The 2015 IRONMAN World Championships saw amazing efforts from the professional and age group athletes. The 112 mile bike in brutally hot and humid conditions is legendary for testing every athlete to their limit. Here is a look at the power numbers from several pro athletes that shows exactly what it takes to be at the front of this amazing race.
Pro Men
Maik Twelsiek – 4:25:10
- Twelsiek had the fastest bike split of the day.
- Twelsiek’s file has a textbook Intensity Factor of .80 and Variability Index of 1.04. These are the numbers we consistently see from successful pro male athletes.
- Twelsiek’s Peak 20 Minute Power of 315 watts, 4.01w/kg, comes in the first 20 minutes of racing.
- Out of transition to the start of the climb to Hawi, Twelsiek averaged 298 watts, or 3.79w/kg for 2 hours.
- From Kawaihae to the end of the bike, Twelsiek averaged 279 watts over 1:22, which is a very minimal drop in power from what we typically see.
View Twelsiek’s full SRM power file.
Frederik Van Lierde – 4:27:18
- Van Lierde had the fifth fastest bike split of the day.
- Near the front during the entire ride, Van Lierde averaged 286 watts, or 3.99w/kg.
- On the climb to Hawi, Van Lierde put out 308 watts for 19:30 while averaging 19.2mph.
- Van Lierde burned 4560 calories and averaged 25mph over the full 112 miles.
- Again we see an Intensity Factor of .79 and Variability Index of 1.05, right in line with the numbers we see from other top pro men.
View Van Lierde’s full ROTOR power file.
Pro Women
Mary Beth Ellis – 4:59:29
- Ellis had the fifth fastest bike split among the women.
- Ellis had an IF of .79 and a VI of 1.05 over her full ride, which are the same numbers we see from pro men.
- In total, Ellis averaged 177 watts, or 3.4w/kg, which is a strong number for a pro female.
- Like many women, Ellis prefers a lower cadence, averaging 73rpm on the day.
- Ellis’ Peak 20 Minute Power of 197 watts comes in the first 20 minutes, but her Peak 1 Hour Power of 187 watts comes at the start and ascent of Hawi.
