Rider Type · Data-Derived
Puncheur
Explosive on short steep efforts, strongest when fresh. Power drops with fatigue.
Over 10 rides and 69 segment results in 2026, Nikhil Sharma averaged in the top 55% of the field, with a +3 percentile points (improves!) from the opening segments to the late-ride segments.
Over 10 rides and 69 segment results in 2026, Nikhil Sharma averaged in the top 55% of the field, with a +3 percentile points (improves!) from the opening segments to the late-ride segments.
Fatigue Pattern — Field Percentile by Segment Position
Average field percentile per segment slot (lower = better; bar height = how far back)
Opening (S01–S02): top 57% avg →
Late (S07+): top 53% avg ·
Swing: +3 percentile points (improves!)
Performance by Segment Type
By Distance
<0.4km (n=29 · 390W avg)
Top 51%
0.4–0.8km (n=27 · 311W avg)
Top 54%
>0.8km (n=13 · 242W avg)
Top 66%
By Gradient
<6% flat (n=10 · 416W avg)
Top 30%
6–10% mod (n=30 · 317W avg)
Top 59%
10–13% steep (n=21 · 319W avg)
Top 61%
>13% wall (n=8 · 332W avg)
Top 55%
Effort Profile
Punchy <0.45km ≥9% (n=21)
Top 59%
Threshold ≥0.7km ≥5% (n=16)
Top 65%
Peak Performances — Best 5 Segments
| Rank | Segment | Distance | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/58 | Oakridge Drive inbound | 0.22 km | 5.7% |
| 5/57 | Highlands Circle (east) | 0.33 km | 10.6% |
| 8/77 | La Barranca Rd last steep part | 0.17 km | 14.2% |
| 10/77 | O'Keefe summitage | 0.41 km | 6.6% |
| 8/60 | Ravensbury - Corner to CH (Egan Official) | 0.51 km | 6.0% |
Toughest Moments — Worst 5 Segments
| Rank | Segment | Distance | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38/38 | Palmer Climb | 0.26 km | 14.8% |
| 56/57 | Mora: Trail of Tribulation | 0.69 km | 10.4% |
| 38/39 | Golden Oak - Sausal to top | 1.02 km | 6.6% |
| 37/39 | Cervantes Wall | 0.87 km | 9.5% |
| 93/100 | St. Francis to La Cresta | 0.49 km | 6.9% |
What the Data Suggests
💪
Strengths to Protect
Explosive anaerobic power on short steep climbs. Opening-segment aggression (top 57% on S1–S2). Wall-gradient efforts where torque beats sustained output. Don't over-train aerobic base at the expense of peak power — that edge is real.
🎯
Development Area
Aerobic threshold and repeatability — the gap between S1 (top 57%) and S7+ (top 53%) is 3 percentile points. Even closing that to 5 points would be transformative on long-format rides. Target: 2×20 threshold work and back-to-back climbing days to build the aerobic floor.
📊
The Real Enemy
Fatigue, not segment type. Power drops 38% from short to long segments (390W → 242W). The issue is power-at-fatigue (FTP relative to peak power) — on a fresh day the ceiling is genuinely high. One note: Ride 19 looks like a major outlier — averaging top 82% vs your season norm of top 55%. A single bad day (mechanical, illness, off route) is pulling down the headline numbers.