I’m reading the report now as someone who hasn’t got a clue what they are writing about.
52″ isn’t a large gear. It’s the normal one.
It doesn’t sound like the course was anything out of the ordinary in elevation gain but yeah there is no way I’m going to be able to ever ride as fast as him as he’s clearly a semi pro rider whereas I’m a pleb in comparison. Oh actually I’m not even that as I’m running 32:17 on proper wheels.
The writer makes it sound like the rest of the top riders are running gears of ill repute when I very much doubt they were although “majority” were probablt running 32:20…