and that end of stage power – in the middle of a grand tour – is why they need years of 5-6 hour rides and we don’t. For Sepp to be doing that in his fourth year of road racing is quite something indeed.
their FTP and power at VO2 max doesn’t increase a whole lot over their career – a 20 year old neo-pro may be generating 6 w/kg at functional threshold, but whether that rider can develop into a grad tour contender depends on whether or not they raise their AeT and overall stamina to be able to do that wattage at the end of a 5-hour stage, first, and then to be able to do that three or four days in a row, a week or two into a Tour.
Sepp, he has a future…