The View from the Back – TTR Mini Race (December 9)

Fast.  Frantic.  Full-on.  Fantastically fun.  These words all describe the TTR Mini race I recently rode. 

At 5.9km in length, on the Bologna circuit, it’s not the longest race you will ever take part in. But it will probably be the most fun you will have whilst cycling indoors, because the race evokes those childhood memories when you would simply just get on your bike and ride as fast as could, for as long as you could, without ever worrying about heart rate, power, or watts per kilo. 

This event was simply racing in its purest form. I loved it and everyone needs to try it at least once.

Failure to Start (Not a TT)

This was my second attempt at this race. I had tried to do it the previous week, but failed.  The reason for my failure was that I had somehow confused this race with being a Time Trial, perhaps because it is run on the Bologna course or I had simply misread the description when joining up. Whatever the reasons, my first attempt at the race lasted only 10 seconds as I soon realised that my Specialized Shiv TT bike was the wrong choice and the bunch swarmed past me, I was left pedaling solo, resulting in a DNF.

Full-On and Frantic

This time around I was determined to last longer, so whilst waiting to start I double checked I was on the correct bike.  Not having access to the quickest bike frames and wheelsets, I had opted for the Canyon Aeroad and DT Swiss wheels, and hoped that would be sufficient.

We all know that the start of races in Zwift are intense, but usually within a minute or two the race settles into a rhythm.  The difference with this one was that because it was so short, there was no time or opportunity for this to happen.  Basically, the intensity of the start of the race continued until the end and it was simply exhilarating but exhausting.

Racing on Instinct

Usually in races, there are opportunities to think and plan what you are going to do. But in this race that was simply not possible and I found myself racing on instinct.  For example, I had an absolutely brilliant start and was at the front of the bunch and was pulling away, so I kept pushing. It wasn’t planned, I just reacted.  I was doing over 400 watts, but as soon as I had opened this gap the romantic notion of time trialing away was instantly dashed as the group reacted and reeled me in.

The group was one frantic mass, a mixture of all category riders, where your position was constantly in motion. This was in part due to the changing gradient of the course.  The slight dips and inclines, though only minor, did affect the group as on the slight descents, certain riders surged ahead, resulting in the pack immediately reacting and closing any gap.

Due to the intensity of the race, I was unable to concentrate on the usual numbers we all pay close attention to. I was literally in ‘the zone’ concentrating only on the race. However, I did catch a glimpse at the speed and it registered 55kph.  From memory, I can’t recall too many races being done at that speed!

A Frenzied Finish

By 3km my lungs were bursting. By 4km, I could feel the lactic in my legs and they were starting to tire. By 5km, the finish line could not come soon enough, but there was still 900 frantic meters to go. 

At 5km to go, one opportunistic rider zipped off the front of the group, I recognised this as a speculative attempt and sat in the pack as we pulled them back into our ranks as the speed of the bunch increased a notch.  With 400 meters to go, I was getting tense, this was going to be an epic bunch sprint.

Having been fortunate enough to see many live professional cycling races, I am always amazed at the speeds riders can generate in a mass sprint finish and how frenzied and energetic the final few hundred meters are.  Today’s sprint would probably be the closest I would ever get to that ‘mass bunch sprint finish experience’ I have so often witnessed. 

With 200 meters people started sprinting.  This was it.  Just like in real life, one rider started the move, then the next reacted instantly and then the next and in a split second, we were all sprinting like our lives depended on it. I say ‘sprinting’, but my performance was poor compared to the riders around me who simply had far more power.  I wrestled with the bike to squeeze out every watt I could, but I ultimately watched in vain as better sprinters edged past. Just before the finish line, the legs failed completely. 

Reflections

This sprint finish was easily the fiercest I have experienced whilst racing on Zwift. It was simply severe, so competitive, such an adrenalin rush, and yet so much fun.  After the finish, I was left with a feeling like I had just come off some crazy theme park ride. It was all thoroughly exhilarating and I loved it.

I finished in 7 minutes 37 seconds, 4 seconds off the lead, 10th overall on the road, 8th on Zwift Power, with 3 of us separated by milliseconds.  The top 3 had a 15-second power rating of 11.7 w/kg, 10.4, and 10.7, compared to my 6.6 watts per kilo.  Clearly I had worked too hard in the bunch and needed to save myself for the finish – lesson learned for next time.

And there would be a next time, as this was genuine entertainment. I have already signed up for next week’s crazy ride!

This is certainly one race you have to experience to believe and all you need is a spare 8 minutes.

Questions or Comments

Have you tried out a Zwift sprint race yet? Thinking of giving it a go? Share your thoughts below!