Yesterday was the last day for stage 3 of Tour de Zwift, so I needed to get a race in. Two laps of Watopia Hilly Reverse–this would be interesting! I knew from racing it in the past that I should be able to hang onto the front of the race, but thanks to the reverse KOM I also know it would take everything I had.
Since this was TdZ I knew I could plan on a larger field, a shorter race, and at least a handful of sandbaggers pushing the group pace. Even though I’ve raced this route many times, those races were usually four laps long. Two laps meant the pace would be furious and I would need to push harder to stay in contention. Was I ready? I was about to find out!
Warmup
The race began at 6:11am, so I set my alarm for 5:15. Rolled out of bed, grabbed my kit, then headed upstairs for my typical pre-race ritual: a piece of caffeine gum and some PR lotion on the legs. Hopped on early and got a nice 30-minute, ~10-mile warmup in on Tempus Fugit.
The Start
The start wasn’t too bad, around 340 watts for the first 2 minutes kept me in the front group. We had 61 riders at the start, and I think many of them knew that the real action would come on the KOM. I just sat in the pack, conserving as much energy as possible, know the KOM would require me to push it to the limit.
As we approached Hank’s Gas Station (the beginning of the reverse KOM), I made sure I wasn’t too far back in the group. I didn’t want to get caught off the back if a big gap opened up! So I stayed within a few wheels of the front, and when the road got steep heading into the right-hand turn I activated my feather powerup (yes, the powerup gods had smiled upon me), stood up, and hammered.
I was sitting 10th wheel as we crested the first portion of the KOM, and that was a good place to be, provided I could keep the power up enough to join the riders up ahead. If I ran out of juice a gap would quickly form, and I’d be dropped. So I pushed hard to stay in contact with the riders ahead, and when we grouped up after the second uphill push I was still in the front pack. KOM #1: survived!
Wearing the Same Kit
Can I register a complaint? I don’t like wearing the same kit as everyone else – especially in a race. In a social ride I don’t prefer it, but I can accept it. But in a race, I need to be able to tell riders apart. That’s pretty much impossible when we’re all wearing the same kit.
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There may be certain riders I want to “mark”–to follow if they attack, because I know they’re strong enough to stay away. There may be other riders who I know are sandbagging, and I don’t need to chase them at all. Lastly, I’ve got teammates in almost every race on Zwift – but if we can’t see our team kit, it’s pretty hard to work together!
Everyone knows we’re in a TdZ event. We don’t need the kit to remind us! Zwift: please let us wear our own stuff for the race events, just like the top racers at the TdZ Pro-Am races are doing.
Back to the story…
The Middle
After cresting the KOM, I knew I could hold on until at least the second KOM. Things got a little loosey-goosey supertucking down the descent: I waited too long to start pedaling again. The group whizzed past me and I had to hammer for about 10 seconds to get back in the draft.
Classic supertuck mistake. That’s the thing with the Zwift supertuck: it works great, until it doesn’t! You’ve got to stay alert, because when you pop out of the tuck you slow down quickly. Typically I start pedaling a few seconds before I know I’ll come out of the tuck, so Zwift is seeing my power when I need it.
zPower Fliers
As we went through the start/finish banner at the end of lap one, one of the riders asked: “flier?” He was referring to one “Hiroaki Sakai”, a Japanese rider who had been off the front since the start of the KOM. “Yes” was my typed reply. No way Hiroaki was holding B category wattage.
The group basically ignored the flier after this exchange, which I was happy about. He would go on to “win” the race by 18 seconds with an average of 369 watts (5.4w/kg). I didn’t notice until the race was over that he was on virtual power (aka “zPower”) along with one other rider who kept attacking off the front. Not surprisingly, neither rider was registered on ZwiftPower.
The Finish
Through the second lap’s sprint banner I received another feather powerup. Hurray! I knew I’d need all the help I could get, as the strong climbers typically hammer extra hard on the final climb of the race, hoping to drop sprinters like me.
There were 15 left from the original 61 riders. I attacked the KOM the same way as I did the first lap, deploying my powerup on the steepest section. I found myself mid-pack in a strung-out peloton, and gaps were opening up all around. This was a dangerous situation, and if I didn’t keep going hard I would lose the group.
The problem was, I was on the rivet, feeling like I was going to hurl. Have you been there? This is where you have to be strong mentally as well as physically. When everything screams “ease up and give up” it’s the mind that enables you to push just a little bit more.
And that’s what I did! I stayed in contact, and as we crested the KOM I took a deep breath, prayed for a good powerup, and tried to recover as much as possible before the final sprint.
Unfortunately, I’d used up all my powerup mojo and the gods only gave me a 10XP bonus. $#%@ XP bonuses!
As we entered downtown Watopia I kept a wary eye on the pack, watching for a rider to begin sprinting. My plan was to follow the first sprint and hold that wheel with the hopes of coming around once they tired.
The first rider went, I shifted up and got out of the saddle, and went all in. But I didn’t have much left, apparently. Even though the sprint only lasted ~10 seconds, I didn’t have the power to get my nose into the glorious wind at the front. I crossed the line in 8th place, which would become 6th place on ZwiftPower thanks to 3 unregistered riders finishing before me.
See my ride on Strava >
See race results on ZwiftPower >
Lose Weight or Race Flats?
Here’s something interesting in the results above: my w/kg (3.6) were lower than anyone else in the list. In fact, the next rider at 3.6 w/kg or less was in 35th place!
This doesn’t necessarily mean that I rode this race super-efficiently: you can see my wattage was not the lowest.
What does this tell me? It tells me I’m chubbier than all the top riders in this race! Here are the weights of the riders who finished ahead of me: 68kg, 54kg, 80kg, 73kg, 73kg, 70kg, 79kg. And I’m the 84kg monster barely hanging on up the climbs!
I could be proud that I was able to hang on – I guess that’s something. But really what these numbers always make me ponder is whether I should slim down and climb better, or just keep being an “overmuscled cyclist”. I like cookies, so the jury’s still out.
Takeaways
Here are my lessons from this race:
- When I feel like I can’t go any harder, I’ve still got more. Push and hold that wheel.
- I need to lose weight. Or maybe I don’t?
- Gotta be careful supertucking.
What About You?
Did you race TdZ stage 3? How did it go? Share below!
I wish I was 84kg. Still a hefty 102kg at the moment, but that’s 12kg lighter than I started at so maybe by the time my FTP becomes respectable, so will my weight. Muscle is not friendly on a bike, and on the hills I can often drafter the joggers!
I been in your shoes. I am not a lightweight. So, I had to lose some kg/lbs. I have to thank my personal Tron Bike mission back in Dec. I dedicate Dec just for climbing. I lost lbs and I kept it off and got my Tron Bike at the end. However, power to weight ratio is key. I did okay in Stage 3. Sometimes you have to set yourself little goals first to achieve the big one later. I survived the first KOM as well. 92 riders in the pen. In the second lap we where down to 32 in the front group. I knew I did well in other Watopia races up the KOM the 2nd time but I didn’t had it in me. I had to drop out the front group and told myself that I will give my best not to get caught by the case group. I accomplished that goal. I finished 31th.
It’s important to realize your weaknesses so you can focus on improving them over time. I have some work to do and one part is physical strength AND trying to improve mentally as well. It’s the constant fight between the little devil who tells you to stop pushing so hard and feel your body recover or the other guy who will be proud of you that you gave it all.
You can push yourself in to the red zone in training but the racing you can not train for except you race more often and put yourself in situations where you have to make decisions based on your gut even if the power and heart rate numbers tell you otherwise. It’s hard to train but it’s doable. Like I said, I have to put myself in to this to get better. However, never forget that this should feel like fun at the end even though it feels like torture in the moment.
May be a good idea for Eric to explore an article to improve your inner mental strength department. Until then – Ride On, and enjoy the workout.
Fun to follow your racing, roughly the same weight as you, and also trying to race B. Missed stage3 due to illness hoping for well timed make-up-days
Great result! I got dropped on the second KOM. I probably didn’t position myself on the front enough before the start of the KOM and I put the power down a bit too lit on the start of the hill. Gave it almost everything I had but it was too late. The gap was formed very quick and once we passed the first part of the KOM there was no way I could close it again. Came in 11th ( Zwift result ) so still happy.
I am a light rider myself (65kg) and high W/kg at this weight is good at the hills but at all the flat parts in between I would very much like to be a bit heavier with some more watts to push 🙂 At short hills like the reverse KOM I don’t think w/kg is everything. Pushing big watts at the good timing is key probably.
I was biting into a home-baked chocolate chip cookie as I read your sentence “I like cookies” – LOL! I’m an 83kg monster myself. I do get around 79kg to the summer; and hoping to get around 76 this spring. The short Tour de Zwift races are like a combination of a Crit with some climbing. Makes for interesting and different race dynamics, that’s for sure! I’m willing to bet after the Bologna climb in the next few days we’ll both agree less kilos the better!!
Oh yeah, @Bobby Mac. Bologna’s gonna make me regret every donut I’ve ever eaten.
I love the first person story of the race. It is always exciting to read your adventures
..Alien King..
I’m in the same boat as you @Eric Schlange at 89 kilos but in the C cat. I got a 6 – 8 second break away on the 2nd lap up the KOM thanks to a feather power up, but couldn’t hold it and the group caught me shortly before the KOM banner. I got a draft power up at the final banner that helped me in the final sprint, I didn’t try the super tuck however. I finished 3rd on ZwiftPower.com, 15th in the Zwift rankings. Check out my race here: https://youtu.be/Q-yG8B9yEVs?t=1362
Nice work! That final sprint is a real timing challenge if you’ve got the draft van, because you don’t want to waste it by being in the wind, but if you wait too long you won’t be able to come around the riders ahead. Another 30 meters and you would have had 1st!
oops, my comment wasn’t showing up, not sure why?
Finally raced a stage and I enjoyed trying to be strategic and sticking with a group. Selected D because I was right on the border but I underestimated and got DQ’d on ZwiftPower. A good lesson and a welcome confirmation that I should be racing C.
Sort-of the opposite problem here: I’m a very small/lightweight rider (a genuine 56kg) and feel like I need to up my power and weight. My w/kg averages for races typically hover on the A/B threshold depending on how much I want to push myself. What this means though, is that I can’t place well in Cat A races (4w/kg = a puny 224W) but in Cat B races it can look to others like I’m sandbagging. Zwift Power ‘WKG’d and then ‘UPG’d me on Stage 3 (where I held 4w/kg) and then switched to placing me in Cat B.
What will bring you greater joy – the cookies, or going faster? I love me a cookie…but can just about have the best of both worlds by being sensible MOST of the time food wise 😉
That’s really the question, isn’t it @guest_30961? Short-term vs long-term fulfillment and all that.
I got back and forth, honestly. Because I’m in the best shape of my life, healthy body fat %, etc. I like good food, but I eat more healthy now than I did 5 years ago (or for the 15 years before that). Is it really worth it to me to deny myself a tasty treat here and there, so I can be a little more competitive on the bike?
Apparently it isn’t. 🙂
My race started the same as yours. Here I was on the last day of stage 3 and I still hadn’t completed it. I’m a locomotive at 92.5kg but at least I was riding with one my my lighter TTT teammates. I thought I would just sit on his wheel up the climbs as long as I could and that might be enough to keep me in the front group long enough for a respectable finish. I too got blessed with a feather for the first climb and shockingly I was able to do the first KOM sitting down the whole way, so o was feeling good. Back to the front of the first group by the end of the descent and then got tucked back into the pack. I got hosed though and got 2 XP power ups and going into the KOM 2nd lap I figured I was screwed. I somehow dig deep deep deep and stayed with the front 10 or so up to the top and was gifted a van at the top of the KOM. I thought well I should use this to recover at the bottom of the descent when the road gets flat before the finish. Then I realized that I should just use my KGs to keep me up front on the descent and save the van for sitting in some poor climber’s wheel when the speed picked up. I hit the van well before any fireworks started going off and was about 6th wheel when a sprinter took off the front. I reved the engine and found myself back to the front of the pack chasing just that lone sprinter. I got almost to him and paused for a half second to try to get his draft before realizing the finish was too close for breaks. I hit the gas again to 1100 watts and ended up winning by 0.02sec for my first race win as a B!
Well done, man!
Yeah, that’s a tricky sprint. It’s often pretty short, so you can’t just sit in the wheels and wait for the early sprinters to get tired. That sprint goes to the one with strong 10s power!
Holy moly! Are you me????
This is exactly the way that my Stage 3 played out as well. Same power ups, same supertuck goof (except mine was on lap 2) and same finishing position (8th). But you benefited from 1 extra person not on zwift power for an extra ZP bump.
Great recap!
Ha! That’s wild.
You ARE very handsome and bald, so yeah, I’d say we’re a lot alike. 😉
Great read Eric. I am riding at 78kg so understand some of your climbing issue (though cat C). I would remind all readers however about the many recent concerns about eating disorders in cycling both at pro level and amateur. I have been 69kg and as strong as now. Sounds brilliant, but something was out of balance and I suffered lots of colds and low level illness. Now I have a stronger immune system and eat cookies. Riding/Racing is important but health/family is more important.
I managed 9th and third in Zwiftpower results for stage three. I’m 6’4” and 96kg I was sick a month or so ago and picked up 8kgs! Just starting to loose a little now but I’m not looking forward to stage four so much. Isn’t it possible for race organizers to make being on Zwiftpower a prerequisite? Also not allow people without heart rate monitors and smart trainers to race? I don’t mean for all races but I would love to just be beat but people who are just better than me.
Also, does anyone know if aero helmets make any difference? I’d be interested to know
Z power fliers noticeing more since getting a smart trainer
I’m 1.83 m 92.6 kg ex rugby player (prop forward)
Very interesting and joyful read, I love this. And a great achievement. Looking at me I am a “small” 61kg and I have lots of problems staying in the pack when it comes to flat portions of the route and the guys in the group hammering. So there is always both side of a medal 😀
To tuck or not to tuck. I loved the race report and it’s got me thinking about the supertuck. I’ve been struggling to come up with a good use case ever since I learned during one of the ZAs that you speed muscle recovery by peddling (high Z2 I recall?). Getting spit out the back is another ding against it
Some riders will pedal backward so they get the supertuck benefit while keeping their legs moving.
I like a bit of rest, especially on Zwift where pedaling is so constant. But to each their own!