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The second race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 happens Tuesday, January 21, and we’ll be in France on the Douce France loop, a ZRL TTT favorite.
But it’s not a TTT this time around! We’re here for a points race, which means it’s all about your sprinting abilities on this flat, fast route. There’s much to discuss, including the route’s key sections, powerup details, strategic options, and bike choice. Let’s go!
Looking at the Route: Douce France
France’s Douce France route is 24.2km long with 133m of elevation gain and 4 intermediate point segments. We’ve raced this route multiple times in ZRL as a TTT – most recently in September 2024 for round 1. But it’s a points race this time around, which changes everything!
All categories will be racing a single lap of this flat, short loop.
Here are the key sections of the route from a points race perspective:
Les Intestins (0.6-3.4km): After a flat lead-in of approximately 500m you will turn right and begin the twistiest section of the course, which we nicknamed Les Intestins. This section is a bit pitchy as well, with three distinct up/down sections, but none of the climbs are steep or long. Unless you’re a strong rider who can put in real attacks to fatigue others you’ll want to mind your pack position and save your legs for the points segments up the road.
Ballon Sprint @6.8km (210m, 0%) FAL+FTS: this short sprint averages 0% gradient, but it actually starts with an uphill, which changes into a downhill, then back into an uphill. You’ll be entering this at a high speed thanks to a downhill lead-in. Don’t be scared to go all-in, because you’ve got a flat ~3.5km immediately following!
Aqueduc KOM @10.9km (420m, 0.9%) FAL+FTS: This short climb is the biggest uphill on the route, but it’s not a big climb by any means. While the actual timed Aqueduc KOM segment begins at 10.9km and is more like an uphill sprint, the climbing begins before the start line at around 10.2km. This is a very draftable climb, so stay on the wheels if you aren’t attacking. Be ready for the biggest attacks of the race to happen in this section.
Pavé Sprint @12.9km (0.33km, 0%) FAL+FTS: significantly longer than the Ballon Sprint, the Pavé Sprint is flat and cobbled, with a start line that’s hard to pick out from the surrounding scenery. Watch for the road to turn left and go through an arch entering town – that’s your start line.
From the Pavé Sprint to the final sprint you’ll cover ~10.7km of essentially flat road with no sprint or KOM segments. While some attacks will doubtless occur, it’s rare for such attacks to succeed on this course.
Marina Sprint @23.9km (340m, 0%) FAL+FTS: the final meters of the race are also a points segment, making the last minutes of your race very tactical indeed. Expect the pace to pick up early as riders chase that precious combo of FAL and FIN points.
Read more about the Douce France route >
PowerUp Notes
Riders will receive one of three powerups at each arch, and there are three arches on this route. Here are details of the three powerups, including the probability that you’ll receive each at an arch:
Aero Boost (helmet) – 50%: 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.) If you’re chasing sprint points, this is the powerup for you.
Draft Boost (van) – 40%: 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.) Very effective when chasing FTS sprint points, where you begin from the back of the pack and sprint through the riders.
Cloaking (ghost) – 10%: makes you invisible to other riders for 15 seconds. Disabled within 400m of the finish line.
Use when you want to get away from one or more riders. Deploy then hammer, in hopes that you will create enough of a gap that your opponents can’t grab your wheel.
Sometimes you need to use a powerup to chase back on or avoid getting dropped. But let’s get real: for most riders, the ghost will prove useless and the aero boost or draft boost powerups will be saved for timed segments.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This route features three flat sprint segments (including the finish), one timed KOM that is more like a short uphill sprint, and lots of flat road. In short: you’ll want the most aero bike you’ve got.
An aero bike will maximize your sprint speeds and let you sit in most easily on the flats, rollers, and descents that make up the vast majority of your overall mileage. The climbs aren’t very steep, meaning they are fast and draftable, so a pure climbing bike won’t give you any advantage.
The S-Works Venge+DT Swiss Disc is the most aero setup available (although the Felt AR frame performs exactly the same as the S-Works Venge, if you prefer white).
See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance, and check out Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level to determine the fastest setup available to you.
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.
Zwifty Zwifter
John Rice
The Syco-List
J Dirom
Strategic Options
Points Distribution, Douce France (1 Lap)
This chart shows the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in a race with 60 participants. Because the Marina Sprint is also the finish line, we’ve allocated that segment’s FAL points to the Finish points.
With FAL and finish points making up 75% of the race’s total points, the message is clear: you want to do everything you can to stay in the front group, because big points are on offer for riders who can turn in a well-timed sprint, especially on the final Marina Sprint!
Here are some predictions of strategies we’ll see on Tuesday:
- Rest, Sprint, Repeat: this will be the most common strategy. Rest between timed segments, sprint on the segments, and then rest again. It’s the smartest approach, unless you have the legs to attack in a meaningful way.
- Big Attacks On Aqueduc: this draggy climb will stretch out the pack and drop some riders. Every. Time. Extra glory points to a team who can stage a group attack on the Aqueduc and stay away to raid points on the Pavé Sprint less than 3km up the road!
- A Long Final Sprint: riders will be skittish heading into the final sprint, and it has a start line that isn’t always easy to spot. Expect the pace to pick up well before the sprint officially begins.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
