The third week of Zwift Racing League is upon us, and it’s going to be a big one now that qualifying heats are finished. Who will survive the cobbles of Libby Hill, and who will be left to chase?
Divisions are Frozen: Let’s Race!
For divisions with more than ~30 teams, WTRL used the past two weeks as sort of “qualifying heats” to rank teams so they could be broken up into smaller divisions based on ability. So beginning tomorrow, teams in every division are set – no new teams will be allowed to join Zwift Racing League.
Here’s how the divisions are now organized. You can see some divisions (especially the women’s) had lower numbers of teams, so there is only one division. But most divisions had enough teams that they needed to be divided into smaller divisions – so the Men’s EMEA W B division is now EMEA W1 B1-4 and EMEA W2 B1-4. One division becomes eight. This is how you make things competitive for 6000 racers!
Timezone Fun
We’re in that strange time of year where part of the world has changed their clocks, but another part has not. What time is tomorrow’s race? The easiest way to make sure you’ve got it right is to follow the signup link emailed to your team manager – this will show your local race time accurately.
Looking At the Route: 2015 UCI Worlds Course
Here’s a route preview from Rick over at No Breakaways.
The video above was made before WTRL announced some final changes to this week’s route, most notably intermediates changed to top 3 from top 5.
Bike Frame/Wheel Choices
The video above includes frame/wheel recommendations that were made before Zwift slowed down the Canyon Aeroad 2021.
On a course like Richmond, we recommend making your frame and wheel selection based on gaining an advantage for the most important sections of the course. On Richmond, the big selections will take place on the three climbs. So you want a bike setup that will deliver you to those climbs as fresh as possible (aero still matters) and, most importantly, get you up those climbs as quickly as possible (lightweight).
The Tron bike is your clear first choice, based on speed tests run just last week. It turns in the same overall route time as the fastest combination in game (Specialized Venge S-Works with Zipp 858/Super9 wheel) but climbs just a bit faster.
In lieu of the Tron, a second pick isn’t as clear… but the Aeroad 2021 with ENVE 7.8’s would be our 2nd choice, if you’re looking for a bit of a climbing advantage. That combo is just 4 seconds slower than the Tron on a single lap of Richmond – it climbs at the same speed, but is slightly less aero.
Route Breakdown
The route begins on flat roads, taking riders through two sprint points: first the Monument Avenue sprint, then the Broad Street sprint. In terms of distance, this flat portion lasts for half of the route.
A long descent signals the start of the lumpier second half of the route. Riders will quickly arrive on the cobbles of famous Libby Hill – a twisty, punchy climb which will certainly put hurt in the legs and gaps in the peloton!
The 23rd Street KOM follows soon afterward – a short, straight, steep climb. Can you attack like Sagan and stay away?
Keep your speed up into the descent, then it’s a long, slow climb up to the false flat straightaway to the finish. The final kilometer is always a slugfest, and often the riders who go hard early are reeled back in when they run out of steam. Have you got what it takes?
Strategic Options
There are 4 intermediates on each lap of Richmond, corresponding to the 4 official timed segments in game:
- Monument Ave
- Broad Street
- Libby Hill
- 23rd St
For all categories (just confirmed by WTRL), the first three racers across the line on each of these points will receive extra points – 3, 2, and 1.
Teams have a lot of strategic options here. On this course, the major selections happen on the climbs – especially on Libby Hill and the Governor Street (which isn’t a timed KOM/intermediate, but the longest climb on the route, and the lead-in to the finish). The intermediate sprints should help to break up the flat first half of each lap and force some additional selections, but we don’t see the flat sprints playing a major role in race selections.
- Sprinters: do you sit in and conserve on the flats so you’ve got more matches for the climbs? Or should you push hard on the two intermediate sprints in order to grab some extra points and drop or weaken some of the strong climbers?
- Climbers: clearly you just sit in the front group and conserve as much as possible on the flats and descents. The big question is, which climb(s) do you use to launch your attack? For A and B groups, if you attack too early, a strong and large group may be able to bring you back on the flats.
- All Arounders: this is your race, with its tasty mix of flats and punchy climbs. If you’re strong enough to stay with the front group, your challenge will be deciding which attacks to chase. If you chase them all you’ll waste energy and blow up early – but if you let them all go, you’ll miss the big move. Study your competition!
- Teams: only the top 29 riders across the finish line score extra points. If you’re a rider who doesn’t fancy their chances of making it into the top 29, what can you do to help your team grab as many points as possible?
Lastly, powerups: there will be five opportunities for a powerup every lap – at the start/finish and each intermediate. Make sure you know how each powerup works, and use them wisely! Hint: the steamroller and anvil can both be useful on Richmond.
Your Thoughts
Care to share your thoughts about tomorrow’s big race? Comment below!
wpDiscuz
