Norris writes:- Just slightly over five weeks ago I watched the lycra-clad Swiss,Cancellera, win the same race on a carbon-fibre frame displaying a panorama of differently shaped tubes, using a range of twenty gears driven via components also made up carbon-fibre and titanium alloys. His time in beating the rest on similarly equipped bikes was 6h.7m.54s for the slightly longer 257kms..an average speed of 41.90 kms/hr!In this last case the average speed was not significantly affected by the relentless progress in design, technology and materials to which today's racing bikes are subjected. So much for progress!
Cancellara's time may or may not have been affected by progress but one thing's for sure, in a one-way race like Paris-Roubaix it is affected by the wind direction. For what it's worth in my opinion the factors most affecting race speeds are:- 1. Course conditions & wind direction. 2. EPO, growth hormone, steroids etc 3. Modern training methods and, in hilly races, rider weight loss compared with earlier racers 4. More selective race programmes (no Sean Kelly's about in 2006) 5. Bicycle design Ray Green, Brighton, Sussex
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