The sixth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 15, and we’ll be in Scotland for ZRL’s first-ever race on a user-created route!
There’s much to discuss, including a route we’ve never raced plus bike choice, powerup locations, and strategic approaches. Let’s go!
Looking at the Route: BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits
If Scotland’s BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits route isn’t familiar to you, you’re not alone! This is the first route ever added to the game as the result of a design contest. Racer “JackCat” from team OTR came up with the route, and Zwifters voted it as their favorite from a narrowed-down list of candidates. (Custom Zwifter-created routes will be used for the final races of round 2 and 3 as well.)
The route is 22.1km long, with 243m of total elevation. And while it would make an excellent points race with its mix of 8 timed segments, this is just a scratch race… so let’s look at the route’s key features from that perspective.
Lead-In (first 1.3km): you’ll want to be very warmed up before the race begins since key selections will be made during the uphill lead-in! It begins with 400m of flat road, including a ride through the Highland lap banner for your first powerup. Then you turn left at the roundabout to head up the Sgurr Summit South (1km, 3.3%) climb. (Hot tip for Sgurr Summit South: the first 200 meters of climbing is the steepest. Hang in over that, and the final 700 meters is quite draftable and even has a bit of downhill!) At the top you’ll get your next powerup, then descend to Glasgow.
The Clyde Kicker @3.9km: a short climb (0.3km, 3.6%), but you’ll want to be ready to hit the watts hard so you aren’t surprised and forced to waste energy! You’ll get another powerup at the top.
Champion’s Sprint banner @5.7km for another powerup.
Climb Up the Cliffs @6.6-8.3km: a slack climb that’s a popular attack point. Not attacking? Sit on a wheel and save energy in the draft.
Lap banner @8.6km for another powerup.
Corkscrew Climb @10.1-10.5km: another short and sharp climb. You can ride this really efficiently if you head into it with a lot of speed and then let yourself sag through the pack a bit near the top.
Brae Reverse Circuit loops @11-18.4km: this is the route’s signature feature – 4 loops around a short circuit, including four times up the Breakaway Brae Reverse segment (0.4km, 2%). You’ll get a new powerup at the top of each Breakaway Brae Reverse, so that’s 4 powerups. With no points available on these segments, attacks will be blunted. But you can still expect a hard effort on each!
Pain In the Rear @19.3km to finish line: the final 2.8km are almost entirely uphill, but not particularly steep. This last section breaks up into two parts. The first half of the climbing happens before the road flattens a bit, and then you ride through the lap banner for your final powerup. Turn left at the roundabout, then the second half of your climbing begins, up Sgurr Summit South. This is where everyone will empty the tank. The KOM arch is your race finish line!
Read more about the BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits route >
PowerUp Notes
Riders will receive powerups at each arch, as noted above, for a total of 10 powerup opportunities. Powerup probabilities are weighted as noted below:
Lightweight (feather) – 60% Probability: reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. With climbs scattered throughout this race, including the finish, the feather is a very useful powerup.
Draft Boost (van) – 20% Probability: 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.) Use this for recovery on flats and descents. It will even give you an advantage when drafting on slacker climbs at race speed!
Cloaking (ghost) – 20% Probability: makes you invisible to other riders for 15 seconds. Disabled within 400m of the finish line. Use when you want to get away from others. Deploy then hammer, in hopes that you will create enough of a gap that your opponents can’t grab your wheel. But watch out for the 400m finish line limitation!
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This route is rolling in profile, which means a pure climbing rig will cost you more than it’ll help. Lots of different setups will perform similarly on the rolling hills, but the question to ask is, what will help you most on the final climb?
I ran a few tests at 5 w/kg on Sgurr Summit South – a power level that is quite doable in the final 2 minutes of a race for A and B riders. We found that, at those speeds, “aero-all-arounders” did the best:
- Pinarello Dogma 2024 + DT Swiss Disc: 1:53.07
- Tron: 1:53.20
- Specialized Venge S-Works + DT Swiss Disc: 1:53.22
- Pinarello Dogma 2024 + DT Swiss 62: 1:53.51
- Pinarello Dogma 2024 + ENVE 7.8: 1:53.91
- Specialized Aethos + Lightweight Meilenstein: 1:54.28
I wouldn’t go with anything lighter than the Tron bike (see our chart), as it won’t help you on the key climb and it’ll just make you work a bit harder on flats and descents.
See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.
More Route Recons
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 Options
With its rolling profile and tough lead-in, this route as a scratch race has all the makings of a classic attritional Zwift battle! Make no mistake: the strongest riders will attack on the key climbs, and the pack will be whittled down to the top contenders by the time you reach the final ~3km.
Those final kilometers will be a slugfest, for sure. Riders with strong 4-5 minute power may gamble on a long attack, while punchier riders will want to surf the wheels and safe themselves for a final burst in the last minute.
As always, the win will go to the rider who plays their cards best.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
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