{"id":2092754,"date":"2026-08-13T16:16:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T13:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2092754"},"modified":"2026-08-13T16:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T13:16:42","slug":"how-does-your-ftp-stack-up-against-the-best-cyclists-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2092754","title":{"rendered":"How Does Your FTP Stack Up Against the Best Cyclists in the World?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Zach Nehr<\/span><\/div>\n

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Published August 13, 2026 10:16AM<\/div>\n
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Everyone loves to brag about their Functional Threshold Power (FTP), the highest sustained power output a cyclist can hold for an hour. Remember, your FTP is your friend\u2019s FTP + 10 watts. But when you start comparing yourself to the pros, you can be quickly humbled.<\/p>\n

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Most professional cyclists have an FTP that starts with the number 4, and there have perhaps been a few riders in history whose FTP started with the number 5. But when we\u2019re talking about the best cyclists in the world, that range is narrowed down to about 450w.<\/p>\n

Heavyweights like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Mads Pedersen can push 300-400w for hours. That makes more sense because they weigh 75-80 kg, so their w\/kg isn\u2019t completely off the charts. But then you start considering riders like Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Paul Seixas who weigh 60-63 kg. An FTP of 450w would be well over 7w\/kg at their weights, something we think <\/i>is not humanly possible.<\/p>\n

Then there is Tadej Poga\u010dar. He is a special rider in so many ways, but it all comes back to his pure strength on the bike. In this article, we\u2019re going to lay out the best riders\u2019 FTPs, and explain why this can be a strength or a weakness for each rider.<\/p>\n

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Tadej Poga\u010dar | Estimated FTP: 450w<\/h2>\n

There is no doubt that Tadej Poga\u010dar has the highest FTP in w\/kg of any rider in cycling history. Some riders may have more raw power, but none of them weigh less than 70kg. Not only is Poga\u010dar lighter than that, he is closer to 65kg at his ideal race weight. That makes for an FTP of 6.9w\/kg, an unfathomable amount of power that most amateurs would be happy to hold for just a few minutes.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar\u2019s power to weight ration makes him nearly impossible to beat. <\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This makes sense with Poga\u010dar\u2019s top-level climbing performances, both on Plateau de Beille in 2024, and on Alpe d\u2019Huez in 2026. On each occasion, Poga\u010dar pushed 6.9-7w\/kg for 35-40 minutes at the end of a multi-hour stage in the third week of the Tour de France. It\u2019s safe to assume he had at least a little bit of fatigue in his legs, so his fresh numbers could be even higher.<\/p>\n

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Poga\u010dar \u2013 Alpe d\u2019Huez Climbing Record<\/b><\/p>\n

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  • Time<\/b>: 35:27<\/li>\n
  • Estimated Power<\/b>: ~6.9w\/kg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Poga\u010dar\u2019s biggest advantage over his number-one grand tour rival, Jonas Vingegaard, is raw power. While the Dane\u2019s FTP is awfully close to Poga\u010dar\u2019s, the Slovenian has an estimated wattage advantage of 50w.<\/p>\n

    Jonas Vingegaard | Estimated FTP: 410w<\/h2>\n

    The two-time Tour de France winner has posted multiple climbing performances at more than 6.5w\/kg for 30 minutes or more. On the day that Poga\u010dar won on Plateau de Beille, Vingegaard did his best numbers ever, pushing 6.8w\/kg for over 40 minutes at the end of a five-hour, 198km stage. With an estimated FTP of 410w, that puts Vingegaard at 6.8w\/kg FTP assuming a race weight of 60 kg. There have been rumors that Vingegaard has gained a few kilos in 2026, a deliberate attempt to close the wattage gap to Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

    \"Jonas
    Vingegaard\u2019s lower weight helps him excel in high mountains. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    On the steepest climbs, Vingegaard is clearly the second-best climber in the world behind Poga\u010dar. The Dane can drop Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Florian Lipowitz, and Isaac Del Toro on 10% grades, but things change as the gradient lessens.\u00a0 This discrepancy was on full display in stage 6 of this year\u2019s Tour de France where Poga\u010dar dropped Vingegaard on the Col du Tourmalet. The Dane was only 30 seconds behind at the top of the Tourmalet, but that gap grew to nearly three minutes on the gradual climb to Gavarnie-G\u00e8dre which averaged 3.7%.<\/p>\n

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    You could try to argue that Vingegaard blew up, and that\u2019s why the gap expanded. But Vingegaard was actually flying. After descending alone for 20 kilometers, he held off a chase group that included Evenepoel, Del Toro, Lipowitz, Seixas, Juan Ayuso, and more. For a 60kg rider to hold off a group like that on shallow gradients, Vingegaard must have been pushing 400w.<\/p>\n

    The raw power discrepancy also hurts Vingegaard on the flats and in time trials. When Poga\u010dar is pushing 550w in crosswinds, he is riding in his VO2 Max zone. But Vingegaard pushing the same raw power is working in his anaerobic zone, an unsustainable effort if only for a few minutes. The best way to close the performance gap on the flat\u2014putting aside the ability to just get stronger\u2014is potential aerodynamic improvements. We\u2019ve seen Vingegaard beat Poga\u010dar in a handful of time trials, many of which included long sections on the flat. This is the secret of double Olympic Champion Remco Evenepoel, a rider who has a lower raw FTP than Poga\u010dar, and a lower w\/kg FTP than Vingegaard. Yet, Evenepoel has beaten them on many occasions.<\/p>\n

    Remco Evenepoel | Estimated FTP: 425w<\/h2>\n
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    According to his YouTube video posted today, Remco Evenepoel\u2019s threshold is about 425w<\/p>\n

    That would be 6.7w\/kg at 63 kg pic.twitter.com\/mUQMShzMhe<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Zach Nehr (@zachnehr) June 10, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

    A video posted to Evenepoel\u2019s YouTube channel earlier this season said his threshold is about 425w. That would be 6.7w\/kg at 63kg. However, Remco has said that he lost multiple kilograms between the Classics and the Tour de France. So if his TDF race weight is 63kg, he likely weighed 65-66kg during the January training camp when this video was posted. That gives us an estimated FTP of 6.5w\/kg at 65.5kg, well below Vingegaard\u2019s FTP by w\/kg.<\/p>\n

    This is why we see Evenepoel consistently get dropped on the longest and steepest climbs at the Tour. He simply cannot match the w\/kg of Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard for 30-60 minutes. But he can hold 6.5-6.7w\/kg for an extended period of time, putting him squarely above the rest of the field.<\/p>\n

    \"Evenepoel\"
    Evenepoel consistently wins time trials.<\/span>\u00a0(Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    However, Evenepoel\u2019s true ability shines through on the flat, especially on the time trial bike. While he is putting out fewer watts than Poga\u010dar, and even more so compared to TT heavyweights like Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling, Evenepoel is still the fastest TT rider in the world. He is just that aero, simple as that.<\/p>\n

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    This is the key to Evenepoel\u2019s success in road racing. If he can hang with the strongest riders on the climbs, then he can attack on the flats or downhills and build an insurmountable gap. The only way to beat him at that point is to put out so much power that you can close the gap at 55 kph. There are few riders in the world who can do that, and one of them is Mathieu van der Poel.<\/p>\n

    Mathieu van der Poel | Estimated FTP: 470w+<\/h2>\n

    Like Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel used to post his power data on Strava. He even posted the file from his unforgettable win at the 2019 Amstel Gold Race. But in the last few years, MVDP\u2019s power data has been hard to come by. But that all changed earlier this year at the E3 Saxo Classic. Van der Poel attacked from a long way out and was solo for the entire finale, but then it looked like a chase group of four was going to catch him. The group completely floundered, and MVDP rode away to victory, posting a 90-minute power personal best of 446w on his social media. That is 5.7w\/kg at 78kg, but like Evenepoel, MVDP\u2019s weight likely fluctuates throughout the year. I have heard numbers as high as 80kg for the flat Classics like Paris-Roubaix, and 75kg for hilly stage races like the Tour de France. Either way, Van der Poel\u2019s FTP is nearly 500w, giving him a massive advantage on flat roads.<\/p>\n

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    Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert are also in the 450-480w range, and it was actually Pedersen\u2019s coach who was recently quoted with the 450w figure. Van Aert is likely a few kilograms heavier, so his raw power is even higher. This is what put Pedersen, Van Aert, and Van der Poel on a level playing field with Poga\u010dar in the flatter Classics.<\/p>\n

    Raw power equalizes on flatter roads, especially on the tough and bumpy classics courses of Flanders and Roubaix. Evenepoel can get away with fewer watts on smooth roads because he is much more aerodynamic than Poga\u010dar, Van der Poel, etc. But on the cobblestones of Flanders and Roubaix\u2014where the races are most often decided\u2014it is impossible to ride in the \u2018aero bullet\u2019 position.<\/p>\n

    \"Mathieu
    Mathieu van der Poel has an insanely high FTP. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    But on high-speed climbs shallower than 5%, 450w is 450w. There isn\u2019t a significant w\/kg advantage until you get to the steeper gradients. That\u2019s why it is so difficult for Poga\u010dar to drop Van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix. Both riders can push 550w for three minutes on a cobblestone sector, but it doesn\u2019t matter that Poga\u010dar is doing 8.3w\/kg and Van der Poel is only doing 7w\/kg. At the same raw power output, they will basically go the same speed.<\/p>\n

    Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas | Estimated FTP: unknown<\/h2>\n

    Two of the scariest riders in professional cycling are Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas. Not because they are the strongest riders in the world, but because they are already among the best at 22 and 19 years old, respectively. Their estimated FTPs are roughly 410w, but that doesn\u2019t really matter because they are improving so rapidly.<\/p>\n

    \"Paul
    Paul Seixas and Isaac del Toro are still only getting stronger. <\/span>(Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Del Toro wasn\u2019t yet considered among the Top 10 best climbers in the world in 2025. Instead, he was more of a punchy rider with limitless potential. We\u2019re hardly halfway through 2026 and he has already won three WorldTour stage races and finished third at the Tour de France while also winning the white jersey.<\/p>\n

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    Seixas is only a half-step behind Del Toro despite being three years younger. The Frenchman finished second at Strade Bianche and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, clearly the best of the rest behind Tadej Poga\u010dar. After a hard crash and tough lead-in to his first Tour de France, Seixas was fourth in the GC and finished in the top-10 in 10 out of 21 stages. While it\u2019s hard to imagine Poga\u010dar, Vingegaard, and Evenepoel gaining 20 more watts at this point in their careers, the same cannot be said for Del Toro and Seixas who seem to be improving on a monthly basis.<\/p>\n

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    Zach Nehr<\/span><\/div>\n

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    Published August 13, 2026 10:16AM<\/div>\n
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    [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/ftp-best-cyclists-world\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/EG2_4197-2376794.jpg”] Zach Nehr Published August 13, 2026 10:16AM Everyone loves to brag about their Functional Threshold Power (FTP), the highest sustained power output a cyclist can hold for an hour. Remember, your FTP is your friend\u2019s FTP + 10 watts. But when you start comparing yourself to the pros, you can be quickly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-2092754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2092754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2092754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2092754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2092754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}