This week on our No Breakaways Race Breakdown we take a look at two races: our amateur Deven Destefano on the Bell Lap as well as Top 20 ranked Zwifter and Sprinter extraordinaire Scott Gleason racing Innsbruckring. If you want to learn how to race these courses and sharpen your sprint check out the videos below!
Devon (Bell Lap)
Scott (Innsbruckring)
Next week we will be starting our live-streamed coaching series (sorry to anyone who tuned in this week – technical malfunction) with Johnny Rocket as the first coach! We will also be releasing a new series called “From A to Zwift” where we take a look at the specific skills you need to become a better Zwifter.
Every Thursday we are also releasing Zwift Racing League Course Previews for the following week.
We are still looking for more amateur racers who would want to come on the channel… Apply Here!
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.
Eric asked me to put together a similar recce for the Zwift Racing League TTT on Tuesday… if you like it, maybe he will ask me to do more!
I know that around half the riders on Tuesday have never done a WTRL Team Time Trial on Zwift before… so I will dedicate a little time to what you should expect. Then, along with a course profile, I’ll give you some tips I have learned over the months to improve team performance.
If you haven’t seen it yet, head over to the No Breakaways Youtube Channel. This week they posted a nice introduction to the R.G.V. course, and our very own Eric Schlange posted his ideas for bike choice. I have my own bike recommendations below… but always remember, Eric does the science… I just do opinions 🙂
What’s a Team Time Trial
If you are already a Thursday WTRL TTT aficionado you can probably skip down a bit. For everyone else – you have gathered by now that the Team Time Trial format is different from your everyday rides and races.
In the TTT your team of 4-6 riders sets off at a pre-ordained time (more on this later) and works together to get around the course in the fastest time possible. Sounds simple… and it is. The trick is in how you get the best performance out of the team.
What makes a TTT different
Basically it’s teamwork. In a normal race on Zwift you are pretty much on your own. You might get comfort in seeing team jerseys… but frankly that’s about it. In the TTT you are working together, using the stronger members to help the weaker members to ensure that you get at least 4 riders over the line. Some of you out there have ridden together for years, and others have only met through the ZRL, so before we talk about the ride itself, let’s talk about the one thing that will make or break your ride: communication.
Team comms are a cute affectation in scratch races on Zwift, but in the TTT you need to know who has the legs, who is trailing, can they get back on. You need to be able to motivate your team, give instruction on what speed to aim for, call out features in the terrain… the list is endless. You even need to coordinate when to start the ride (see below)!
My team, and most of the teams I know, use an application called Discord. It takes some getting used to, but think of it like the Race Radio pro teams use. If you aren’t familiar with Discord take a look. If you aren’t going to use Discord, find another way to chat – whether it’s a group phone call, a Zoom meeting, or typing in a Whatsapp group!
The Start
The key to making the whole thing a success – and this is what the WTRL guys cracked – is starting each team a minute or so apart. That way your band of brothers (or sisters) has plenty of space ahead and behind to do your thing. Each team will have a start-delay (which your team captain will get in the next day or so). That time delay will be anything from 30 seconds to 17 minutes 30 seconds.
So… everyone congregates in the pen per usual… the big clock counts to GO GO GO time… and we all sit there like lemons (Pro Tip: Don’t be the team that sets off early… you will be rightly ridiculed by all and sundry – plus see below on time penalties!).
Then… when your time delay ends you GO GO GO – because your team’s time starts ticking the second your time delay completes (Pro Tip: make sure someone on the team is responsible for the countdown).
An insider note – it isn’t the first time to this rodeo for WTRL… they know, to the second, when you leave the pen. Don’t jump the gun or you may face time penalties.
The Ride
OK… so you’ve got the team out of the gate at approximately your start time… now what.
An average TTT team in Zwift will benefit from the draft by having a “blob” form behind surging riders on the leading edge – just like you do in a scratch race. This works pretty well and your team of six will be able to move a lot faster than anyone on their own. Make sure your stronger riders are doing the surging, and your weaker riders are resting in the draft. There… a little discipline and you’ve just gained yourself 5 minutes on the lap of R.G.V.
But testing (once again… Eric does the science here!) shows that a single-file paceline formation is significantly more efficient in Zwift than a small blob. My experience shows that if the front of the chain is pulling at 4 w/k, the 6th man will be ‘resting’ at around 2.5 w/k. The trick is to manage your effort… which is why we pull short turns of 20-30 seconds above threshold before falling back and “resting” at/around sweetspot. Done well, your team will move at a pace significantly higher than you could possibly achieve otherwise. My latte team (basically a C team) moves at a consistent 4 w/k on the front. All you have to do is work out what your riders can manage when they are pointy end and the rest is physics.
In a paceline, situational awareness is the most important factor – know who is in front of you and who is behind you. Stay in the draft of the person in front – but be aware if a split is forming behind. When you are on the front you are expected to maintain race-pace (either w/k or kph), and when your turn is done – drift back. As the person ahead of you moves up the line be aware you will need to step up power ½ w/k. Be aware… this won’t work without some form of team communications.
As a team rider your job boils down to the following:
Hold the line in front of you. Don’t drop back more than 5M… don’t surge ahead.
While on the front maintain the target speed as long as you can knowing this is a sustained race – 20 seconds is perfect.
When your turn is done soft-pedal for a few seconds and allow your avatar to drift back. Pay attention as you drift – coast for too long and you will be spat out the back.
When on the back rest…
As you move up the line listen for the front-rider’s count… when they finish their turn, step up your pace just a little
And thats it. Now you can TTT with the best!
R.G.V. Route Recon
One fast lap… that’s all this is. Nothing like Big Foot Hills. This is basically flat with one small bump up to the aqueduct about halfway around, and then a continuing series of rollers that starts around the 17.5km mark. In a traditional race, these pose zero difficulty… but the dynamic of a TTT is somewhat different. In the TTT success comes from keeping your team together, so anything that has the potential to break the group apart is a problem. Both of these areas have the potential to tear your team apart – particularly if you are new to the TTT format.
What to ride?
Bike recommendation on this route is pretty straightforward. Aero rules the day. I will be riding my S-Works Venge with the pretty Super-9 disc wheels.
While the Venge with Super-9s are the most aero setup on Zwift, there’s a pretty good setup available at level 23 – the new Canyon Aeroad. On hilly routes, the Aeroad even beats the Tron. Here are my recommendations at different levels:
Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge
If you have the Tron and are level 23+ it’s a toss up… the Aeroad with the 808 hoops are compelling… but the beauty of the Tron bike is that you can set it and forget it. It’s always a decent choice.
Route Recon Rides
This is a popular race route. Today through Monday there are 19 different races and rides. If you want to get out to R.G.V. there’s nothing stopping you. Check for yourself on the event listing on zwifthacks.com.
France is a beautifully rendered world – my favorite of all of them. That said, on Tuesday you will be going to fast and hard to notice… take a gentle ride over the weekend and take a look.
Beautiful Burgundy country
Race breakdown
It’s a beautiful ride, almost perfect for a Team Time Trial. I break this route into four sections:
Flat for 13.5km
Up the Aqueduct hill and down the other side
A little more flat
Bumpy stuff then a flat sprint to finish
Part 1 – Flat
R.G.V. is the perfect route to cut your teeth on as a newbie TTT team. It starts with a 13km flat to sort yourselves out. Use this time to work out your formation – whether you are blobbing or running a pace line, and to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. My suggestion is set yourselves a target speed for the flat and try and maintain that for the whole 13km.
Mont Saint-Michel in the distance
Part 2 – Aqueduct Hill
Many will tell you this is a 400 meter hill averaging 2.5% starting 13.5km into the ride. It isn’t. What they are telling you is where the Aqueduct KOM starts, and its statistics. Unfortunately the KOM starts halfway up the hill – and ends halfway along the flat. Yah, it’s a bit messed up!
Climbing up to the aqueduct
Right around 13km you will begin the rise – it is 2.5% on average and goes for 800M. The trick is that the hill undulates a little – starts as a 1% false flat then progresses up to 5% at its peak. The technique here is simple – don’t let your lighter riders race ahead. It’s not that bad and if you’re careful you will barely notice it.
Part 3 – More Flat
After a 500m flat across the Aqueduct itself you’ll drop back down the other side and it will be flat once more until you hit 17.5 km. This is a good time to regroup after the climb/descent and to get yourself back into formation.
Part 4 – Bumpy Stuff
For a TTT, this is the most challenging part of the course. Particularly if you are new to the game. A series of undulations – at first each one is just a meter or two… barely there… but they are just enough to mess with the team’s momentum. You will be exhausted by now so concentrate on staying together. 4km of that sets you up for three small hillocks – each one approximately 10m ascent at around 3%. This whole area winds around and around making it hard to get your bearings. Keep your eyes on the rider in front and stay there!
Through the twisties!
Don’t underestimate these three hillocks. The team will be wiped out by now and these three will split what’s left of you. Just remember you need 4 across the line, and it is the 4th rider’s time that matters.
From 24km to the start/finish gate is 1.2km of downhill and flat. Finish with a group sprint to show the crowd what you’re made of.
Wrap up
If you’re new to the TTT format this route is a wonderful starting point. Plenty of flat to practice your skills, and a little bit of technical undulation at the end to see how well you operate as a team.
If you are experienced at TTTs this is a flat out ride. Start with 6, end with 4. Claim your 20 points!
Zwift’s FutureWorks Boost Mode is a fun race type that allows you to strategically charge and discharge an on-bike virtual “battery”. It adds an interesting element racing, forcing you to charge on easier sections so you can use the boost when needed (on a challenging section, when you want to attack, or for that finishing sprint).
I’ve enjoyed the Boost Mode races I’ve done (one won, one lost) but I hadn’t seen any events labeled with “boost mode” on the calendar for many weeks. Most annoying of all, there was no way to search for events with the boost mode tag – Zwift’s events filters are very basic, ZwiftPower doesn’t support such a search, and ZwiftHacks didn’t have the search filter either.
Then I heard from a few Zwifters who had had stumbled across boost mode when joining a “ZHQ Beta” race event.
Here’s the thing about those ZHQ Beta races: I generally avoid them. Because even though I love the idea of Zwift testing new race features in live races, I hate the idea of not knowing what they’re testing. I’ve heard through the grapevine that past races have tested steering, altered draft dynamics, different air density, and yes, boost mode. But races are a bit of an emotional and physical investment for me, so I like to know what I’m getting into when I sign up.
And that’s why, as long as ZHQ continues to keep the beta race descriptions generic, I’ll probably stay away.
Except… now I have a way to find boost mode races! I pinged ZwiftHacks‘ Jesper last night, asking if he knew of a way to filter his events list to show boost mode races.
“There will be a way soon. It’ll be easy to add,” was his reply. 24 minutes later, “Try the ‘Boost mode’ filter under Rules.”
The man is a wizard. And we all reap the benefits of his dark arts!
Whilst Nopinz founder Blake Pond is waiting to get in the heat chambers to thoroughly test his new SubZero kit, he asked Joe Beer, one of the UK’s leading multi-sport coaches, to write a case study about why it’s important to manage body heat when riding indoors...
Indoor training has undoubted merits – time efficiency, picking the perfect session for your goals, riding with friends (wherever they are in the world), and less and wear-and-tear.
From the early 80’s noisy wind trainers to today’s amazing direct drive trainers and the magic of Zwift, indoor training has been transformed. And with the 2020 lockdown, huge numbers have embraced it and many have taken to racing.
But there’s a problem… and it’s always been there…
The heat.
This causes thermal drift, or the increase of heart rate above that expected due to reduced cardiovascular efficiency. This wrecks your training accuracy and effectiveness. I’m not thinking about ambient temperature being a bit feisty, but rather the lack of airflow around indoor rides linked to poor fuelling and equipment choices affecting your performance, not to mention the sweat dripping all over your precious bike.
Bottomline: riders often lack a 360-degree approach to their clothing, nutrition and preparation for virtual training or racing.
Sweat Start Point
In your next session indoors, switch the Garmin/Wahoo to show calories then watch during your warm-up as to when you begin to sweat – call this the Sweat Start Point (SSP). Then do an outdoor ride and see how you feel at that same Sweat Start Point as measured by calories burned. I bet it feels much less sweaty because you’re nowhere near as warm.
The new marginal gains for indoor riders are to be found in the challenge of how to “beat the heat”. By beating the heat, the pitfalls of thermal drift can become a thing of the past and you can become a better rider.
Indoor Parcour
Some simple science: only 20-25% of work done goes into “work achieved” and around 75% is released as “heat” – we are not a super-efficient engines. We have to sweat to dissipate heat away from the body – and we have to produce a lot of it. As a very general rule of thumb we sweat around 100ml for every 100 calories used during cycling. Indoors, the problems of sweating heavily are exacerbated, impacting riding ability, mental focus, and training session effectiveness:
poor air movement takes less heat off the body so we have to sweat even more
core temperature rises, increasing the lactate level in the bloodstream
profuse sweating can affect the uptake of drinks which means poor fuelling and even further dehydration issues
there are interesting data showing that even a short effort of 20-60 minutes in a hot indoor environment can massively increase gut permeability which may result in increased infections and gut problems.
If you’re just training indoors, you might accept these problems as coming with the territory and work around them; more fans, easier efforts etc. But it’s still hard to keep thermal stress and heart rate drift down.
If you’re racing, it’s a different story. The high wattages and desire to be your best means thermal stress goes super high. And for those who take their Zwift racing seriously (and let’s face it, these numbers are growing rapidly), heat and the associated problems like cardiac drift and potential gut issues mean this “hot racing” scenario is a significant obstacle that can have a major impact on performance. Quite simply, as your core temperature rises, more effort goes into the body attempting to keep itself cool, and that means less effort going into the pedals. What you’re experiencing is the dreaded cardiac drift.
In most conditions, cardiac drift happens out on the road too, but its impact is usually marginal. Indoors, it can be far more significant and have a far more damaging effect on power output – not what you need when you go racing. The problem does not stop there: do this enough times and cyclists start getting what only runners tend to talk about, the dreaded “runners trots” – in other words gut heat damage that plagues the athlete and leads to use of medication and embarrassing scenarios that affect the person inside sport and during everyday life.
Be Positive
The good news, using science, it is possible to beat the heat:
Go high-tech with your clothing
You want your clothing to help air to move, wick the sweat and take the heat off the body. This explains why mesh fabrics have become so popular with the indoor community.
Nopinz are going one step further with their SubZero clothing. It has pockets for cooled gel packs, or even frozen energy gels (e.g. the Science in Sport TURBO+ version). The cooling packs help to drop skin temperature on critical areas such as the mid and lower back and the forearms, all major cooling points. And with a cool box on hand (or a very happy helper) you can even swap out the cooling packs on those longer sessions or more intense races.
Cardiac Drift
On the trainer, select a comfortable output, around 60% of FTP. Ride for 60 minutes at the target power but keep your eyes off the HR data. Oh and the big factor: no fan, no open doors or doing it on the patio – just you in a closed room. After the session, look at how the HR climbs for the same power over the hour. Don’t be surprised if you see a 15-beat increase, and at higher (i.e. race) intensity, the increase is likely to be even greater. That’s the thermal stress causing cardiac drift and it’s the enemy you need to beat.
Make your own wind tunnel
Moving air means fans. Big fans. You want to minimise ineffective dripping sweat and instead blow as much air at you from the front (one or two at head/chest height) and the back (pointing upwards from the floor).
There’s an art to having the fan at the right setting for the right effort. Some need to ride a bit before they can have a fan on, others like it windy from the start. Play around to see how best you tweak the wind to mirror your effort and the session goals. Don’t scrimp on fans – for less than the price of a couple of decent tyres you can build yourself a great cooling set-up.
After a steady session in normal room temperature, research shows that hopping off the bike straight into a 40C bath for 15-20 minutes (building up to 30 minutes) 2-5 times per week will improve your heat control and reduce cardiac drift while exercising.
Feed the machine
You can tweak the way you feed and prepare your metabolism to get more from sessions and also help beat the heat.
Hydrating well on low-intensity endurance rides will make your body more effective at taking fluid when you up the intensity.
Carbo-load before a hard, long effort. Caffeine beforehand and carbs during will all help to improve performance – and chilling drinks does act as a heat sink.
Well-fueled training will improve your capacity for work and can reduce heat build-up by making you more efficient.
Those having gut damage issues can supplement specific nutrients to help rebuild the gut and ensure resumed immune system effectiveness.
Indoor riding is an efficient, fun and varied training and racing format that is no longer considered only something for the few. But you really do not want thermal stress and cardiac drift which will result in reduced riding effort and possible internal gut damage. By stacking up the various training tips, nutrition tweaks and technologies to take control of the beat-the-heat challenge, you can simply power through.
Trainers can be organized into many different categories, but when it comes to Zwift, you’re either on a “smart” or a “classic” (or “dumb”) trainer.
Smart Trainers
Tacx Neo 2T
A smart trainer’s resistance is controlled by Zwift. When the incline of the Zwift course changes, your resistance changes. You “feel” the hills. Additionally, a smart trainer will broadcast your power (and usually cadence) via ANT+ and Bluetooth. So those are the two key things smart trainers do which classic trainers do not: they detect your power (in watts), and change resistance on the hills.
(Note: there are certain smart trainers which are not controllable by Zwift. They broadcast power, but do not change resistance on hills. We call these “non interactive” trainers, but they are rare nowadays.)
Because smart trainers are complex electronic devices, they must either be plugged in or (in the case of a few trainers) powered by the watts you’re putting out.
A dumb trainer doesn’t talk to Zwift – hence the name “dumb.” You may be riding up and down hills on the Zwift course, but you’ll feel no difference in the resistance because Zwift has no way of talking to your trainer or changing its resistance. Dumb trainers also do not detect your power or cadence. All they do is provide steady resistance on your back wheel.
Because of this lack of power detection, using a classic trainer on Zwift requires either a separate power meter (perhaps on your pedals, cranks, or wheel) or a speed sensor on your wheel and what Zwift calls “virtual power.” (Fair warning: virtual power users have a bit of a bad reputation on Zwift because their power is notoriously inaccurate, leading to “flyers” off the front in races.)
Dumb trainers are super simple devices. No power to plug in – just attach it to your bike and go.
Many serious Zwifters still ride classic trainers while using a power meter, because they already had both the trainer and the power meter before Zwift came along. This is a solid setup which produces accurate power readings. The only downsides are a lack of resistance changes on hills, and no Erg mode for workouts.
What’s Best for Me?
This is a question you have to answer yourself! If you have the money, going for a smart trainer will greatly enhance your Zwifting experience. The difference between riding Zwift on a classic trainer and riding it on a top of the line smart trainer is like night and day.
That said, you gotta do what you gotta do. If you can only afford a classic trainer, then go with that! Perhaps in the future you can upgrade to a smart trainer, but at least you’ll be able to hop on Zwift and train right now without breaking your budget.
Many Zwifters begin their indoor riding on a borrowed or used classic trainer, then take the plunge and purchase a nice smart trainer once they got hooked on Zwift.
This weekend’s theme is “firsts”. We’ve got our first Zwift Academy Run events, the first-ever ZA Road segment rides, Livestrong’s first Virtual Challenge, and two rides that can help you complete a difficult route for the first time. See the details below!
Special thanks to Jesper at ZwiftHacks with his Events app which provides powerful event filtering tools that help us create this list each week.
Zwift Academy Segment Ride #1
The first-ever segment rides in Zwift history are rolling out beginning Saturday morning PST! Details on how these rides work are a bit unclear, but it appears that the game will have some new features which push riders to go for a max effort over particular segments.
Segment Ride #1 has two options – A or B. Both involve sprint efforts followed by a long climb effort, so they’re testing your sprint power and threshold power. Be ready to push to the max for 20+ minutes!
This weekly long ride from DIRT helps riders check off those difficult-to-ride routes. This week we tackle Innsbruck’s Achterbahn – the longest route on the Innsbruck map! It covers all Innsbruck roads in both directions, meaning you’ll cover 47.38 km (29.4 miles) with 973 m (3,192‘) of elevation gain.
Ride for a cause! The first-ever Livestrong Virtual Challenge is happening Sunday on Zwift – a 90-minute ride on France’s Casse-Pattes route to raise funds for cancer survivors and their families. Fundraisers unlock some pretty sweet incentives at different funding levels.
Be sure to read all the event details so you can get registered, raise funds, etc within the Livestrong system.
ZA Run has just launched – are you in? This weekend you can take part in some of the first events of the first-ever Zwift Academy Run program. Take on group workout #1, or join a group run in whatever category suits you best!
Weekends are the time for epic rides, and what’s more epic than a race on Watopia’s Mega Pretzel route? 107 km (66.5 miles) long, with 1642 m (5,387‘) of climbing, the very best riders in the world can’t break the 2-1/2 hour mark on the Strava segment… and the rest of us mortals are looking at more like 3 hours and 15 minutes or more.
Whatever your fitness level, jump in and take on the challenge! Because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… right?
The inaugural Zwift Academy Run launches today, October 15th. Here are the details on what it takes to graduate, plus more information on workouts, group events, and unlocks/prizes!
Graduation Requirements
The following requirements must be met by December 9th in order to complete Zwift Academy Run:
Complete all eight Workouts (individually or with a group)
Complete 2 ZA Run events (races or group runs)
Unlocks
Runners will progressively unlock in-game kit while making their way through the ZA program:
Running Socks
Adidas Shoes
Running Cap
ZA Running Shirt
With 10 total events (8 workouts, 2 group runs or races), Zwift says you’ll unlock a reward after you complete 2, 5, 7 and 10 events in any combination.
Grand Prize
Grand prize is a spot on a supported Zwift ZA Run team that will compete at the prestigious 2021 Berlin Marathon. A total of 6 finalists will be chosen for the grand prize.
Competing for a spot on the team? You must graduate Zwift Academy Run and complete both races while connected to both a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor. Additionally, you must be an amateur athlete with no preexisting sponsorships and be 18 years old or older on December 31, 2020.
Be sure to read the ZA Run terms and conditions for details on the final selection process for the ZA Run Team.
Workouts
Structured workouts form the heart of Zwift Academy, with each workout accomplishing very specific training/testing goals and lasting 45-60 minutes.
You must complete all 8 Zwift Academy Run 2020 workouts in order to complete the program.
These workouts can be completed individually by selecting the workout within Zwift. They can also be completed by participating in a group workout event. Lastly, if you want to do the workout with a few choice friends, you can organize a Meetup and have everyone select the same workout (more on that here).
Set Your Paces
To ensure the best results from your structured training, you’ll want to start your ZA workouts with accurate pace settings. If you don’t know the run paces you’re capable of, take the Zwift 5k Test. Make sure you are rested before completing the test for best results!
Group Runs/Races
Group runs are available at multiple paces – join the group that suits you:
A: 13-15 kph
B: 12-13 kph
C: 10-12 kph
D: 5-10 kph
Races have just one category.
Currently, there is just one group run event (30 minutes on That’s Amore) and one ZA Race event (5k on Watopia’s 5k Loop) on the schedule in repeating time slots. It appears there will be a three more group runs and a second ZA Race – watch the calendar!
The first race of Zwift Racing League was here, and I was stoked! Stoked because I knew the competition would be fierce. Stoked because this was the biggest race series ever to happen on Zwift, and I was going to be part of it. And stoked because my dad was visiting from South Carolina, and would be sitting in to watch me race for the first time.
But I was also scared. Scared because this race included 4 timed KOM sections, including the Volcano KOM which has seen me dropped from the front group in every single race attempt I’ve made.
ZwiftPower Rankings: the Beauty and the Madness
The crazy thing was, I was the top-ranked B racer in our event (EMEA E, Pool 6). ZwiftPower rankings are funny, because they really only apply to the types of races which suit you best.
You see, each rider’s ZwiftPower ranking score is based on your best five results in the last 90 days. So it’s really only a picture of how well you do in events that are ideal for your phenotype. I don’t do well in races with significant climbs, so my ranking is based off of five good results in flattish races.
So while comparing ZwiftPower rankings is a helpful way for me to assess the competition in flatter events, I knew going into this race that it would take everything I had just to stay with the front of the race. I also knew the long uphill finish meant I wasn’t going to finish on the podium. But I resolved to give all I had for my best result – because even though I’m a 41-year-old man, I still want to make my dad proud!
The Warmup
In an attempt to gain every advantage for the big race, I did several things before the race began:
Chewed some caffeine gum – three pieces instead of the usual two. Because more caffeine is always better, right?
Applied PR lotion to my legs about 45 minutes before the race began. More bicarb=less burning.
Donned the Nopinz Subzero kit I’ve been testing out for the last couple of weeks. Because I love the feeling of popping a fresh, frozen gel pack in just before the final effort of the race heats up.
Jumped into the Coco Cadence group to start spinning my legs, then as soon as the “Join Event” prompt popped up, I clicked it so I could save a spot near the front of the pen.
Took my time warming up, putting in a solid 45-minute warmup with a few sprints to get my heart rate up into threshold zone.
Soon enough it was time to rejoin the start pens, so I clicked in and took a deep breath. Let’s race!
The Start + Early Climbs
The clock hit zero and we piled out of the desert start pen. There were 131 riders in our race, and while the initial effort hurt a bit, riders were clearly saving their legs for the big climbs down the road. 330W average for the first 3 minutes kept me in the front group of riders, and that front group was large. Unlike most Zwift races, where 1/3 of the field is quickly dropped, it looked like only a handful of riders were dropped through the Fuego Flat section.
Titans Grove KOM
Soon enough we were at the first climb of the day: Titans Grove KOM. Typically I can finish this climb in just over 4 minutes at race pace, and it’s really the final 3 minutes where the big effort comes in, as the first 1 minute is quite flat. I was pushing hard, but not on the limit – 348W for the final 3 minutes of the climb kept me nicely placed in the front pack as we crested the KOM. My teammate Snowy Pruett came over the line first – bonus points!
Nearing the top of our first KOM
Recovery time!
Clearly, we were still saving our legs for steeper and longer climbs! Still, the hard push up the first climb made the first big selection of the race – we had a front group of ~45 riders, and those who were dropped would never rejoin.
Knowing my history racing up the Volcano KOM, my goal was to take every bit of recovery I could get when not climbing… and to remain in touch with the front group over each climb. I breathed deep and did my best to keep my watts down as we descended toward downtown Watopia.
Hilly KOM
We arrived at the foot of the good ol’ Hilly KOM 7-1/2 minutes after cresting the Titans Grove climb, and I’m not going to lie: I went into this climb with some fear and trepidation. I’ve been dropped on this climb many times in races past, but the one I remember best was when my teammates waited for me at the top, pulling me back to the front group to defend my Morning Grind Fondo ranking!
This climb is just long and steep enough that it puts me on the limit every race. I had a feather powerup in my pocket, and decided to save it until the second portion of the climb, instead of using it on the steeper initial portion – because I always lose my places near the top. This strategy seemed to work – I definitely struggled more on this climb than the Titans Grove KOM, but I was still in touch with the front as we went over the top! And the front group was whittled down still further, to a pack of ~35.
The Volcano KOM
This was the big one, and everyone knew it.
The first 1/3 of the climb was fairly tame, and as the road leveled out to take us through the volcano, I was happy to still be sitting in the wheels, conserving watts while others pushed the pace with their noses in the wind. Then the climb began again, and the real pain set in. One of my teammates (Justin Wild) went to the front and pushed the pace, stringing out the pack. On one hand, I wanted to yell, “Don’t push the pace!” On the other hand… riders were falling off the group, and I was staying on. I just kept pushing.
First 1/3 done
Using my aero boost in the final seconds of the climb
The final 1/3 was the toughest, both in terms of perceived effort and actual average wattage. I had saved an aero powerup for the final kick across the line, and while it wouldn’t help a lot at slower climbing speeds, it was better than nothing.
I hammered hard up the final steep kicker, and even though I was on the limit, I kept hammering to get up to speed once the road leveled out. We were strung out coming up the final kick to the line, but I figured between my 82kgs and the riders near me, we could catch the small number of riders up ahead. I latched onto the wheels ahead and a group quickly formed, swallowing the lonely riders up the road.
Descending from the Volcano KOM – still in contention!
As we descended from atop the volcano, there were no riders left to chase. Our front group had shrunk yet again, to ~25 riders. This was the pack I would be competing against across the finish line.
The Finish – Titans Grove KOM Reverse
The pace was (relatively) easy from the top of the volcano to the entrance of Titans Grove, with everyone taking a few minutes to recover before the final kick to the line.
An attacker goes free
We turned a right into Titans Grove, and one rider attacked off the front. The pack sped up a bit, and this is where I made the biggest mistake of my race: I didn’t join the chase soon enough. Instead of ramping up my power to stay near the front of the chasing pack, I tried to conserve, which quickly resulted in my getting spit out the back of the front group over the roller coaster rollers.
This meant I had to dig… hard… burning a match just before the finish of the race. I was able to get back into the group, but it took everything I had. My dad saw it, too, “Way to get back in there!”
Now I had just a precious ~60 seconds to recover on the downhill rollers before the final ~90-second KOM kick to the finish line. I tried to breath deep and keep the watts as low as possible, but I could tell my legs were cooked.
I recruited my dad to activate my aero powerup for the finish, because I’d be out of the saddle going all-in for those final seconds. I knew the climb leveled out in its final seconds, and many riders go too hard too early. So my goal was to save a bit of a kick for the final ~15 seconds with my aero powerup, hoping to of grab a few places from blown-up riders.
I stayed seated for the first minute or so of the climb, then got out of the saddle. I was in 19th place, but there were riders just ahead if I could go harder. My body wasn’t cooperating, refusing to even hit 500 watts! But I kept pushing, then said “Go” to my dad when I thought I was the right distance from the line. Keep hammering. Monica had popped into the Pain Lab and was yelling “Go! Go! Go!” I was absolutely on the limit, out of the saddle hammering with poor form because my body was done. But I passed one rider… then another… then another.
I crossed the line in 15th place, with teammates Justin Wild and Snowy Pruett up ahead in 4th and 5th, respectively. Ouch.
The Volcano KOM, combined with my misstep in Titans Grove and that killer uphill finish made this my toughest race in recent memory. Maybe my toughest race ever? (It’s funny how the mind works – you forget how hard the race was, don’t you? Perhaps that’s the only reason we do this over and over again!)
While 15th place isn’t amazing, I was happy with the result – because this is the first time I’ve not been dropped up the Volcano KOM! Could I have finished higher? Perhaps by a few places, if I hadn’t messed up on the run into the finish. And that’s my lesson from this race: a lapse of attention can result in the burning of crucial matches.
Your Comments
If you races ZRL race #1, how did it go? Share your thoughts below.
In this week’s ZA Roadshow, Matt Stephens gets some insider tips on the Academy from former Zwift Academy winner Martin Lavric, our coaches guide us through workout 3, and Leah lets us know all about the start of the Zwift Academy races.
