Most cyclists I work with come to me thinking they understand their limits.They know their FTP. They’ve done the tests. They’ve built their zones.On paper, everything looks structured. But then race day comes… and nothing quite adds up. They blow up earlier than expected.They can’t follow moves they should be able to follow.
Or they feel strong -right until the moment they’re suddenly not.That gap between what you think your level is and what actually happens on the road?That’s where Critical Power (CP) comes in.
The Problem With How Most Riders Think
FTP has become the default language of training. It’s simple, neat, and easy to communicate. But real cycling – especially racing – is not simple or neat.
You don’t ride steady for an hour. You surge, brake, accelerate, climb, attack, respond, and repeat. Over and over.
So when a rider tells me: > “My FTP is 300, I don’t understand why I got dropped” My first thought is not about their FTP. It’s about what happens above it.
What Critical Power Actually Represents
Critical Power is not just another number. It’s the point where your body loses control of the situation.
Below it, things are stable. Above it, you’re burning matches you can’t fully replace. There’s no negotiating with it either. You can feel strong above CP — for a while. That’s the trap. Because every second you spend there, you’re draining something finite.
The Missing Piece: Your “Battery”
Every rider has a capacity to go above CP. Think of it like a battery. Some riders:
– Have a big battery but a lower CP
– Others have a high CP but a small battery
This is why two riders with similar FTP can race completely differently. One can attack, recover, and go again.
The other can hold a strong pace… but cracks the moment the race gets chaotic.
If you’ve ever felt like:
– You’re good in steady efforts but struggle in punchy races
– Or you can go deep once, but not repeatedly That’s not random.
That’s your battery — your W′ — being exposed.
Where Races Are Actually Decided
Here’s something most riders underestimate: Races are rarely won at threshold.
They’re decided:
– Just above it
– Repeatedly
– Under fatigue
Short climbs, accelerations out of corners, closing gaps – this is where your “battery” gets tested. And once it’s empty, there’s no mental trick that saves you.
You don’t “push through.” You slow down.
Why Riders Suddenly Explode
One of the most common experiences I hear: > “I felt fine… and then I was completely gone” That’s not a mystery. It’s not nutrition. It’s not motivation. It’s simple: You went above your sustainable limit for long enough to drain your reserves.
The problem is that the feeling lags behind reality. By the time you feel it, it’s already too late.
How This Changes the Way You Train
Once you understand CP, training stops being guesswork.
Instead of just riding “hard” or “easy,” you start to see purpose:
– Efforts around CP raise your ceiling
– Efforts above CP train how you use and tolerate your battery
– Recoveries below CP determine how much you can do again
It becomes less about blindly following zones… and more about understanding your engine.
The Shift That Matters
The biggest change I see in riders isn’t physical at first – it’s awareness.
They stop asking:
– “What’s my FTP?” And start asking: – “How long can I survive above my limit?”
– “How repeatable are my efforts?”
– “Where do I actually break in a race?” That’s when things start to click.
Final Thought
FTP gives you a number. Critical Power gives you a map of your limits.
Matteo Cigala
Founder & Head Coach