Tall boys

[Longjohn ★]

https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/road/tall-boys-how-the-pelotons-tallest-racers-use-height-to-their-advantage/?utm_source=VeloNews-facebook&fbclid=IwAR1G9IopZwaKeV3MmCLFAdk7aZ

[Razors Edge ★]

I just saw this thread, and it is an interesting topic.  What's interesting to me is that "tall" has changed dramatically in my lifetime.  6'3" was tall for sure (and still seems tall to someone my height 5'11"), but the current crop of kids out there in high school, college and 20s, are often way taller than in decades past, and quite "normal".  I think the peloton is still lagging way behind reality for height (like the NBA is way ahead in height), because, pure and simple, the superstars of cycling are the Grand Tour winners, and climbing remains a hugely important part of most GTs.  You can excel as a TT specialist being tall. You can excel on the flats being tall. But once the mountain stages start coming up, height (and weight) become a disadvantage that sweeps away most of the advantages gained from the extra power a taller or heavier guy has.

Tall riders can win grand tours. Bradley Wiggins at 6-foot-3 is the tallest Tour de France winner in history, while five-time Tour winner Miguel Indurain and Chris Froome come in only slightly shorter.

[Longjohn ★]

I don’t think being tall gives me any advantage in being fast. It seems everyone on Strava has a faster average speed. Maybe my age 74 and my leukemia offset my advantage of being tall 6’ 5”.