As we have previously reported, the Swatt Club story originated from a blog, which today reveals the numbers of Italian Champion Filippo Conca.

In the morning, the Lecco native weighed around 76.5 kg and during the 228 km race ridden at an average of 43 km/h, he recorded a normalized power of 325 watts. A normal figure for a rider of his caliber, especially considering that the race experienced a lull after the first part, a situation that allowed the breakaway with Ginestra and Carollo to gain almost 5 minutes of advantage.

In the last hour and a half of the race, when the real battle erupted, his normalized power was 401 watts. This average is the result of accelerations on the San Floriano climb, where in the first lap he pushed 650 watts for a minute and a half to follow Baroncini's attack. In the last two laps of the circuit, the best riders remaining at the front of the race covered the climb in under three minutes, and in the final lap, when the race was decided, he pushed 575 watts for two and a half minutes.

The sprint? Ten seconds at 1300 watts. These are the data recorded by the Italian Champion's cycling computer on a very hot day. To satisfy the curiosity of enthusiasts, Filippo performed a VO2 Max test last Wednesday, recording a value of 86.

Beyond the numbers detailed by solowattaggio.com, which are fundamental in competitive cycling, it was Filippo Conca's heart and his teammates that made the difference in the national challenge. The dedication with which he prepared, his habit of training in the heat, and the goal set months in advance in a calendar that for a "normal" professional is decidedly more crowded.

This is well explained by the former pro with a degree in Motor Sciences Giorgio Brambilla, who guided him in the team car towards the tricolor jersey and who in the latest episode of the GCN Show also silenced those already accusing Conca of not being controlled by anti-doping as much as his rivals with a contract. Filippo, a professional until last season, is still in the WADA Adams system, still has his biological passport (as do most of his elite teammates lined up at the Italian Championship) and, obviously, was subjected to the anti-doping control typically required for the winner of a race of this level.