Phinney Sets Track World Record

by Chris... on Jun 16, 2008 8:24 PM EDT

I get emails:

CARSON (June 16, 2008) – Seventeen year old cyclist Taylor Phinney of Boulder, Colorado, has set a new world junior record in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit event with a time of 3:16.65 this afternoon at the ADT Event Center located at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The record set by Phinney, nominated to the United States Olympic Team which will announce its members on July 1, is the first world record set on the velodrome inside the ADT Event Center .
Phinney, talking part in USA Cycling’s team selection camp, said, “Achieving this mark was one of my goals when I started my Olympic training this year,” said Phinney. “As our team prepares for Beijing , I couldn’t be more proud to set this record and am excited to represent the United States in the Olympics.”

The new world record eclipses the old mark of 3:17.775 achieved by Michael Ford ( Australia ) in 2004.

The Kid's fast...

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Why don't they sell tickets to these events?

When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?

by crashdan on Jun 16, 2008 8:37 PM EDT 0 recs

bene...

molto, molto bene!

by gavia on Jun 16, 2008 8:44 PM EDT 0 recs

Go Taylor!!!

Damn this kid is simply frickin’ impressive as all heck! Huffy mentioned he was flying yesterday so this is great news to read that he got it!!!

Here’s a great article on him too.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 16, 2008 8:47 PM EDT 0 recs

Wonderful for Taylor,

and thanks for the article link, Nikki.

by Katiek on Jun 16, 2008 9:35 PM EDT 0 recs

I know nothing about track cycling

So a question to the experts: Is there any trend line about how developing your cycling skills on a track translates to road racing. I know there are many members of the peloton that race track, but were any doing it this well and this early in their careers?

by PopUp Rolen on Jun 16, 2008 9:41 PM EDT 0 recs

I don't know much history-wise

but I think track riders would have more success at certain types of road cycling than others. A lot of the pursuiters seem to also be considered prologue specialists (or TT specialists in general) on the road – Wiggins, Lancaster come to mind, and they also seem to work out well as lead-out train guys. Someone like McGee as a pursuiter has also had success in prologues on the road, but has had other success as well (at least until the last few years of injuries). I’m sure there are a lot more examples (Zabel does well at 6-day races, doesn’t he?, most of the up-and-coming Brits like Cavendish and Thomas have track experience).

There are a number of factors obviously on the road that you don’t have to deal with on the track, and particularly not having to worry about in an individual pursuit – things like bike-handling skills to deal with peloton positioning/road hazards/avoiding crashes/adverse weather, or strategy.

So, certainly having the power to do fast pursuits at such a young age bodes well for Phinney, and he’s shown the road TT ability last year also at junior worlds – so hopefully he can get the rest of the skills as well to be a good road racer too.

by guidemd on Jun 16, 2008 10:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

Many of your best sprinters have

backgrounds in track (Cipo, Zabel, Cav, O’Grady back in the day, Cookie, etc). It’s a good place to build explosive power and leg speed. I can’t remember if Robbie Mac road track but I do know he was a BMX champ, which is also a way of developing turn of speed and pack skills when things go all argy bargy.

Once Taylor starts filling out (he’s only 170lbs) he could very well get the same build (and hopefully results) of someone like Cancellara. He’s already done the junior Paris Roubaix and with the strength he’s developing now the sky is the limit as he matures.

"Hey, hey, settle down boys and girls or Krusty will have to bring out his old friend Corporal Punishment again."

by Drew... on Jun 17, 2008 8:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

Another quick article

with Taylor from the same Beijing Olympics articles, he prefers the road. I know I also read a while back that he’s been compared to Fabian and if I remember it correctly, he looks up to him as well. Natural talent that is simply impressive.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 9:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

In most cycling countries . . .

. . . junior riders tend to spend a lot of time on the boards as it is a really controlled environment for them to develop their bodies effectively.

That kid is a genetic freak.
During his potential cycling career, he could potentially do anything and everything, if he wanted.
He is that good.

by Ryan_Liles on Jun 17, 2008 11:57 AM EDT up 0 recs

Other notables....

Brad Huff, Mike Friedman and that Nothstein guy that went to Navigators. It took Marty nearly a year to lean down to road race form so he could start doing some good things for Navigators.
Good job to Taylor today…agreed, that this guy is already well on his way to being a great classics rider.

by spokejunky on Jun 17, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

Am I mistaken in thinking that Creed too was on the track for a bit?

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

si...

Creed rode the track for quite a while, and got a bunch of results there. He’s one who may have ridden too much track, actually. Some riders can go back and forth between the two without much difficulty – ogrady came off the tour de france and won an oly gold in the madison, for ex. Bradley McGee rode Pursuit and road at the same time – and his road career has probably been better for his time on the track. Certo, his position and pedaling style could not be better.

It really depends on the rider as to how the transition will go. And on the event – pursuiters or points racers transition relatively well, kilo guys, maybe not so much. In the main, though, if someone is winning pursuits on the track at an early age, you can be sure he has some numbers on him. Whether the rest of the ingredients are there, you have to wait and see.

by gavia on Jun 17, 2008 6:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah, some transition well and some not so well

Chris Boardman for example won on the track and road consistently. Wiggo, not so much. I couldn’t tell you why, but his track riding hasn’t transferred as well as Boardman’s. Success on the track doesn’t seem to be as difficult to attain as it is on the road. Part is the sheer number of road racers and some of it just comes down to the fact that some people just don’t have the kind of physiology that it takes for success on the road. Chris Hoy is phenomenal, but I can’t see him lighting up the roads. Ivan Dominguez was a track rider for Cuba and is incredibly fast in the short road races on this side of the pond, but can’t get over a highway overpass with the very best. This is probably part of the reason that he isn’t on a big Euro team, all the climbing required. I think they are both completely different animals and success in one discipline doesn’t in the least equal to success in the other. If Taylor finds success in both, it will probably be early on because at some point you have to make a decision on where to place priorities.

If I just had one more gear, I...

by SpunOut on Jun 17, 2008 9:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wiggo v. Boardman

Good example, there.

Definitely track to crits is easier than track to European style road racing. And usually the guys who make it in Europe from the track were a) doing big k’s on the road while racing track and b) transitioned early. Now that I’m thinking about it, it really seems to be the pursuiters who transition the most smoothly. At least, I can think of more ex-pursuiters currently on big time European pro teams than anything else.

by gavia on Jun 17, 2008 9:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'll let the experts and serious track fans

reply to you as I love it and follow some of my favorites but I don’t know a lot of history like others will. Being a fan of CVV and Meatball, Brad, Taylor and a few others has kept me glued to following events. C’s dad who I’m friends with was a track rider. I’ve gotten the impression that going from track to road isn’t easy. And the impression that riding the road can hurt the form needed on the track and maybe vice versa as they require a different kind of endurance. Christian was a 3 time national champion and really talented on the track. I know reading of and from Mike that preparing for track WC’s and then going back the to the road takes some serious work and then vice versa.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 16, 2008 10:17 PM EDT 0 recs

And now I need some help.

I found the results of the trials. It appears that Lea has locked one of the two open spots. Meatball and Brad both met criteria but not automatic entry. So one of them will fill the 2nd spot when they announce the team on 7/1? Confusing and stressing!

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 16, 2008 11:06 PM EDT 0 recs

The record may not be recognized by the UCI

Apparently, the record is not valid because there were no UCI reps. there and no mandated drug testing for such an attempt.
I wish I was surprised by this, but sadly I am not.

http://bradhuff.missingsaddle.com/2008/06/16/day-1-olympic-trials/

by Ryan_Liles on Jun 16, 2008 11:08 PM EDT 0 recs

You are reading Brad's notes from yesterday's run.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 16, 2008 11:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

Today's counted. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 16, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ok, cool.

Thanks

by Ryan_Liles on Jun 16, 2008 11:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

heh

had me going briefly. I’d hope nobody’s sending me bogus press releases…

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Jun 17, 2008 1:03 AM EDT up 0 recs

I think you're okay

as long as they don’t come from one of us after you’ve been gone a few days.
You never know what we’ll come up with! :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 1:38 AM EDT up 0 recs

Well at least...

it was just a “training” ride.

by dheadrick on Jun 17, 2008 12:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

Taylor power

It’d be interesting to see if Allen Lim would post some of his numbers during his build up to today’s event.

by spokejunky on Jun 17, 2008 1:08 PM EDT 0 recs

I would love

to see those numbers.

"Hey, hey, settle down boys and girls or Krusty will have to bring out his old friend Corporal Punishment again."

by Drew... on Jun 17, 2008 1:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

I would bet if the request was made

that you might get them on the site from them… just sayin’. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

1700 W

I read somewhere that he hits 1700W

Here it is. It’s on the Slippy website

What kind of numbers do you produce now on the track?
Taylor: Average watts to do a 4′22″ 4 km individual pursuit (my PR) is about 500. Sprinting watts approach 1700 watts right now on the road (peak watts).

by johnw on Jun 17, 2008 8:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

holy crap!

1700 watts peak?! and he’s still only 16. shit. that’s crazy fast right there. i want to say the top end pursuiters – bradley mcgee at his peak – are in the mid-600s average wattage-wise, but i could be wrong.

look out world.

by gavia on Jun 17, 2008 9:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just a note...

Taylor is 17 and turns 18 next Friday. :-)

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 9:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just hope he's surrounded by good people

by lyne on Jun 17, 2008 10:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

mom and dad

Are a class set. I think he’s going to be just fine. :)

by johnw on Jun 17, 2008 10:45 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree with johnw.

Taylor’s mom and dad are keeping things seemingly very well grounded and they’re making sure he’s doing what he wants to pursue and not what others might want from what I’ve read. Plus I like that he’s with Slipstream in the sense that gradual but solid moves up appear to be the plan.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 11:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

oopsy

brain, fingers, not working so well together…

by gavia on Jun 18, 2008 12:18 AM EDT up 0 recs

Very impressive

500w AVG for 4’22” in a not yet matured body, wow. Cancellera during Milan-San Remo at 700-800w for 2 minutes, but I’m sure Taylor is doing that right now as well. There’s a huge difference between 1-2 minute power and anything above 3. He’s definitely up there in the world class sprinter numbers. Cipo layed down 1900w in his day.

by spokejunky on Jun 18, 2008 8:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

Boonen's put up

2000+ before.

"Hey, hey, settle down boys and girls or Krusty will have to bring out his old friend Corporal Punishment again."

by Drew... on Jun 18, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

Quick read from someone there

Here’s the blog entry. Now I’m curious if someone like CrashDan could’ve gone and checked it out. I know in the pics I’ve seen of it, there certainly were spectators there checking it out.

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."

by nikki on Jun 17, 2008 2:40 PM EDT 0 recs