would have been a TdF contender if he had not. Even with his other "measures".
