For example, if Huang Chong's current FTP is 400W, and his normalized power for a ride is 350W, then the intensity factor (IF) would be 350 ÷ 400 = 0.875.
A value less than 1 means he wasn't going all-out or riding at race intensity. It was just an easy aerobic ride.
The first thing Aldag had Huang Chong do was an FTP Power test, which involved riding on a trainer in constant mode, set to a 0% gradient to simulate a perfectly flat road.
Huang Chong was rather exasperated by these tests, but there was nothing he could do. 'He couldn't exactly print out the data from his system panel to show Aldag, after all.'
In the end, he completed the first test with a freakishly stable cadence and power output, as well as a steady heart rate in the threshold zone.
His FTP Power was 403W, exactly as shown on his system's display.
When Aldag received this data, he merely gave a slight nod.
Compared to the top cyclists on a World Tour Team, Huang Chong wasn't particularly impressive yet.
