Demands of World Cup Competitions in Elite Women Road Cycling

Describing the demand of recent World Cup (WC) races comparing Top 10 (T10) and non-Top 10 (N-T10) performances using power data.Purpose: Describing the demand of recent World Cup (WC) races comparing Top 10 (T10) and non-Top 10 (N-T10) performances using power data. Methods: Race data were collected in 1-day World Cup races during the 2012-2015 road cycling seasons. Seven female cyclists completed 49 WC races, finishing 25 times in T10 and 24 times N-T10. Peak power (1 s) and Maximal Mean Power (MMP) for durations of 5, 10, 20 and 30 s and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min expressed as power to weight ratio were analysed in T10 and N-T10. The percentage of total race time spent at different power bands was compared between T10 and N-T10 using 0.75 W˖kg-1 power bands, ranging from <0.75 to >7.50 W˖kg-1. The number of efforts in which the power output remained above 7.50 W˖kg-1 for at least 10 seconds were recorded. Results: MMP were significantly higher in T10 than in N-Top 10, with a large effect size for durations between 10 seconds and 5 minutes. N-T10 spent more time in the 3.01-3.75 W·kg-1 power band when compared to T10 (P=0.011); conversely, T10 spent more time in the 6.75-7.50 and >7.50 W·kg-1 power bands (P=0.009 and 0.005, respectively) than N-T10. A significantly higher number of short and high intensity efforts (≥10s, >7.5 W·kg-1) was ridden by T10, compared to N-T10 (P=0.002). Specifically, 46±20 and 30±15 efforts for T10 and N-T10, respectively. Conclusions: The ability to ride at high intensity was determinant for successful road cycling performances in WC races.