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Race time trial japan stage 4

andywood

Maximum Pace
Apr 8, 2008
3,463
3,734
time trial japan stage 4 today

enjoying a beer in the bath right now

the usual report pasted in below

Andy

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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saturday was time trial japan stage 4 of the 6 stage series

<<the course and condition>>

9km
6 laps
of the rolling shimosa circuit

dry
temperatures in the upper 20s
a changeable wind

<<the format>>

riders set off at 90s intervals

as series leader and top finisher from stage 3

I'm last off the ramp

1st off the ramp is national cc champ, ace climber and TT rider Goro san

<<the plan>>

in november I won here with a time of 12:25 at a pace of 2:04 per lap

my aim is to hit this schedule

but watching from the side with Kouno san and Yamakura san

as Goro san sets off first

he is knocking out sub 2:00 laps at 45kph+

the three amigos have a battle on their hands!

<<the dilemma>>

Goro san sets a finish time of 12:05

he is a guest OPN rider

he doesn't count in the classification

target his time?

or stick to my plan???

<<on the start ramp>>

the last 3 riders

3. Kouno san
2. Yamakura san
1. Andy

Kouno san sets off 3 minutes before me

so I get to see his first lap

sub 2:00

flying!

no choice!

all in it is!

<<3,2,1 Go!>>

up to speed quickly

the heart rate responds too

first lap well below 2:00

I hear the excitement on the tannoy

must be best time?

but can I hold it?

with a 55x11
I'm trying to maximise it on the descent

taking the shortest lines through corners

no braking
always pedaling

pedals click the tarmac a couple of times!

got to be careful!

sub 2:00 for the first few laps

after 3 or 4 laps I'm fading a little

but still on target

"stay on target!"

all in on the last lap

<<GOAL!!!>>

my garmin tells me 12:03 on the line

but it seems I'm slower...

<<the result>>

1st Kouno san 12:03.9
OPN Goro san 12:05.8
2nd Andy 12:07.0 (44.56kph)
3rd Yamakura san 12:18.3

3 seconds behind Kouno san
in the four TTs we've faced off
the score is 2-2
a nice rival and great guy to boot!

just 1 second behind Goro san
I thought I had him!
but he provided the motivation!
thank you!

behind me another consistent finish by Yamakura san

to keep his 2nd position in the series

<<the series>>

1st Andy 1743 points
2nd Yamakura san 1701 points

stage 5 is in july
TBC

the final stage 6 is in september
on the fuji speedway circuit
which will be the finish for the 2020 olympics road race

gonna go out with a bang!

here we go!



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https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 

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Cheers! I was happy with my ride. Still feeling it now!

I wrote above that I thought I faded but the laps splits show I did a pretty much constant 2:00 lap pace.

Strava recorded as:

(12:04, 45kph, 348W, 177/186HR)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1568815614

So I'm more than happy to average 45kph on that course.

The watts were my best 5 and 10 min efforts this year in training peaks (the left only stages reads 15% lower than the powertap, but reads consistently for reference).

The HR was similarly my second best 5 and 10 minutes effort this year. A good taper meant that I was able to ride upto threshold quickly (174 HR after 2 mins) and then hold it (it actually builds very slowly to the 186 peak). 54% zone 4 threshold / 44% zone 5 VO2 max.

So yes I was happy and think it was a very solid ride.

The only mystery is why the official time was 12:07 (strava records both mine and the winner's ride as 12:04) but as the big man Scott Walker says, "No regrets!"

Andy


https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
I wrote a bit more about the data and added it to the facebook page.

I'll paste it in below.

received_1297057790427156.jpeg

time trial japan stage 4 data analysis

four days after time trial japan stage 4 and I'm still tired!
just a 12 minute ride, but I went pretty deep

strava recorded it as:

(12:04, 45kph, 348W, 177/186HR)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1568815614

while racing a TT I'm only really looking at:
・time
・average speed
・HR
・cadence

but after racing, it's nice to look back at the data!

<<watts>>

the watts were my best 5 and 10 min efforts this year in training peaks

the NP normalized power was 350

this is not much higher than winner Kouno san who is a much smaller and lighter rider

however, it's difficult to compare to other riders using different power meters

in my own case, the left only stages reads 15% lower than when I'm using powertap
(so 350W stages is around 400W on the powertap...)

however, the stages reads consistently for reference

and there is a nice increase in power in the last 3 TTs

・Time Trial Japan stage 3: 328W
・moniwa TT: 332W
・Time Trial Japan stage 4: 350W

<<power variability index (VI)>>

the VI in training peaks shows how smooth the power output was during the TT

a properly paced time trial should have a VI value of 1.05 or less

my VI was a perfect 1:00

<<heart rate>>

the HR was my second best 5 and 10 minutes effort this year

a good taper meant that I was able to ride up to threshold quickly

off the start ramp it took 27 seconds to raise the HR to the LTHR zone

the HR then builds very gradually to the 186 peak

・54% zone 4 threshold / 44% zone 5 VO2 max

a nice heart rate curve

the HR was also higher than the last two TTs

・Time Trial Japan stage 3: 167/171HR
・moniwa TT: 167/177HR
・Time Trial Japan stage 4: 177/186 HR

I was happy that I could spend a big chunk of time above threshold

<<cadence>>

target cadence varies for different riders
it also varies for the type of racing you are doing

for me in TTs
I think 90 rpm is an efficient number to aim at

average cadence was bang on 90 rpm

<<overall>>

I was very happy with my ride

I really enoy these TTs where you can control almost all the variables

next race is the niigata prefectural championships

here we go!

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
I wrote a bit more about the data and added it to the facebook page.

I'll paste it in below.

View attachment 16361

time trial japan stage 4 data analysis

four days after time trial japan stage 4 and I'm still tired!
just a 12 minute ride, but I went pretty deep

strava recorded it as:

(12:04, 45kph, 348W, 177/186HR)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1568815614

while racing a TT I'm only really looking at:
・time
・average speed
・HR
・cadence

but after racing, it's nice to look back at the data!

<<watts>>

the watts were my best 5 and 10 min efforts this year in training peaks

the NP normalized power was 350

this is not much higher than winner Kouno san who is a much smaller and lighter rider

however, it's difficult to compare to other riders using different power meters

in my own case, the left only stages reads 15% lower than when I'm using powertap
(so 350W stages is around 400W on the powertap...)

however, the stages reads consistently for reference

and there is a nice increase in power in the last 3 TTs

・Time Trial Japan stage 3: 328W
・moniwa TT: 332W
・Time Trial Japan stage 4: 350W

<<power variability index (VI)>>

the VI in training peaks shows how smooth the power output was during the TT

a properly paced time trial should have a VI value of 1.05 or less

my VI was a perfect 1:00

<<heart rate>>

the HR was my second best 5 and 10 minutes effort this year

a good taper meant that I was able to ride up to threshold quickly

off the start ramp it took 27 seconds to raise the HR to the LTHR zone

the HR then builds very gradually to the 186 peak

・54% zone 4 threshold / 44% zone 5 VO2 max

a nice heart rate curve

the HR was also higher than the last two TTs

・Time Trial Japan stage 3: 167/171HR
・moniwa TT: 167/177HR
・Time Trial Japan stage 4: 177/186 HR

I was happy that I could spend a big chunk of time above threshold

<<cadence>>

target cadence varies for different riders
it also varies for the type of racing you are doing

for me in TTs
I think 90 rpm is an efficient number to aim at

average cadence was bang on 90 rpm

<<overall>>

I was very happy with my ride

I really enoy these TTs where you can control almost all the variables

next race is the niigata prefectural championships

here we go!

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
Very interesting read mate. How much do you weigh btw?
 
Wow, and you are still competing neck-to-neck with Japanese that easily weigh 10 kg less than you? (One of the local KOM masters here in Tohoku is listed in Strava's 55-64 kg weight category.)
 
Wow, and you are still competing neck-to-neck with Japanese that easily weigh 10 kg less than you? (One of the local KOM masters here in Tohoku is listed in Strava's 55-64 kg weight category.)
Isn't the advantage with the guy weighing 77kgs for a TT? On a climb it will swing the other way though.
 
Wow, and you are still competing neck-to-neck with Japanese that easily weigh 10 kg less than you? (One of the local KOM masters here in Tohoku is listed in Strava's 55-64 kg weight category.)

I would say most successful hillclimbers are in that weight bracket.

Here in Niigata, hillclimb master and Niseko champion Tazaki san is even less. 53kg today it seems.

https://blog.goo.ne.jp/alavasky

Andrew, also in Niiigata, never flutters from 62kg.

I used to compete successfully in the hillclimbs (1st at Yunotani, 2nd Norikura, 3rd Kusatsu). But with riders and bikes becoming much lighter it's more difficult.

I narrowly lost out to Andrew at Yahiko last year. His report is a good read:

https://mountain-goat-rides.blogspot.jp/2017/09/niigata-hillclimb-2017.htm


In TTs bigger riders can compete very well. I lost to Kouno san on the rolling Shimosa course by a couple of seconds. On the flat course around Saiko lake with the strong winds, I beat him by 17 seconds...

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
Isn't the advantage with the guy weighing 77kgs for a TT? On a climb it will swing the other way though.

Depending on the course yes. But some guys can do both. COW Gunma's Hoshino san is a feared hillclimber, winning at Fuji, Utsukushigahara etc.

This year he is having great success in both disciplines.

It's all about power to weight in HCs.

Also in TTs but you then have to factor in aerodynamics too.

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
If there are two dudes who weigh the same and put out the same power, the guy who is shorter and skinnier will be faster.

This is probably why people like to ride behind me....

So there are two Andys who race bikes in Niigata? lol
 
If there are two dudes who weigh the same and put out the same power, the guy who is shorter and skinnier will be faster.

This is probably why people like to ride behind me....

So there are two Andys who race bikes in Niigata? lol
I doubt they would weigh the same if one is shorter and skinnier
 
If there are two dudes who weigh the same and put out the same power, the guy who is shorter and skinnier will be faster.

This is probably why people like to ride behind me....

So there are two Andys who race bikes in Niigata? lol

Two Andys yes. We've been burning up the roads of Niigata for years.

If two guys put out the same power, the guy with the smaller frontal area will be faster.

How big is the square you are pushing through the air?

Many people confuse this with being lower on the bike (ie. slamming the stem, riding in the drops). But the area as a whole is important.

After riding the TT bike I feel like a parachute on the road bike. Such that I'm going to go for narrower handlebars on the road bike.

So big guys can go fast in the TT, think Cancellara (81kg), Tony Martin (75kg), Tom Dumoulin (71kg) if they are set up well on the bike. But it's no surprise that Domoulin is the best climber, followed by Martin....

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
@andywood - Have you tried https://www.bestbikesplit.com out at all? The TrainerRoad guys are always going on about it for TTs.

Cheers, I know the TR guys like this as I've heard them talk about it on their podcast.

So I gave it a try.

You upload info such as FTP, max heart rate, body metrics, bike metrics, helmet etc. to create a rider profile.

Then you upload a course. And they produce a race plan for you.

I uploaded the TTJ4 course.

This is the race plan they gave me:

https://www.bestbikesplit.com/public/97316

This is lower in watts and speed and a minute slower than the time I achieved.

Also if you are looking down at your garmin to try and hit a set power, you are losing an aero advantage.

So I think race simulation. And knowing what the effort feels like and how to pace it is a better way to train for the TTs that I'm doing. These are basically 12 to 15 minutes at threshold squeezing it all out at the end.

However, I can see where the data might be useful for the bike leg of long triathlons or for long hillclimb races. Where you need to avoid blowing up.

I'll play with the software a bit more though.

I'm interested to see what kind of training plans they suggest...

Cheers for the heads up,

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
Seems like someone drew a picture, but the marketing people decided they wanted him going the other direction, so they flipped the bike and drew on the glasses afterwards...


Actually, that might be a picture put through a filter and with different clothes and a helmet airbrushed onto it.
 
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