For the past few months I have been putting together recce’s for the weekly Thursday Team Time Trial from WTRL. I race in a hungry mid-pack Latte (usually) team for Rowe and King – the Hyenas, and now I captain the R&K Ewoks on Tuesdays as well. Eric asked me to put together a similar recce for the Zwift Racing League TTTs every other Tuesday.
Review of ZRL #2 on R.G.V.
As predicted it was a fast lap. I was lucky enough to be working with a team I knew well – four of the riders were also Hyenas. We put in a spirited performance and came in 3rd in our division. On the way we lost one rider as we headed into the bumpy stuff and another on the third climb, very close to the end. The remaining four were wiped out so we didn’t manage a sprint finish, but we did all cross the line within a second of each other. A good result. I hope you all have a great story to tell about your TTT.
Magnificent 8 Course
Next Tuesday we have a 28.8km ride in a roughly figure-8 route around Watopia. The Watopia Magnificent 8 course is one of those “mostly flat, but…” courses. Here the “but” comes in the form of Hilly KOM Reverse which has the potential to rip the team apart if you aren’t careful. Luckily the KOM comes close to the start of the ride so your legs will be fresh. Here’s the always great VeloViewer view of the course.
We start in the downtown Watopia pens and head through the start/finish gate. From there it’s across the bridge, around the Volcano, and head towards the Italian Villas over the land bridge. The tricky segment starts here – the surface turns to dirt and then you head up the hill past the waterfall. Grab a brief respite from tricky terrain for a short while (a km of downhill and mostly flat) before hitting the KOM.
Up and over the KOM, hang a right and head into the desert and it’s 11km of flat. Up the Col du Saddle Springs, down the other side, and into the tunnels. After that it’s back to downtown Watopia and through the start/finish.
The guys over at No Breakaways have created a fantastic route profile on YouTube (I have a good face for text which is why I’m writing this not presenting it…). Well worth the 8-minute investment to watch!
What to ride?
Bike recommendation on this route is pretty straightforward. Despite the bump over Hilly KOM Reverse aero rules the day. At the top-end of equipment the question is: does Tron’s performance on the hill outweigh the S-Works Venge with the pretty Super9 disc wheels? For me it does – and so I’ll be on Tron.
If you don’t have the Tron bike, what should you ride? Here are some suggestions at various levels.
- Level 6 Zwift Aero frame and DT Swiss ARC 62 wheels
- Level 10 Canyon Aeroad 2021 and DT Swiss ARC 62
- Level 13 Canyon Aeroad 2021 with Zipp 808s
- Level 33 S-Works Venge with Zipp 808s
- Level 35 S-Works Venge with Zipp 808/Super9
- Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge
You may ask why I’m not recommending the Speciailized Tarmac SL7 any more. While the SL7 is an excellent bike, and it’s available at a pretty low level, it is expensive, and most Level 5 Zwifters don’t have enough Drops. On balance it’s better to invest in the wheels for the Zwift Aero frame than buy a new frame.
Route Recon Rides
There are a variety of rides on this course over the weekend. Check for yourself on the event listing on zwifthacks.com.
- ZSUN has a nice 60-mile training ride on Saturday – perfect for a gently paced recce – you can choose C or D paced groups depending on your energy level.
- On Sunday, 3R are doing their regular 100km ride on Magnificent 8 – with B or C paced options.
If these don’t work for you there are 30 other rides between now and Sunday!
Race breakdown
I break this route into four sections:
- Flat to the land bridge
- Over the KOM
- Desert flats
- From Saddle Springs to the end of the line
Part 1 – Flat
Come out of the pens and through the start / finish gate. It’s not flat to start with but it is a steady rise – work on your formation and you have nothing to worry about. At the top of the rise turn right, head across the bridge, around the volcano and across the land-bridge towards the Italian Village.
Part 2 – Through the Italian Villas and over the KOM
This is definitely the trickiest section of the ride. Once you are across the landbridge the road surface changes to dirt, then it starts to rise. Once you get to the Villas the surface returns to tarmac and rises up past the waterfall. There is a brief respite (down/flat) before hitting the KOM itself.
The challenge with the dirt section is the drag dirt has – it will slow your team down, and will also reduce visibility. Discord is your friend here. The road hits 3% which on the dirt will feel like 5%. It doesn’t take long though, and soon enough you’ll be at the Italian Villas.
At around 7.4km you hit the reverse KOM. This one is your real danger area for holding the team together.
By the numbers this hill barely exists… it’s 1.8% for 2.5km. A false-flat, right? Well, the truth is we have four ramps separated by easier segments and even some downhill. Why is this a problem? In a large group race you have a big group to hide in, and as the groups split up you still have plenty of protection. In a TTT you have only have (up to) to 6 team members to hold together – when the hill bites each team member will be impacted differently.
What to look out for here?
- Stronger members leaving the team behind. This is not a time for a solo break.
- Weaker team members being left behind. Particularly on the first ramp – at over 10% someone will crack if you go at race-pace.
If you come over the top together you’re in luck – gather momentum on the descent and there is even an opportunity to supertuck – just look out for the flatter section around the bend where your supertuck might break. Stay together here and power down.
Part 3 – Across the desert
There is a slight rise into the desert itself, but mostly this is a flat, fast 11km. Heads down, get in formation and ride like the wind.
Part 4 – Col du Saddle Springs and home
You exit Saddle Springs at around 24km. The col is small rise that comes right after the futuristic building you pass on your left (it’s a copy of the LAX Control Tower). After a lengthy flat this is a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m before you head back down and into the undersea tunnels.
After that it’s pretty plain sailing – exiting the tunnel system has a short bump up – but by this time you can make your own decisions on whether to jettison slower riders based on how many of you are left! Just a short finish back to Downtown!
Wrap up
This is a great progression for the TTT. RGV wasn’t very technical (except for the end part). Here its largely flat again, and your race will be won or lost based on how you handle the KOM. Discord is your friend here.
wpDiscuz
