The Puncheur is an explosive athlete who uses this ability with unmatched short, explosive power on climbs of 2-8 minutes in length. They are the most feared rider on the short climbs due to their ability to drop both the sprinters and the mountain climbers with incredible bursts of power uphill. They thrive on rolling to shark-tooth profile rides, but are able to hold their own on flat high speed routes because of their strength. Puncheurs also can use their short but explosive power bursts to do well in short TT’s or long, hard, field sprints.
Puncheurs are the Hollywood Actors of the group. Puncheurs are all about the show. That’s not necessarily a negative thing. They just love a platform to showcase their abilities. They are great storytellers and don’t subscribe to what everyone else is doing. They love the thrill of putting it all on the line. They will try for the win and if it doesn’t happen, they chill out and wait for the next one. They are out their having a party whether it’s off the front or in the groupetto.
Pro Rider Example:
Julian Alaphilippe, Coryn Rivera
Physique
Shorter; solid frame
Muscular
Ideal center of gravity
Physical Strengths:
Explosive speed for longer efforts
Strong at producing power both in and out of the saddle
Prefers variable-pace riding
Can do both short explosive efforts and is a good sprinter
Strong on short climbs
Strong in very short time trials
Physical Weakness:
Powerful sustained efforts on the flats
Crosswinds
Multi-day stage races or hard efforts
Long time trials
Endurance and recovery is not as good as that of the climbers or GC Riders
Mental Strengths:
Aggressive
Determined
Resilient
Strong mental endurance
Intense short-term focus
Mental Weaknesses:
Often too focused on other riders
Struggles with intense focus for long periods of time
Uncomfortable with physical pressure on long climbs
Ideal Races/Events:
Endurance events with short, punchy climbs
Short time trials
Criteriums
Shorter road races with explosive uphill finishes
Ideal Race-Winning Strategy:
Explosive, surging race that comes down to a small group in the finish. Ideally the finish is an uphill in which the Puncheur wins the sprint from the small group