The first race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 1 happens Tuesday, September 10, when we’ll be in France for one TTT lap of the Douce France route.
This is about as straightforward of a TTT course as we can get. But experienced riders know that team time trials are rarely straightforward! So let’s discuss route details, bike choice, and all things TTT…
Looking at the Route: Douce France
France’s Douce France route is 24.8km long, with 136m of elevation gain. This is the reverse (counterclockwise) version of France’s R.G.V. which has been raced many times as a ZRL TTT.
Apart from three sections it’s flat and fast:
Rather than take you through a turn-by-turn, let’s just discuss the three key sections of this course from a TTT perspective.
First, Les Intestins (0.6-3.4km). After a lead-in of approximately 500m you will turn right and begin the twistiest section of the course, which we nicknamed Les Intestins. This is a challenging section in a TTT because it’s impossible to remain in TTT formation around the turns which twist right and left while undulating up and down.
Don’t stress about staying single-file here. Rather, have designated riders taking pulls, with the team massing behind. And if you happen to poke your nose into the wind, give a little extra gas to help boost your blob’s speed.
Second, The Jigsaw (3.5-7.8km). Immediately following Les Intestins, a series of looping turns which are never flat may challenge your team’s togetherness just a bit. Once you leave The Jigsaw you’ve got a bit of flat road before the last little hiccup: the Aqueduc.
Third, the Aqueduc KOM (10.1-11.1km). This short climb is the biggest uphill on the route. You climb a total of 20m over 1km of tarmac, making this average 2%. This is actually a series of three short ramps, beginning around 10.1km in to your race.
As with any uphill on a TTT, your goals here should be to keep the team together while keeping your speed high. Strong climbers will want to fly off the front, while heavier riders will tend to sag off the back. Keep your team together, regain speed on the downhill, then fly on the flat to the finish.
Read more about the Douce France route >
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This week, bike choice is easy: grab your most aero TT setup! The CADEX Tri is the fastest frame in game by a solid margin, and the DT Swiss disc wheels are the fastest wheels. If you don’t have access to that setup (level 40+) then see this post to determine the fastest TT setup available at your level.
Whatever you do, do not use a road frame. Because just like in real life, even a “slow” TT frame is much more aero than a road frame.
Route Recon Videos and Resources
Here are some recon videos. You may also be interested in the short but sweet recon notes from LevelVelo.
In the Drops
Casual Creations
TTTips
Team Time Trialing on Zwift is a challenging mixture of physical strength, proper pacing, and Zwift minutiae like picking a fast bike and understanding drafting in a TTT context.
Flatter courses like this week give valuable seconds to teams who can keep their speeds high over cobbled roads, sneaky short rollers, and false flats. Staying in formation while surging your power for these rises is challenging, especially if riders use various Trainer Difficulty settings.
Climbs like this week’s Aqueduc KOM also present an opportunity to gain or lose lots of time over a short distance. You will want a target pace and attack plan for this section to ensure your team is climbing as fast as possible.
Your goal in a ZRL TTT is to get four riders across the line in the shortest time possible. That means every team’s pace plan will differ based on the abilities of each rider. We highly recommend having an experienced DS on Discord directing your team, especially if your team contains some inexperienced TTT riders.
If you really want to go down the TTT rabbit hole, check out Paul Fitzpatrick’s zwift-ds.com site. We also highly recommend using Dave Edmond’s Zwift TTT Calculator tool.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
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