Enrico Zanoncello (left) winning by inches on Matteo Malucelli. Source: @Bardiani_CSF official X account of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
On 9th April, 2024, Enrico Zanoncello of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè crossed the finish line first in the opening stage of Il Giro d’Abruzzo Crédit Agricole, clinching the prestigious Maglia Azzurra. This achievement placed him at the forefront of the general classification after the 160 km route from Vasto to Pescara.
In a display of exceptional endurance, Enrico completed the course in 3 hours, 38 minutes, and 41 seconds, maintaining an average speed of 43.9 km/h. The race concluded with a closely contested sprint, with Enrico edging out Matteo Malucelli of JCL Team Ukyo and Manuel Peñalver of Team Polti Kometa.
Generously, Enrico and the VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè shared their race data with us, allowing a unique insight into the application of our latest Athletica feature: the Workout Reserve™. This tool analyzes rolling mean power output to indicate how close an athlete is to their historical maximum power at any moment during a race. We imported Enrico’s data into Athletica to construct his power profile, built off 21 robust and well-balanced training sessions.
Fig. 1: Enrico’s power profile generated by Athletica
Remarkably, the minimum Workout Reserve value recorded at the end of the race was -16% indicating that during the final sprint, Enrico exceeded his previously known maximal power. This data point is particularly insightful, showing how Enrico utilized his Workout Reserve during the race’s critical final moments, pushing beyond his prior records for that duration. Athletica’s analysis will now adjust his power profile to reflect this new peak performance.
Fig. 2: Enrico’s race data: the Athletica Workout Reserve.
Enrico described the intense competitive pressure that drove his performance: “I am very happy. I was aiming for this stage, and it ended with a very hard-fought sprint. Fiorelli guided me behind Malucelli’s wheel, and I managed to pass him at the right moment. It’s my first victory as a professional in Europe and especially in Italy.” This statement underscores the mental and physical challenges athletes face and how they can excel under pressure.The visualization of Enrico’s power output throughout the race, while omitting specific numerical data for privacy, reveals the significant boost he experienced under the race’s competitive conditions. These conditions not only propelled him to victory but also provided a profound demonstration of how athletes can exceed their known limits when challenged.
Fig. 3: Enrico’s power data overlaid on Workout Reserve and Elevation
This collaboration with Enrico Zanoncello and the VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè team is a testament to the potential of sharing and analyzing athletic data to enhance performance understanding. The Athletica Workout Reserve stands as a crucial tool in this endeavor, providing athletes and their coaches with precise data to optimize training and competition strategies.
Enrico Zanoncello celebrating right after the stage. Source: @Bardiani_CSF official X account of VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè.
Explore More
- Learn about the functioning and background of the Workout Reserve in our detailed blog post here.
- Discover how power profiling can revolutionize training load control in our comprehensive article here.
- The Athletica Workout Reserve is available for all Athletica users, for both cyclists and runners, as well as their coaches. Want to start using the Workout Reserve in your training and racing? Read this blog post here
Experience the benefits of the Workout Reserve for your training regimen by starting a free trial at Athletica at athletica.ai.
Acknowledgements
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Enrico Zanoncello and the VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè cycling team for their collaboration and openness in sharing their training and racing data with Athletica.