Mr. DeLorey makes a good point. Good writing is both explanatory to the lay reader and doesn't speak down to the expert. Bogging down a narrative like that with jargon served little than for the writer to show off how much he knows.

Criterium racing involves a short course, usually a mile or so, ridden repeatedly for a designated number of miles. This differs from a point-to-point road race or a circuit race, which is several laps around a longer course. The peloton, derived from the French word for platoon, is the large group of racers. I'll admit, lactate (not lactose) and wattage aren't my thing, but they essentially involve the power produced by the racer's pedal stroke and the physiology of the muscles. 

Instead of having readers get lost in the weeds, the writer could have focused on the essential element of a transgender bike racer.