This is an SRM highlight! Andre Greipel (Team Columbia) and Robert Foerster (Team Gerolsteiner) were kind enough to give us their SRM files of the 4th stage Tour of Germany 2008. Greipel could win this sprint stage  in Mainz, when he defeated Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto) and Robert Foerster.

Thanks to both of them and their teams for allowing us to show their data on our webpage.

For the whole stage -not surprisingly - both riders have nearly the same average power and number of calories burned. Greipel averaged 258.9 Watts and burned 3,695 Calories; Foerster finished with an average of 258.1 Watts burning 3,653 Calories.

But let's focus on the last kilometers of the two sprinters:

When we compare their files, we can see that even for the last 10 minutes of the race, the average power of both riders is about the same: Greipel 365 Watts, Foerster 360 Watts with nearly the same average cadence. But a closer look at Greipel's file shows that he peaked at 1,626 Watts 3.5 minutes before the finish, probably to get into a perfect position. If you compare a sprint finish to a mountain finish and even to a classic race like Liege-Bastogne, the range of power output is a lot bigger. You can see zero power output when the riders don't pedal at all and just stay in the slipstream behind their teammates, or - like both riders show repeatedly in their files - push very hard not to lose the wheel or jump to a better position.

Closer to the finish, for instance in the last three minutes of the race, there are some differences to see: the average powers of Greipel and Foerster show significant differences - Greipel 537 Watts, Foerster 508 Watts. Also significantly different are the average cadences: Greipel 97.8 rpm, Foerster 89.8 rpm. The main reason for this is that Foerster stopped pedaling four times, and Greipel only two times, but even if we take this into consideration, Greipel's cadence was higher. It seems that Greipel used smaller gears, though he was more agile and could accelerate faster.

The last minute, the last kilometer. Greipel is right on the wheel of Ciolek, Ciolek right behind Tony Martin - this is the Team Columbia lead out. It's smoother for Greipel than for Foerster. You can see that when you compare the average cadence 89.6 rpm for Foerster and 104.9 rpm for Greipel. Greipel with an average power of 713 Watts, Foerster with 659 Watts.

In the last 30 seconds, Ciolek launches the sprint for Greipel who leaves a gap of about one meter. On his wheel is McEwen and right behind is Foerster. Two high efforts for both until Greipel's explosive move from Ciolek's wheel. Greipel's effort: 1,436 Watts, then 1,215 Watts and for the final sprint 8 seconds before the finish 1,533 Watts. Foerster was not able to pass Greipel or McEwen. His effort was 1,337 Watts, then 1,099 Watts and finally 1,183 Watts. Greipel was always pedaling, his average power for the last 30 seconds an amazing 1061 Watts, cadence 102.9 rpm (max cadence 112 rpm). Foerster didn't pedal 30 seconds before the finish, he had to start again, and therefore his average cadence was 91.9 rpm and the average power 908 Watts.

It was a great stage win for Andre Greipel, the 12th in an awesome season (www.andregreipel.de).

Marcus Burghardt wins stage 18 of Tour de France 2008! The German powerhouse rode a perfect race, well prepared also by taking it as easy as possible the days before. He worked hard the first 2 ½ weeks helping Cavendish and Kirchen, so he earned this win.

He told in the press conference that he focused on stage 18 and 19, because he knew they will suit him. Difficult to control for sprinter teams, especially because they are tired from the stages in the Alps and the team of the leader always wants a group of non-dangerous riders to leave early, because then the race is much easier to control.

At first let's have a look at his numbers for the whole race: He rode in breakaways for most of the 4 ½ hours today. He finished the 196.5 km with an average speed of 43.6 km/h riding with an average power of 290 Watts and an impressive average cadence of 93.4 rpm, already his motor-abilities at the end of the Tour De France show his outshining fitness. His average heart rate was 144.5 bpm and he burned 4.700 Calories, less then yesterday when he burned about 6.500 Calories, but on a higher intensity level. 20% of the time he rode above training zone 3, around and above the anaerobic threshold, only 14% in training zone 1.

Burghardt's graph to Sebastian Lang (Team Gerolsteiner) you can see the difference of exhaustion in the break. Lang rode with an average speed of 42.2 km/h, protected in the slipstream of the peloton with an average of 223 Watts and a heart rate of 134.5 bpm. A main difference was the average cadence 69 rpm (remember Burghardt: 93.4 rpm!). Lang was riding 31% in training zone 1, coasting in the slipstream. 14% of the time he was riding in training zone 4 and 5 and that was in the first part of the race.

But Burghardt was not the only rider with this idea to be in a breakaway, also Lang tried to join one. The first hour both were already in the first attack but got caught back. Burghardt immediately tried to join the next breakaway. Have a look at the first hour of the race. He raced with an average speed of 55.8 km/h down the l'Oise valley. His average power 319 Watts! Close to the end of the first hour the three efforts with a max power of 919 to 1171 Watts show his motivation and ambition in this stage. Lang's numbers for the first hour: average power 314 Watts, average heart rate 155 bpm and the cadence 91 rpm.

At kilometer 66 Burghardt and Feillu (Agritubel) attacked to follow Barredo, the future companion in Burghardts breakaway. The first 8 ½ minutes of the break he rode with an average power of 385 Watts, the first effort was with 1158 Watts. His average cadence was just above 100 rpm and the heart rate 158.5 bpm. The green powerline in the graph shows really well when he was in front pushing around 400 Watts and the time he was in the slipstream riding with about 260 Watts. You can also see the heartrate dropping instantly when he is not in the front.

But then came his impressive performance to create the significant gap to the peloton. He rode the uphill to the Col de Parmenie (5.5 km) with 22.3 km/h, an average of 419 Watts and an average cadence of 85.8 rpm. His heartrate went up to 166 bpm. Burghardt's max heart rate is normally 193/min, his heart rate at rest down to 37 rpm. Today his max heart rate was 175 bpm and that's a sign of fatigue after 2 ½ weeks of exhausting racing. But again the high cadence show that he is able to spin even when other riders already work with power and lower their cadence. On that uphill they won about 5:20 minutes to the peloton. And he was riding very smooth, the green powerline is very straight compared to Lang who rode in the peloton with an average of 273 Watts and a cadence of 68.6 rpm.

The whole graph shows how good Burghardt and Barredo worked together, rotating in the lead.

Also on the 2^nd categorie mountain, the Croix de Montvieux they lost no time to the peloton. Burghardt was riding with an average of 360 Watts for the last 14.6 kilometers of the mountain, still spinning with an average cadence of 96.1 rpm.

After the downhill of Croix de Montvieux the ride got more tactical. But soon it got obvious for Barredo that it would be difficult for him to win. Even he is a light climber he has not had the power to drop Burghardt in the last uphill to the Cote de Sorbiers. The last ten kilometers he tried several attacks but Burghardt could follow his wheel pretty easy. Seven hard efforts on the last ten kilometers. The second was the hardest with 1539 Watts max after 4 ½ hours of high intensity racing was close to his max power in this Tour (1578 Watts on stage 11 and 13). All efforts the max power was about 1100 Watts or higher. The acceleration on the second effort was in 8 seconds from 25.2km/h to 45.6km/h and the max cadence 115 rpm.

The final sprint he accelerated from 26km/h to 56.4km/h in 14 second, his max cadence for that sprint was 104 rpm.

Congratulations Marcus! That was a highlight and hard-earned success for a hard-working domestique! Impressive performance, not only today.