INTRODUCTION: Maximal mean power output (MMP) is commonly used to describe the demands and performances of races within professional male cycling. Within the female professional cyclist domain, however, there is limited knowledge regarding MMPs in races.1-4 Therefore, this study aims to describe MMPs within female professional cycling races whilst investigating differences between TOP5 and NOT-TOP5 races. METHODS: Race data (n=1324) were collected from 14 professional female cyclists between 2013-2019. Races were categorized as TOP5 or NOT-TOP5. MMPs were consequently determined over a range of different timeframes (5sec to 60min). To provide these MMPs with additional context, two factors were determined: when these MMPs were attained in a race (based on duration and kJ spent [kJspent·kg-1]) and these MMPs relative to the cyclist`s season`s best MMP (MMP%best). All performance indicators from TOP5 races are compared to NOT-TOP5 through a multilevel random intercept model using Tukey`s method for pairwise comparisons in R (Statistical computing, Vienna, Austria). Random effect variability was modelled using a random intercept for each individual participant. The level of significance was set at P <0.05. RESULTS: Short-duration power outputs (=1min) were higher in TOP5 races compared to NOT-TOP5 races. In addition, the timing (both duration and kJspent·kg-1) of all MMPs was later and after more workload in the race in TOP5 compared to NOT-TOP5 races. In contrast, no difference in MMP%best was noted between TOP5 and NOT-TOP5 races. CONCLUSION: TOP5 races in female cycling are presented with higher short duration MMPs (=1min) when compared to NOT-TOP5 races and cyclists were able to reach a higher % of their seasonal best MMP when they were able to finish TOP5. In addition, these MMPs are performed later and after more kJspent·kg-1 in TOP5 vs NOT-TOP5 races, which confirms the importance of "fatigue resistance" in professional (female) cycling.
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