Not the Greatest… but Greater. Tips for WTRL TTT #95 – Greater London Flat

For a year I have been obsessed with the weekly WTRL Team Time Trial, so I asked Eric if I could share my obsession with you all, in weekly doses.

Each week I will give you a profile of the upcoming route, guidance on bike choice, and some target times if you want to aim for the Premiere League (top-10 in each coffee class get to be in a special race live-streamed on YouTube). 

If you can’t ride, or even if you can ride, but want more action, don’t forget to tune in to the live show on Zwift Community Live’s YouTube Channel at 6:15 (UK time). 

Review of Watopia Hilly Reverse

I think I have been pretty clear about how much I love Hilly Reverse as a TTT course… it’s technical enough to be a challenge, but not so much that everyone blobs up desperate to survive. I rode with the Rowe & King Vixens having lost my Hyenas captain spot to arch-rival POD. Vixens had a storming ride, ending up 43rd in Latte. I held my own until the last ascent of the KOM where I took lead up the steep bit then my legs fell off… still I finished only 36 seconds behind them.

From Captain Trigg’s brilliant ride report:  “On the final climb they paused for a few seconds to regroup before descending to the finish. Sherpa had pulled up lame in the final furlong and I thought of sending a man out there with a gun, but the thought of it brought a lump to my throat as I remembered his heroics last week.” I got a lap PR first time around, 2nd PR on lap 2, and 4th best personal time on lap 3… so with that and not being shot on the field I’m pretty happy!

It looks like everyone had as good a time as the Vixens, with course records set in Espresso, Latte, and Mocha in both mixed and Vienna. Only the Frappes (mixed and Vienna) could not equal their efforts from September, and regardless, the PL spot time is faster across the board (see table).

Our friends at WTRL WW HQ didn’t have such a great night though! Once more Zwiftpower melted down, meaning another overnight shift to manually process. Well done holding it together chaps!

Here is a chart of the PL cutoff for Watopia Hilly Reverse (I have simply used the 11th fastest team in each category).

Greater London Flat

This week is a two-lap race with a long lead-in. Greater London Flat was last ridden in a TTT in December, and before that in July and April. In April I was with the Paris-based CICC-B team but had a mechanical, in July and December I was with R&K’s Latte team, the Hyenas. This week I will be an honorary lady, with the R&K Vixens.

The ride starts with the usual London lead-in from the Tower along the Thames before taking the sharp right turn up the hill to Trafalgar Square. Then it’s a quick up and back along The Strand before heading on to The Mall for the start/finish gate to start lap 1. 

Each lap is pretty straightforward. Up and down Constitution Hill (not very hilly), and along Birdcage Walk. Don’t bother looking for the birds in cages as they disappeared once James the 1st popped his clogs. Onto Millbank, running alongside the Thames again, which turns into Grosvenor Rd, then turn right onto Chelsea Bridge Rd. You are now 12km into the ride.

1km later there is a very slight bump up as you head around Sloane Square and on to Sloane Street. From here there’s a false flat (2%) until you hit Brompton Road at 14km. You will pick up speed as you head into the Hyde Park Corner underpass, then lose it again as you head up Piccadilly. The Piccadilly ramp is the most arduous aspect of the lap  – 1km at around 3% – ending when you make the sharp turn onto St James Street. After that, it is 1700m downhill or flat all the way to the start/finish gate.

Being so popular, this route has plenty of resources. There is Zwift official race recce that breaks the race down well. As always the recce is an analysis of a scratch race rather than a TTT, but good reading all the same. It highlights the two main areas to be aware of – Northumberland Ave (from the Thames to Trafalgar Square) and the Piccadilly rise.

Eric has a couple of useful Strava segments – the one that does a lap from the pens, and one for the lap from gate to gate. 

What to ride?

This is one of the flatter routes in Zwift and as such aero rules. I will be on the S-Works Venge with the fabulous and pretty 858/Super9 wheels. On this course, this setup beats the Tron handily. 

Here are some recommendations on equipment at various levels:

• Level 6 Zwift Aero frame and DT Swiss ARC 62 wheels
• Level 10 Canyon Aeroad 2021 and DT Swiss ARC 62 wheels
• Level 13 Canyon Aeroad 2021 and Zipp 808s
• Level 20 Trek Madone with Zipp 808s
• Level 25 Cervelo S5 with Zipp 808s
• Level 31 Cervelo S5 with ENVE SES 8.9
• Level 33 S-Works Venge with ENVE SES 8.9
• Level 35 S-Works Venge with Zipp 808/Super 9
• Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge

I know I say it every week… get the Tron! It may not be the fastest on this route, but only one other bike/wheel combo beats it… and you need to be Level 45 to get that combo!

Route Recon Rides

This is a hugely popular route for races and group rides. Plenty of places to get in a recon ride or two. Check out the event listing on zwifthacks.com to see for yourselves. 

Target times

This route has been ridden four times in 2020. December smashed the previous times… I don’t know how much more performance you can all squeeze this week for a PL spot.

Wrap up

This week is another chance to work on formation and communication. Keep everyone together and pulling turns to win! There are no significant hills to break up the team, so push the power at the tip of the spear, and go hard from start to end.