The first race of Zwift Racing League 2023/24 Round 3 happens Tuesday, January 23. We’ll be in Watopia for one scratch race lap of the Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop route.
There’s much to discuss including bike choice, strategic options, and crucial segments. Let’s go!
Looking at the Route: Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop
All categories are racing one lap of Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop for a total of 19.2km with 156 meters of elevation. Here’s a Veloviewer profile of the loop:
But perhaps the ZwiftHub profile does a better job of showing what we’re in for:
As you can see, the big feature of this route is the climb beginning 9km into the race. This climb is the beginning of the Epic KOM Reverse segment, but we’ll end the segment early, bypassing the bulk of the Epic KOM.
This key climb begins with ~1km of steeper climbing (8%+), winding up two switchbacks before crossing a bridge with a draftable 3% gradient. This is where the peloton will stretch until it snaps as stronger climbers push hard to force a selection.
Turning left after the bridge, we’ll take the falsely flat Epic KOM Bypass road for 2.5km before turning another left and beginning our descent back to Ocean Boulevard. From this spot, chasing riders have just over 6km to bridge to riders up the road. Some will, some won’t. But the finish line will come quickly!
This route ends on the classic Watopia finishing stretch: we ramp up from the ocean tunnel with 1.5km to go, hit a false flat for a few hundred meters, descend a slightly downhill twist into downtown Watopia, then go all-out on flat roads to the finish line. Hope you saved your powerup!
Read more about the Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop route >
PowerUp Notes
Every rider will receive a single aero powerup when riding through the start banner just a few hundred meters into the race. Will you burn it during the race to chase back on, or save it for the final sprint?
Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.)
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
An all-arounder like the Tron bike is a good choice for this race since the most arduous efforts and key selection will happen on the climb up to the Epic KOM bypass. The climb is short, though, and the Tron bike will save you less than a second over a super-aero setup with disc wheels.
So if you’re confident you can hang with the front group up and over the hill, go with a super-aero finisher such as the Venge + Disc combo since all the points in this race will be earned at the finish line.
See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.
More Route Recons
Many recon rides are now being planned each week on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re unfamiliar with this course, jump into an event and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop events.
Si Bradeley
Strategic Options
How will the race unfold, and what strategies will riders employ in the first race of round 3? Here’s what we predict:
- Major selections at the base of the Epic KOM Reverse: expect the field to shrink by 30-50% on this climb. Your 2-3 minute W/kg will be crucial.
- Chasing it back: once the climbing is finished, riders who have been dropped from the front group will want to chase back on. But will the front group allow it? Team communication will be vital.
- Saved helmets: we only get one aero powerup during this race. Those who save it for the finish’s flat, fast sprint will have a distinct advantage over those who do not.
- A wild finish: there are several strategic options in the final 1.5km of this race, especially with a reduced pack. You can always leave it to the final sprint (most will), but why not send a teammate up the road on a long attack while your sprinters sit in, or attack with multiple teammates in a leadout train for your sprinter?
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
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