The Giro d’Italia is underway and the KOMs are at risk. Climbing records on the climbs and stretches we routinely ride in training are in serious danger of being broken by the champions involved in the pink race.

The apps available to cyclists today allow them to compare the performance of amateurs and professionals on a given stretch of road or an epic climb. How reliable is this data? How meaningful is it to compare one’s own performance during a granfondo to that of champions in their races? Although climbing times may appear similar, the endurance capabilities of a professional athlete are regularly greater than those of an amateur peer.

In the latest episode of Cubetti di Sapere, Matteo Azzolini, a sports technician at the Mapei Sport Research Centre, proves this to us by rattling off watts and power that emerged from laboratory tests of agonists of various levels.

To find out more, visit www.mapeisport.it.