2026 TDF - Fastest average speed ever

[Punkawallah]

I find the increase in speed by the same riders over the last 5 years unsettling though. Especially given that it happened immediately after a global pandemic with the world in lockdown.

It’s almost as if they had the roads to themselves for a few years, and nothing better to do :-)

 

[Tenkaykev]

So, you might take from that that wider tires and all of the equipment side aren't really going to help an ultra marathon runner (although they may gain from the springy shoes?). Would that narrow it down to nutrition/training/drugs?

Thinking about the shoes perhaps a combination of weight and springiness would be optimal considering the number of times the feet are lifted ? Nutrition certainly, when I was doing a bit of running the choices that various competitors made seemed pretty random, with jam on white bread, bananas and flat cola seeming favourites ( one chap had half a dozen cans of beer accompanying his grub ). In one event the organiser came onto the track in the evening and took orders for the local chippie in true " Alf Tupper " style😁
There’s one record that's tantalisingly close and seems achievable, the world record for distance covered in 24 hours is 198.6 miles. Much like the recent sub 2 hour marathon it seems like 200 miles will eventually be achieved.

 

[Legs]

There’s one record that's tantalisingly close and seems achievable, the world record for distance covered in 24 hours is 198.6 miles. Much like the recent sub 2 hour marathon it seems like 200 miles will eventually be achieved.

That was an incredible run.

 

[Pross]

Whatever training, nutrition, or equipment are supposedly behind things, it doesn't seem to have helped Bernal, who has gone from a Tour winner to bunch fodder in a few years, despite by his own admission, doing better power numbers than ever.

I'm dubious by these riders who claim better numbers than ever before. I think they're just trying to give themselves comfort. I don't think it's a coincidence that riders who were at the top of their game but had serious crashes never quite managed to get back to the top of their game.

 

[NorvernRob]

That delusion earned him a few mill in the last couple of years of his career. I don’t blame him.

He meant he’d only make the top 20 if he was at his peak now…

 

[phreak]

He meant he’d only make the top 20 if he was at his peak now…

Which is much like Bernal.

 

[Jameshow]

Thinking about the shoes perhaps a combination of weight and springiness would be optimal considering the number of times the feet are lifted ? Nutrition certainly, when I was doing a bit of running the choices that various competitors made seemed pretty random, with jam on white bread, bananas and flat cola seeming favourites ( one chap had half a dozen cans of beer accompanying his grub ). In one event the organiser came onto the track in the evening and took orders for the local chippie in true " Alf Tupper " style😁
There’s one record that's tantalisingly close and seems achievable, the world record for distance covered in 24 hours is 198.6 miles. Much like the recent sub 2 hour marathon it seems like 200 miles will eventually be achieved.

I'm just putting on my Nike flys as we speak will report back tomorrow morning!🤣🤣🤣

 

[Pblakeney]

He meant he’d only make the top 20 if he was at his peak now…

His figures from 10 years ago would only get him top 20.
A peak Chris Froome today would have better training, recovery, nutrition and equipment. Ergo better figures.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

His figures from 10 years ago would only get him top 20.
A peak Chris Froome today would have better training, recovery, nutrition and equipment. Ergo better figures.

Or, his training, recovery, nutrition and equipment (just about) were cutting edge 10 years ago and everyone else has caught up now, while he might not have that much more to improve.

I'm reminded a little of a classic ting about Danish riders up until about ten years ago - they were thought to be really good jnrs, but not able to develop more when they got to senior ranks - the theory was that their advantage was good coaching early on, so they maximised their potential earlier. Froome may have just got his polish before the rest did

I'm dubious by these riders who claim better numbers than ever before. I think they're just trying to give themselves comfort. I don't think it's a coincidence that riders who were at the top of their game but had serious crashes never quite managed to get back to the top of their game.

I think there's something in that, but then again, Vingegaard smashed the record he held jointly with Pog for the Tourmalet from '23 - but didn't smash it by as much as Pogacar did, so who knows?


As for the whole average speed question, I think there's a risk we're comparing apples with bananas. The Tour hasn't just been raced faster, it's been raced differently. With TV from the start of every stage they've reduced long sprint transfer stages, and with GC fights breaking out on any mur type finish or steep Cat 3 a few km from the end even the rolling days for breakaways have become controlled. Breakaway riders have been chancing their luck a bit more, and the fight for the break has been far more strenuous. Once a break has formed it's been kept very tight, so nobody can relax and enjoy a day off.

Obviously that also requires a peloton in tip-top form, with all those nutrition and training advances and super lightweight aero bikes (noticed how they ride aero on mountain stages now, because the weight penalty had been reduced for aero frames?)

That's what takes the average speed up, not 30" shaved of an HC climb here and there.