Public Strava profiles are dangerous things. They quietly remove the illusion that elite athletes are operating on roughly the same human scale as the rest of us.
You scroll through a “recovery ride” that would destroy your weekend. A “steady long run” faster than your 5K pace. A mountain ascent done at a speed that makes no physiological sense.
And then there are these five.
From time-trial monsters to mountain goats, ultra-endurance specialists to sprint assassins, these athletes aren’t simply at the top of their sports, their public training data suggests they train and race with entirely different hardware altogether.
1) Filippo Ganna, The Human Aerodynamic Experiment
If cycling had a laboratory-built prototype for pure power output, it would look like Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna, AKA “Top Ganna”.
The two-time world time trial champion from team Netcompany INEOS holds one of the most absurd engines in endurance sport, with an estimated FTP around 470W at roughly 83kg. His Strava files consistently show huge sustained threshold efforts, perfectly controlled pacing, and an ability to hold elite aerodynamic positions under massive load.
In the 2026 Giro d’Italia Stage 10 time trial, Ganna averaged nearly 55 km/h over 42 km and won by almost two minutes. Most strong amateur cyclists can briefly touch that speed in a sprint. For Ganna this effort came after 9 stages, with 11 more still to be raced.
What makes him extraordinary is not explosive power, but relentless steadiness. His data shows consistency, but on a level unrivalled at the top of the sport.
2) Thymen Arensman — The Diesel Climber
Where Ganna is brute-force aerodynamics, Thymen Arensman is attritional suffering.
One of Netcompany INEOS’ top climbers, Arensman’s public riding data is packed with giant mountain days, huge elevation totals, and repeated climbing efforts performed deep into already-fatigued rides.
During this year’s Giro d’Italia he’s paired elite climbing with a massive time-trial performance. He finished only second to Ganna in the Stage 10 timetrial, and on stage 16 in the mountains he nabbed four Strava KOMs in a 122km day, helping him climb back into third place ahead of the final 5 stages. That combination is what makes him very dangerous as a GC contender.
Most climbers simply survive time trials, yet Arensman has clearly taken a leaf from Ganna’s book and turned them into an opportunity to gain on his rivals.
His superpower appears to be endurance and recovery, the ability to keep producing elite climbing power after hours and days of accumulated heavy fatigue.
3) Tom Evans — The Ultra Runner Who Doesn’t Slow
Most ultra runners eventually fade. Tom Evans appears to just get stronger.
The former British Army captain and Red Bull athlete has become one of trail running’s defining figures thanks to his remarkable durability. His Strava profile shows massive mountain weeks, relentless vertical gain, and surprisingly controlled pacing across huge distances.
In 2025 he finally won Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc on his third attempt, trail running’s most prestigious race with a 174km course and 9920m of elevation. Whilst he's kept his actual race winning stats hidden from public view, what stands out most in his training data is the lack of late-race fade.
Even after 15 hours of effort, Evans appears capable of maintaining movement quality and pace in terrain most people would struggle to hike.
His data doesn’t look chaotic or desperate. It has a treadmill-like steadiness, which is somehow even more impressive when you see the terrain of UTMB.
4) Eilish McColgan — The Marathon Engine
Eilish McColgan’s move from the track to the marathon revealed just how enormous her aerobic engine really is.
Already one of Britain’s best distance runners with a European record over 10,000m, she transitioned to the marathon and immediately produced a Scottish record performance at the London Marathon.
Her Strava training blocks reveal high-volume aerobic work, controlled pacing, double-session durability, and threshold sessions performed at elite efficiency. All the more impressive is her continued use of a 400m running track for a large bulk or her training.
What makes her profile fascinating is how smooth everything appears. Then you notice the pace, the distance, and the remarkably stable heart rate data.
McColgan increasingly looks like an athlete preparing to attack truly world-class marathon times.
5) Lorena Wiebes — The Sprint Terminator
Sprinters are supposed to be specialists. Lorena Wiebes appears to have ignored that concept entirely.
Over the last year the rider from Team SD Worx-Protime has evolved from already-dominant sprinter into one of the most complete riders in women’s cycling.
With huge sprint outputs estimated to peak around 1400 Watts, her Strava files show repeated high-speed efforts, stronger climbing performances than most pure sprinters, and elite top-end speed late in races.
After collecting an astonishing number of wins across the 2025 season, 2026 looks to potentially be even better. Wiebes no longer looks like a sprinter surviving races until the last 200m, she increasingly looks to be controlling them from start to finish.
Elite sprint power combined with growing all-round endurance is a frightening combination.
Conclusion
First things first: pick your jaw up off the floor. Done? Good.
Now for the encouraging part — we’ve all got something to aim for. Sure, Lorena Wiebes’ sprint power and Tom Evans’ endurance might feel slightly alien right now, but these SunGod athletes and the rest of us probably share one important thing in common:
We all want to, and can, See Better.
So whether that means dropping a 1400W sprint, surviving a 100miles run, or simply seeing the road, trail, or finish line with the same clarity as these athletes… we’ll let you decide how far you want to take it.
Want more inspiration? See Better with Steph Case, breastfeeding during a 100k ultra.
