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I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, but my gut feeling is that doing half at tempo/sweet spot and then hammering a bit of VO2 max isn't representative of FTP. I'm probably wrong though.
You can always test your numbers though with 2x20 at FTP. Can you hold that figure? It should feel hard, but sustainable.
TTM-
Thanks for the replies...just to clarify, none of the test was carried out below my starting FTP, and 80% was above my target FTP....the target average power for the interval being about 30W above my target FTP. I suspect the difference between the methods is mostly psychological, with reduced effort at the start allowing more pain tolerance at the end. It also helps to avoid boredom because of the constant changes in effort!
Anyways, the next session in my plan is 3x9min over/unders. I imagine that should be fairly informative as to whether I've got the right number!
SCS
FTP testing question....so this evening I did my third FTP test on TR, and my pacing has improved immensely. However, I am riding the tests essentially as a ramp, picking a target FTP, and riding negative splits at first and rising gradually through the interval so that on average I hit my target. Is this a sensible way of doing these, or should I aim for a more consistent power throughout the interval? Or is it simply get as much power out as you can in any way you can?
In any case, the results of my latest test means that TR is gonna get a lot more painful...