world tour pro cyclist ftp

Pro Cyclist FTP – UPDATED 2021 – Coggan Power Chart

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Pro Cyclist FTP – What FTP Do Pros Have?

Professional male cyclist ftp, professional female cyclist ftp, coggan power chart.

Ever wondered what FTP top cyclists have? Even though many professionals keep this number secret, some athletes keep a more open approach and publish their data online. Because of this, you are now able to get a sneak peek into how much power a professional cyclist produces.

With the popularity of power meter training and the data available, it’s easier than ever to compare your FTP against a pro cyclist FTP. You may be wondering how you would stack up and whether you would be able to complete a professional bike race without being dropped.

With tools like Trainingpeaks, Strava, and Zwift, you are now able to get a complete view of how much power the professionals produce.

While we can’t 100% confirm these figures are 100% correct (collected from numerous sources), it does give you an insight into what a pro cyclist FTP is.

(Credit to Pro Cycling UK )

As you see from the table above, there is one common thing with all the riders, and that is their power to weight ratio. This is what makes a professional cyclist stand out over an amateur cyclist.

While there are some high FTP numbers in there, some of them aren’t much better than a top amateur’s power. But once you combine the weight of a pro cyclist and their FTP, then stuff starts to get interesting.

One of the highest FTP ever recorded was that of Bradley Wiggin’s during Paris Nice 2011, although this hasn’t been 100% confirmed this showed that his FTP was at least 456w with a power to weight ratio of 6.6w/kg.

If you are a long-time user of power then you have probably heard of the Coggan power chart. This chart is built on providing the cyclist a detailed power profile that can help the cyclist learn more about their abilities. This power chart provides four important values useful to a cyclist. This includes sprinting ability (5secs), anaerobic capacity (60secs), v02max (5 minutes), and FTP (20mins).

These numbers are then divided by the rider’s weight and give you an estimated benchmark of talent. You can then use these figures to adjust your current training, and to improve your power over these measured duration periods.

You can find more information in the book Training & Racing with a Power Meter and detailed information about the Coggan power Chart.

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Cycling Analytics

How does your cycling power output compare?

It’s common to be curious about how your power output or FTP compares with other people, or to wonder what counts as “normal”. This post should answer some of those questions based on data from thousands of people who have used Cycling Analytics.

In this post, we’ll look at what people say their FTP is, and then look at the best efforts that people have actually achieved for a handful of durations. All data is shown for males and females in watts and watts per kilogram. Be prepared to see a lot of charts and tables and numbers.

It’s worth saying a few words about Cycling Analytics users, because they aren’t a perfectly random sampling of cyclists or people overall. The best term that I can think of is that Cycling Analytics users are “serious cyclists”. All the data here comes from people with power meters, and about half of Cycling Analytics users race regularly.

What people say their FTP is

Firstly, let’s look at what people say their FTP is. FTP, or functional threshold power, is nominally the power output that can be sustained for one hour. All the data below and more is shown to Cycling Analytics users in interactive charts on the athlete statistics page, so consider creating an account if this is interesting.

FTP in watts for males

Just like 5‘11” males on dating sites, it looks like a lot of guys don’t want to admit that they have an FTP of 190W or 290W when it could be 200W or 300W instead. There’s also a spike at 250W because it’s a nice round number that’s very close to the average FTP.

Where do you fit in? Enter your FTP: W

% of people have an FTP below W.
% of people have an FTP of W or more.
% of people have an FTP between W and W.

FTP in watts per kilogram for males

This data is smoother because the peaks caused by the round numbers in reported FTP and weight smooth each other out.

Where do you fit in? Enter your FTP: W/kg

% of people have an FTP below W/kg.
% of people have an FTP of W/kg or more.
% of people have an FTP between W/kg and W/kg.

FTP in watts for females

Like with the men, not many women say they have a 190W FTP when it could be 200W instead. There is less resolution for this data because there are a lot more males than females that use Cycling Analytics.

FTP in watts per kilogram for females

What people achieve in their riding

It’s one thing to say you have an impressive FTP, but it’s something else to demonstrate it, so let’s now look at the best power outputs that Cycling Analytics users have sustained for various durations. Cycling Analytics users can see all this data for all times between one second and two hours with a chart like the one below, and a few more things , so create an account if you want to see more.

It’s important to keep in mind that this data represents what people have actually done, and because most people haven’t attempted a maximal effort at all durations, these numbers are lower than the true potential maximums of the population it represents. This is probably especially true for the lower percentile levels.

Best efforts for males

In addition to the best efforts for five seconds, one minute, five minutes and twenty minutes, 95% of the twenty minute best effort is shown because it’s a common estimate for FTP. Each row represents what somebody at the n th percentile level has achieved, so the top row indicates that 99% of people have lower numbers than these, or that 1% of people have higher numbers than these.

There is a lot more variation at the extremes. There are similar jumps in power between the 80th and 90th percentile, the 90th and 95th, the 95th and 98th, and the 98th and 99th, despite the declining number of people in each of those groups.

Best efforts for females

There are a lot more males than females using Cycling Analytics, so the top percentile listed here is the 95th.

The difference between males and females

This table shows the difference between the numbers for males and females at equivalent percentile ranks relative to the female numbers, so “15%” means the male number is 15% higher. Keep in mind that these numbers are based on the people who use Cycling Analytics, and aren’t necessarily representative of the broader cycling community or people overall.

Overall, males have higher absolute power outputs, but this gap is narrowed when taking weight into consideration, when looking at longer efforts, and when looking at higher percentile levels. Notably, the median (50th percentile) twenty minute effort in watts per kilogram for males and females is exactly the same at 3.80W/kg, which means the average male and female Cycling Analytics user should be able to ride up a mountain at about the same speed.

How this compares with Andrew Coggan’s chart

Andrew Coggan put together a widely used table of power outputs in watts per kilogram that males and females, from world class to untrained and everywhere in between, are typically able to achieve for five seconds, one minute, five minutes, and at FTP. What follows is this table overlaid with coloured lines representing each percentile level shown in the above tables. 95% of the twenty minute best effort is used for the FTP.

A few things stand out.

The five minute and FTP numbers are always better than the five second and one minute numbers. This might be because the chart was designed for all types of cyclists, including track cyclists, whereas Cycling Analytics users are generally road cyclists.
People in the bottom 20% don’t make it onto the table for five second and one second efforts. This might be because a number of people haven’t uploaded rides where they have pushed themselves hard enough for these short durations. Or maybe the table overstates what is typically achieved at these levels.
Female Cycling Analytics users at a given percentile level are consistently on a higher level than the males.

There you go. I’m not sure how to finish this other than by saying that I hope you found this informative.

This is the blog of Cycling Analytics , which aims be the most insightful, most powerful and most user friendly tool for analysing ride data and managing training. You might be interested in creating an account , or following via Facebook or Twitter .

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Pro Cyclist FTPs 2022

Mathew mitchell.

Published on March 19, 2022
in Men's Cycling , Women's Cycling

During Covid lockdown in 2020, I wondered what FTPs pro cyclists were putting out. With everyone stuck indoors, Zwift became super popular and a whole new way to check rider data was available. Once the pros started doing races on Zwift, you could see their FTP on the Zwiftpower site. Not only their FTP but also their race weight too. An idea was born to write a post detailing the numbers I could find and it turned into one of my most popular posts on ProCyclingUK. Almost 2 years to the date of the first lockdown, it’s time to revisit and update the pro cyclist FTPs.

Table of Contents

What is FTP?

FTP is the acronym for Functional Threshold Power. In theory, this is the max power that you can sustain for an hour’s riding. Once you know this number, it’s then used to set your training zones and help you gauge your riding efforts.

FTP can only be measured using a power meter (or a turbo trainer that reports power), it’s not something that you can use a heart rate monitor for. Because it comes from a power meter reading, the FTP is measured in watts.

There are a few different ways to calculate your FTP. The classic one involves riding for 20 minutes and multiplying the average power by 0.95. This saves riders having to devote an hour’s time to the test and gives fairly accurate numbers. There is a little bit more to it than that but that’s the simple version!

More recently the Ramp Test has found favour. With this test, the wattage to sustain gets harder and harder across a set of intervals. Once you can’t sustain the required wattage, you’ve maxed out and it’s time to do some maths. Luckily there are calculators out there to do it for you.

For pro cyclists, knowing their FTP helps them to work out what effort they can sustain on long climbs. The running joke of Team Sky/Ineos looking at their power numbers all the time during the Tour de France comes from knowing their FTP number. It’s also great for time trials where an individual effort needs to be sustained over a set distance.

How does an amateur FTP compared to pro cyclists?

Thanks to the tiered power chart provided by Andrew Coggan, we can see the sorts of numbers required to be at certain levels of the US category racing system – in the UK, we have no Cat 5.

This chart requires riders to have completed efforts at the listed interval times. The average watts of those efforts are then divided by the rider’s weight to give a w/kg figure.

So for instance, my FTP at the moment is 302 and I weighed 91kg when I set it. My figure for the FT column is therefore 3.31. This puts me in the middle-upper range of the Moderate tier. As you can see, I’m a long way off being able to turn pro!

For British riders looking at this chart, Cat 5 is an American introductory racing category and can be interpreted as an extension of Cat 4.

This is only one way of reading this chart and whilst people obsess about where their FTP fits on it actually we should look across the board. Where a rider’s w/kg sits for each interval helps to create a rider power profile. It’s possible for a strong sprinter to have reached Cat 1 without a FTP Cat 1 FTP value on this chart because their 5-second interval value is so high. The same applies to puncheurs who might have a high 1 minute or 5 minutes value but a lower FTP.

My own values on this chart are low 5s, middling 1m, high 5m and a middling-high FTP. This puts me somewhere between the pursuiter and time-triallist rider profiles.

The original post on power profiling on TrainingPeaks can be found here .

What FTPs do pro cyclists have?

So I’m going to add a caveat here. Some of these figures have been ‘reverse engineered’ from other data, some come directly from actual data and some count slightly as hearsay.

A lot of the figures come directly from what riders have entered into their own Strava accounts. This applies to the weight figure too in most cases. What I can’t guarantee however is when the FTP figure was updated or when the weight figure was updated. I can’t even be sure if they were updated at the same time. What I can guarantee is that someone with access to the rider’s Strava account has entered the figures.

I thought about listing the tables by w/kg but decided to list them by outright FTP numbers instead. It’s time to give the rouleurs with high power some credit!

FTPs are often closely guarded secrets for top riders. So just like the salaries listed here , take the numbers with a pinch of salt but this is a decent guide nonetheless.

Men’s Pro Peloton FTP List

Women’s pro peloton ftp list, related posts.

Pro Cyclists vs. Amateurs: The Ultimate Power Comparison

Have you ever watched a cycling race and wondered how long you could keep up with the pros? Are they really that much better and produce that much more power?

Professional cyclists have an FTP of around 410 watts, while amateurs record between 250 and 300 watts. However, power is related to weight. Heavier cyclists have higher numbers. Power is therefore looked at in relative terms, with professionals producing around 6 W/kg and amateurs between 3-4 W/kg.

Below we will look at why absolute power is a pretty poor indicator of a cyclist’s ability, why FTP is one of the most important values of a cyclist and what kind of power some professional cyclists achieve.

You can measure your power with a bike computer (less accurate) or with a power meter (more accurate). You can find my bike computer recommendation by clicking here and my power meter recommendation by clicking here .

What is FTP?

Functional threshold power or FTP is a power a cyclist can hold for an hour. It’s the best indicator of a cyclist’s fitness. It also allows comparison between different cyclists.

Power varies greatly between cyclists. Heavier riders will achieve higher power values but will struggle to maintain them for long periods of time. Lighter riders will reach much lower values but will be able to hold them for longer.

FTP allows a clearer comparison between cyclists. But there’s a catch. It’s impossible to compare cyclists’ absolute FTP values, as they are influenced by a number of factors, with weight being the main one.

Absolute power doesn’t matter

It’s nice to have a high FTP value. It gives you bragging rights among fellow cyclists, at least those who don’t know much about how FTP works.

It’s kind of like when we were kids looking through a window of a sports car to see what the number on a speedometer is. Little did we know that the number didn’t really matter.

Heavier cyclists will always record higher power because they have bigger muscles, which together create higher absolute strength. But bigger muscles also weigh more and require more power to move. That makes them inefficient and explains why cyclists want to be as skinny as possible.

Heavier cyclists can produce more power. But bigger muscles also require more power to move.

So how can you compare a lean rider with smaller muscles to a heavier rider with bigger muscles?

The answer is pretty simple – relative power .

Cyclists figured out a long time ago that in order to be efficient, you need to have high relative powe r. You need to produce as many watts as possible per kilogram of body weight, as that’s the only number that matters.

FTP is, therefore, better seen in relative terms, as it allows us to compare cyclists regardless of their body constitution. In this way, we can compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges, as is the case with absolute values.

How much better are professionals than amateur cyclists?

Now that we have established that relative power allows us to compare any cyclist let’s look at the differences between professionals and amateurs.

It’s no secret that professional cyclists are the best and most trained cyclists in the world. Therefore, amateurs can’t compete with them as even with hours of structured training, we couldn’t come close to them.

The fact is that professional cyclists are not only trained better than amateurs but also possess genetic predispositions that allow them to be that good. I hate to break it to you, but no matter the effort, you will never be able to reach their level.

Below you can see a table showing the relative power of cyclists at different levels. Professionals are categorized as World class and Exceptional , while amateurs can be found in the Moderate to Very Good categories. The last two categories are reserved for untrained casual riders.

As you can see, professional cyclists are well above trained amateurs. Even cyclists who are more serious about cycling, but are not professionals (excellent group), lag behind the best cyclists in the world by almost 1 W/kg, which is about 20%.

One watt per kilo may not seem like much, but when you multiply it by the total time of the race, the time differences are huge. For instance, if Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the 2022 Tour de France, would average 1 W/kg less than he did, his final time would have been 4 hours and 52 minutes worse. That would have put him in 123rd place out of 134 riders.

What numbers can the average amateur expect?

We must know that ‘amateur cyclists’ is a very broad term. The differences between them are huge, as amateurs include both those who cycle once a week and those who cycle almost every day but do not cycle for a living.

I will try to give you some actual figures for the cyclist who best represents the amateur. So someone who gets on a bike a few times a week and rides between 60 and 100 kilometers (40-60 miles).

If you want to accurate power data, you need to have a power meter. You can check my recommendation for the best power meter by clicking here .

Men amateur cyclists

For our example, we will take a 70 kg (155 lbs) cyclist who cycles three times a week. He’s regularly doing 70+ km (40 mi) rides but can do 100 km (60 mi) without much trouble.

We can expect such a cyclist to have a relative FTP of about 4 W/kg. If we multiply that number by his weight, we get an absolute FTP, which in this case is 280 W.

As an example, I can tell you that my FTP is 279 W, but since I weigh 80 kg (176 lbs), my relative FTP is only 3,5 W/kg. On the other hand, my father has an FTP of 330 W and weighs only 4 kg (9 lbs) more. So his relative FTP is 3,9 W/kg.

He spends more time on a bike and is more trained than I am. Therefore his numbers are higher. Our two examples, therefore, confirm that amateurs will have a relative FTP between 3 and 4 W/kg.

Female amateur cyclists

Let’s also analyze female cyclists. This time we’ll take a 60 kg (132 lbs) cyclist who also does three longer rides per week.

Women tend to have lower FTP than men. So we can expect a female amateur to have a relative FTP of about 3,5 W/kg. Converted to an absolute number, that means an FTP of 210 W.

Actual power data of professional cyclists

I’m sure you want to know the exact power numbers of some of the world’s best cyclists. Good news – you can find them here!

Below is a table with data on the power of male professional cyclists, courtesy of ProCyclink UK .

Notice how heavier riders have higher absolute FTP but are far behind lighter riders regarding relative FTP. One of the lightest riders – Egan Bernal – has the highest relative FTP but has one of the lowest absolute FTP. He will never win a sprint, but he sure can be fast over the climbs.

Power data of male professional cyclists

Below you can also find actual numbers of professional female cyclists. For them, a relative FTP over 6 W/kg is unreachable (for now), but some can reach the 5.5 W/kg range.

In a professional caravan, there is one rider that I believe could potentially reach 6 W/kg. That’s Annemiek van Vleuten , but unfortunately, she doesn’t care about power data, so we don’t have any. She also said a couple of times she doesn’t know what her FTP is.

Power data of female professional cyclists

Power data is always interesting to look at, both for amateur and professional cyclists. Amateurs may even be more obsessed with it, as professionals can judge their form by feeling.

Amateurs want to constantly compare themselves to the pros, but the fact is that when it comes to power, the differences are huge . Professionals regularly achieve values between 5 and 6 W/kg that amateurs can only dream of.

Well-trained amateurs, who spend a lot of time cycling and follow structured training, can reach 5 W/kg. Others, who just ride longer distances without any real training in mind, can only reach values between 3 and 4 W/kg.

Converting relative power into absolute power makes no particular sense. It is nice to look at the big number you achieve, but it tells you very little. It allows you to compare yourself with yourself, but not with other cyclists.

Absolute power is influenced by many factors, especially weight. Heavier cyclists will always have higher absolute power, while lighter cyclists generally have higher relative power.

In the end, let me just give you this advice. Don’t get too hung up on the data on your bike computer. Cycling is primarily about enjoyment, so look up from the screen and enjoy the nature around you.

Luka Stular

Hi, my name is Luka. I fell in love with cycling back in 2014 when I broke my leg in the summer. The peak of my day was watching Tour de France, and soon I was hooked. Later I bought my first road bike, and now we're here.

Cycling Fitness FTP Calculator

Use this simple and free calculator to find out your cycling fitness by using your best 20min average power and your weight. You'll get your W/Kg, estimated threshold power, and ultimately your cycling level with explanation.

Step 2. Manually select your cycling level result

World Class

Congratulations, you are the next possible Tour de France champion. The highest category a cyclist can achieve. Capable of winning world’s best races, including Gran Tours or Classics.

Exceptional Domestic pros

Average Pro Tour cyclist, capable of being a domestique for winners of Gran Tours, including Tour de France and famous classics. This level is capable of winning Pro-continental races.

Excellent - A Grade /Cat 1

A very competitive athlete who races Cat 1/2 on the road and can win your age group in a regional triathlon or large gran fondo. You’re at the front of the pack during your weekly group rides and you thrive off of big days with tons of climbing. Young aspiring professional cyclists also belong to this category. This level contains also some pro-continental professionals, participating in some of the most famous classics.

Typical number of weekly rides: 5+ Current average weekly distance: 260km + Average feet in elevation you’re comfortable doing in one ride: 6000+ Distance you’re capable of riding in one day: 170km+ Average speed on a typical ride: 28–36 km/h

Very Good - B Grade /Cat 2

Competitive amateur athlete who races Cat 2/3 or can podium in your age group in a local triathlon or gran fondo. You regularly ride with a fast-paced group once a week and are comfortable with technical descents and challenging climbs.

Typical number of weekly rides: 4 Current average weekly distance: 200km Distance you’re capable of riding in one day: 150km Average speed on a typical ride: 25–29 km/h

Zwift racing category: A

Good - C Grade /Cat 3

Similar to the B-Grade category, competitive amateur athlete who races Cat 2/3 or can podium in your age group in a local triathlon or gran fondo. You regularly ride with a fast-paced group once a week and are comfortable with technical descents and challenging climbs.

Typical number of weekly rides: 3-4 Current average weekly distance: 180km Average speed on a typical ride: 24–28 km/h

Zwift racing category: B and A

Moderate - D Grade /Cat 4

A casual amateur athlete who competes in the occasional bike race or triathlon. You enjoy long days in the saddle every once in a while and love exploring new destinations by bike. This is our most common rider category.

Typical number of weekly rides: 3 Current average weekly distance: 160km Distance you’re capable of riding in one day: 160km Average speed on a typical ride: 23–27 km/h

Zwift racing category: C

Novice - Non-racer

An active vacationer and leisurely rider who enjoys taking your time pedaling while sightseeing. You’re most comfortable riding on bike paths and most of your riding is done while commuting or on vacation.

Typical number of weekly rides: 1 Current average weekly km: 35 Distance you’re capable of riding in one day: 70km Average speed on a typical ride: 16–25 km/h

Zwift racing category: D

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What is a lactate threshold.

In exercise science, the functional lactate threshold refers to a point during physical activity where your body transitions from working predominantly aerobically (using oxygen efficiently) to working more anaerobically (without enough oxygen). It is the level of intensity at which your body starts relying more on stored energy sources, like glycogen, to fuel the activity.

The functional threshold is often associated with the point where you start to feel a significant increase in effort and a build-up of fatigue. It is the highest level of intensity you can sustain for an extended period before exhaustion sets in.

Determining your lactate threshold can be very useful in cycling as it helps to gauge your fitness level and set appropriate training zones. By training at or near your functional threshold, you can improve your overall performance. Regular training at or slightly above this threshold can also help increase your body's ability to tolerate and clear lactic acid, a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism.

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How Fast and Powerful Are Pro Women and How Do Your Stats Compare?

We break down some key performance metrics of the world’s best cyclists to see how we’d all stack up.

10 gent wevelgem in flanders fields 2021 women's elite

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Time Trial Speed

Pro women’s teams crank out team time trials at around 30+ mph speeds. For example, Eva Buurman and the squad from Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank averaged 31 mph (49.9 km/hr) during last year’s 2020 Giro Rosa team time trial (16.8 kilometers/10.4 miles).

In comparison, the winning women’s team at the 2019 Philly Phlyer, Mathletes Racing , finished in 22:24 and 29 mph average (11 miles). That’s still super fast, but once you get over about 18 to 20 mph, the power you need to overcome wind resistance increases exponentially . That’s where that pro-level power kicks in.

Average Heart Rate

Pro hearts can jackhammer along at super high rates, ranging from an average of 178 bpm for nearly four hours for Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) to an average of 186 bpm during the Giro Rosa last year for Eva Buurman.

But if you’re not hitting those numbers, don’t sweat it. A healthy threshold heart rate for a typical active woman is in the ballpark of 155 to 160 beats per minute, depending on your age.

Power-to-Weight Ratio

The power-to-weight ratio, or how many watts you can produce per kilogram or pound of body weight, is one of the hallmarks of cycling success, and world class women riders can generate enough to power a house . Pro women at the top of the ranks can produce about 19 W/kg for 5 seconds; 9 W/kg for 1 minute; 6.5 W/kg for 5 minutes; and 5.5 W/kg at their threshold, according to power guru Andrew Coggan, Ph.D ., co-author (along with Hunter Allen) and cycling scientist behind Training and Racing with a Power Meter .

Good amateurs, on the other hand, can generate about 13.5 W/kg for 5 seconds; 7 W/kg for 1 minute; 4.5 for 5 minutes; and about 3.7 W/kg at their threshold.

What does that wattage look like in real life? Well, in Gent-Wevelgem, Kristen Faulkner threw down:

Average power: 226 watts
Normalized power: 289 watts
Max power: 1,005 watts
1-minute power: 463 watts
5-minute power: 383 watts
10-minute power: 338 watts

Training Hours Per Week

Being a pro is a full-time job (which many women do on top of their full time job…but that’s another story), and time on the bike alone is a part-time job. Pros like Sarah Gigante (TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) clock about 20 hours of riding time a week.

For serious recreational cyclists not paid to ride their bikes, half that amount—about 10 hours a week—is a solid amount of weekly training time. Bonus: 10 hours of riding a week also doubles the odds of aging disease-free and fully functional.

You can’t be a pro unless you’re fast. And the women in the front of the women’s pro peloton, like Chloé Dygert (Canyon/SRAM Racing) are consistently quite speedy. Dygert swept all four stages of the 2019 Colorado Classic, maintaining an average speed of about 23 mph for most of the 220-mile race.

To put that in context, fast amateur women tackling the same terrain at the Steamboat Stage Race in Colorado that same year averaged about 19 mph.

Resting Heart Rate

Pros are so efficient at using oxygen, their hearts don’t need to tick at very high speeds when they’re not nose in the wind. Dixon, for instance, has a resting heart rate of a leisurely 38 bpm. The average resting heart rates among the women of Canyon/SRAM Racing range from 35 to 60, says team performance director Lars Teutenberg.

Considerably higher resting heart rates of 60 to 100 bpm are considered normal, though fit women will often have heart rates at the lower end of that range.

Considered one of the gold standard metrics of endurance performance, VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can take in and use. (It’s recorded in milliliters per kilogram of weight per minute of exercise or ml/kg/min.) As you’d expect, pros can take in and use a lot. But it’s important to note that there’s not a direct relationship between a high VO2 max and podium-level performance. Many other variables, such as lactate threshold and efficiency (not to mention tactical smarts) are equally, if not more, valuable in the race for the top spots.

So it’s not terribly surprising that there’s “quite a bandwidth” in VO2 max—ranging from 69 to 80 ml/kg/min on the Canyon/SRAM team, according to Teutenberg. Though most of the riders fall into the 70 to 75 ml/kg/min range—a typical range for elite athletes.

VO2 max is trainable to a point. Other factors like genetics, body composition, and altitude are all at play. It also decreases with age. Generally speaking, a VO2 max of between about 31 and 37 is considered excellent for healthy adult women , and trained women will fall in the 55 to 60 ml/kg/min range.

FTP, or functional threshold power , is the average number of watts you can sustain in an hour and it’s a strong predictor of cycling success. On average, the women on Canyon/SRAM team fall into the 250 to 300 watt FTP range, says Teutenberg, which definitely puts them in rarified air.

Forty six percent of women riders using Cycling Analytics (generally serious recreational cyclists) have an FTP of below 200W, 44 percent have an FTP of 210W or more, and 10 percent have an FTP between 200W and 210W.

Bonus: Test Yourself!

Last year Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank had Lauren Stephens do a max speed sprint effort on her trainer. She went from 0 to 50.9 kph/31.6mph in 30 seconds!

That’s one you can definitely try at home to see how you measure up. Good luck!

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What is A FTP Test and How to do it Effectively

Dan matthews.

Last Updated : March 22, 2022

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FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power and you will hear it being used a lot within cycling.

It’s a core measure of the maximum power you can sustain over an hour.

Your FTP is measured in watts or watts per kilo (w/kg) and will often be used to determine your power training zones.

To determine your FTP, you’ll need to do the FTP test.

Ask any cyclist about FTP tests and you will likely see their eyes roll or hear a groan or even both as the tests are not pleasant. They are essential though, especially if you want to improve your form and fitness.

Warm-up for 10 minutes using a modest cadence.
3 x 1 minute fast intervals.
1 minute easy.
5-minute fast spin.
Perform a 5-minute maximum effort.
Ride easy for 10 minutes to recover.
Perform a 20-minute maximum effort.
Cool down for at least 10 minutes using steadily decreasing cadence.
Take the average power output measured from Step 7 and multiply it by 0.95.
For example, if you sustained an average of 300 watts, multiply that by 0.95, and you end up with 285 watts. This is your FTP.

Limitations of FTP Tests

Bear in mind that your FTP number is only an estimate.

Many cyclists like to compare their FTP numbers but having the highest FTP number doesn’t mean that you’ll finish first in a race.

Having an FTP number that is relatively similar to your competitors will give you a chance to compete. For example, to be a World Tour rider, your FTP numbers need to be of a certain number or won’t cut.

Beyond that, there are many factors involved, such as team tactics, punctures, mechanical issues, hydration and nutrition, crashes, weather, or just luck to determine if you can win a race.

How Often Should You Do A FTP Test?

It depends on the goals that you have.

You could perform them as little as twice a year for a casual cyclist at the beginning and before your main cycling event to see if you have improved.

If you’re a serious cyclist or race regularly, you may need to perform an FTP test every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on your race schedule.

Read More : 8 Reasons Why You Should Train with A Power Meter

As FTP is a measure used in structured training, you may need to keep a close eye on this number so you or your coach can adapt training for your next event.

What do You Need for A FTP Test?

Power Meter

You will need a power meter to perform an FTP test as it is a measure of wattage.

If you have a power meter on your road bike, you will need to find somewhere quiet and with no traffic or obstructions that will enable you to ride for 20 minutes at your maximum sustainable pace.

Read More : 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Power Meters

Smart Trainer

If you have a smart trainer with a power meter , then this is where you would perform your FTP test.

Many training apps will have FTP test built-in. Zwift, TrainerRoad, and The Sufferfest also have FTP tests built into them, which you may like to use instead. All use a format of the standard FTP test and can do all the calculating for you.

Smart Exercise Bike

If you’re fortunate enough to have an indoor exercise bike such as the Wattbike, these will also have a power meter and work with Zwift, TrainerRoad, and The Sufferfest.

The Wattbike app has its own FTP test if you don’t use a third-party app.

6 Common Methods to do A FTP Test

There is no right way to perform an FTP test. Much depends on what resources you have available.

If you have the roads, the time, and the fitness, the hour TT test is the most accurate. If you don’t have the roads, then an indoor test would be ideal.

Indoor testing is for the rest of us who live in busier areas or regions with poor roads. As long as your indoor trainer has a power meter, you can run any or all of these tests as you see fit.

These are 6 common ways to perform an FTP test.

20 Minutes Indoor Test

The 20 minutes indoor test is the most common test as it’s done in a controlled environment.

No traffic, no interruptions, no weather, no wind, and no changing terrain or gradients.

Most smart trainers or training apps will have the ability to help you perform an FTP test and as long as your trainer has a power meter.

Thoroughly warm-up and make sure your fan is running. You can use apps such as Zwift, Trainerroad, or Sufferfest to perform the test. Alternatively, you can also do it manually.

Ride full gas for 20 minutes and warm down. The app will make the calculations for you, or you can take your average and divide it by 0.95 to find your FTP.

8 Minutes Indoor Test

The 8 minutes indoor FTP test is a shorter version of the 20 minutes test that is almost as exact. Used by apps like TrainerRoad, the test takes your average power from at least two 8 minute indoor FTP tests and multiply it by 0.9.

This gives you a 90% reading of the maximum average power for a fairly reliable FTP reading.

The principle of running the test is also the same. You can use your smart trainer with apps such as Zwift, Trainerroad, Sufferfest, do it yourself manually.

Warm-up until you’re ready, go full gas for the entire 8 minutes, warm down and assess your score.

Indoor Ramp Test

The indoor step test or ramp test is another shorter but fairly reliable FTP test.

TrainerRoad and Zwift have one of these as part of their workout library.

The test begins at 100W and increases by 25W steps. You ride the workout until exhaustion, and the app will calculate your FTP from that.

I suggest an extensive warmup before starting the test. The Zwift version has a warmup built-in, but I found I needed a little more to run it comfortably. Ride a while, then start the workout.

Complete the warmup and then run the step test until you can genuinely take no more.

Once finished, there is some math to do, or you can let Zwift work it out for you. Check out this page for details on that math if you’re doing it manually.

20 Minutes Outdoor Climb

The 20 minutes outdoor climb is a beneficial FTP test if you live somewhere with quiet roads where you can climb for the duration.

Climbing works very well with FTP testing because it demands a sustained effort over that climb. There is often little chance to coast, rest or take a breather, forcing you to maximum effort.

While painful, it provides a very accurate measure of your FTP. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere with a reasonable gradient of 4% to 6% that you could climb for 20 minutes, this is a very accurate way to perform your FTP test.

1 Hour Criterium Race

The 1-hour criterium FTP test is similar to the 1 hour time trial. It offers an accurate measure of your sustained effort over 60 minutes.

Find a local criterium race to participate in. Most crit races are 1 hour long, so that is ideal. Make sure you finish the race and take your average power for the entire 1-hour duration.

That number is your FTP.

1 Hour Time Trial

The hour time trial is a particularly grueling way to measure your FTP.

But if you’re a stage, TT racer, or can sustain that kind of effort over an hour, it is a very accurate measure.

You ride at your maximum sustainable pace for an hour with a thorough warm-up and warm down before and after. Once done, you take your average power, and that is your FTP.

Unlike these other tests, you don’t divide by 0.95 or subtract 5-10%. The number you have after averaging is your FTP.

It isn’t practical for most of us mere mortals and would likely have to be done on a turbo trainer. If you can do this test, it’s worth trying for bragging rights, if nothing else!

How to Nail the Perfect FTP Test

FTP tests are challenging.

Even the 8 minutes test is an effort, and very few cyclists look forward to running these tests, even those who seem to revel in suffering.

Here are some top tips to get the most out of your FTP test.

1. Prepare Mentally

If you’re an experienced cyclist, you will already know that half the battle on the bike is with your mind and a half with your body. Your mind will try to talk you out of taking the test, slacking during the test, and trying to convince you it isn’t necessary.

Once underway, you have to mentally fight for the entire duration of the test to give it your all while ignoring that inner voice that says it is unnecessary.

Mental preparation for the effort ahead is essential.

Visualization of the test, of your goal, of your intention, and the results will all help you complete it correctly.

2. Get Proper Rest Beforehand

To get the best out of an FTP test, you need to be well-rested, well-fed, and warmed up. Few cyclists would be able to perform an accurate FTP test mid-ride or would want to.

Make sure you’re not fatigued, haven’t ridden hard the previous day, and are otherwise fit and healthy. If you feel well enough to go out on a club ride, you should be well enough to complete an FTP test.

If you feel tired, fatigued, or not a hundred percent, wait until you feel good. The test is painful enough as it is without compounding fatigue into it.

Plus, your results will be lower than they could be, and nobody wants that!

3. Warm Up Properly

I mentioned above that even though the Zwift FTP test has a warmup built-in, I didn’t find it was enough. In reality, as long as you’re performing your warmup correctly, there is no such thing as too much warmup.

If you think you may need more before starting the test, take more.

Pause the program if you’re using an app or just spin for a little while longer. You are going to be asking a lot of your body so you need to make sure it is warm and ready for action.

4. Know the Equipment and/or Route

To get the most out of your test, don’t perform it on a new bike, new power meter, or new trainer.

You’re going to get uncomfortable so you need to have the perfect fit, know how your bike or trainer feels, how your power meter works and have everything running perfectly beforehand.

If you’re doing it outside, make sure you know the route very well indeed. You’re going to need to know where any junctions or traffic lights are, where any potholes may impede your progress, where any road hazards at all might be.

The less you have to think about what you’re doing, the better the test will run.

5. Don't Start Too Hard

FTP is calculated over the entire test duration so you need to pace yourself properly.

We all have a tendency to go too hard at the beginning of an event only to end up fighting to the end. You don’t want that while running an FTP test.

Ideally, you should already have a good idea of what power you can sustain over the period of the test so aim to better that while ensuring you can pace to the end.

6. Don't Sprint or Surge

Slow and steady wins the race. Well, steady does anyway.

Keep your cadence steady and keep your pace constant. You can gradually increase your power output if you think you can sustain it until the end but be sensible. You’re running an 8, 20, or 60-minute test so whatever you’re riding at now, you need to be able to keep it up for the duration.

Sprinting or surging just burns energy and increases lactate in the muscles. Keep it as steady as you can otherwise you’ll fade at the end and ruin the result.

7. Stay Seated

As with sprinting or surging, staying seated will help you keep to a steady, sustainable pace. It will also ensure you don’t move from your most comfortable position and provide stable power output for the duration.

While you may output more power while standing, it will dip as you stand and dip again as you sit. It will also burn more energy and cause more lactate in your legs too.

Try to stay in one position for the duration of your FTP test so you can exert maximum effort where it counts, on the pedals.

8. Be in the Moment

You can use mind games to help you complete the test if you like, break it up into segments, use a headphone and listen to music with high beats, visualize yourself riding a Tour stage or whatever you like.

Just remember to be in that moment.

You would be amazed at how easy it is to lose concentration and how your power drops the second that you do.

An FTP test is as much mental as it is physical and remaining in the here and now is the only way you’re going to be able to get the most out of it.

4 Things You Can Do after Knowing Your FTP

You have spent a lot of time preparing and a lot of energy completing your FTP test.

So what now?

1. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

Knowing your FTP number can help you identify areas where you are healthy and places where you’re not.

At a basic level, it will tell you that if you start too hot, you cannot sustain tempo for the full duration needed. This is a general pacing and fitness issue you can address in your training.

As part of a more comprehensive structured training plan, your FTP number can show you if you need to generate more power for the type of riding you want to do or whether you’re training at the right intensity for your physiology.

Used in conjunction with a Power Profile Chart, you can adapt your training.

2. Measure Improvement Over Time

One primary use of the FTP and why it is suggested you repeat it every 4 to 6 weeks if you’re training, is to track your progress.

Power figures can show you gradual improvements in average output and FTP is an extension of that.

Otherwise, how else are you going to know whether you’re getting better or not?

You may now be able to beat your mates up a hill but as you know, this is hardly a scientific measure of form and fitness.

Your FTP is.

3. Set Power Training Zones

Your FTP is used to set your training zones for other forms of training.

Whether you do it yourself or use an app, it’s your FTP that influences where your training zone 1 to 7 are set and could affect the rest of your season.

That’s how important an accurate FTP test is.

Most structured training will include sessions using these zones. Zwift, TrainerRoad, The Sufferfest, and others all use them in their training programs, and your coach will get to.

4. See Where You Stand Against the Pros

While not the most practical use of your FTP, you can compare yourself to those of the pros if that’s your thing.

I did it once and got depressed, so I have never done it again. If you’re mentally more substantial than I am, you can compare your power to the likes of Chris Hoy, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish, and other greats of the cycling world to see where you stand.

To stand a chance of winning a grand tour like the Tour de France, you’ll need to have an FTP of above 6 watts/kg. To sprint like Mark Cavendish, you’ll need to have a 5s power of at least 20w/kg.

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What's so special about FTP? A lot - so here’s how to test and improve it

Recently picked up a power meter or indoor bike and want to get started working on your Functional Threshold Power? Here's everything you need to know

Image shows a riding completing an FTP test.

What is FTP?

What does ftp tell you, what’s the best ftp testing protocol, how to increase your cycling ftp, what’s a good ftp, what are the limitations of ftp, alternatives to ftp, more thresholds than just ftp…, history of ftp.

FTP - which stands for Functional Threshold Power - is a term which is ubiquitous amongst cyclists and is a common measure of fitness. FTP figures can be a source of competition among some riders, and they're routinely used to set training zones during interval sessions. But, what exactly is FTP? And, most importantly, how can you make yours higher?

FTP is effectively a measure of the power you can hold for an hour, measured in watts. But, there's more to it than that - with several possible tests to ascertain your FTP , and even more ways to improve it, either training with a power meter or indoors on a turbo trainers or smart indoor bike .

Here's everything you need to know about the mythical FTP.

Image shows a rider completing an FTP test.

The scientific definition of FTP, according to the “father of FTP”, exercise physiologist Andy Coggan is “the highest power that a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing for approximately one hour.”

The missing 40 watts...

“Good job on improving your FTP!” my then coach Richard Laidlow congratulated me two years ago. My Functional Threshold Power was now 290 watts, he informed me, and I was thrilled. A year later came the cold shower: I did a physiological test with a different coach, and my Anaerobic Threshold was measured as 250 watts - how had I lost 40 watts, and where had they gone?

I subsequently learned more about the aerobic pathway, where energy is released from glucose and fat in the presence of oxygen. Using this aerobic energy system, I’m able to produce only 250 watts - the ‘missing’ 40 watts were from my body’s anaerobic contribution, where energy is unlocked from glucose without oxygen. FTP included both: the watts I was producing aerobically and anaerobically. The key lesson was that there are multiple thresholds, each meaning different things - so why as cyclists do we rely so heavily on FTP?

It’s important to remember that aerobic and anaerobic pathways are always intertwined and working together. Many of us assume that FTP tells us the pace we’re able to ride for an hour - but often this doesn’t stack up in practice. Setting aside discrepancies between different power meters and apps, how can we be accurate in how we discuss and apply FTP in our training? More importantly, is FTP the best metric to assess our fitness and upon which to base our training intensities - or should we look elsewhere?

The best power meters are accurate to +/- 1 per cent, and units have continued to drop in price, allowing more and more riders to benefit from accurate numbers.

Notice the qualifiers in there – a certain level of approximation is built in. “When power exceeds FTP,” Coggan continues, “fatigue will occur much sooner, whereas a power just below FTP can be maintained considerably longer.”

The word ‘functional’ is the key to understanding the reliability and validity of FTP – it is functional because it has a practical and useful application in the power-based world of cycling. However, FTP values are neither absolute nor 100 per cent precise. Moreover, the classic ‘20-minute power times 95 per cent’ method of establishing FTP is not a definition, but only a protocol developed by coach Hunter Allen – with whom Coggan co-authored the book Training and Racing with a Power Meter in 2006.

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In physiological terms, FTP is a practical estimation of your metabolic steady state; that is, it estimates the intensity you’re able to sustain for a long period of time. Exactly how long? More on that question below. For now, it’s important to note Coggan’s use of the words “quasi” and “approximately”.

“A true metabolic steady state doesn’t exist,” says the physiologist. “Even at low to moderate intensities, there are changes in oxygen uptake, fuel utilisation, lactate and hormone levels.”

The rate of these changes is quicker at higher intensities, and the transition from the quasi steady-state – an effort level that feels hard but manageable – to a definitely not steady-state – being forced to ease off – can happen very quickly.

FTP is often used as the most accessible measure of fitness, when combined with weight and, ideally, heart rate data - check out our guide to the best heart rate monitors here.

If you're training for an event, you can measure FTP every four weeks to track progress. If the number goes up without your weight also increasing, you should have become fitter.

The ideal situation is that FTP has gone up, weight has gone down and heart rate to produce the same power is lower – but unless you're starting from a fairly low level of fitness it would be incredibly hard to manage all three.

Coaches and athletes will usually focus on a range of power figures - for example, five-second, one minute, and five minute, as well as FTP numbers when determining a rider's programme - however, FTP still holds a very strong significance. Of course, if shorter efforts are more important to your goals, you may wish to focus your attention there, instead.

The best-known and most used protocol for FTP is the flat-out 20-minute test. FTP is calculated as 95 per cent of the average power output for the 20 minutes.

Coggan has a list of tips for improving accuracy and avoiding mistakes: inspect the ride file; analyse the power distribution from multiple rides; determine blood lactate measurements; check the Normalised Power of a hard one-hour race; note down the power you routinely generate during long intervals in training; and inspect the average power during a one-hour (or 40km) TT.

Stephen Seiler, exercise physiologist and professor in sport science at the University of Agder, Norway, is likewise a fan of the hour-long time trial. “It’s tough. I’ve done it. But then the anaerobic component is minimal if you go for 60 minutes,” he says. “If you really want to have an accurate idea of your aerobic, diesel engine, do a 60-minute test.”

For one reason or another, the traditional FTP test might not be for you.

If it's the intensity that's putting you off, you should consider trying a ramp test alternative to the conventional FTP test.

Zwift and Wattbike both have the ramp test that might be perfect for your skills - after a brief warm-up, you will then perform a series of one-minute intervals with the power increasing each time.

You will start at 100 watts and then every minute the power will increase until you can't turn the pedals any longer. Once you stop pedalling, the apps will then calculate your FTP based on how far you got in the session.

It's a less demanding session than the 20-minute FTP test and will still offer a good idea of where your FTP currently sits.

On the Wahoo X training platform, you’ll find The Sufferfest’s revolutionary version of the ramp test, the Half Monty, which will give you three fitness benchmarks – the FTP, maximal aerobic power (MAP), and lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR).

Or if these options are too general for your tastes, The Sufferfest uses '4DimensionalPower' (4DP), which looks at five-second, five-minute, 20-minute power as well as a one-minute effort following fatigue. The result is a picture of the rider's Neuromuscular Power, Anaerobic Capacity, Maximal Aerobic Power and Functional Threshold Power. Looking at all of these figures each month would give an incredibly accurate representation of overall fitness.

Wattbike also has its own selection of fitness tests, including the classic 20-minute FTP test, a tough maximum ramp test to find your maximal minute power and your max heart rate, the Submaximal Ramp test, and a short, sharp three minute aerobic test, which all help you find your benchmark.

Your FTP will be used to set your cycling training zones .

The exact percentages and training zones vary depending upon the coach that's using them - but in 'Training and Racing with a Power Meter' Allen and Coggan promote those below:

With these zones, you can establish which systems you want to target. Ideally, this will be periodised so you're working on different attributes to suit your goals through the year.

If improving your FTP is a target, There are innumerable sessions that are targeted at increasing FTP, performed over different durations. Any workout above a recovery pace but below VO2max will induce some physiological adaptations that enhance muscular metabolic fitness.

TT efforts at threshold: A classic time-efficient session

10min warm up
2x 20min @ Z4 (5min rest between)
10min cool down

Be warned, this session is hard! If you’re not ready for it, build up from three times 10 minutes at Z4, moving on to two times 15 minutes at Z4.

The best indoor training apps for cycling , such as Zwift , have ready-built sessions that are easy to follow. Cycling Weekly’s resident cycling coaching expert Andy Turner of AT Performance picked out the best workouts on Zwift , and his choice on the best Zwift workout to improve FTP was Zwift’s 2x15 FTP Builds workout.

Sports scientists have tried to collate FTP values for different categories of men and women cyclists, but because of variation between power meters and inaccurate body weight data, crowd-sourcing these values has been tricky. The following is from Andy Coggan’s power-profiling table (from Training and Racing with a Power Meter).

Here, FTP is expressed in terms of watts per kilo – the power produced divided by the rider's weight. It's a nominal value based on the theory that you would need more power to go at the same speed, and less if you lose weight cycling – even though taking slope, aerodynamics and rolling resistance into account that isn't always the case.

World Class Men: 6.60 - 5.83 W/kg
World Class Women: 5.69 - 5.01 W/kg
Exceptional Men: 6.02 - 5.26 W/kg
Exceptional Women: 5.18 - 4.51 W/kg
Excellent Men: 5.45 - 4.69 W/kg
Excellent Women: 4.68 - 4.01 W/kg
Very good Men: 4.88 - 4.12 W/kg
Very good Women: 4.17 - 3.50 W/kg
Good Men: 4.31 - 3.55 W/kg
Good Women: 3.67 - 3.00 W/kg
Moderate Men: 3.74 - 2.98 W/kg
Moderate Women: 3.17 - 2.50 W/kg
Fair Men: 3.17 - 2.50 W/kg
Fair Women: 2.66 - 1.99 W/kg
Novice 2 Men: 2.60 - 1.83 W/kg
Novice 2 Women: 2.16 - 1.49 W/kg
Novice 1 Men: 2.02 - 1.68 W/kg
Novice 1 Women: 1.66 - 0.99 W/kg

Even in the World Tour, FTP has a mixed reputation. Former world champion Annemiek van Vleuten doesn’t bother to measure hers. “I also don’t care about it,” she said. “I train polarised .”

Similarly dismissive of FTP, Dan Lorang, head coach of pro cycling team Bora-Hansgrohe, uses his own calculations to determine his riders’ thresholds and how these levels interact with VO2max and lactate accumulation.

“If I only used the FTP value with the team, it would be hard for me to understand where the value is coming from, or in which direction should I progress that number,” says Lorang.

“It gives information about the current performance level for constant intervals and efforts, but it only gives me a number, and nothing more. It doesn’t tell me what happens if the athlete continues for more time at that effort.”

Many world-class male TT specialists have FTPs well in excess of 400 watts; Bradley Wiggins’s Hour Record power was estimated as 440 watts. However, in long-distance road races, it’s not what you can do after 20 minutes, but what you can do after five hours that counts.

“FTP doesn’t capture athletes’ durability or ability to repeat high-intensity bouts during races,” says Seiler. “It tells us something over a short period of time, but over a long period of time, the FTP power deteriorates. What is going on in their body after three or five hours? I want to know how durable your body is at low power, and its ability to repeat high-intensity efforts over time.”

Professor Seiler believes cyclists need more than a power number to guide their training. “Power is the outcome. It doesn’t tell us about the underlying issues of the engine, the physiology,” he says. “That’s why I want athletes to tune it to their subjective perception of effort – because that changes during a long ride. Heart rate is also our best tool for getting a window in the internal load of the body during a training situation or a race.”

Even so, both Lorang and Seiler agree that FTP has its uses in cycling, particularly among amateurs who don’t have access to labs for regular testing.

“It is useful,” says Seiler. “The first word [functional] is key. FTP is a number that age groupers and amateurs can test and relate to pretty quickly.”

Lorang agrees: “FTP is easy to use, and if used in the right way, it can be a good tool for everybody, but we shouldn’t read too much into it.”

On top of the lab-based tests you can perform to determine your physiological values, in recent years performance- analysis software such as INSCYD, Mesics and Ergonizer (more below) have claimed that they can provide coaches and athletes with the same scientific value – but without visiting the lab. Alternatives to FTP have been proposed to overcome FTP’s limitations. The training app The Sufferfest designed its own Four-Dimensional Power and Half Monty protocol, intended to encompass FTP, maximal aerobic power, and lactate heart rate.

“There are so many different versions,” says Seiler, “and they are all trying to get at the same basic idea – that there is a point of intensity that you can maintain for a long time.”

However, it remains an inexact science. “Unfortunately ‘pretty long’ is about as accurate as you could be, because it varies. It’s between 30 and 70 minutes, but it’s fuzzy. FTP has value, and the 40 to 60-minute average [over multiple tests] corresponds quite well with the definition of the MLSS.”

It is impossible to determine FTP with absolute precision. The measurement can fluctuate from day to day or test by test, and results can differ on the turbo trainer versus outdoors, especially if your room is too hot or you’re not feeling motivated. It’s impossible to translate FTP into a real-world performance with any certainty – but why?

“First, the demands of the race or a hard training ride need to be considered,” says Sebastian Weber, physiologist and former coach to Tony Martin and Peter Sagan. “In a race, what’s important is being able to go with surges, recovering from hard efforts, carbohydrate sparing, sprinting and managing fuelling demands. During a race, a rider is never riding at FTP for more than a few seconds – they’re switching between different energy systems.”

During a bout of exercise, the three metabolic pathways that generate power – aerobic, glycolysis, and creatine- phosphate – always interact and overlap according on exercise time and intensity.

“Riders training by FTP have a massive blind spot, as they tend to ignore the aerobic versus the anaerobic contribution to their performance,” says Weber. Instead of fixating on FTP, he urges riders to pay more attention to VO2max. “It is common sense to describe training load as a percentage of the maximum,” adds Weber, “so when you express training load as a percentage of VO2max, you get the best understanding of what training stimulus you might apply to your aerobic system in order to force it to adapt.”

Image shows a rider completing a fitness test to calculate their threshold.

Exercise physiologists have, for decades, used the term lactate threshold (or just ‘threshold’) to describe this transition point. The lactate thresholds are the two points beyond which blood lactate accumulation occurs.

The Lactate Threshold 1 (LT1) is the point beyond which there is sustained increase of blood lactate concentration, but a steady and tolerable one for the body. The Lactate Threshold 2 (LT2), on the other hand, is where the accumulation becomes rapid, meaning the effort is no longer sustainable. FTP attempts to identify LT2, but without measuring lactate levels in the blood.

Again, we must remember that physiological responses cannot be nailed down with pinpoint accuracy – thresholds are not black and white; the lines are always blurred. Historically, the Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS) has been considered the gold standard of metabolic steady state – the highest effort level that can be sustained without continual blood lactate accumulation. The classic approach to test it requires several lab visits to quantify the lactate response to bouts of exercise lasting 30 to 40 minutes.

That’s why alternatives requiring single (or no) visits to labs emerged: Individual Anaerobic Threshold, which is based on lactate measurements, Lactate Minimum (a three-step test that estimates the balance between the appearance and clearance of arterial blood lactate), and their mathematical counterpart, Critical Power (CP), which is similar to FTP, but determines the maximum power sustainable over different durations, i.e. CP20 relates to 20 minutes, CP30 to 30 minutes, and so on. FTP, as Coggan describes it, was a “pedagogical construct” intended to solve the confusion around thresholds.

The new trend in performance analysis is the digitalisation and at-home test. Weber is the founder and CEO of the software INSCYD (pronounced ‘inside’ – connoting the program’s ability to ‘look inside’ the muscles).

Using a test that is performed either at home on the turbo, or outdoors while taking lactate samples, INSCYD claims to be able to provide all the most important physiological metrics: VO2max, Anaerobic Threshold, Lactate accumulation rate (VLamax), but also fat and carb combustion at given power output. Its functionality has been described as “well beyond FTP”; not only does it provide hard numbers, but also calculates training zones based on the body’s actual physiological processes.

Weber believes that FTP has had its day – the test equivalent of “making calls on your rotary phone”. He claims that, through INSCYD algorithms, athletes can now enter their values into software that can provide a “360-degree picture” of their physiology.

Other brands that offer performance diagnostics comparable to lab-testing are Ergonizer and Mesics. All three German brands – INSCYD, Mesics and Ergonizer – draw on the work of Czech physiologist Alois Mader, who in the Seventies developed the concept of a fixed 4.0mmol/l lactate anaerobic threshold.

Joachim Magera, head of Mesics, says that his software requires real testing (lactate or VO2max), and cannot operate on power-only tests, whereas: “INSCYD uses theoretical models to estimate the results using parameters like VO2max and VLamax without measuring VO2 or taking lactate samples. That may work quite well for healthy, well-trained athletes, but less well for others. Would you believe in the results on an x-ray if it relied on generalisations based on your age?”

Coggan began reading up on exercise physiology when he was in high school. He grew up reading scientific literature on lactate threshold, which cemented his idea that threshold as a measure of muscular metabolic fitness was the most important metric to determine endurance performance. As a cyclist, he’s been training with power (on an ergometer) since the winter of 1977-78. As a grad student in the late Eighties, Coggan tested cyclists, including himself, and co- authored the study ‘Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists’.

In 1997, he used an SRM for the first time, and in 1999 became one of the pilot users for the PowerTap. That’s when he started to express his ideas and studies in terms of power output, and in 2001 he wrote the first FTP-based ‘training levels’. Coggan believed that effective training hinged on implementing a polarised training programme – with 80 per cent of sessions performance at low intensity. USA Cycling asked him to write a chapter on power-based training for their coaching manual, which eventually became the three-edition cult classic book mentioned above.

Among the early adopters of FTP in the early 2000s were the creators of Training Peaks. “We adopted it, as we saw the value,” says Joe Friel, founder of Training Peaks and author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible. Friel believes the popularity of FTP is thanks to its simplicity. “It was the first and – for many, many years – the only way of specifying power output in a single number,” Friel continues, “and because Training Peaks adopted it early on, we established it as the standard.”

Nowadays, Training Peaks uses FTP to calculate all the crucial metrics cyclists talk about: Training Stress Score, Intensity Factor, PMC, training zones, and Normalised Power. Without FTP, the platform wouldn’t work.

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Nick Busca is a freelance cycling and triathlon journalist. He is also a certified triathlon coach and personal trainer.

Anna Marie Abram Fitness Features Editor

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FTP cycling: What is it, how to calculate, how to test and how to use for training

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) in cycling refers to the highest average power in watts a cyclist can sustain for an hour, serving as a proxy for the anaerobic threshold, where lactate concentration exceeds 4mmol/L of blood. The FTP concept was defined by Dr. Andrew Coggan from IU School of Health & Human Science in 2006, with co-author Hunter Allen in their book Training and Racing with a Power Meter-1st edition . FTP is a crucial metric for serious cyclists, both indoor and outdoor, forming the basis of training power zones, training apps and workout plans, and is closely related to concepts like Lactate Threshold(LT), Critical Power(CP), and watts per kg.

FTP is important for cyclists because it provides a reliable measure of their effort level and improvement over time. FTP result enables them to train more effectively within different power zones and follow structured training plans tailored to their specific fitness levels. FTP has limitations as its test results are often abbreviated and subject to overestimation, which can vary day by day and test by test due to external and internal factors such as indoor/outdoor conditions, body condition and feelings, affecting training targets and zones. FTP may not accurately reflect critical power or performance in endurance and short cycling events.

The most popular FTP test is a 20-minute Functional Threshold Power test (FTP20 test). The 2020 research led by Joshua Denham from the University of New England, Australia, found that FTP strongly correlates with lactate threshold and aerobic metabolism, and can be predicted by aerobic and anaerobic cycling tests, suggesting that a 20-minute FTP test is a practical method for assessing Vo2max, especially for those without access to advanced testing equipment.

In this article, we will analyze the definition of Functional Threshold Power in cycling, how to calculate your cycling FTP by age, gender and body weight, FTP cycling results in watts per kg, what is a good FTP in cycling, how to do a FTP test with protocol in both indoor and outdoor biking with cycling apps, how to get the best FTP test results, how FTP helps in cycling training, how to improve Functional Threshold Power and what are the limitation of FTP in cycling.

What is ftp cycling.

FTP in cycling is Functional Threshold Power, a key cycling metric used to measure a cyclist’s fitness, specifically the highest average power they can sustain for an hour, indicating their ability to maintain a high work rate over long-duration endurance training. FTP acts as a cornerstone for structuring cycling training programs and setting intensity levels.

FTP is closely related to, but distinct from Critical Power(CP) and Lactate Threshold(LT): Critical Power represents the power a cyclist can maintain indefinitely without fatigue, while Lactate Threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate starts to accumulate in the blood faster than it can be removed, often aligning closely with FTP but measured through different physiological responses.

Functional threshold power vs Critical Power in cycling

Functional threshold power (FTP) and Critical Power (CP) in cycling are both metrics used to gauge a cyclist’s endurance and performance: while FTP represents the highest power a cyclist can maintain for an hour, CP indicates the highest power they can sustain indefinitely without fatigue. FTP is a more accessible measure for cyclists but may not be as precise as CP. Critical Power is considered more accurate for training due to its foundation in comprehensive physiological assessment.

Similarity : Both FTP and CP are used to determine endurance capabilities and guide training intensity.
FTP : Easier to test and more commonly used by cyclists, FTP is practical for structuring training but may provide a less accurate measure of sustained power capability.
Critical Power : Requires more complex testing, often seen as more accurate and scientifically grounded, CP provides a detailed assessment of a cyclist’s endurance and sustainable power over time.
Function in Training : While FTP is great for general training purposes and is widely used in personal training programs, CP offers a more precise measurement for high-level training and detailed performance analysis.
Accuracy : CP is generally considered more accurate for cycling training, as it is based on a longer duration and a more comprehensive physiological profile, capturing a cyclist’s capabilities more precisely than FTP.

The 2021 research led by Professor Bettina Karsten from European University of Applied Sciences (EUFH), Berlin, Germany in 2021 indicated that there’s a 91.7% probability that critical power (CP) is higher than functional threshold power (FTP) in trained cyclists and triathletes, with CP being on average 7 watts higher than FTP, despite a strong correlation (r = 0.969) between them. The research suggested that the two measures should not be used interchangeably due to meaningful performance differences and large ranges in their limits of agreement.

Functional threshold power vs Lactate Threshold in cycling

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Lactate Threshold (LT) in cycling are both crucial metrics for performance: FTP is an estimate of the highest power that a cyclist can sustain for an hour, whereas LT is the intensity at which lactate accumulates in the blood faster than it can be cleared, to be more specifc, when lactate concentration exceeds 4mmol/L of blood. Both FTP and LT serve to gauge endurance and inform training intensity, but they are measured and applied differently.

Similarity : Both FTP and LT are indicators of a cyclist’s endurance capacity and are used to set training intensities.
FTP : More practical to measure, typically through a 20-minute test extrapolated to an hour’s effort, FTP is a proxy for endurance ability but may not precisely reflect physiological changes in the body.
Lactate Threshold (LT) : Directly measures the exercise intensity at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood, providing a more specific indication of a cyclist’s metabolic response to exercise.
Function in Training : FTP is widely used for its practicality in personal training programs, while LT offers a more precise approach, particularly in professional settings or detailed performance analytics.
Measurement : FTP can be estimated with field tests and is thus more accessible for most cyclists, whereas LT typically requires laboratory tests or specialized equipment for accurate measurement.

The study led by Pedro L. Valenzuela from the University of Alcalá, Spain, found that while functional threshold power (FTP) and lactate threshold (LT) were strongly correlated (r = .95) and not significantly different overall in male cyclists, FTP tends to underestimate LT in recreational cyclists compared to trained cyclists, suggesting that FTP’s accuracy as a marker for endurance fitness varies depending on the athlete’s fitness status.

Functional threshold power vs Maximal Lactate Steady State(MLSS) in cycling

Functional threshold power (FTP) and Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS) in cycling both represent a cyclist’s endurance capability, with FTP being a practical, time-efficient estimation of the highest power sustainable for an hour, whereas MLSS is a more precise, laboratory-measured intensity at which lactate production and clearance are balanced, typically requiring longer and more complex testing.

The research led by PhD Erin Calaine Inglis from the University of Calgary, Canada, revealed that the power output at FTP20 is greater than at MLSS, with MLSS representing 88.5% (4.8%) of FTP20, indicating that FTP20 may overestimate a cyclist’s sustainable power compared to MLSS.

What does FTP mean for cycling and training?

The meaning of FTP for cycling and training lies in its role as a critical metric to set training goals and understand one’s fitness level, representing the threshold limit a cyclist can sustain over an hour. It serves as a basis for creating power zone training plans, offering a quantifiable target for performance improvement. However, FTP should not be the only metric considered, as test results can vary due to daily fluctuations in body condition and motivation, and metrics like watts per kg often provide a more accurate and crucial insight for training effectiveness.

Why FTP is important to cyclists?

FTP is important to cyclists because it provides a reliable threshold metric for gauging their power output, essential for structuring training with power and heart rate, creating power zone training plans, and is easily applicable for anyone with a power meter, offering a practical tool for performance analysis and improvement.

FTP Calculation

FTP calculation in cycling commonly involves taking 95% of your average power from a 20-minute test as a standard practice. It’s the most popular FTP calculation for cyclists, the FTP 95% protocol was defined by Hunter Allen, co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter and founder of Peaks Coaching Group.

However, this percentage can vary based on an athlete’s characteristics. Coach Tom Bell (co-founder of High North Performance) notes that for athletes with higher power outputs over short durations (like 2 to 5 minutes), FTP might be closer to 90% of their 20-minute power. Conversely, for athletes who have a smaller difference between their 5-minute and 20-minute maximal powers, 95% is more accurate. Athletes with characteristics between these two extremes might use an intermediate percentage, such as 93%. Individuals without a coach can subjectively assess their strengths and weaknesses to decide which percentage most accurately represents their FTP.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) calculator in cycling

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) calculator in cycling is based on the facts that FTP results vary from one’s best 20 minutes cycling power out, body weight and gender. We use Hunter Allen’s FTP 95% as the protocol to build the FTP calculator, along with watts per kg value categories for cyclists who want to know how good if your FTP.

FTP Cycling Calculator

Your estimated ftp:, your cycling power category:.

For example, a male with 75 Kg body weight, if his best 20-minute cycling power output in Watts is 220 watts, then his estimate FTP is 209.00 watts, the power-to-weight ratio is 2.79 W/Kg, so he falls into Male Cat 5 cycling power category as Fair.

How to calculate FTP cycling?

To calculate FTP in cycling, the most common method is to take 95% of your average power output from a 20-minute FTP test, and for a more comprehensive understanding, factor in body weight and gender to determine watts per kg, which is the actual key metric that matters for cycling training.

FTP watts per kg

The “FTP watts per kg” method is originally developed by Dr. Andrew Coggan, involves dividing a cyclist’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP) by their body weight in kilograms to get a power-to-weight ratio expressed as W/kg. This FTP calculation is crucial for comparing performance across cyclists of different sizes. Dr. Coggan extended this concept to shorter durations like 5 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes, representing a cyclist’s power capabilities for very short and moderately sustained efforts. These variations correlate with different aspects of a cyclist’s profile, from explosive power (5s) to sustainable high-intensity efforts (5min), relating closely to the concept of critical power, which describes the power a cyclist can sustain over longer periods without fatigue.

FTP power category

FTP power category, is a classification system sorted in watts per kg, calculated by body weight and gender, based on Dr. Andrew Coggan’s power-profiling table in the book “Training and Racing with a Power Meter”. The FTP W/Kg categories include Untrained, Fair, Moderate, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Exceptional, and World Class for both men and women, each associated with specific power ranges and racing categories.

Cycling FTP by age chart

FTP (Functional Threshold Power) chart by age for cyclists can be challenging, as FTP varies greatly depending on individual fitness levels, training history, and physiological differences, rather than age alone. However, generally, peak cycling performance is often seen in the age range of late 20s to mid-30s, after which there can be a gradual decline in FTP. Below is a cycling FTP in watts per kilo by age chart.

The special issue led by Cristian Marín-Pagán from the Research Center for High Performance Sport at Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Spain, showed that significant physiological differences exist between the Youth and Junior cycling age groups, with minor changes between Junior and U-23 categories, suggesting that FTP/BW (Functional Threshold Power/Body Weight) differences across age categories can be effective predictors of performance and cycling potential.

Cycling FTP by gender chart

Cycling FTP by gender chart is based on the understanding that men typically have higher absolute FTP values compared to women, but when adjusted for body weight, the watts per kg value offers a more equitable measure, reflecting physiological differences and the direct impact of body weight on power output. Below is the cycling FTP by gender chart.

Cycling FTP by weight chart

Cycling FTP by weight chart reflects how an individual’s body weight affects their Functional Threshold Power (FTP), with the watts per kg ratio being a key determinant of cycling performance. Using the FTP watts per kg data, here’s a table with calculated FTP values for different weights for both men and women.

For example, same male cyclist who is in “Cat 5 Fair” with a 2.43-3.0 W/Kg power-to-weight ratio, the FTP is 157.95 – 195.00 Watts under 65 Kg body weight, but the FTP power goes up as 170.10 – 210.00 watts if his body weight is 70 Kg.

Is your FTP cycling result realistic?

Yes, your FTP cycling result is generally realistic because it estimates the threshold level for cyclists who can make training with power plan more reliable. A study led by PhD Eanna McGrath from School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, found that the FTP test is representative of the uppermost power that highly-trained athletes can maintain in a quasi-steady state for 60 minutes, with satisfactory agreement between repeated 20-minute FTP tests and a 5% reduction in 20-minute FTP data closely aligning with quasi-steady state conditions.

What’s the difference between males and females FTP in cycling?

The difference between males and females FTP in cycling are typically seen in absolute FTP values, with men generally having higher FTP due to physiological factors like muscle mass and hemoglobin levels, but when adjusted for body weight (watts per kg), these differences can become less pronounced, reflecting a more equitable comparison of power output relative to size.

What is a good FTP?

A good FTP varies individually, but generally, a good FTP for male cyclist is 260 Watts, while a good FTP for female cyclist is 200 Watts. In watts per kg value, a good FTP for male cyclists is 3.56-4.13 W/Kg, and a good FTP for female cyclist is 3.07-3.60 W/Kg. A higher FTP or a better watts per kg ratio indicates stronger cycling performance. According to Cycling Analytics Data from 2018, 49% of males have an FTP below 260W and 48.6% fall below 3.4W/kg, while 46% of women have an FTP below 200W, with 47% below 3.2W/kg.

What is the average FTP of a pro cyclist?

The average FTP of a pro cyclist is typically very high, with world-class international male pros ranging from 5.83 to 6.40 W/kg and female pros from 5.17 to 5.69 W/kg, the average male pro cyclists FTP is 387 Watts, the average female pro cyclists FTP is 248 Watts, based on data from Procyclinguk.com.

Specific examples include FTP of Men pro cyclists: Ben Wolfe with an FTP of 490W at 5.7 W/kg, Mathieu van der Poel with 485W at 6.46 W/kg, and Michał Kwiatkowski with 420W at 6.18 W/kg. FTP of women pro cyclist like Kristen Faulkner with an FTP of 323W at 5.21 W/kg, Teniel Campbell with 317W at 5.03 W/kg, and Chloe Dygert with 298W at 4.6 W/kg for women in 2020.

What is a respectable FTP in cycling?

A respectable FTP in cycling can be the “Cat 2-Very Good” cycling power category, which ranges at 4.13-4.70 W/kg for male cyclists, 3.60-4.12 W/kg for female cyclists, based on Dr. Andrew Coggan’s power-profiling table.

How good is my cycling FTP?

How good your cycling FTP is depends on your best 20-minute cycling power output, body weight, and gender. For a male cyclist weighing 70 kg with a best 20-minute power of 220 Watts, his FTP (95% of the 20-minute power) would be approximately 209 Watts. When converted to watts per kg, this is about 2.99 W/kg. According to commonly used categorizations, this places him in the ‘Moderate’ or ‘Cat 4’ category for male cyclists. Use our cycling FTP calculator you will see how good is your cycling FTP.

FTP test is used to determine a cyclist’s Functional Threshold Power, includes several methods: the Ramp test, which gradually increases intensity until exhaustion; the 8-minute and 20-minute tests, where the average power for these durations is adjusted to estimate FTP. The Hunter Allen and Joe Friel Cycling FTP test protocol are the two most popular test method, which can be conducted both indoors and outdoors. Numerous cycling apps, such as Zwift, Garmin, Peloton, Rouvy, Wahoo, and MyWhoosh offer integrated features to conduct an FTP test, making it accessible for cyclists to assess and monitor their fitness levels and training progress.

What is an FTP test?

An FTP test is a cycling workout designed to measure a rider’s Functional Threshold Power which typically through a 20-minute sustained effort, it takes 95% of the average power output during this period adjusted to estimate the highest power a cyclist can maintain for an hour.

Can an FTP test improve performance?

Yes, an FTP test can improve cycling performance because it provides a key metric for creating tailored training plans based on power zones, enabling cyclists to optimize their effort levels and train more effectively with necessary performance information.

Why do my FTP test results change?

Your FTP test results change because FTP can fluctuate due to various factors like your fitness level, fatigue, nutrition , hydration, mental state, and external conditions such as equipment and environment.

How to do an FTP test?

To do an FTP test, you’ll need a bicycle and a power meter. The most popular methods include the Ramp test, the 8-minute, 20-minute(FTP20), 60-minute test(FTP60) and Joe Friel’s single 30-minute time trial test, among which the 20-minute FTP test protocol created by Hunter Allen is the most widely used. For an indoor test, a smart trainer with power meter functionality is necessary, while for an outdoor test, an uphill climb with moderate steepness (3-5%) and minimal stops is ideal to maintain consistent effort throughout the duration of the test.

Procedure: The test begins at a low power output and increases steadily, usually every minute, until you can no longer maintain the required power.
Purpose: This test quickly estimates FTP without the mental and physical strain of longer efforts.
Analysis: FTP is estimated based on the highest power output you can sustain during these short, intense intervals.
8-Minute FTP Test:
Procedure: After a good warm-up, you perform two 8-minute efforts at the highest consistent power you can sustain, with a 10-minute easy pedaling break in between.
Purpose: It’s designed to be less taxing than the 20-minute test while still providing a reliable measure of FTP.
Analysis: Your FTP is calculated as 90% of the average power from these two efforts.
20-Minute FTP Test(FTP20)
Procedure: This test requires a sustained, steady effort for 20 minutes after a proper warm-up.
Purpose: It’s considered a more accurate reflection of your FTP, as it closely mimics the effort you could theoretically maintain for an hour.
Analysis: Your FTP is typically calculated as 95% of your average power output during this 20-minute effort.
60-Minute FTP Test(FTP60)
Procedure: This is a true test of FTP, requiring you to maintain the highest possible power output for a full hour.
Purpose: It’s the most accurate measure of FTP but the most challenging both mentally and physically.
Analysis: Your average power for this hour is your actual FTP, without any need for adjustment.
Joe Friel’s single 30-minute time trial FTP test
Procedure: This FTP test combines both Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) assessment in a single 30-minute time trial test, providing efficient and practical insights for training
Purpose: The protocol is elegant in its simplicity, as it doesn’t require any correction or adjustment for the FTP value.
Analysis: Your average power for this 30 minutes test is your actual FTP, without any need for adjustment.

Cycling FTP test protocol

Cycling FTP test protocol includes both Hunter Allen’s and Joe Friel’s methodologies, each offering different approaches to estimating a cyclist’s Functional Threshold Power. While both FTP test protocols involve intense efforts and use a certain time of power output to estimate FTP, Allen’s method focuses on a 20-minute test, whereas Friel’s varies with combining both FTP and LTHR in a single 30-minute time trail full effort test.

1. Hunter Allen’s FTP Test Protocol (FTP20)

Procedure : After a thorough warm-up, this protocol requires cyclists to ride as hard as they can for 20 minutes. The key is to maintain the highest average power output possible across this duration.
Analysis : FTP is calculated as 95% of the average power output during these 20 minutes, under the assumption that this figure would be sustainable for an hour.

2. Joe Friel’s FTP Test Protocol :

Warm-Up : Begin with a thorough warm-up to prepare your body for the intense effort ahead.
30-Minute Time Trial : Perform a 30-minute time trial on your own, simulating race conditions. It’s crucial that this effort is solo without the influence of training partners or the dynamics of an actual race.
Measuring LTHR : Ten minutes into the time trial, hit the lap button on your heart rate monitor or GPS device. After completing the test, examine the average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of the test. This figure serves as an approximation of your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR).
Determining FTP : Look at the average power output for the entire 30-minute effort. This number approximates your FTP. The protocol is elegant in its simplicity, as it doesn’t require any correction or adjustment for the FTP value.
Efficiency : This method efficiently captures both FTP and LTHR in one test, omitting the initial 10-minute period where heart rate typically climbs more rapidly, and focusing on the more stable last 20 minutes for LTHR assessment.

Both Allen and Friel’s FTP protocols aim to gauge the highest power a cyclist can sustain over a relatively long period, but Allen’s 20-minute test is widely used for its balance between accuracy and practicality, while Friel’s requires measurement of Lactate Threshhold Heart Rate (LTHR) without no correction of the FTP result.

Indoor vs. outdoor cycling ftp test

Indoor and outdoor cycling FTP tests share the same fundamental goal of determining a cyclist’s Functional Threshold Power, but they differ in environmental variables, cycling equipment used , and the influence of external factors. While indoor FTP tests offer precision and repeatability, outdoor tests provide a more realistic assessment of a cyclist’s performance in actual riding conditions.

Indoor FTP Test

Controlled Environment: Offers a controlled setting, free from traffic, weather variations, and road conditions, allowing for a consistent effort.
Equipment: Typically performed on a stationary bike or a smart trainer, which can provide accurate power readings.
Consistency: Easier to replicate conditions for future tests, ensuring more consistent data.

Outdoor FTP Test

Real-World Conditions: Involves variables like wind, terrain, and temperature, which can affect performance.
Equipment: Requires a reliable power meter on your bike like mountain bike or road bike for cycling .
Dynamic: More representative of real-world cycling conditions and skills.

How often should I do an FTP test?

You should do an FTP test every four to six weeks because it allows you to track your progress and adjust your training plan according to improvements in your fitness level. Additionally, it’s advisable to conduct a test after any significant events that affect your training, such as a recovery period from injury, an off-season break, or substantial changes in your training regimen.

How To Get The Best FTP Test Results?

To get the best FTP test results, one should ensure adequate rest prior to the test, perform a thorough warm-up, use a fan for indoor testing or choose a day with favorable weather for outdoor testing, and pay attention to diet including rich-carbohydrates and hydration to maintain optimal energy levels.

Cycling app for FTP test

Cycling apps for FTP tests, such as Zwift, Garmin, Peloton, Rouvy, Wahoo, and MyWhoosh, offer structured protocols and interactive platforms for indoor cycling to help cyclists accurately determine their FTP in an engaging and efficient way.

Zwift FTP Test : Provides a gamified environment with structured FTP test workouts, offering a unique blend of virtual cycling experience and accurate FTP assessment.
Garmin FTP Test : Integrates with Garmin devices to guide cyclists through the FTP test, offering detailed analytics and compatibility with various Garmin cycling computers.
Peloton FTP Test : Available on Peloton bikes, this test is designed to be accessible for users of all levels, featuring guided instructions and real-time performance tracking.
Rouvy FTP Test : Offers a virtual and augmented reality experience, where cyclists can perform FTP tests on simulated real-world routes.
Wahoo FTP Test : Compatible with Wahoo trainers and devices, it provides a straightforward and efficient way to conduct an FTP test with reliable data tracking.
MyWhoosh FTP Test : A newer entrant to the market, MyWhoosh offers an immersive experience for FTP testing, combining interactive features with robust workout analytics.

FTP Training

FTP training is a structured approach in cycling that focuses on improving and utilizing Functional Threshold Power, which is pivotal for determining cycling power zones and tailoring the intensity of workouts. Training with FTP aids in enhancing aerobic capacity, endurance, and the efficient utilization of oxygen, leading to increased FTP and delayed fatigue during prolonged efforts.

In a 2020 review led by PhD Sebastian Sitko from the Department of Physiatry and Nursery at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, concluded that power profiling from recorded training FTP test value and competition data offers an alternative for assessing a cyclist’s fitness level without laboratory tests.

However, it’s important to note the limitations of FTP training, as it primarily reflects sustained power output and might not fully capture a cyclist’s anaerobic capacity or performance in variable intensity scenarios, like short sprints or highly dynamic races. Cyclists who train with power should combine all necessary training metrics like FTP, heart rate zone, lactate threshold and personal fitness level.

Cycling Power Zone

Cycling power zones as a fundamental concept for training with power, is popularized by Dr. Andrew Coggan and essential for optimizing endurance cycling performance. These cycling power zones are based on key physiological markers like lactate threshold (LT), VO2max, and FTP power output levels, offering a more precise approach than traditional HR-based training.

There are six distinct power zones in cycling: Zone 1 (Active Recovery), where intensity is low and recovery is the focus; Zone 2 (Endurance), aimed at improving aerobic capacity; Zone 3 (Tempo/Sweet Spot), a balance between intensity and volume for improved efficiency; Zone 4 (Lactate Threshold), focusing on efforts around the LT to increase the ability to sustain high power; Zone 5 (VO2max), targeting improvements in maximal oxygen uptake; and Zone 6 (Anaerobic Capacity), aimed at enhancing short, high-intensity efforts. These zones provide a structured framework for cyclists to train specific aspects of their performance effectively, below is the cycling power zone chart.

Professor Riggs J Klika from the Department of Kinesiology at University of Indianapolis, USA mentioned in an original research that an 8-minute field test is effective for assessing and prescribing exercise intensity in cycling training with power zones, with participants experiencing a 9.2% increase in maximal steady-state power (MSSP), a 12.9% increase in power at lactate threshold (PTlact), and significant improvements in maximal power (Pmax) and maximal oxygen uptake (O2max), indicating the test’s validity in measuring fitness changes and the efficacy of biweekly power-based training in enhancing overall cycling fitness.

What can you do with your FTP in cycling?

With FTP in cycling, you can determine your training zones based on FTP value, set appropriate heart rate levels and training effort, and create effective power-based training plans, along with other performance-focused strategies.

Determine Training Zones: FTP is used to establish personalized power zones, enabling cyclists to train at intensities tailored to their fitness levels.
Set Heart Rate Levels: FTP helps correlate power output with heart rate zones, providing insights for training sessions where power data might be unavailable.
Training Effort: Understanding your FTP allows for more precise control over the intensity of your workouts, ensuring that you’re training effectively without overexerting.
Power-Based Training Plans: FTP is crucial in designing power-based training programs, focusing on improving endurance, speed, and overall cycling performance.
Performance Analysis and Goals: Regular FTP testing offers valuable data for tracking progress and setting realistic performance goals.

What can you do with your FTP in cycling

How to improve your FTP?

To improve your FTP, focus on enhancing your aerobic energy system with cycling training including increasing endurance, boosting VO2 max, training in the sweet spot, choosing a specific FTP builder plan, regularly testing your FTP every 4-6 weeks to adjust your training plan , emphasizing recovery, and incorporating strength building in your cycling regimen.

Increase Endurance: Gradually extend your ride durations to enhance aerobic endurance, crucial for raising FTP.
Boost VO2 Max: Include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in your routine to improve your maximal oxygen uptake.
Sweet Spot Training: Train just below your FTP for extended durations to improve efficiency and threshold power.
Choose an FTP Builder Plan: Select a structured training plan focused on incrementally improving your FTP.
Regular FTP Testing: Test your FTP every 4-6 weeks to track progress and adjust your training plan accordingly.
Focus on Recovery: Ensure adequate rest and recovery to allow your body to adapt and improve from training stresses.
Strength Building: Incorporate strength training exercises to improve overall cycling power and performance.

What happened to your body when you FTP increases?

When your FTP increases, your body experiences enhanced aerobic efficiency, increased muscular endurance, improved oxygen utilization, a higher lactate threshold, and better overall cycling performance, indicating a more effective and resilient physiological response to cycling efforts, which strengths the healthy benefits of cycling .

What are the limitations of FTP in cycling?

The limitations of FTP in cycling include its inability to accurately reflect real-time power fluctuations and body condition during a ride, as well as its potential divergence from other critical metrics like Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS), VO2max, Critical Power (CP), and Lactate Threshold (LT). While FTP provides a useful benchmark for endurance capacity, it may not fully capture a cyclist’s anaerobic capabilities or short-term power potential, making it less applicable for races with varied intensity or for evaluating sprint performance.

Why cycling beginners shouldn’t test FTP?

Cycling beginners shouldn’t test FTP because they may not yet have the endurance or experience to sustain a maximal effort safely, their power output can be highly variable and less meaningful, and such an intense test could lead to discouragement or undue strain without a solid foundation of basic cycling fitness. Beginners cyclists might get injuries from trying too hard with overestimated FTP result, which leads to knee pain or other risks of cycling .

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FTP in Cycling: Everything You Need to Know

Post author: Roberto Vukovic
Post category: Uncategorised

Since the breakthrough of power meters, the meaning of FTP has grown in importance in determining cycling performance.

However, the whole terminology around “threshold” led to a lot of confusion.

For the concept of “threshold” dozens of terms have been invented and I think even scientists lost the plot along the way. Anaerobic threshold (AT), and maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) are different words for practically the same thing. Though, scientists would raise their fingers that this is scientifically incorrect.

To be honest, who wouldn’t be confused here? But hold on, the concept of FTP isn’t that complex, yet useful in your training plan.

Let’s talk about what FTP is first.

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What is FTP in Cycling?

The term FTP stands for functional threshold power. FTP is used to assess a cyclist’s current fitness level. It is expressed in watts and refers to the highest power you can produce in a quasi-steady state for an hour without getting tired.

Surpass your FTP and fatigue appears much sooner. Remain below your FTP and you can maintain that power much longer.

By calculating your FTP you will be able to figure out your training zones, track your progress, and improve your pacing. The last point will be overly advantageous for time trials or long climbs.

While many cyclists don’t have ready access to lactate testing and some factors can make lactate testing problematic, the FTP concept may still be preferred no matter its critics. And as FTP and AT shouldn’t be used interchangeably, FTP is a reliable concept on its own.

FTP data can be accurately obtained with a simple field test since the best forecaster of performance is performance itself.

Many pro cyclists race very successfully using FTP as the preferred metric. FTP is as relevant for a criterium as it is for an ultra-endurance race. It’s a good overview of what you’re able to tolerate. Because as you know, riding above your FTP fatigue occurs much sooner.

As professional cyclists always look at increasing their functional threshold power, what is a good FTP?

What is a Good FTP?

I often get asked during group rides “What is a good FTP for my age?” But the truth is it depends.

Because we need to define what good means. And how to make data comparable. Otherwise, lighter riders would be underestimated on the flats and heavier riders would be overestimated at climbs.

So, a better display gives the watts per kg equation at FTP. If you’re new to this, watts per kg is your power in watts at FTP divided by your body weight.

Thereby, riders of different weights and strengths become comparable. For example, Jeff has an FTP of 300 watts at 80 kg which equals 3,75 watts per kg. On the other hand, Mark is lightweight and has an FTP of 225 watts at 60 kg which equals 3,75 watts per kg.

By way of illustration, Allen and Coggan have a thoughtful power chart in their book Training and Racing with a Power Meter. In that chart, 3.75 watts per kg at FTP is assumed “good” compared to world-class performance. Many pro cyclists can produce 400 watts at FTP or over 5.5 w/kg. Reigning Paris Roubaix Champion Dylan Van Baarle even has an FTP of 440 watts.

In women cycling 3.45 watts per kg at FTP is assumed “good” compared to world-class. For example, a woman would need a 207-watt FTP at 60 kg body weight to achieve that.

Looking at what a good FTP for a beginner is, the chart states 2 watts per kg at FTP solid for a man novice and around 1.7 watts per kg for a woman novice rider. However, this is just the average FTP data to guide you.

Why FTP is important seems obvious now, but how do we test FTP and check it regularly? Let’s talk about that now.

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How to Test Your FTP

You can estimate your functional threshold power by doing a 20-minute FTP test. Treat the test like a race.

Go out on the road or use your indoor trainer and do the FTP test on Zwift , for example. If you ride outside use the same stretch of road or the same climb for your test to make it comparable.

Here’s the whole test protocol:

Warm up for 20-30 minutes
Do a 5-minute all-out effort (you can shorten it, or skip it)
Ride easy for 10 minutes, around 50% of FTP
20 min FTP test, all-out time trial effort
Ride easy for 10-15 minutes or more

After the test, upload your training data to your preferred software. I use Training Peaks and I highly recommend it. Look at the average power of your 20-minute test. Take the average power and multiply it by 0.95 to get your FTP. This is great for well-trained cyclists. Less trained riders may subtract even 8%. So, look at your ability.

Congratulations you calculated your FTP score.

The 20-minute FTP test is all about practice. The more you complete over time the better you get at pacing yourself and sustaining the effort. It’s a great way to test your fitness level and adjust. And with these adjustments derive your correct training zones.

How to Calculate Training Zones with FTP

The FTP concept is successful because it’s simple, flexible, and practical. Every cyclist can do it. You just need a power meter and you’re ready to go. So, with the knowledge of your functional threshold power, you can define your training zones to tailor your training toward your abilities:

Active Recovery: <50% of FTP
Endurance : 50-75% of FTP
Tempo : 76-87% of FTP
Threshold Power: 95-105% of FTP
VO2max Power: 106-120% of FTP
Anaerobic Capacity (Micro Bursts): 121-150% of FTP
Neuromuscular Power: Maximal Effort, All-out sprint

Hopefully, you can comprehend now what FTP means in cycling. So, go out and do the FTP test. Consequently, a correct FTP will give you the correct training zones. And with the right training zones, you can work on becoming a faster cyclist.

Wanna know how to increase your FTP? Then read the next article .

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The Book Training and Racing with a Power Meter contains a good FTP chart
Functional Threshold Power in Cyclists: Validity of the Concept and Physiological Responses
Is the Functional Threshold Power a Valid Surrogate of the Lactate Threshold?
Comparison of a Field-Based Test to Estimate Functional Threshold Power and Power Output at Lactate Threshold
The Reliability of 4-Minute and 20-Minute Time Trials and Their Relationships to Functional Threshold Power in Trained Cyclists

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What is FTP & Why Is It Important: An Essential Guide for Cyclists

Last updated on July 19, 2023

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is a crucial metric for cyclists striving to improve their performance. As a cyclist, understanding your FTP can give you insight into your current fitness level and help you tailor your training to reach new milestones. FTP represents the highest average power, measured in watts, that you can sustain for approximately an hour.

By determining your FTP, you can set realistic goals, track your progress, and adjust your workouts to optimize your performance on the bike. This metric is essential since it reflects your aerobic fitness and is uniquely individual. When you have a clear grasp of your FTP, it allows you to train more effectively and efficiently, leading to improved results over time.

To measure and enhance your FTP, it’s essential to undergo regular testing and structured training. Testing can be done through various methods, including time trials and structured workouts. By consistently monitoring and adjusting based on your FTP, you’ll be able to unlock your highest potential as a cyclist and ensure that your training is moving you in the right direction.

What Is FTP In Cycling:

Functional threshold power (ftp) definition.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is a crucial metric in cycling, representing the highest average power, measured in watts, you can sustain for approximately an hour. It serves as a measure of your cycling fitness and ability to maintain a high but manageable power output for a somewhat lengthy duration. From a physiological perspective, it’s the cycling power you produce when your lactate production has risen, leveled off, and then closely matches your body’s ability to remove lactate. [Source: TrainerRoad ]

Understanding your FTP is essential for cyclists, as it provides a benchmark to track your progress and design targeted workouts. By knowing your FTP, you can tailor your training to develop your strengths and weaknesses, and it helps you gauge your efforts during rides, making it an invaluable tool for pacing long climbs or time trials. [Source: Bikeradar ]

FTP also allows you to compare your power output with other cyclists, giving you an idea of how you stack up against your peers or competitors. It’s important to note that FTP is not a fixed value, and with consistent and well-structured training, you can improve it, leading to better performance on the bike.

Remember to retest your FTP periodically, as it can change over time due to factors like training, fatigue, or even the time of year. Regular testing ensures that you’re working with an accurate value, and your training plans can be adjusted accordingly to maximize your potential.

Determining FTP

When starting your journey to improving cycling performance, it’s essential to understand your FTP, or Functional Threshold Power. This is the average power you can sustain for an hour, measured in watts. [Source: Cycling Weekly ] The most common ways of determining your FTP include the 20-Minute Test, the Ramp Test, and other methods. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

20-Minute Test

The 20-Minute Test is a popular method to estimate your FTP. To perform this test, you’ll need a power meter and a location where you can ride for at least 20 minutes without interruption. Begin by warming up for 10 minutes, then perform an all-out 20-minute effort. Your estimated FTP will be approximately 95% of your average power during this effort.

Keep in mind that you should be properly equipped with a turbo trainer or a smart trainer to accurately measure your power output. It’s crucial to pace yourself appropriately during the test; starting too hard may lead to a significant decrease in performance in the latter half of the 20 minutes.

The Ramp Test is another method for determining your FTP and is considered by some to be more accurate than the 20-Minute Test. This test involves gradually increasing your power output every minute. [Source: EVOQ ] Start your warm-up for 10 minutes, then begin the test. The test ends when you can no longer sustain the required power, usually around 20-25 minutes.

During the Ramp Test, you’ll also work with programs like Zwift or TrainerRoad , which offer Ramp Test protocols for determining your FTP. These platforms will assist you in staying consistent with your power increases and calculate your FTP at the end of the test.

Other Methods

Apart from the 20-Minute and Ramp Tests, there are other methods to estimate your FTP as well. Some cyclists might opt for a longer, more endurance-based test, such as completing a one-hour time trial or using their average power from a recent race. Alternatively, you can establish your lactate threshold heart rate and use that as a proxy for your FTP.

Remember that your FTP may vary throughout the season and can improve with consistent training and experience. Regardless of which method you choose, it’s essential to retest your FTP periodically to ensure accurate training intensities and track your progress.

Training Zones

When it comes to cycling, understanding your training zones is crucial for improving your performance. In this section, we will cover the different training zones and how they affect your cycling performance.

Zone 1 – Active Recovery

This is the lowest intensity zone, focusing on active recovery. In Zone 1, you develop your body’s ability to use fat as fuel and enhance your aerobic capacity. It allows your muscles to recover while still maintaining a light level of activity. This zone is best utilized during warm-ups, cool-downs, and on days when you need a break from rigorous training.

Zone 2 – Aerobic

Zone 2 is where you build your aerobic base. By training in this zone, you improve your body’s cardiovascular system and increase the capacity to transport oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. In Zone 2, you should be able to maintain a conversation while cycling, making it ideal for long, steady rides and endurance-focused workouts.

Zone 3 – Tempo

In the Tempo zone, you ride at a moderate pace that starts to challenge your aerobic system. This zone helps to increase your body’s lactate threshold, enabling you to maintain higher intensities for longer periods of time. Tempo rides should be challenging but still sustainable, making it a useful zone for medium-length rides or targeted interval training.

Zone 4 – Lactate Threshold

Zone 4 is where you push your body to its lactate threshold, the point at which the production of lactate begins to outpace the rate at which your body can clear it. By training in this zone, you increase your ability to ride at higher intensities without fatiguing. It is crucial for time trials and sustained efforts during races. Interval sessions with targeted time at Zone 4 are common for lactate threshold training.

Zone 5 – VO2 Max

This high-intensity zone targets your body’s oxygen consumption, specifically its maximal oxygen uptake ( VO2 max ). Training at this level improves your body’s ability to absorb and utilize oxygen during intense efforts, leading to increased power output and speed. Short bursts of high-intensity intervals, followed by recovery, characterize training in this zone.

Zone 6 – Anaerobic Capacity

The Anaerobic Capacity zone focuses on the energy systems that generate power without the use of oxygen. Training in this zone increases your ability to produce short bursts of high-intensity efforts, essential for sprinting and attacking during races. Exercises in this zone typically involve short, all-out efforts with ample recovery time between intervals.

Zone 7 – Neuromuscular Power

This final zone targets the development of your neuromuscular power. By training in this zone, you enhance the connection between your nervous system and the muscles required for powerful, explosive efforts. Exercises typically consist of very short, maximal efforts like sprints or jumps, with plenty of recovery time between sets.

FTP and Training

Training plans.

A well-designed training plan is essential for improving your cycling performance, specifically in relation to your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). Your FTP is basically the highest average power you can sustain for approximately an hour, measured in watts. By following a structured plan, you can work on increasing your FTP consistently over time.

Structured Workouts

Structured workouts are the backbone of effective training. They involve a variety of intervals , endurance rides, and intensity levels tailored to your specific cycling goals. These workouts target different energy systems, such as the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

In order to make the most of your training sessions, consider incorporating:

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) to engage your anaerobic energy system
Steady-state rides targeting your aerobic energy system
Tempo rides and threshold intervals to build endurance and fatigue resistance

Intensity and Duration

The key to a successful training plan is balancing intensity and duration. You can’t expect to ride at your highest intensity for an extended period without experiencing fatigue. It’s crucial to intelligently vary the intensity of your workouts, enabling your body to recover, adapt, and ultimately become stronger.

When considering workout intensity, remember:

High-intensity workouts should be shorter in duration and followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise
Lower-intensity training sessions can be longer and more frequent
Mix up workout intensity throughout your training schedule to promote optimal performance improvements

By focusing on your FTP and structuring your training accordingly, you’ll be on your way to becoming a stronger, faster, and more resilient cyclist. Remember to listen to your body, remain consistent, and enjoy the journey towards improved cycling performance.

Tools and Apps

When it comes to FTP cycling, there are a variety of tools and apps you can use to help improve your performance and reach your goals. In this section, we’ll discuss Power Meters, Training Apps, and Heart Rate Monitors.

Power Meters

A power meter is an essential tool for accurately measuring your FTP. It measures the force you put on the pedals and calculates your actual power output in watts. Nowadays, you can find a wide range of power meters available, including crank-based, pedal-based, and hub-based meters. When choosing a power meter, consider factors such as accuracy, ease of installation, and compatibility with your bike.

Training Apps

Training apps play an important role in helping you monitor and improve your FTP. Some popular apps that integrate with power meters include:

Zwift : This virtual training app enhances your indoor cycling experience by providing structured workouts and simulated races in a virtual world. With Zwift, you can connect to both your power meter and heart rate monitor for a more immersive and engaging training session.

TrainerRoad : Focused on improving your fitness, TrainerRoad offers customized training plans and structured workouts tailored to your goals and your current FTP. The app also helps you track your progress over time, providing insights and analytics to guide your training.

Strava : Known for its social features and segments, Strava also offers in-depth analysis of your cycling data, including estimates of your FTP. By connecting your power meter and heart rate monitor, you can better understand your performance and compare it with other cyclists in the community.

TrainingPeaks : This comprehensive training platform provides detailed workout analysis, performance metrics, and customizable training plans. With TrainingPeaks, you can plan your season, track your progress, and analyze your key performance indicators, including your FTP.

Heart Rate Monitors

While power meters provide a direct and accurate measure of your FTP, heart rate monitors offer an additional metric to help you understand your performance during a workout or race. Your heart rate can provide insights into your exertion levels and help you fine-tune your training to target specific zones. Modern heart rate monitors typically come in the form of chest straps or wrist-based devices.

By combining the use of power meters, training apps, and heart rate monitors, you can better understand and track your FTP, tailoring your workouts and training plans to help you achieve your cycling goals.

Power-to-Weight Ratio

Importance for cyclists.

As a cyclist, your power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) plays a vital role in determining your performance, particularly on climbs. This ratio is a measure of the watts of cycling power you produce per kilogram of body weight and provides a basis for comparing your abilities with other riders. A higher power-to-weight ratio means that you can generate more power relative to your weight, allowing you to efficiently tackle steep ascents and maintain higher speeds on flat terrain. It’s essential for both professional and amateur cyclists to focus on improving this ratio to boost their overall cycling performance.

Calculating Your Ratio

In order to calculate your power-to-weight ratio, you need two essential pieces of information: your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and your body weight. Your FTP represents the steady pace you can maintain for an extended period of time, typically an hour, and is measured in watts. You can determine your FTP by conducting an FTP test or using reliable cycling software that tracks and analyzes your training data.

Once you have your FTP and body weight, you can calculate your power-to-weight ratio using this simple formula:

Power-to-Weight Ratio (W/kg) = FTP (in watts) / Body Weight (in kilograms)

For example, if your FTP is 250 watts and you weigh 75 kg, your power-to-weight ratio would be 3.33 W/kg.

When evaluating your ratio, keep in mind that higher numbers generally correspond with faster riders and greater overall performance. Furthermore, consider that your ratio may vary based on factors such as fatigue, training periods, and weight fluctuations. Tracking your power-to-weight ratio over time can be instrumental in guiding your training progress and helping you stay motivated in your quest for improved cycling performance.

Performance Metrics

In the world of cycling, understanding your performance metrics is crucial for improving your skills and abilities. One of the most crucial metrics you’ll encounter is FTP (Functional Threshold Power), which refers to the average power, measured in watts, that you can sustain for an hour. Let’s dive deeper into two important sub-metrics that can help you better understand and utilize your FTP: Training Stress Score (TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF) .

Training Stress Score

Training Stress Score (TSS) is a useful metric that provides insight into the overall intensity of your training session. By quantifying the total workload, it considers both the duration and intensity of your ride. Calculating TSS takes into account your normalized power, the intensity factor, and the ride duration.

Understanding your TSS can offer valuable insights into your overall training status and help you make informed decisions about when to push harder or ease off. For example, if your TSS consistently remains low, you may not be improving your FTP effectively, indicating a need to increase the intensity or duration of your training rides.

Intensity Factor

Intensity Factor (IF) is a measurement of how tough a particular ride was in comparison to your FTP. Essentially, it represents the ratio between your normalized power for a ride and your FTP. An IF of 1.0 means that you maintained an effort equal to your FTP throughout the entire ride, while an IF lower than 1.0 indicates that your pace was less demanding.

Monitoring your IF can help you choose the right training sessions for your level of fitness and your goals. For example, if you’re looking to increase your FTP, you’ll want to ensure that your rides are consistently challenging enough to stimulate improvement.

By understanding and using these key metrics of FTP, Training Stress Score, and Intensity Factor, you can effectively monitor your progress and adjust your training to reach your full potential as a cyclist.

Monitoring and Adjusting

Reassessing ftp.

As a cyclist, it’s crucial to regularly reassess your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) to ensure you’re training effectively. This metric gauges the power you can maintain for an hour, measured in watts, [Source: Cycling Weekly ] and naturally, it fluctuates with fitness level changes.

A key aspect of this reassessment is to consider factors affecting performance, such as age, fitness, and lactate production. To get an accurate reading, use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) alongside a power meter. By doing this, you can synchronize your subjective feeling of effort with objective data.

Reassessing your FTP monthly or bimonthly is a reasonable frequency when constantly training. This way, you can update your training zones, set clear goals, and monitor your progress effectively.

Adapting Training Based on Results

Once you’ve reassessed your FTP, use your newfound data to adapt and fine-tune your training. As an athlete, your primary goals should be to improve performance and minimize risk of overtraining or injury.

Training Zones: Update your training zones based on your new FTP, ensuring accurate workout intensities.
Age and Fitness Level: Adapt your training plan to accommodate your age, fitness level, and available training time.
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE): Use RPE alongside your power data to ensure you’re pushing yourself adequately without risking over-exertion.
Lactate Production Tolerance: Incorporate workouts that increase your lactate threshold, allowing you to ride harder for longer.

Paying close attention to these variables allows you to efficiently tailor your training program. Proper monitoring and adjusting will keep you on the right path to achieving your cycling goals.

Pro Cyclist FTP Comparisons

When discussing FTP in cycling, it’s helpful to look at some examples of professional cyclists and their FTP numbers. FTP, or Functional Threshold Power, is the maximum power a cyclist can sustain for an hour’s ride, which is used to set training zones and gauge riding efforts. [Source: Procycling UK ] For instance, Bradley Wiggins, a former pro cyclist, had an FTP of around 450 watts during his peak years. [Source: Cycling Weekly ] In comparison, an average non-professional cyclist’s FTP would likely be around 200-300 watts. [Source: Cycling Analytics ]

It’s essential to remember that pro cyclists have spent years perfecting their cycling skills and endurance, which directly impacts their FTP. Therefore, comparing your FTP to theirs should be approached with caution, as the differences in training and physical capabilities are vast.

Individualized Strengths

While comparing FTP numbers between cyclists can give some context, it’s crucial to consider individual strengths. Every rider has unique abilities that can impact their FTP, and a high FTP does not automatically translate to success in all aspects of cycling. [Source: TrainerRoad ]

For example, a rider with an excellent FTP might be able to maintain a high average power output on flat and rolling terrain. However, this same rider might perform poorly in a sprint or struggle with repeatability. In contrast, someone else might have a lower FTP but excel in sprinting or climbing steep hills.

In conclusion, FTP is a valuable metric for understanding your capabilities in cycling, but it’s essential to consider other factors and your strengths when assessing your performance. Comparing your FTP to that of a pro cyclist can be informative and motivating, but remember that they have achieved their numbers through years of dedicated training. So, focus on improving your FTP over time while also developing your unique skills within the sport.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i calculate my ftp in cycling.

To calculate your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) in cycling, you need to perform an FTP test. The simplest way to do it is to warm up and then ride as hard as possible for 20 minutes, then multiply your average watts by 0.95. This will give you an estimated FTP value, which is the highest average power you can sustain for approximately one hour.

Is an FTP of 250 considered good?

An FTP of 250 watts can be considered good or average, depending on factors such as age, gender, and experience level. Comparing your FTP to group averages can give you a better idea of where you stand. However, focusing on improving your own FTP and setting personal goals is more important than comparing with others.

How long can you cycle at FTP?

You can cycle at your FTP level for approximately one hour. It represents your maximum sustainable power output during that time. Keep in mind that fatigue and conditions might affect your performance, so monitor your body’s signals and don’t push beyond your limits.

What is the FTP for 20 minutes of cycling?

To find the FTP for 20 minutes of cycling, you’ll need to perform a 20-minute test. After warming up, ride as hard as you can for 20 minutes and record your average power. Multiply that number by 0.95 to estimate your one-hour FTP.

How to measure FTP in cycling?

You can measure your FTP in cycling by performing an FTP test or using a cycling computer with a power meter. The most common method is the 20-minute test mentioned earlier. Another option is using cycling apps like Zwift or TrainerRoad, which can guide you through FTP testing and automatically calculate your FTP based on your performance.

What are the average FTP values by age and gender?

Average FTP values vary by age and gender. Though specific numbers differ, generally, younger cyclists and males tend to have higher FTP values than older cyclists and females. Keep in mind that these are just general trends, and your FTP can be improved through consistent training and targeted workouts.

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The FTP Test - How to Measure and Improve Cycling Performance

An FTP test is a way to determine your current performance level on the bike. There are different methods to test your FTP (Functional Threshold Power), and some are better than others in terms of providing actionable data to help you improve.

In this article, I’ll talk about what an FTP test is and is not, and show you how to properly test your FTP and use it to improve your cycling performance.

Beginners and advanced athletes alike will benefit from better understanding and applying this knowledge about FTP.

Knowing your FTP and how to properly use it will enable you to:

set better goals,

accurately plan your training,

check your progress, and

adjust your training and racing strategies to meet your goals.

This applies to ANY cycling event, from sprint triathlons, Ironman races, your local crit race, to top world tour cycling stage races.

What is FTP?

FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power and is a standard used by many cyclists to measure and track their performance. It is generally considered to be the average power a cyclist can sustain during a one-hour steady state best effort (as hard as possible) time trial.

More scientifically, this hour duration effort is regarded as a good physiological marker for an athlete’s maximal lactate steady state (MLSS), or where the rate of lactate production in the blood is equal to the rate of lactate clearance.

The MLSS is important to know. Lactate is produced by the anaerobic system and used as a fuel source by the aerobic system. However, when an athlete performs at an effort level that is above the MLSS, the athlete will accumulate lactate in the body, and this accumulation of lactate is what rapidly causes the athlete to slow down.

An athlete can perform for long periods of time (hours) at just below the MLSS, but only for short periods of time (minutes) above the MLSS. If you know at what power your MLSS occurs, you can determine the maximum average power output you might be able to cycle for a given duration, such as during a race.

You should also know your current FTP to help determine how effectively you are training. Performing periodic FTP tests on the bike will tell you whether your recent training has been successful.

If you perform the right test, you can also determine how your FTP is “composed,” which will give additional insights on HOW TO train for your goals. I give more information on this in the section below on the lab and INSCYD tests.

What Gear Do I Need to Test My FTP?

Besides a bicycle, a cycling power meter is the most crucial piece of gear you will need to perform an FTP test and train using power. A power meter measures how fast and hard you pedal, and reports the value in watts.

There are many different power meter options that work well. Consider how you will use power in your training and racing, and this will help you determine which type of power meter to get. Here are some considerations that assume you want to use power on most or all of your riding, including racing:

Indoor + outdoor training - if you often train on an indoor cycling trainer, then it will be good to have a power meter that works with your indoor trainer. This power meter can be on your bike if it is compatible with your trainer, or it can be on the trainer itself , in the case of a smart trainer.

Multiple bikes - if you have multiple bikes and want to use power on all of them, then your best option will be to get power meter pedals that you can easily switch between bikes, or purchase a power meter for each bike. If you choose the second option, then you should also be sure the multiple power readings are reproducible. That is, be sure the power meters are accurate enough to give similar power numbers.

On-bike power + indoor trainer power - if you have a power meter on your bike and a power meter on your indoor trainer, make sure that they provide reproducible power numbers so you can be confident that your power readings are similar between the two, indoors and outdoors.

Another piece of gear that is useful is a chest heart rate monitor . If used correctly, heart rate in conjunction with power can guide your training better than just power.

Which FTP Test is Best?

There are several different FTP tests, and each one has its benefits and drawbacks. The best test for you depends on how you will use the results.

1. 5 Minute Plus 20-Minute “Standard” FTP Test

Perform two intervals all-out: one interval for 5 minutes, and one interval for 20 minutes. The five-minute interval should be done hard. Don’t slack. Estimate your FTP by taking 95% of the average power for the 20-minute interval.

Benefits : Relatively straightforward test (but not easy!) that you can repeat as training progresses.

Drawbacks : Can be hard to correctly pace the intervals. You need to start hard and stay hard without dropping power too much at any point, or the FTP estimate will not be accurate.

2. FTP Ramp Test

Start at an easy level, and in increments (usually 1-3 minutes), increase power output by a little bit until you can’t increase anymore . Estimate your FTP by taking a percentage (usually 75%) of the average power of the last minute of the ramp.

Benefits : Simple to pace and perform (but still a hard effort!) and often gives more accurate results than the 20-minute test.

Drawbacks : The ramp intervals need to be well-designed for your particular cycling style and physiology, or the results will not be relevant. The results also need to be analyzed by a person who can accurately identify the threshold.

3. The One Hour FTP Test

Another simple but not easy one. Ride as hard as you can for 1 hour. Estimate your FTP by taking the average power for the entire hour.

Benefits : If you like pain, then this test is for you. If you’re sufficiently motivated and you are able to give a hard-paced effort, such as during a 1-hour time trial race, then this test is very accurate because it is the definition of FTP.

Drawbacks : The one-hour FTP test can be very difficult to correctly perform. That’s because it is an entire hour of riding absolutely as hard as you can. Think vomit-inducing levels of pain. The pacing is also hard to get right. You have to start hard and keep it up the entire time without dropping power.

This test is also more difficult to periodically repeat than other tests when you want to check your training progress. It is a very hard workout and so will require some extended recovery.

4. Lab Tests - VO2max and Lactate

This test requires laboratory equipment and other people present who know how to use the equipment and perform the test. Equipment may include a gas exchange analyzer and a blood lactate analyzer, which can provide very accurate results. You perform a test (often a ramp test) while wearing a mask that measures your respiration rate and analyzes the air you inhale and exhale before and during the test.

Another person in the room will also take blood samples at defined intervals and place them in a lactate analyzer device to determine the amount of lactate that is accumulating in your blood. Your VO2max and lactate values will be used together to accurately determine your current FTP.

Benefits : Very accurate if done right. The biggest benefit here is that this test breaks down how your different metabolic systems are contributing to (or hindering!) your FTP. It also helps inform you HOW TO train, not just how you have been training.

Drawbacks : Can be expensive, you have to go to a test facility and so it’s harder to periodically repeat throughout the season and requires other people to help administer the test.

Also, although the test can be very accurate and extremely useful, cyclists need to know how to use the results to properly analyze and adjust their cycling training.

5. INSCYD Test

This is a relative newcomer test, and a very exciting one indeed! It provides the convenience of the at-home FTP field tests with the insights of the laboratory tests. It is essentially a virtual lab test .

The scientists and coaches at INSCYD have extensive research data that they used to create a software program that accurately correlates different VO2max and lactate values to power values.

The test protocol is flexible, but usually, you perform four efforts on the bike: 12 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, and then 12 minutes all as hard as possible. The average power from each of these efforts is put into the software, and the program gives your unique cycling physiology, including the relative strengths of your aerobic and anaerobic systems.

From this information, you can accurately determine not only how you have been training, but also how you should train in the future. None of the other field tests can provide this information, only the laboratory test.

Benefits : Easy to perform at home or in the field, as accurate as lab tests, and gives the most actionable data of any test. This combination makes it probably the best suited FTP test for athletes who want to maximize the effectiveness of their available training time.

Drawbacks : Costs some money and requires a knowledgeable individual to analyze the data in order to prescribe the right course of action for optimal cycling improvement.

Full disclosure: We offer INSCYD tests at Paragon Training as an option for our athletes to better understand their physiology and create effective training plans .

The bottom line recommendation is to choose a test that works for you and stick with it for your entire season. This will remove the potential variability of different types of tests so you can more accurately track your progress throughout a season.

How Often Should I Test My FTP?

You should test your FTP at a minimum before starting a new training season. This will help you determine your initial training zones so you can perform at the right intensities for your workout and training plan goals.

However, as you train, your FTP will change (hopefully go up!). You will want to monitor your progress as the season goes along. Therefore, it is ideal to re-test your FTP after performing a substantial block of training, such as an 8-week base aerobic block or a 6-week hard build block.

Frequent re-testing (every 6-8 weeks) will help you determine if you are improving, and it might help you determine how you need to change your plan to keep improving.

Here is the basic training paradigm for using FTP tests to achieve athletic success:

Test - Accurately perform the test

Analyze - Interpret your test data

Plan - Prescribe training according to the test data

Execute - Do the training as prescribed

Re-Test - Retest your progress

Re-Analyze - Analyze your progress

Modify - Change your training according to the new data

How Do I Set My Training Zones Using My FTP?

After you perform an FTP test, you will want to use the results to train. To do this, you will first set your training zones using the results of the FTP test. There are several ways of going about this. The simplest and most common (but not always best) way is to assign a range of percentages of your FTP to correspond to different desired physiological adaptations. Here is an example of a typical set of FTP-based training zones and their target physiological adaptations:

Zone 1 - 45-60% of FTP - Recover from harder training

Zone 2 - 60-75% of FTP - Improve basic aerobic system

Zone 3 - 75-85% of FTP - Improve both aerobic system and ability to hold power near FTP for a sustained duration

Zone 4 - 85-95% of FTP - Increase duration of power just below or right at FTP

Zone 5 - 95-105% of FTP - Boost VO2max, which will boost FTP

Zone 6 - 105-120+% of FTP - Increase anaerobic system, which enables the ability to execute short-duration intense efforts

When you accurately know these zones, then you can train more accurately to improve specific metabolic systems, which will, in turn, lead to better performance in your goal events.

However, this approach is generic, and may not be appropriate for your unique physiology. For instance, your Zone 2 may not be in the generic Zone 2 range of 60-75% of FTP.

How Does My FTP Compare to Others?

If you’re the competitive sort, then you’ll want to know how your FTP compares to others. This can be useful to see how you might perform in events compared to others, but there are other factors to take into account.

How fast you actually go in a cycling event is based on many variables. The biggest factors are your aerodynamics and weight. You want to be generally more aerodynamic and lighter. But you have to balance that with comfort and the ability to sustain a given power output.

If you’re too hunched over in an attempt to improve your aerodynamics, you might not be able to utilize your muscles as efficiently to produce power. Also, if you’re too light, it might mean that you don’t have enough muscle mass to produce optimal power.

The metric that most cyclists use to compare their FTP to each other is their power to weight ratio, usually expressed in units of Watts of power output on the bike per kilogram of body weight, or W/kg at FTP.

You can improve your W/kg at FTP by either increasing your FTP or decreasing your body weight, or both. Knowing your FTP and body composition, and how they relate to other cyclists, can help you determine how you might benefit from altering your body composition.

You might find that your W/kg would most benefit from losing weight through body fat. Conversely, you might find you would most benefit from increasing muscle mass, which could increase your body weight but would overall increase your W/kg. The increased muscle mass could significantly increase your ability to produce power.

How Do I Best Increase my FTP?

The best way to increase your FTP is to determine how your two main metabolic systems (aerobic and anaerobic) contribute to your FTP, and then train those metabolic systems appropriately based on your goals.

The strength of your aerobic and anaerobic systems and their relative contributions to your FTP can be determined with a lab test or the INSCYD virtual lab test.

For example, let’s say you want to train for an Ironman triathlon. After performing an INSCYD test, you discover that your anaerobic system is contributing a disproportionately large percentage to your FTP (this is surprisingly more common than you might think). Since you’re training for a 4-7+ hour cycling event, it is less desirable to have a strong anaerobic contribution to your FTP.

You can only utilize your anaerobic system for relatively short durations—not for many hours—so you want to increase your aerobic system’s contribution to your FTP and decrease the anaerobic contribution. This will enable you to cycle for a much longer duration at a power output near your FTP.

Additionally, you’ll want to train to increase your aerobic system’s ability to produce power and thus increase your overall FTP. This can be accomplished with different types of training.

An example of this type of training would be to perform weekly repeated intervals at low cadence 50-60 rpm (pedal revolutions per minute) at a power output just below your FTP in a typical “Zone 3-4” power zone.

Having the physiological insights of an FTP test, or one of the more advanced lab FTP tests or an INSCYD test can be very powerful to help you as a cyclist to improve as much as possible with the time you have available.

Your task is only beginning after you perform the test. You then need to determine how to train in order to optimize your FTP for your particular goals and monitor and adjust your training to ensure you stay on track.

Training Plans
Training Tips

Three Steps to Training Your Metabolism

How to Set Your Training Zones Correctly

Tour de France

What pro cyclists pack for the tour de france, these are the essentials i brought with me for the nine times i raced the tour, plus what other pros can’t live without..

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Picture this for a moment: you’re a pro cyclist who just got off the phone with the general manager or head director of your team and you have been informed that you are one of the riders selected to race the Tour de France !

You feel on top of the world. It is a moment of excitement and pride as participating in the Tour de France is a dream for every professional cyclist. You spend the next few hours calling or texting family and close friends to inform them of the big news.

After the initial excitement wears off, the reality that you will be on the road for close to four weeks racing one of the most physically and mentally grueling events in the world hits hard. You suddenly become much more careful with everything you do in order not to have something pop up at the last minute that could negatively affect you arriving at the Tour in your best possible shape.

No jumping on the trampoline or playing on the swing set with the kids, and the pool is off limits. Even something as benign as picking up your kids to put them in the car seat is done with a different degree of caution.

Of course, there is a bit more training to do in the week or so before the Tour starts, but as soon as the intervals are over, it is time to get off your feet and relax as much as possible. “If you are standing you should be sitting and if you are sitting, you should be laying down,” right?

Tapering into the Tour and the anticipation of what is around the corner leads to an access of nervous energy which people deal with in different ways. You have hit your peak condition, the numbers in training are great, the weight is where it needs to be, and your confidence levels are sky high. You are as ready as you can be, but being able to quiet the mind is more difficult than it sounds.

Knowing very well that our food choices would be very controlled during the Tour, I would allow myself a final cheat meal. Back then there were two Mexican restaurants in Nice, France where I was based, but Texas City that was my go-to. Perhaps it wasn’t the most authentic Mexican cuisine, but some chips and salsa, fajitas, and a beer or two was just enough to relax and feel normal for one last time before setting off on the Tour adventure.

But before you can start the Tour, you must pack

Packing for the Tour was a big ordeal for me. Back when I was racing, we were allowed to bring one suitcase and then a dead bag with some extra stuff that would be stored in the bus. With limited space you had to be very organized and bring what you needed to be as comfortable as possible under all conditions while touring around France in July.

This may come as a shock to the casual cycling fan, but riders in the Tour are not staying at the fanciest resorts. The hotels in France are very average at best. There are times that you will stay at an amazing Chateau with big rooms with comfortable beds, but often, you stay in hotels where you can barely open your suitcase at the same time as your roommate and still have a clear path to the bathroom.

I know that things have changed a lot since I was racing and teams are much more focused on those marginal gains that help the riders relax and recover much better, but this is what I used to somehow fit into my suitcase/dead bag for the Tour de France.

Nutritional products : Mix, gels, bars, powder since I often wasn’t a big fan of the products that my teams were sponsored by.
Casual clothes : Track suit, t-shirts, shorts, underwear, and socks.
2x cycling kits : Wash is done nightly, so no need for more than 2 of these as you had plenty of spares stashed in 2-3 rain bags in the back of race cars and bus.
Small fan : For those nights when the hotel didn’t have AC in the rooms.
Small blender : For my recovery shakes both after the race and before bed
Extension cord with multiple outlets : This is a must to charge all your gadgets and be able to position the fan where you need it at night.
Toiletry kit : Try not to forget this in the hotel each night!
Eye shades, earplugs, melatonin : Probably the most important thing as your roommate is not always on the same sleep schedule.
Books : Normally Tom Clancy novels or some other easy reading before bed.
Journal : This was good to reflect on the day’s events and relax prior to sleep.
Computer : Good way to stay in contact with friends and family outside of the bubble.
Phone : Very limited social media back in my day, but crucial to check in with family.
Swiss Ball : Ok, it didn’t fit in my suitcase and soigneurs hated lugging it around from hotel to hotel, but I used it for stretching, core work, and pre-ride activation exercises.

I was curious about what personal things riders bring/brought with them during the Tour de France and these are their responses:

Stuart O’Grady (retired, raced 17 Tours) : Hair clippers, favorite pair of Oakleys, and a jar of Vegemite
Michael Mathews (has raced 7 Tours) : Coffee maker and iPad
Silvan Dillier (has raced 4 Tours) : A light blanket made of camel hair as it’s perfect thermal regulation for hot summer nights
Matteo Jorgensen (has raced 2 Tours) : A yoga mat for stretching/activation, a big hoodie to put on at the hotel to feel more at home. Noise cancelling headphones for the bus
Matej Morhorič (has raced 5 Tours) : Eye mask and ear plugs. Even take a spare in case they get lost.
Bob Jungles (has raced 5 Tours) : Headphones and laptop for movies/series
Michael Mørkøv (has raced 8 Tours) : Cell phone
Steve Cummings (retired, raced 6 Tours) : Socks and underpants

My Tour de France Predictions

The Tour de France starts this weekend, and I can’t wait to see what this edition has in store for us. It has been anything but a smooth build up for many of the top favorites aiming for the general classification this year but looks like we are going to have another amazing race to enjoy thanks to the amazing professionalism and sacrifice of these athletes and staff.

My predictions for the final in GC once the riders arrive in Nice, France on July 21:

Tadej Pogačar
Matteo Jorgenson
Carlos Rodriguez

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Orlando Cepeda dies

Tadej Pogacar was infected with COVID-19 during his Tour de France preparations

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates fellow riders leave for a team training in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

UAE Team Emirates riders with Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, left, line up during the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Cylings fans raise their hands to catch the water bottle of Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar during the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar greets spectators as he lines up with his UAE Team Emirates riders for the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Britain’s Mark Cavendish greets spectators as he arrives for the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, center rear, arrives for the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Britain’s Mark Cavendish greets spectators during the team presentation in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A man in an uniform dating from the Florentine Republic walks ahead of the presentation of participation cycling teams in Florence, Italy, Thursday, June 27, 2024, two days before the start of the Tour de France cycling race. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Tadej Pogacar was infected with COVID-19 during his Tour de France preparations, the two-time champion revealed Thursday — two days before the race starts in Italy.

The Slovenian is aiming for the rare Tour and Giro d’Italia double after dominating the Italian race last month.

Pogacar, who won the Tour in 2020 and 2021, said that the virus only prevented him from training for one day.

“It’s not as serious anymore. Especially if your body already had the virus before and I had it once or twice,” Pogačar said, adding that he caught the virus about 10 days ago. “It wasn’t too bad, just like a cold. It passed really fast.

“I stopped for one day and then (did) some rollers inside,” he added. “Then when I wasn’t sick anymore, I was riding outside.”

Pogacar has been dominant this season, winning four of the five races he’s entered and collecting 14 victories in 31 days of racing — including Strade Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The last rider to win the Giro and the Tour in the same year was Marco Pantani in 1998.

After back-to-back Tour titles, Pogacar then finished runner-up to Jonas Vingegaard the last two years.

Vingegaard was hospitalized for nearly two weeks in April following a high-speed crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. He sustained a broken collarbone and ribs and a collapsed lung and has not raced since.

“I’m just happy to be here at the start line of the Tour de France — I think that’s a victory in itself,” Vingegaard said. “I did a lot of work, a lot of good work, and I’m not in a bad shape. But it was such a bad crash that everything from here is a bonus.”

AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling

IMAGES

What does a pro cyclist FTP look like? • ProCyclingUK.com
Pro Cyclist FTP
Pro Cyclist FTP
Pro Cyclist FTPs 2022 • ProCyclingUK.com
Pro Cyclist FTP
Pro Cyclist FTP

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COMMENTS

What does a pro cyclist FTP look like? • ProCyclingUK.com
Because it comes from a power meter reading, the FTP is measured in watts. There's a few different ways to calculate your FTP. The classic one involves riding for 20 minutes and multiplying the average power by 0.95. This saves riders having to devote an hour's time to the test and gives accurate numbers.
Pro Cyclist FTP
This chart is built on providing the cyclist a detailed power profile that can help the cyclist learn more about their abilities. This power chart provides four important values useful to a cyclist. This includes sprinting ability (5secs), anaerobic capacity (60secs), v02max (5 minutes), and FTP (20mins). These numbers are then divided by the ...
How does your cycling power output compare?
interesting. "males and females is exactly the same at 3.80W/kg, which means the. average male and female Cycling Analytics user should be able to ride up. a mountain at about the same speed." surely this only hold up a mountain where both have an equal FTP duration (whihc the article assumes is 60 minutes).
Pro Cyclist FTPs 2022 • ProCyclingUK.com
Published on March 19, 2022. in Men's Cycling, Women's Cycling. During Covid lockdown in 2020, I wondered what FTPs pro cyclists were putting out. With everyone stuck indoors, Zwift became super popular and a whole new way to check rider data was available. Once the pros started doing races on Zwift, you could see their FTP on the Zwiftpower site.
PRO CYCLISTS' INSIGHT: How to do your first FTP test
In this instructional video I chat with three World Tour professional cyclists about how they do 20 minute functional threshold power (FTP) tests. We get adv...
Pro Cyclists vs. Amateurs: The Ultimate Power Comparison
Professional cyclists have an FTP of around 410 watts, while amateurs record between 250 and 300 watts. However, power is related to weight. Heavier cyclists have higher numbers. Power is therefore looked at in relative terms, with professionals producing around 6 W/kg and amateurs between 3-4 W/kg. Below we will look at why absolute power is a ...
Cycling Fitness FTP Calculator
Use this simple and free calculator to find out your cycling fitness by using your best 20min average power and your weight. You'll get your W/Kg, estimated threshold power, and ultimately your cycling level with explanation. Step 2. Manually select your cycling level result. Congratulations, you are the next possible Tour de France champion.
How Fast Are Women Pro Cyclists?
On average, the women on Canyon/SRAM team fall into the 250 to 300 watt FTP range, says Teutenberg, which definitely puts them in rarified air. Forty six percent of women riders using Cycling ...
What is A FTP Test and How to do it Effectively
Many cyclists like to compare their FTP numbers but having the highest FTP number doesn't mean that you'll finish first in a race. Having an FTP number that is relatively similar to your competitors will give you a chance to compete. For example, to be a World Tour rider, your FTP numbers need to be of a certain number or won't cut.
What is FTP in cycling? Here's how to test and improve it
The word 'functional' is the key to understanding the reliability and validity of FTP - it is functional because it has a practical and useful application in the power-based world of cycling ...
FTP cycling: What is it, how to calculate, how to test and how to use
The average FTP of a pro cyclist is typically very high, with world-class international male pros ranging from 5.83 to 6.40 W/kg and female pros from 5.17 to 5.69 W/kg, the average male pro cyclists FTP is 387 Watts, the average female pro cyclists FTP is 248 Watts, based on data from Procyclinguk.com.
Your Ultimate Guide to Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Training
For most cyclists, FTP is an estimate—unless you want to do a 60-minute power test—not an actual test result. Professional cyclists or those with access to a lab may undergo a true FTP test, which uses blood lactate monitors and a host of other meters to estimate the body's FTP, or lactate threshold, with the highest degree of precision.
Power analysis: How much power do pro cyclists produce while training
Even in the context of pro cycling, he is a very small rider, and perfectly suited for steep climbs. At the Cofidis training camp in January 2021, Rochas did an FTP test up the Tarbena climb in Spain and finished with the best 20-minute w/kg I've ever seen. Rémy Rochas' power data from the Tarbena climb. Rémy Rochas - Tarbena
World Tour rider with highest absolute ftp : r/Velo
Ben Wolfe as well. Whoever it is should be north of 450W for an hour. Someone who would do well in the hour record, which, by definition, is an FTP test, doesn't take into account weight very much (but penalizes height), and tends to reward outright power over tiny aerodynamic-ness. I don't know any world tour riders but Ben Wolfe would be my ...
FTP in Cycling: Everything You Need to Know
In that chart, 3.75 watts per kg at FTP is assumed "good" compared to world-class performance. Many pro cyclists can produce 400 watts at FTP or over 5.5 w/kg. Reigning Paris Roubaix Champion Dylan Van Baarle even has an FTP of 440 watts. In women cycling 3.45 watts per kg at FTP is assumed "good" compared to world-class.
What is FTP In Cycling & Why Is It Important
In the world of cycling, understanding your performance metrics is crucial for improving your skills and abilities. ... Pro Cyclist FTP Comparisons Examples. When discussing FTP in cycling, it's helpful to look at some examples of professional cyclists and their FTP numbers. FTP, or Functional Threshold Power, is the maximum power a cyclist ...
FTP progression of a Pro? : r/Velo
Not exactly an FTP log, but Matt Hayman shared his entire Pro career data with TrainingPeaks. They then analysed the 12 or so years he had a power meter. It's pretty nuts to see the loads and subsequent bumps they get from a GT and also just how hard the classics are. It's in 2 parts and a quite a long read: https://www.trainingpeaks.com ...
The FTP Test
Zone 1 - 45-60% of FTP - Recover from harder training. Zone 2 - 60-75% of FTP - Improve basic aerobic system. Zone 3 - 75-85% of FTP - Improve both aerobic system and ability to hold power near FTP for a sustained duration. Zone 4 - 85-95% of FTP - Increase duration of power just below or right at FTP.
How common is a high (280+) FTP, really? Seeing different info ...
I do think the normal bell curve for cycling is mid point for men in the 200-230 range but racing and performance based clubs skew that a lot. Most cyclists are under but the racers bias higher. Ideally you work on power, weight, efficiency and tactics. All make a complete cyclist IMO.
Minimum FTP sufficient for pro tour?
0. Dec 22, 2007. #4. cslone said: According to the power profile chart, around 5.96 w/kg for the lower end of Euro pro. So around 430w. Obviously an estimate, but probably not too far off. Click to expand... Assuming you're using the "World Class (e.g. international Pro)" set, the bottom appears to be at 5.69 w/kg.
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For those of you wondering about sprinter FTPs in the Tour
438 is pretty eye popping, at least to me. It's big for an amateur but nothing crazy for a pro, particularly one them at weighs around 90kg. Chris Froome for instance was likely around 450w FTP at a much lower body weight. For pure FTP, a guy like Rohan Dennis or now Filippo Ganna are in the neighborhood of 500w.
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FTPs of Pro Men & Women Cyclists : r/peloton
1. roddamon. • 4 yr. ago. He is not in the list but I think peak Sagan at around 80kgs might have about 500W FTP. -1. 28 votes, 51 comments. 121K subscribers in the peloton community. Peloton is the community for professional road cycling. Share links, news, results….
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How well would a world tour pro do in 5k run? : r/Velo
My money is on Mike Woods for fastest 5k from a World Tour Pro. It wouldn't be a fair comparison since he was a professional runner before becoming a cyclist. ... My ftp is around 275w at 71kg, and I run maybe once every two weeks if I feel like it without a timer/GPS, I think it helps muscular balance.. ... World tour cyclists will have all of ...
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