title: The distribution of pace adopted by cyclists during a cross-country mountain bike World Championships.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution of pace self-selected by cyclists of varying ability, biological age and sex performing in a mountain bike World Championship event. Data were collected on cyclists performing in the Elite Male (ELITEmale; n = 75), Elite Female (ELITEfemale; n = 50), Under 23 Male (U23male; n = 62), Under 23 Female (U23female; n = 34), Junior Male (JNRmale; n = 71) and Junior Female (JNRfemale; n = 30) categories of the 2009 UCI Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Championships. Split times were recorded for the top, middle and bottom 20% of all finishers of each category. Timing splits were positioned to separate the course into technical and non-technical, uphill, downhill and rolling/flat sections. Compared with bottom performers, top performers in all male categories (ELITEmale, U23male, JNRmale) maintained a more even pace over the event as evidenced by a significantly lower standard deviation and range in average lap speed. Top performers, males, and ELITEmale athletes spent a lower percentage of overall race time on technical uphill sections of the course, compared with middle and bottom placed finishers, females, and JNRmale athletes, respectively. Better male performers adopt a more even distribution of pace throughout cross-country mountain events. Performance of lower placed finishers, females and JNRmale athletes may be improved by enhancing technical uphill cycling ability.
authors.affiliation: School of Exercise and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia. c.abbiss@ecu.edu.au
authors.forename: Chris R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Abbiss
authors.forename: Megan L R
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Garvican
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pottgiesser
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001642:Bicycling; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult