Physical performance and tactical experience: determinants of competition outcomes in amateur vs. elite cyclists – a descriptive study from the UCI tour of Lithuania

Amateur cyclists demonstrated sufficient physical capacity to complete the Tour of Lithuania despite lower aerobic capacity and limited experience in team tactics. These findings illustrate the rising performance levels in amateur cycling while emphasizing persistent gaps in physical conditioning, race experience and execution, particularly in energy management, pacing strategies, and situational decision-making, factors that remain key competition-specific performance limitations compared to elite cyclists.