on 05/10/2002 11:19 PM, NortonMarg@aol.com at NortonMarg@aol.com wrote:
> To digress a little, the difference between Eddie's hour record and Moser's
> wasn't just equipment. It was training. Moser trained with the guy who
> "invented" (I use the word loosely) the idea of target heart rate over time
> to develop fitness. I have a book by him called "Moser's Hour Records, a
> Human and Scientific Adventure" by Francesco Conconi, translated by Patricia
> Ennis. It's very interesting reading on the subject of scientific,
> quantifiable training.
While there is some veracity in this statement, I would tend disagree with it as a whole.
Moser NEVER beat Eddy Merckx in a straight-up time trial ... but added more than 1.5 km to Eddy's Hour Record.
Chris Boardman used the latest in technology and training to help push the Hour Record up to 56.375 (IIRC) km ... yet when put on a Merckx-style bike (albeit one that was still more technologically advanced than Eddy's "Windsor"), he only added only 13 metres to Eddy's Record.
Some might say it was because Chris was a bit past it when he made his final Hour Record attempt right before retiring, whereas Merckx was at his prime in 1972 ... but Boardman still had access to bladed spokes, a lighter frame and wheels, slick lycra clothing, and an aerodynamic helmet, compared to Merckx's wool and hairnet. Personally, I'm convinced that these had more of a contributory effect on Boardman's success in October 2000 than did his scientific training.
Moser's Record (and many beyond that) were the more the technological advances on the bike than the man and training ...