Research Project 2008

Andi Weydahl at Finnmark University College tested a few of the riders in offroadfinnmark's test race in 2008.
At a preliminary stage, however, we have access to the average heart rate on the different stages. These values have been calculated according to their percentage of the maximum heart rate, in terms of the highest registered pulse which the athlete attained in the pre-race testing.

5 riders participated, but 2 of them abandoned the race after the Ravnastua checkpoint. The riders are anonymous and designated by letters. The figures include, however, one of the test race winners, which has enabled us to follow one rider from start to finish.

 Stage/Rider

A

B

C

D

E

Average

 Alta-Sørstraumen

74.3

 69.9

67.2

 72.1

71.1

70.9

 Sørstraumen-Reisavann

 68.5

61.5

61.3

63.0

65.5

63.6

 Reisavann-Kautokeino

 67.5

60.8

59.2

64.7

64.3

63.1

 Kautokeino-Masi

 71.2

63.3

58.6

61.4

67.8

63.6

 Masi-Sousjavre

 66.2

60.5

57.6

65.7

63.4

62.5

 Sousjavre-Mollisjok

 60.5

59.0

59.0

63.5

60.0

60.5

 Mollisjok-Ravnastua

 64.7

59.3

57.7

59.5

59.8

60.3

  Stage/Rider

 F

 G

 H

 Average

 Ravnastua-Karasjok

 62.2

55.1

52.8

55.9

 Karasjok-Valjok

 63.2

58.8

55.6

59.2

 Valjok-Skoganvarre

 58.6

59.1

58.0

58.6

 Skoganvarre-Bojobæsk

 60.0

58.3

55.6

58.0

 Bojobæsk-Alta

 59.3

63.2

59.0

60.5

Jørund Greibrokk, one of the test race winners, is rider E and G above. He has informed us that his average pulse during the prologue was 92% of the maximum.
Before the race his oxygen consumption was 76 ml/kg/min and the threshold Watts was 265. After the race, these values were at 77.6 and 280 respectively.