Average Speed Trends in TdF

[grellboy]

Check this graph from Wikipedia. Notice the big spikes. Cynically we can attribute the early 2000s peaking to EPO, but any ideas for the causes of the huge spike circa 1980?

Strangely, it drops off again soon after. Was it all downhill in 1980? Tailwind all the way?

 

[Dave 123]

Lighter,stiffer bikes.
Sports science.
Nutrition.
Harvesting marginal gains.

 

[Crackle]

It went North to South, so downhill. Never repeated since, widershins or clockwise

 

[midlife]

Had "aero" started to move from the TT scene to road?

 

[Crackle]

And charge your phone....

 

[S-Express]

but any ideas for the causes of the huge spike circa 1980?

Need to look at the stage profiles for those years....

 

[Vapin' Joe]

And remember the distances have dropped dramatically over the years. 200 mile stages were common up to the last few decades, and as many as three stages were held on the same day ( TT, road stage and a criterium) on at least one occasion during Barry Hoban's career which spanned the sixties and seventies. Road surfaces have also improved, the mountain climbs were often over unmade roads.

 

[screenman]

Maybe they are pedaling harder.

 

[KneesUp]

The 1980 edition seems to have had only 4 mountain stages, but 4 individual time trials and 2 team time trials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Tour_de_France

 

[Welsh wheels]

Faster, more technologically advanced bikes.
Better training methods

 

[themosquitoking]

Better drugs?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

And remember the distances have dropped dramatically over the years. 200 mile stages were common up to the last few decades, and as many as three stages were held on the same day ( TT, road stage and a criterium) on at least one occasion during Barry Hoban's career which spanned the sixties and seventies. Road surfaces have also improved, the mountain climbs were often over unmade roads.

I know stuff-all about professional cycling, but it occurred to me that perhaps it's also because peloton arrangements have been perfected over the decades also? I may be wrong, but having seen a TdF history doco recently (while travelling on a bus between Bormio and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, actually), I noticed that early TdFs were every man for himself, and didn't seem to have pelotons.
Feel free to correct me, though: as I said, I know nuffin'

 

[Drago]

I recall that wind resistance was reduced in 1982, but later declared illegal and reinstated to its previous level.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I know stuff-all about professional cycling, but it occurred to me that perhaps it's also because peloton arrangements have been perfected over the decades also? I may be wrong, but having seen a TdF history doco recently (while travelling on a bus between Bormio and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, actually), I noticed that early TdFs were every man for himself, and didn't seem to have pelotons.
Feel free to correct me, though: as I said, I know nuffin'

Early race bikes were single speed only, which makes drafting more difficult as riders were unable to overcome power and cadence differentials by using a higher or lower gear. It was the introduction of the derailler which led to riders being able to form a peloton.

 

[S-Express]

Early race bikes were single speed only, which makes drafting more difficult as riders were unable to overcome power and cadence differentials by using a higher or lower gear. It was the introduction of the derailler which led to riders being able to form a peloton.

Not sure I follow the logic of this. If that were the case, you would never see bunch racing at the velodrome...