TFC Autumn Series- Climbers’ delight

The TFC Autumn Race of Dec 2nd took place over 3 laps of the London loop. Jokim Pluijmers (Team X) took the win over Brett Boniface (PTz) and Johan Nossen (FSK). Jernst “JT” Teampelaar (Team WBR) made his return to Zwift racing and took 5th.

The first climb of Box Hill was disrupted by the ever-changing Evers, and even though Boniface came out leading the race on top of the hill, he sat down and waited for the chase. At the end of the first lap, there were 8 riders opening the road: Weitzner, Duffy (BRTeam), Schumm (Team X), Appleby (Team TFC), Nossen (FSK), Tempelaar (Team WBR), Pluijmers (Team X) and Boniface (PTz). “I didn’t realize the guy wasn’t legit until they talked about his HR on stream,” says Boniface. “In the climb, I was riding cross-eyed and it wasn’t fair to keep riding on front with a rider who wasn’t obviously legit. I have tremendous respect for the guys who race weekly, and I wish Zwift would build something for organizers to do something about troublemakers before the end of the race.”

On top of the second climb, the winning trio came with almost 30″ over the chase. Pluijmers, Boniface and Nossen collaborated until the approach of the ultimate Box Hill climb. The Dutch rider made his move on the bridge before going into the subway, and got 5 seconds over Boniface and Nossen before heading to the climb. The PTz rider managed to bridge to Pluijmers, but the Team X rider had kept some watts up his sleeve and went on to take the win. Ultimately, Jokim Pluijmers (Team X) took the win in the A race, with Brett Boniface (PTz) coming in 2nd and Johan Nossen (FSK) coming in 3rd.

Team Poland goes 1-2 in Bs

“On the last lap, the strategy was to go hard to get some distance with the chase,” says Boniface. “The initial strategy was to go for intense 6-minute efforts and see what happens. After racing 100km with Jokim last Saturday, I wanted him to get a good result as we did a lot of work together so if it wasn’t me that won, I wanted it to be him. On the last lap, when he jumped, I let him go and was rooting for him to stick it. I sat on Nossen and then tried to go across when we started the final climb. But when I made the gap, Jokim went a couple of times and while I did my best, the better rider won and that’s what matters to me, so I was quite happy.”

In the B race, Andree Wierus (Team Poland) outsprinted his teammate Grzegorz Zaranko for the win, and William Ondracka completed the podium two minutes later. The C category saw Justin Millot out of Canada take his first win for his first race. Ronald Termaat (DAFC) took 2nd and Rune Tellefsen (§rytteme) 3rd. Finally, for the Ds, David Sri took the win a minute ahead Sjoerd Wildshut and Damien Toomer.

Here is the race commentary from Nathan Guerra.
Check out his Twitch.tv channel >

TFC Autumn Series – Dec 2nd / Provisional results :
A Category:
1- J.Pluijmers (NED-Team X)
2- B.Boniface (CAN-PTz)
3- J.Nossen (NOR-FSK)

B Category:
1- A.Wierus (POL-Team Poland)
2- G.Zaranko (POL-Team Poland)
3- W.Ondracka (USA-U/A)

C Category:
1- J.Millot (CAN-U/A)
2- R.Termaat (NED-DAFC)
3- R.Tellefsen (NOR-§rytteme)

D Category:
1- D.Sri (CAM-U/A)
2- S.Wildshut (NED-U/A)
3- D.Toomer (GBR-U/A)

-the q/l Report-

KISS EU – Experimental race, Experimental wins

The KISS EU race of Nov 29th was the chosen set for the new broadcast feature “Zwift on Board.” The A race came to a sprint finish with Casey Schumm (Team X) crossing the line first. Tim Cartwright (KissRT) and Alexandre Gagnon (ODZ) completed the podium.

The first three laps of the A race, on the hilly course, were mostly animated by Canadian rider Justin Purificati (ODZ). Attacking on every climb, the ODZ racer had the 15-man pack chase for him every lap, giving the riders something to work for. But with a lot of strong riders in the pack, his efforts didn’t pay off the way he might have expected. Ultimately, he went on to take 7th place. This race was also the first to feature live feed from racers themselves: David Allonby (Vision), Dafydd Williams (KissRT), Mark Macintosh (Team X), Sebastian Kühn (Vision) and Casey Schumm (Team X). “Knowing that people are watching you live gives a bit of additional motivation” commented Schumm.

“The longest sprint ever”

There were 9 riders going into the last Esses in the lead group: Cartwright (KissRT), Gagnon (ODZ), Purifiati (ODZ), Allonby (Vision), Schumm (Team X), Sheret, Bokerod, Tarack (Team Poland) and Paterson. Launching the sprint from far off, Cartwright and Allonby saw Casey Schumm (Team X) flying by and take the win in a close finish. “It was the longest, hardest sprint I’ve ever done,” said Schumm. “This feels really good and hurts so bad at the same time. The tactic was to rest as much as I could, for that finish. We got dropped a little bit up the climb, with Allonby, but we managed to come back with some RNG help. When crossing the line, I wasn’t sure about the result, so Daniel (Schmidheiny), who was in the team car, checked ZwiftPower and that’s when I really knew I’d won.”

In the B category, Werner Otto (KissRT) took his first win since July, crossing the line a few seconds before Sebastien Sternefalk and Morten Austestad. Rick Hanna (BRTeam) outsprinted Skyler Street (KissRT) and Karl Knight for the C win. Finally, in the D category, Lindy Gray took the win a couple of seconds ahead of “J.A” and Roel Crollet. This said, the many upgrades shown in the live results might change these podium a bit in the next few hours.

Here is the race commentary from Nathan Guerra.
Check out his Twitch.tv channel >

KISS EU – Nov 29th / Provisional results:
A Category:
1- C.Schumm (USA-Team X)
2- T.Cartwright (GBR-KissRT)
3- A.Gagnon (CAN-ODZ)
B Category:
1- W.Otto (GBR-KissRT)
2- S.Sternefalk (NOR-U/A)
3- M.Austestad (NOR-U/A)
C Category:
1- R.Hanna (GBR-BRT)
2- S.Street (GBR-KissRT)
3- K.Knight (GBR-U/A)
D Category:
1- L.Gray (GBR-U/A)
2- J.A (GBR-U/A)
3- R.Crollet (BEL-U/A)

-the q/l Report-

KISS EU – A Dutchman in London

The London 8 course was on the menu for KISS EU racers on this American Thanksgiving day. The A category saw a huge upset with Jokim Pluijmers (Team X) taking the win over Tim Cartwright (KissRT) and David Allonby (Vision).

As usual on this route, the pack waited until Box Hill to explode into small groups. In the As, Cartwright (KissRT), Williams (KissRT) and Allonby (Vision) tried to anticipate the climb by attacking on the flat inner-city streets. But the trio got caught before heading to the subway station. At the top of the first climb, there were 7 riders in the lead group: Cartwright (KissRT), Portalino, Allonby (Vision), Pluijmers (Team X), Balbi, Barroso (PTz) and Mehl (KissRT).

On the second lap, there were only 6 riders heading to the climb as Balbi got dropped on the flatter sections. Jokim Pluijmers, the Dutch climber from Team X attacked on the climb and only a few were able to follow. Vidar Mehl (KissRT) was the last one to get dropped as the winning trio got to the top of the KoM. Allonby (Vision) attacked in the descent, throwing down his aero powerup, but Cartwright (KissRT) and Pluijmers (Team X) brought him back at the subway entrance. The last climb up the stairs wasn’t enough to break the trio apart, so it came down to a 3-man sprint. After a bit of “track games” to see who would launch first, Pluijmers (Team X) surprised the two favorites and took the win over Cartwright (KissRT) and Allonby (Vision).

Alien Landing in London

Being used to competing in longer races, the Dutchman from Amsterdam was a logical outsider on the London 8 course, as it’s the preferred one for Sunday’s KISS100. Nevertheless, the upset was real as he was the first one to beat the Englishmen in a long time. “This is amazing,” says Pluijmers. “I was feeling really good today. I tried to go in the climb, but I kept some in the tank. The tactic paid of, I’m glad I improved on that last part of the race.” In the B category, Sebastian Sternefalk took the win over “PK” and Steven Melia (BRT).

For his last race in the C category, Timothy Termont (BRT) took his second win within two days. “I love it when the races don’t end in bunch sprint,” says Termont. “I wasn’t expecting to win tonight, but it’s a great way to leave the C category before the upgrade.” A few seconds later, Martin Elzingre took second place, and Karl Knight third. In the D category, Jack Butterfiel took the win over Matt Baker (AlbaRosa CC) and Paul McCombes.

Here is the race commentary from Nathan Guerra.
Check out his Twitch.tv channel >

KISS EU – Nov 22th / provisional results:
A Category:
1- J.Pluijmers (NED-Team X)
2- T.Cartwright (GBR-KissRT)
3- D.Allonby (GBR-Vision)
B Category:
1- S.Stefernalk (NOR-U/A)
2- PK (GBR-U/A)
3- S.Melia (IRL-BRT)
C Category:
1- T.Termont (BEL-BRT)
2- M.Elzingre (USA-U/A)
3- K.Knight (GBR-Team TFC)
D Category:
1- J.Butterfield (GBR-U/A)
2- M.Baker (GBR-ARCC)
3- P.McCombes (GBR-U/A)

See full race results for As including rider power, times, and heartrate on ZwiftPower.com >
See full race results for Bs, Cs and Ds including rider power, times, and heartrate on ZwiftPower.com >

-the q/l report-

KISS EU – Son of a Sprinterman

The KISS EU race of Nov 22nd took place on the Figure 8 course. Despite the two climbs on the course, the 4 categories ended in bunch sprints. In the As, the recent Virtual World Champion David “Debbie” Allonby (Vision) took the win over Jacek Tarach (Team Poland).

There were almost 15 riders in the A race’s leading group, and the attacks rained down on every single climb like cranberry sauce on a Thanksgiving turkey. Nevertheless, despite all the efforts of Daniel Schimdheiny (Team X), Dafydd Williams (KissRT), Justin Purificati and Bart Dobblestein, there was no tearing the group apart this time.

Digging his way back into the lead after every attack, David Allonby (Vision) managed to catch the last attacker, Bart Dobblestein, in the final kilometer. In the final rush, Jacek Tarach (Team Poland) took a commanding lead, but the only one who could reach him, and actually beat him, was the Vision rider. Consistent during the past weeks, Dafydd Williams (KissRT) took 3rd place in the A race.

Celebration time for PTz

For the B category, the race ended in a bunch sprint as well. Team PTz manager BJ Afonso went on to take his first win of the winter, celebrating PTz’s first anniversary. “It was a crazy sprint, says BJ Afonso. I had to put out 130rpm, but it was worth it. I got outsprinted a couple of times these past few weeks, but not this time“. Bard Andreassen (Vikings) and Jeff Phillips took 2nd and 3rd place in that 21-man sprint.

In the C category, Skyler Street (KissRT) took the win over Niclas Fagerlund and Damon McKay (Team TFC). Ultimately, in the D category, it was a 4-man sprint that set the winner. Matt Davison was the fastest at the line, just before Matt Baker (ARCC), Nuno Lopes and Olav Owesen. In the end, Baker was the only one under the category limits and took the official win. Keith Atkinson and Dagmar Van der Salm completed the podium.

Here is the race commentary from Jesper Anker.
Check it out on Nathan Guerra’s Twitch.tv channel >

KISS EU – Nov 22nd (provisional results):
A Category:
1- D.Allonby (GBR-Vision)
2- J.Tarach (POL-Team Poland)
3- D.Williams (GBR-KissRT)
B Category:
1- BJ.Afonso (POR-PTz)
2- B.Andreassen (NOR-Vikings)
3- Jeff Phillips (USA-U/A)
C Category:
1- S.Street (USA-KissRT)
2- N.Fagerlund (SWE-U/A)
3- D.McKay (GBR-Team TFC)
D Category:
1- M.Baker (GBR-ARCC)
2- K.Atkinson (GBR-U/A)
3- D.Van der Salm (NED-U/A)

-the q/l Report-

KISS EU – The fires of Box Hell

Three laps of the London loop were on the menu of the KISS EU A race of Nov 17th. B, C and D category had, this time, two laps to do. Being the favorite around the starting line, Tim Cartwright (KissRT) won the A race with a fairly large advantage, but not without a good workout.

As ever on the London loop, the infamous Box Hill gave hell to the riders every time they hit its never ending slopes. The first climb up “Box Hell” saw a group of 7 in the lead: Henry, Loeffler, Blue, Norton, Cartwright (KissRT), Rhyne and Chamberlin (TPH Racing). During the second lap, the group was cut down to five, as Chamberlin and Henry got dropped. In the second climb, Tim Cartwright made his move, and left behind his four chasers. Coming into the last climb of Box Hill for the As, Cartwright got caught by Blue, alone.

The Japanese rider gave hell to the Englishman in the climb, pushing him to the max, and making the gap grow with the next chasers. Holding on to his advantage, Blue crossed the line in first position. This said, until he gets that “ZADA Gold Star”, the win will stay with Tim Cartwright (KissRT), who came about 30 seconds behind him. Matthew Rhyne and Car Loeffler completed the official podium.

Final-4 finish for the Bs

In the B category, the last climb up Box Hill saw 4 riders opening the road: Marcelo Barbosa, Benjamin Angless, Erling Stromsholm (Vikings) and PK. The Viking rider tried to get away from fellow riders by attacking on the last slopes of Box Hill, but got caught in the subway. “I had a plan coming into the race,” explained Stromsholm. “I wanted to attack at the top of the big climb, and sprint up the escalators to finish solo. Sadly, it was not enough and they caught me. A podium place is still a good result for me, I really enjoyed tonight’s race.”

The winning move of that race happened on the escalator. Marcelo Barbosa “Wingardium leviosa-ed” himself up the escalators to create a gap and ultimately get the win. A few minutes later, Tom Longland outsprinted Gary Smith to take the win in the C category and get his second straight win. Twenty seconds later, Gary McHale finished 3rd and completed the podium. In the D category, Dutch rider Serge Posthoorn (Koers.cc) took a solo victory over Brian Cooper and Roel Crollet.

Here is the race commentary from Nathan Guerra.
Check out his Twitch.tv channel >

KISS EU – Nov 17th / provisional results:
A Category:
1- T.Cartwright (GBR-KissRT)
2- M.Rhyne (USA-U/A)
3- C.Loeffler (USA-U/A)
B Category:
1- M.Barbosa (BRA-U/A)
2- B.Angless (GBR-U/A)
3- E.Stromsholm (NOR-Vikings)
C Category:
1- T.Longland (GBR-U/A)
2- G.Smith (GBR-U/A)
3- G.McHale (GBR-U/A)
D Category:
1- S.Posthoorn (NED-Koers.cc)
2- B.Cooper (GBR-U/A)
3- R.Crollet (BEL-U/A)

See full race results for As including rider power, times, and heartrate on ZwiftPower.com >
See full race results for Bs, Cs and Ds including rider power, times, and heartrate on ZwiftPower.com >

-the q/l report-