The third race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 1 happens Tuesday, September 24, and we’ll be in Makuri Islands for our first-ever ZRL event on the Country to Coastal route.
There’s much to discuss, including crucial course segments, tricky bike decisions, and strategic options. Let’s go!
Looking at the Route: Country to Coastal
The Country to Coastal route in Makuri Islands has never been raced in ZRL. It debuts as a scratch race, and all riders will be racing a single lap of the route for a total of 33.5km with 284m of climbing.
Let’s discuss the key parts of this route, beginning just after we blast out of the start pen:
Uphill Start (0-1.4km): we begin with a quick climb from the start pens up to the Village Sprint. While the slope only averages 3.5%, it’ll make the first few minutes especially tough. Make sure you come into the pens warmed up! Once the race begins, mind your pack position, watch for gaps, hold onto those wheels, and know that recovery is just up the road as the next 13.5km are mostly downhill!
Powerup at Village Sprint arch @1.7km
Powerup at Country Sprint arch @7.4km
Climb to Shisa Sprint (18.6-20.1km): the next pinch point begins at 18.6km when you cross a bridge onto the sandy, uphill corkscrew road taking you to the Shisa Sprint. Again, this isn’t a steep climb – it averages 3.3%. But climbers and punchers will push the w/kg here in an effort to thin the herd. If you aren’t attacking, you’ll want to hold onto a wheel to save energy in the draft.
Powerup at Shisa Sprint arch @20.7km
Powerup at Tidepool Sprint arch @25.8km
Slot Canyon climb (26.7-29.2km): our last real climb (apart from the uphill finish) takes us up through the Slot Canyon we descended earlier. At just 2.4%, this is the slackest of our three climbs. But since it comes near the end of the race, you know it’s going to hurt! Pro tips: watch for riders attacking when the road turns right off the pavement and onto sand around 28.2km.
Finish at Virtual Arch (@33.5km): after a flat lead-in from the Slot Canyon climb, you’ll get to slug it out in an uphill finish that is around 700 meters long, averaging 3.5%. Any powerup will help you here, and you’ll get another one as you pass under the lap arch with 400 meters to go. Time them wisely!
Read more about the Country to Coastal route >
PowerUp Notes
Three powerups will be randomly given at each arch: the feather, the draft boost, and the aero boost. You have an equal chance of getting all three at each arch. There are five arches, so five powerup opportunities as noted above: the Village, Country, Shisa, and Tidepool Sprints plus the lap arch near the end of the race.
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.)
Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds.
Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. This is a handy powerup for the uphill finish.
Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.)
Apart from the notes above, there are simply too many permutations to discuss optimal powerup usage thoroughly for this race. Knowing the route will go a long way toward helping you make smart powerup decisions on the fly!
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This route’s three key climbs plus an uphill finish may entice you toward a climb-friendly bike. But it’s important to look at the pitch of the climbs, and not just their length.
As noted above, the climbs only average 2.4-3.5%, which means they are quite draftable, and your bike’s aero performance will be more important than its weight, especially as speeds increase in higher categories.
Given the strong performance of the new Pinarello Dogma F 2024, it’s hard not to recommend it as the best pick here, coupled with the DT Swiss disc wheel. This setup loses very little (2 seconds in our ~50-minute test) to the traditional Venge+Disc combo, while gaining 11 seconds in our ~50-minute climb test.
That said, there are several options that will all perform well on this route. The Venge+Disc is the most aero setup available, and the Tron bike is still a strong all-arounder.
See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.
More Route Recons Resources
Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.
In the Drops
John Rice
Strategic Questions
This route as a scratch race has all the makings of a classic attritional Zwift battle. Make no mistake: riders will fall off the back on each of the three key climbs as strong climbers and puncheurs push hard to drop whoever they can!
But does it always make sense to push on the climbs in a team event? Smart teams will look at the makeup of their squad beforehand to determine whether it makes more sense to attack or sit in at key pinch points. Riders will want to communicate well mid-race, too, so teams can make smart, on-the-fly decisions that maximize the team’s overall result.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
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