If you’ve watched World Cup XCO, you know just how fast the elite field starts. The gun goes and it’s hell for leather jostling for position into the first singletrack. But how often does that starting position stay the same for the entire race? Many times riders that have a fast start can fade into obscurity mid-race, having burnt too many matches to be at the front of the group for the remainder of the race.
So what makes an athlete successful at this level?
Aside from fanging genetics, a fabulous VO2, great power to weight and exceptional technical skills; the thing that separates those finishing strong from those just finishing can be often attributed to fatigue resistance.
WHAT IS FATIGUE RESISTANCE?
Fatigue resistance is the ability to express near-maximal power towards the end
