Name: Clara Le Gros
Hometown: Paris
How did you get into cycling? For my 27th birthday (I’ll be 29 in 2024), I wanted to make changes in my life to make it more… healthy after almost a decade of professional couch potatoing! My brother gifted me a smart bike as I always liked to ride a bike as a child. As riding near a big city alone can be quite dangerous with no experience, hence the direct entry to the Zwift world. In fact, I began road cycling a few months after! Quite a unique way into the cycling world.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I really began Zwift races a year ago.
Are you part of a virtual team? I am part of Foudre since the beginning and I also began to ride with Hexagone’s Women’s team a few weeks ago to learn the highest level of women’s Zwift racing.
What do you love most about racing? I love to lose myself in a race. When nothing else matters… I feel my body and my mind in a way that I can’t describe, they are there more than ever and also, it is like I am not myself anymore. And then, if I succeed to win the race, it is just a rainbow of very strong emotions. I love it! I also like to speak with the other racers/teammates in Strava/WhatsApp. I think we really push each other to become stronger and everyone is always very nice. I really like the spirit in Zwift, especially between women. We really root for each other.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I like scratch and points races on flat/hilly races! I like to show my raw power. I don’t really like individual TT and mountain races as steady power is not really my cup of tea. I think I’d like to do more TTT as the common effort and the strategy needed is really interesting.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I really liked the Zwift Women Racing series that occurred this past Spring/Summer. The Tour de Boudicca in the beginning of January was also great as doing 3 nights of racing in a row is not so common! The third one is the French FFC championships, we unfortunately have a very small crowd at the highest level of French women Zwift racing but I must tell you that the women that are there are world-class! The common point between those women’s series is that the field is very strong and it makes me want to work harder and become better.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? When I won a sprint in the Boudicca series by 0.05s after a very bad launch! It was quite epic, especially with the broadcast comments behind! Also, even though I don’t go very often to « outside » races, a girl recognized me from Zwift as she saw broadcasts and my results. It was a real surprise, I felt like a star.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Guacamole and waffles filled with chocolate.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Do not forget to buy a heart rate monitor. The beginning of a race is almost always very fast so brace yourself! Do not forget to warm up and fuel yourself. Even if it is a « short » effort (compared to outside races), you will need water and carbs! More importantly, to not hesitate to talk to the other women and ask questions! You can also join a team to share your pain… hmmmm… experience.
