What Does It Take to Reach the Podium? Power Output and Heart Rate-Derived Racing Demands of Top Cyclists During Grand Tours.

Scarce evidence exists on the demands needed to attain the highest positions during Grand Tours (Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a España). Using power output (PO) and heart rate (HR) data, we aimed to compare the racing demands of successful (at least top-5) and less successful (at least top-15) cyclists during Grand Tours. We identified Grand Tours in which we could compare cyclists who had attained a top-5 position (Top) with riders who also competed for the General Classification in the same race but attained a worse position (Non-Top, at least top 15). Different race-derived measures of physical demands (e.g., PO, kJ spent, training stress score, durability and repeatability measures, time in different PO/HR zones) were analyzed. Data from 9 Grand Tours, including 9 Top (average position 3rd, range 1st-5th) and 9 Non-Top cyclists (average position 9th, range 4th-12th) were available. Despite significant between-group differences in finishing time (86.2 ± 6.3 vs. 86.3 ± 6.3 h, p < 0.001), no differences were found for any of the analyzed outcomes, except for a slightly higher proportion of time spent at low PO levels (zone 1 (≤ 55% of functional threshold power)) in Top compared to Non-Top cyclists (60.9% ± 1.8% vs. 58.4% ± 2.5%, respectively, p = 0.011). In summary, achieving a top position during a Grand Tour does not necessarily imply overall higher physical demands compared to those cases in which cyclists attain a slightly lower position, which suggests that other factors (e.g., individual or team tactics) or metrics might have a greater influence.