weight loss while training for bike race?

iayoung8505

generally in the past, if my goal is just to be as fit as possible for a bike race, the only thing that I have done is to try to focus on food quality while eating as much as i need to feel full. I also try to limit my junk food intake though the urges do get pretty strong when i do a really huge bout of exercise. And while training at high intensity, i eat 60-90g of simple carbs per hour.

My body type is very much of the "clydesdale" variety. I have a large frame, currently i'm 229lbs, 6ft 1in tall, with chest, hip diameter, and waste diameters all similar at ~42".

the result of my above choices generally means my weight might go down just a little bit, but it will settle at around 221 to 226 during the middle of the race season. I want to target a body weight of 210 lbs..

What i would like to try differently, is to actively count calories use CICO methodology.. I have a power meter which gives me accurate data for how many kJ are generated on the bike. Does it really work for me to take the "calorie estimation" that is provided based on those activities and simply eat back those calories along with the calories that I need based on BMR and those calories required for my every day tasks like steps counted by my apple watch? in general, the calorie estimation is that for every 1 kJ of work done on the bike, 1 Calorie of food should be consumed.

one of the extreme examples of the above strategy:
I can sometimes do a 5 hour weekend ride where i generate 3000 kJ. On such a day, I could theoretically need to consume a total of 5500 calories of food. I probably ate around 1400-1800 calories in sugar during the ride.. and that leaves 3700-4100 calories left to consume. subtracting a 300 calorie deficit.. that's 3400-3800 calories.
are there any potential pitfalls with this or have i made any mistakes in my calculation?

the problem i see with this strategy is trying to understand how it applies when compared to someone with a very different body type and fitness level. for example lets compare me to Chris Froome. If Chris Froome did a 3000 kJ ride in 5 hours, he would obviously go a lot further since he's lighter and smaller. But, does Chris Froome really also need to consume 5500 calories? Perhaps his body is more efficient than mine and needs less food calories for each kJ of work performed? If this is true, Is there anything going on with any of these fitness apps that actually calculates in this efficiency accurately for different types of athletes?

If none of the above is really known, how can CICO really even work? This is why i've always reverted back to a intuitive eating approach. But intuitive eating has never delivered me to a weight loss goal that I have set for myself. I have always targeted a weight of approximately 210 lbs. (my weight when i was 26)