Why a Bigger FTP Doesn’t Automatically Make You a Better Cyclist
By Leon Schepers, ChPC
There are few numbers in cycling that create more excitement than FTP.
Mention Functional Threshold Power during a group ride and watch the conversation immediately become serious.
• Riders start quoting numbers.
• Training plans appear.
• Someone inevitably mentions their latest test result.
FTP has become cycling’s favourite performance metric.
Unfortunately, it has also become one of the most misunderstood.
Every week, I hear athletes talking about increasing their FTP. Yet when I ask what that increase will actually change in a race, the answer is often far less clear.
The uncomfortable reality is this:
A bigger FTP does not automatically make you a better cyclist.
That statement tends to upset people.
But it is true.
What FTP Actually Measures
FTP is simply an estimate of the highest power output you can sustain for approximately one hour.
It is useful.
• It helps establish training zones.
• It allows coaches to monitor adaptation.
• It provides a benchmark from which training can be prescribed.
But it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
Somewhere along the way, cyclists stopped treating FTP as a tool and started treating it as the goal.
That is where problems begin.
The FTP Trap
I have seen athletes spend months chasing a higher FTP while ignoring the very things holding them back:
• Poor positioning
• Weak technical skills
• Inadequate fueling
• Poor pacing
• Lack of repeatability
• Weak sprint ability
• Poor race awareness
Then they wonder why race results never improve despite their FTP increasing.
The answer is simple:
Cycling races are not FTP tests.
A race demands:
• Constant acceleration
• Repeated efforts
• Decision-making under fatigue
• Positioning
• Tactical awareness
• Technical skill
• The ability to recover while still moving at high speed
A rider can have an impressive FTP and still lose repeatedly.
Conversely, I have coached athletes with relatively modest FTP values who consistently outperform stronger riders because they know how to race.
Talkers and Torque Riders
Over the years, I have noticed two types of cyclists.
The Talkers
These riders know every metric.
They know:
• Their FTP
• Their power zones
• Their left-right balance
• Their latest testing numbers
They can discuss training theory for hours.
Yet when racing begins, the results rarely match the conversation.
The Torque Riders
These riders are usually quieter.
They focus less on discussing performance and more on building it.
They can:
• Repeat hard efforts
• Recover quickly
• Stay composed under pressure
• Execute when fatigued
• Make good decisions late in races
Most importantly:
They know how to use the fitness they have built.
They do not simply produce power.
They apply power.
That is what wins races.
Why Athletes Become Obsessed With FTP
The answer is straightforward.
FTP is measurable.
It is simple.
It is tidy.
People like tidy.
A single number provides certainty in a sport that is anything but certain.
Unfortunately, real performance is far messier.
Performance is influenced by:
• Recovery
• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Life stress
• Technical skill
• Tactical awareness
• Durability
• Confidence
• Experience
No single metric can fully capture that complexity.
The Questions That Matter More
Instead of constantly asking:
“How do I increase my FTP?”
Consider asking:
• Can I repeat hard efforts deep into a race?
• Can I recover between attacks?
• Can I maintain technique under fatigue?
• Can I fuel effectively?
• Can I make good decisions when tired?
• Can I produce power when it matters most?
Those questions often reveal more about race performance than any FTP test.
The Coaching Reality
As coaches, we use FTP.
It remains an important tool.
But we never confuse a tool with the entire toolbox.
Strong cyclists are not defined by a single number.
Strong cyclists are:
• Durable
• Adaptable
• Technically competent
• Tactically aware
• Mentally resilient
And yes, they possess enough physiological capacity to support all of those qualities.
The best riders are rarely the ones obsessing over a dashboard.
They are usually the ones quietly doing the work.
Final Thought
Numbers matter.
Data matters.
Testing matters.
But none of them cross the finish line for you.
The road does not care what your FTP is.
The climb does not care what your training software says.
The race certainly does not care what you posted on social media.
Performance lives where preparation, skill, execution, and resilience meet.
Build the rider first.
The numbers will follow.
Want to train smarter, race stronger, and develop real-world cycling performance?
Explore our coaching services, athlete development programs, and performance resources at Cadence & Grit.
Less talk. More torque.
