A Waste of Time

Daniel Zachary Jones

November 30, 2009

Abstract
Proof that an Olly's daily energy expenditure is at least equivalent

to or greater than an average Tour De France rider. In this paper I will

answer the question that has bugged 2 pedantic people for centuries of

minutes.

0.1 The Assumptions

0.1.1 TDF Distance + Pace

1
From the Tour de France website , we have the following distances for stages
1-8.

Stage 1, Time Trial, 15.5km

Stage 2, Flat, 187km

Stage 3, Flat, 195.5km

Stage 4, Time Trial, 39km

Stage 5, Flat, 196.5km

Stage 6, Flat, 181.5km

St6Total 816km

Leader-time 19h 29' 22

Mean-time 19h 35' 29

Stage 7, Mountains, 224 km

Stage 8, Mountains, 176.5 km

Total 1216km

Leader-time 30h 18' 16

Mean-time 30h 49' 17

The mean speed of the Tour de France up to stage 6 is 40km/h, and the leader
41km/h.

1 See http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/LIVE/us/800/classement/index.html#ici

1
0.1.2 Olly Distance + Pace
1200km in 4 days assuming he meets cut-o time on 4th day. We could divide
this up into stages as 300km each. Assuming he does this 300km in 11 hours,
2
this would align with time registered after rst day assuming 1 hour break. This
would result in a speed of 27km/h.
We shall assume that the TDF cyclist and Olly both weigh 75kg. This is
just an assumption to show I am not assuming the TDF cyclists to be minature
people or something.

0.2 The Theory

0.2.1 Work
The denition of work is as follows,

W = F.d
Work is equal to force times the distance that force was applied. Work is
otherwise known as the energy expended by a force to move an object a distance.
Now, note there is variable for time. The work required for me to lift a brick
on this table in 2 seconds, is the exactly the same amount of work required on
the brick as if it would take two hours.
The amount of energy required to move olly 1200km is the same amount
of energy required to move a TDF rider 1200km. So, since TDF riders move
roughly 200km-300km a day, a pretty safe estimate would have that olly would
require the same energy consumption per day.
But you could be thinking here... what about wind resistance? What about
the power?

0.2.2 Power
The power output of a particular task is, unlike work, dependent on time

P = F.v

Power is Force times Velocity, where velocity is measured as distance traveled

per unit time (aka d/t).
Now since the TDF reaches their destination quicker than olly, they do
indeed exert more power, and thus, the rate in which they expend energy is
greater. Power could also be thought of as

P = F.d/t

The rate of energy expenditure.

Now there is a third thing we need to account for, the fact that as velocity
increases, drag increases, and thus the energy required increases.

2 See: http://audax.org.au/public/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=423&Itemid=361

2
0.2.3 Drag
1
Fdrag = − bv 2 ACd
2
where b=density of uid, in this case air @ 30 degrees c, is 1.164kg/m3
&v = velocity of traveling body (olly 27km/h or TDF 40km/h)
A= area of the orthogonal projection of the body on the plain perpendicular
to the direction of the force. in the case of a cyclist, approx 0.3m squared.
Cd = the 'drag coecient' a dimensionless constant that is varies depending
on the size and shape of the body. A cyclist is 0.9
3

0.3 The Results

Now what I will show, hopefully to your utter amazement, since it is amazing,
is that olly is using equal or more energy per day than a Tour de France cyclist.

0.3.1 Olly Calories

Lets take olly doing 27km/h & 75kg...
by 0.2.3 we get a drag of 7.4 Newtons.
by 0.2.2 we have a power requirement of 55 watts to move at this speed
this is equivalent to burning 0.795 cal/minute.
Or over the 44 hours of cycle time, (assuming 11 hours = 300km) olly will
burn 2099 calories!

0.3.2 TDF Calories Without Peleton on the Flat

Now let us ask how many calories for a TDF cyclist riding without a peleton, that
is, without gaining any advantage and riding at 40km/h & 75kg (an impossible
task to keep up over this distance!)
by 0.2.3 we get a drag of 15 Newtons
by 0.2.2 we have a power requirement of 162 watts
this is equivalent to burning 2.32 calories/minute
Over 1200km this is 4140 calories.
Note that the actual Tour de France does not reach 1200km untill the 8th
stage! So assuming calories burnt over 4 days of the Tour De France, we have
2070 calories burnt. This is assuming that the rider has ridden unassisted for
4 days of the TDF at a speed that has enabled them to be on the leaderboard.
Such a rider would have used less calories than Olly on his 4 day ride.

3 value obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_coecient

3
0.3.3 TDF Calories with Peleton on the Flat
Now lets examine the more realistic case where a rider is riding in the peleton.
Here, we conservatively assume that they have an drag advantage of 30% (the
reality is closer to 40%) by being surrounded by other riders breaking the air
ow. This means that we consider the airow onto their bikes to be lessened by
12km/hr.
by 0.2.3 we get a drag of 7.4 Newtons
by 0.2.2 we have a power requirement of 55 watts
which is equal to burning 0.79 cal/minute
which is 1422 calories burnt for 1200km (less calories because they cycle it
faster).

Conclusion

1) Olly is a freakish champion

2) Olly is burning at least as many calories, doing as much work, as the
TDF.