About this Series

Since March I have become obsessed with the weekly Team Time Trial… so I asked Eric if I could share my obsession with you all, in weekly doses.

Each week on a Friday I will give you a profile of the upcoming route, guidance on bike choice and some target times if you want to aim for the Premiere League (top-10 in each coffee class get to be in a special race televised on YouTube). 

If you can’t ride, or even if you can ride, but want more action! Don’t forget to tune in to the live TV show on Zwift Community Live’s YouTube Channel at 6:15 (UK time). 

This year, World Bicycle Relief celebrates 15 years of changing people’s lives in 21 countries around the world by providing the infamous Buffalo Bikes. These invaluable bikes provide entrepreneurs, students, doctors, and healthcare workers a means to cover the distances necessary to attend school, collect water or food, visit patients, or even just visit their own families. The tireless work of WBR empowers communities to improve access to education, livelihoods, families, and well-being which in turn breaks the cycle of poverty for years to come.

A single Buffalo Bike can make a world of difference to these communities and costs just USD147/GBP120. WTRL TTT #87 will be dedicated to this cause! More details to follow but there will be trophies and prizes available as well as fundraising related time initiatives for every team that enters. The home page at wtrl.racing has all the information.

Review of WTRL TTT #86 Greater London Flat

Not a decent hill in sight last week… the worst we had was the drag up Piccadilly. So speeds were fast all the way to the end. Before looking at this week’s performance, here is a reminder of the historic times:

Category	Jan 23rd #40	April 30th #54	July 16th #65	December 10th
Vienna	49:25	42:47	42:41	41:40
Doppio				37:05
Espresso	40:58 (5 teams)	37:09	37:10	37:39
Frappe	40:16	39:06	39:17	38:42
Latte	43:25	42:09	42:08	41:35
Mocha	52:37	47:38	47:22	46:48

R&K Hyenas only had 7 this week but a good 7. All the guys that were really hurting in Harrogate came into their own on the flat… and it was nice to see our hill-climbing Cat complaining about the flatness of it all! Only kidding… we love Cat. Ahead of the race I set us a time target that was a minute faster than we did in July – 44:10. We have been bouncing closer and closer to the 40th percentile in Latte and I really wanted to get past 60% this week. 

Well… that last paragraph was written on Tuesday… we ended up with 6 on the field… but a good 6. Unfortunately we lost one to a technical halfway through. Still – our ending position in the GC table was pretty much where it was last week so I’m pretty happy overall. 

Hyenas Heckle. Only six Hyenas made it to the pen – with Martin stuck in France somewhere… he may still be there! We nailed the start – and were immediately in a paceline. No worries at all getting to the start/finish straight first time around where we passed the team in front. Midway through lap one we were passed by a Cryo-Gen team who immediately backed off, forcing us to re-pass them… then a little later they came past again… that’s always frustrating but it happens!  Regardless, by the time we hit Hyde Park Corner tunnels we were 10 seconds ahead of the self-imposed split time. Helen hit IT issues and lost power temporarily but when it came back we got her back on the train – but it happened again and she told us to carry on. Being the unmerciful group that we are, we left her for the wolves. The remainder of the race was uneventful with strong efforts from everyone. As usual POD came first in the sprint finish!

Enough of the Hyenas race – here is where the PL contenders landed. 

Category	PL Spot	My prediction	Place
Vienna	41:40	42:30	13th
Doppio	37:05	38:00	12th (of 12)
Espresso	37:39	38:30	28th
Frappe	38:42	40:30	75th
Latte	41:35	41:50	18th
Mocha	46:48	46:00	9th

All-in-all a pretty disastrous set of predictions… 75th in Frappe?!? I thought you would be faster than July, slower than April – but across the board you blew away the April numbers. Amazing work everyone!

WTRL TTT #87 Sand and Sequoias (2 laps)

This week is two laps of Sand and Sequioas. This route is a regular on TTT – I have ridden it three times (once with CICC, twice with R&K). In fact, this was the route of my first TTT. Prior to that it was the route four times – #51, #39, #26, and #19! 

Two laps at 20km plus a lead in make this a 43km ride – add in a KOM and what we have here is one of the longest and hardest TTTs (at least until the TTT visits Alpe Du Zwift on New Years Eve). Even top-flight teams will be in the saddle for 55 minutes, and the rest of us should expect well over an hour. 

Essentially the route is out from the pens on the Fuego Flats desert then back via the Titans Grove sequoia forest – then repeat it all. This route ticks all the boxes – the flat of the desert, the KOM itself, and the rollers that bookend the KOM. And it’s long at 43km, too. 

From the desert pens we head straight for the Sprint then through the start/finish gate. Through the desert for 10km (including the lead-in) before heading up the hill and into the Titans Grove. From here it’s a sequence of rollers before heading up the KOM (2.6km at a pretty steady 3%) then more rollers. It flattens out as you hit the desert again for the remaining 3.5km to the start/finish banner – then do it again. 

What to ride?

Bike recommendation on this route is tricky… for the Fuego Flats aero is king… but for Titans Grove the rollers give an edge to something more balanced. I will be on my Tron bike this week, leaving the Venge in the garage.

Here are some recommendations on equipment at various levels:

• Level 6 Zwift Aero frame and DT Swiss ARC 62 wheels
• Level 13 Canyon Aeroad 2021 and Zipp 808s
• Level 18 Specialized Venge with Zipp 808s
• Level 25 Cervelo S5 with Zipp 808s
• Level 33 S-Works Venge with ENVE SES 8.9
• Level 35 S-Works Venge with Zipp 808/Super 9
• Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge

In this case though, if you have a Tron, use it… it beats every other bike on this route hands down. I cannot stress highly enough that if you are racing you need to be working on Tron. It’ll take a while, but just set the Everest Challenge and forget about it for nine months… like having a baby. 

Route Recon Rides

The last couple of weeks I have struggled to find good recce rides – but Sand and Sequoias is everywhere! – check for yourself on the event listing on zwifthacks.com. 

If you don’t want to go on an organized ride, but you do want to do some skills practice, always remember you can create a meetup in the Companion and bring the team. 

Race Breakdown 

As you can see from the route map courtesy of VeloViewer, the route is divided into two parts – flat in the desert, hilly in Titans Grove. There is an official Zwift race recon – but I didn’t think this one translates well to a TTT.

Start through the end of the Flats

It’s 10k from the pens to the start of the rise into the sequoias. There are a couple of tiny rises but you won’t notice them as you speed through.  

Col du Saddle Springs

Some wag on Strava coined this term for a segment and I couldn’t resist using it. After 10km flat this is the first real rise – a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m up to the turn into Titans Grove.

More up than down – the approach to the KOM

Rounding the bend from the Col you head into Titans Grove – a very pretty section, although you won’t have the energy for sightseeing. Before the KOM itself are a jagged series of bumps heading upwards before the descent that marks the approach to the KOM itself. This segment feels just like The Esses to me – plenty of opportunity to gain momentum and increase the team’s speed, but also a risk of splitting up.

Titans Grove KOM

On the face of it, this is a 2.5km drag at 2%, winding up and around the mountain with three beautiful switchbacks. But the top and bottom are kinda flat… so the middle is steeper. Think of this as 1km at 4%. That’s enough height and distance to create a split – particularly on the second time around.

I have raced this on two TTTs and in both we lost someone on this segment. Depending on your race strategy that might be fine on the second time through, of course.

More down than up… after the KOM and back to the desert

Once you go through the KOM the grade heads downwards. There’s a 4% downhill for a 1.4 km where you will pick up speed, then a series of rollers. With tired legs after the KOM (particularly on lap 2) this will put strain on the team. Keep an eye out for splits in the group.

After the rollers it flattens out as you speed back into the desert, through the sprint and on to the Start/Finish banner.

Target times

The WTRL splits here are at 10, 20 and 30 kilometers.

• Split 1 (10km) – Just before the Col du Saddle Springs
• Split 2 (20km) – As you reconnect to the Desert from Titans Grove on Lap 1
• Split 3 (30km) – Passing the LAX Control Tower in Saddle Springs on Lap 2

How have you done in the last few attempts on this course? Here are the PL time markers from the past three rides on this course.

Class	9th April / #51	9th July / #64	8th October / #77
Vienna	1:11:12	1:04:14	1:03:17
Espresso	57:04	55:38	56:07
Frappe	59:42	58:55	58:44
Latte	1:04:51	1:04:03	1:03:10
Mocha	1:22:45	1:11:06	1:11:39

The last few weeks have been really competitive. The speeds have gone up far beyond my expectations – I don’t know if it is wattage, TTT race craft, or a combination of the two. I do know it’s fantastic to watch. 

Class	Split 1 (10km)	Split 2 (20km)	Split 3 (30km)	Finish
Vienna	15:00	30:10	45:30	1:04:00
Doppio	12:45	25:40	38:30	55:00
Espresso	13:00	26:10	39:20	55:45
Frappe	13:30	27:30	41:00	58:00
Latte	14:20	30:15	44:30	1:03:00
Mocha	16:00	33:30	49:30	1:11:00

The Hyenas are 8 riders this week and a great mix for this course. We had a 1:05 time in October – but lost a couple of riders and a couple of minutes the first time over the KOM so were compromised from then on. I think if we are disciplined we can bring that time down by a minute or more this time around.

Wrap up

This race is all about decision-making. You will be flat out on the flat, and the hills will strain the team… people will get dropped. But for me, the critical sections are the rollers before and after the KOM. Hold together on those and everything else will come together.

For the past few months I have been putting together recce’s for the weekly Thursday Team Time Trial from WTRL. I race in a hungry mid-pack Latte (usually) team for Rowe and King – the Hyenas, and now I captain the R&K Ewoks on Tuesdays as well. Eric asked me to put together a similar recce for the Zwift Racing League TTTs every-other Tuesday.

This is the last race of ZRL Season One. We have had a fantastic 9 races mixing it up between scratch races and TTTs, and this is the last one. Good luck everyone! 

Tuesday 15th December – Two Laps of Tick Tock

Watopia’s Tick Tock route races across the Fuego Flats desert, up the Col Du Saddle Springs, and into the undersea tunnels heading towards downtown before swinging right back into the desert. The TTT on Tuesday does this route twice for a grand total of 36.3km. 

What to ride?

This course is mostly  flat… only the Col Du Saddle Springs as a bump. Aero wins here. At the top end, you are looking at Venge/Super-9 over Tron, with the Aeroad following close behind.

See bike and wheel recommendations at various levels >

Route Recon Rides

There are so many ways to recce this route – the simplest being to hop on and select Tick Tock. If you want an organized ride or race follow this link to Zwifthype.

Paceline skills are going to be a huge differentiator this week – so If your team wants to do some paceline practice remember you can always set up a private group ride in Companion!

Race breakdown 

Here’s a course preview video from Rick and No Breakaways:

I break this route into two – the flat of the desert to Saddle Springs, then the Col du Saddle Springs to the start/finish gate. It’s two laps so do that twice. 

Part 1 (and 3) – Across the desert

There is a slight rise into the desert itself, but mostly this is a flat, fast race across the desert. Heads down, get in formation and ride like the wind. 

Part 2 (and 4) – Col du Saddle Springs and home

This section starts at 10km (and 27.1km). The col is the small rise that comes right after the futuristic building you pass on your left (it’s a copy of the LAX Control Tower). After a lengthy flat this is a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m before you head back down and into the undersea tunnels.

The undersea tunnels, of course, are flat. The route starts climbing as you exit the tunnels, and continues gently upwards as you turn right towards the desert. Once you reach the Titans Grove junction the road flattens into the desert to the start/finish gate.

Wrap up

The first half of the lap is flat, the second half is a little bumpy… but there are no climbs so severe that you will have to worry about splitting the group. Good communication and teamwork will get you through this TTT.

This is the last race of ZRL Season 1 – other than any playoffs. Season two starts in January and I hope to see you all there.

 

The Final Touches

For a race starting and finishing in my own kitchen, there were a lot of nervous final preparations to be made for the UCI Esport World Championships. My last training pushes were made on the weekend, putting the final touches on the good bundle of form I knew I had. I had my best performance of the season in the previous week’s Zwift Racing League TTT in terms of power (6.1 w/kg Normalized Power for 35 minutes) and our Finesse Wahoo team placed in the top 5 worldwide for the event including Premier League teams. That coupled with some good performances on the Worlds course in practice events gave me confidence leading in. All that was left was a collection of “little things” that had to be in order for the big day.

I took a rest day on Monday and an easy spin with some brief intensity on Tuesday to ensure I had fresh legs for what would inevitably be razor sharp racing. I was careful with my diet for the Tuesday weigh-in video to be submitted to the UCI within 24 hours of the start. There were technical setup details too: I purchased a USB extender cable to run my ant+ dongle right next to the provided Tacx Neo 2T trainer for optimal transmission and lower likelihood of ANT+ dropouts. Also, given that the Neo measures power output at the cassette, I had a new chain installed and carefully applied wax lube prior to minimize power loss (this actually saved me around 2% on dual recorded power). 

From a performance standpoint there were some unique preparation aspects as well. With a 6:45 am PST start, I forced myself into bed earlier and earlier in the week leading up to try to reset my body clock for the earliest race of my career. Finally, I worked out exactly what breakfast, caffeine intake and fuelling would look like by racing a couple early morning practice events in the weeks prior.

The Plan

We had our final Team Canada meeting the afternoon before the event and laid out our plan for victory using our resources optimally. As it should be at an event of this level, it was all in for a podium result, not for a collection of individual placements. Our best chances for a result on the 80 second power climb to the finish were with strongmen-sprinters Pierre Andre Cote and Matteo Dal Cin. Those two also have great overall fitness and their odds to win would be highest if we could make the race hard and force other more pure sprinters to respond to attacks and chaos in the closing kilometres. 

To accomplish this, we would deploy our more “diesel engine” riders (Charles Etienne Chretien, Lionel Sanders, and myself) to make coordinated pushes at pinch points on the final lap.

Go time

I didn’t expect the momentous, almost euphoric feeling that rushed over me as we took off from the starting pen. This was a real, big-time event in 2020 and I was there at the fore with the best in the world. It felt like the devastating misadventures of dozens of canceled races had come to an end and I had found my way back home.

But by the time we hit the first climb up the Reverse KOM it was all business. I actually flirted with disaster at that point, overenthusiastically pulling up on my pedals on the steepest section and unclipping for a moment. Luckily I had the reaction time and legs to rectify that and get back into the rhythm of the race.

It wasn’t a terribly hard rhythm through the first half but it was intense in its own way. The pack felt it was on a wire pulled to maximum tension, everyone jostling for position and waiting for the explosion to come. Zwift racing can create that feeling in a unique way, with every racer knowing one misstep, one wasted match can have them off the back and out of the race for good. In real life racing you can attack, get caught, dangle off the back and even into the caravan and make it back during a lull but everyone knew that wasn’t an option here.

The first real physical test was the Forward KOM after about 20km which required a stiff pace of 7.5-8.5 w/kg all the way up as riders fought to control position. After that it was back to the unnerving tension. I was counting down the kilometers until the Reverse KOM and our first coordinated team effort of the day.

Unloading

In the false flat final km of the Reverse KOM the wire began to fray and the tension turned into action. First, I followed a move from Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts which flowed naturally into our full team attack up and over the top. The object here was to put the pack under pressure and open up the race even if a defining split was unlikely.

The race returned to a moment of calm through the tunnels on Ocean Boulevard and then the action was on again as Belgium forced the pace on the ramp up and through the dirt sections. As a team we were at the front and mixing in the moves but ultimately holding back for our final foray of the day.

On this Worlds course the last 5km are unique in that you have the chance to deploy 3 powerups in close succession: taking one into the sprint banner, earning a new one and using it through the Esses and then gathering one more at the start/finish line before the final climb. Our plan was to use our 3 non-sprinters to do a team attack through this section, burn through powerups and potentially pry open a gap. Even if we failed in that we would at the very least create chaos in the bunch and let Matteo and Pierre follow wheels.

I had great legs at that point and when we opened up we created a gap immediately. I pressed hard over the first rise into the Esses and used my teammate Charles as a slingshot to gain more of an advantage. Unfortunately, Lionel was tired from a huge triathlon effort on the weekend and couldn’t quite stay on my wheel and our tactic lost steam.

I still pushed on, knowing this was the time to press the pace and make an impact on the race for the team. The strung out pack brought it back just before the start/finish but now the race was a bloc as we had intended.

The pack briefly lulled through downtown Watopia and I knew I had one more good effort in me. Our DS told me to hit it again, so I punched the pedals and got some daylight.

Denmark launched their train early to bring it back with just over a km to go and my job was done. The pace was furious and the pack disappeared up the road. I listened intently for the results as I clamored up to the line.

Matteo narrowly missed the podium and ended up in an excellent 7th. We had played our hand the best we could and I think everyone was happy with the result. In a hesitant race we put ourselves on the front foot and got the most out of every rider. You can’t ask for more than that and I couldn’t have asked for a better day to finish my 2020 season.

Real talk: I signed up for this race in a moment of weakness. After chanting “Rule #5” for weeks I’d grown tired of having my butt handed to me every Tuesday in the ZRL scratch races. Yes, they were pushing me to the max, and I was getting stronger. But it’s much more fun to race when you feel like you’re in contention for the podium, or even earning extra points for your team. And I simply hadn’t been there. In weeks!

So I did it: I signed up for a Crit City 8-lapper. Because I knew I’d be able to hang with the front group and be in the mix for the finish. And because I didn’t want to attempt a long, fatiguing race that would effect my weekend ride plans.

Relishing the thought of 20 minutes of hard effort punctuated by a sprint, I kitted up. Let’s race!

The Warmup

Race prep began with the usual two pieces of caffeine gum (200mg of go go elixir) and some PR lotion on the legs. Then it was off to join the never-ending Coco Cadence pace partner pack on Tempus Fugit.

This has become my go-to warmup routine lately, as the pace of her group is just right for spinning up my legs and putting in a few digs off the front to blow out the cobwebs.

Doing it all in the company of a couple hundred Zwifters is just a fun bonus. Often I’ll spot a few riders I know, and it’s fun to say hello as we warm up or cool down from other events.

The Start

Upon entering the start pens I realized my cat B group had grown to over 100 riders, including YouTube personality Chris Pritchard who I had last spotted flying past me in a Boost Mode race in May. There were several strong riders in the group, and Chris is a smart rider with a strong sprint. I quickly realized my “easy” race had evolved into one which would be high-effort from the gun, with a challenging finish!

The clock hit 0 and we jumped off the line. 114 B riders in all, and the pace was high but doable. 367W average got me to the top of the bricks on the first lap, where things settled down a bit.

With a group this size, there was no chance I was getting away on a solo attack – and I wasn’t feeling up for attempting any coordinated attack either. So I focused on the two warring priorities of any Zwift racer:

1. Staying close enough to the front that I wouldn’t miss a meaningful selection, while
2. Keeping my effort as low as possible so I had the legs when they were needed.

The Middle

This was an anti-sandbagging event, so when we got close to the 5-minute mark I was watching for green cones to pop up. (Zwift’s anti-sandbagging tools work based on 1-minute and 5-minute power limits for each category, so you’ll often see sandbaggers coned at the 5 minute mark after a hard start.)

Sure enough, at the 4:52 mark our first green cone arrived for one “X. Ramos”. Hurray for sandbagger controls!

There wasn’t much notable during the middle laps of the race, although I will mention powerups…

Dastardly Burritos

First, the burrito powerup, which disables the draft effect for all riders within 2.5 meters of the owner. This one really hurts when activated by a nearby rider (or two, or three) as you’re sitting in the middle of a fast-moving peloton, because the riders at the front of the group are outside the burrito’s range, so they’re enjoying the draft while you have to work extra hard to keep the pace. A truly effective weapon to deploy!

• 

• 

Misunderstood Streamrollers

Next, the steamroller powerup. This “smooths” whatever surface you’re on, so the rolling resistance (Crr) is the same as normal Zwift tarmac. I saw these being deployed repeatedly on the pavement, which is just a waste of the powerup. Silly Billies!

On Crit City, the steamroller should be used on the brick section, because brick Crr in Zwift is .0055 (compared to pavement’s .004). This gives you a bit of an advantage over this short section, saving you approximately 15 watts for its duration.

For more on Crr in Zwift, read Crr and Watt Savings of Zwift Wheel Types

The Finish

Crossing my fingers for a good powerup on my final trip through the lap banner, I was greeted instead with the ghost. Blegh. My least-favorite powerup! Utterly useless when you get it in the middle of the race, unless you’re planning a rare (and generally useless) solo attack. And just barely useful for the finish, since it only lasts 10 seconds and nobody is really paying attention to you in the heat of the final sprint anyway.

That’s what I thought, at least.

I resolved to stay near the front of our ~40 rider pack if at all possible, then attempt to unleash a well-timed invisi-sprint near the end. The pace picked up when we hit the bricks, and lots of feathers were flying. I kept hammering to avoid getting gapped, sliding into the back of the front group with Pritchard on my wheel as we flew past virtual ZHQ.

Down the twisties I continued my game of staying in contention without wasting a watt. Then we neared the bottom of the descent and I could see/feel my “over-muscled cyclist” momentum carrying me through the front of the pack. A slingshot! It was go time.

I shifted into my sprinting gear, activated the ghost powerup, and started hammering. The powerup ran out as I rounded the hairpin turn, and I was sitting 3rd or 4th wheel. The rider ahead had an aero powerup enabled, and I passed Pritchard as we straightened out.

All-in with Pritchard on my wheel, I glanced up to see the rider ahead had just received a green cone. Excellent!

Keep hammering… don’t let Pritchard beat you… he’s probably live-streaming!

I passed the green cone, and Pritchard wasn’t coming around. He was just a few virtual feet behind as we flew over the finish line. But what would Zwift’s official results say? The screen popped up… hurray! A win!

That felt good. Really, really good.

See my ride on Zwift.com >
See my activity on Strava >
See race results on ZwiftPower >

Watch my race video:

Takeaways

Checking my power curve on Strava, this race was a new best in the past 6 weeks, tying my best 20-minute power for 2020. Like I’ve said before, these Crit City 8-Lappers are a fun way to test your 20-minute power, even if they don’t follow the prescribed FTP test protocol.

In hindsight, I think my ghost powerup may have actually helped just a bit in the finish. Watching Pritchard’s stream, I disappear from his view, then reappear in front of him, never to be caught. Did my sneaking to the front help my chances, or was everyone all-in at that point anyway? Who knows. But I’ll take the win!

It felt great to once again be in contention for the podium. A much-needed mental boost! Reflecting on all this, I’d say it’s super-important to have the self-awareness to do whatever it takes to stay motivated and keep building fitness. That’s what I did today. This will mean different things for different people, but you owe it to yourself to keep striving toward your fitness goals, whatever they are.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!