I can’t speak to all the divisions, but the competitive spirit is heating up in my division. R&K lies 3rd and our Portuguese friends (Hi Jorge!!) are tantalizingly close in 2nd. We have the measure of them on our day in a TTT… but so far they haven’t put a foot wrong. So Magnificent 8 represents our opportunity to claw back some points difference before the big finish on Surrey Hills!
About the Magnificent 8 Course
Next Tuesday we have a 28.8km ride in a roughly figure-8 route around Watopia on the Magnificent 8 course. The Magnificent 8 is one of those “mostly flat, but…” courses. Here the “but” comes in the form of Hilly KOM Reverse which has the potential to rip the team apart if you aren’t careful.
The key to success on Tuesday is how many of the team get over the KOM (you need the heavier team members to help cross the desert) and how long you spend regrouping if splits happen (you can’t afford to spend time regrouping).
My summary of the ride: whoever is in the front, lead the team, don’t leave the team!
Here’s my printoff DS-sheet for the course.
Race breakdown
I break this route into four sections:
- Flat to the land bridge
- Over the KOM
- Desert flats
- From Saddle Springs to the end of the line
Part 1 – Flat
Come out of the pens and through the start / finish gate. It’s not flat to start with but it is a steady rise – work on your formation and you have nothing to worry about. At the top of the rise turn right, head across the bridge, around the volcano and across the land-bridge toward the Italian Villas.
Part 2 – Through the Italian Villas and over the KOM
This is definitely the trickiest section of the ride. Once you are across the landbridge the road surface changes to dirt, then it starts to rise. Once you get to the Villas the surface returns to tarmac, and rises up past the waterfall. There is a brief respite (down/flat) before hitting the KOM itself.
The challenge with the dirt section is the drag dirt has – it will slow your team down, and will also reduce visibility. Discord is your friend here. The road hits 3% which on the dirt will feel like 5%. It doesn’t take long though, and soon enough you’ll be at the Italian Villas.
At around 7.4km you hit the reverse KOM. This one is your real danger area for holding the team together.
By the numbers this hill barely exists… it’s 1.8% for 2.5km. A false-flat, right? Well, the truth is we have four ramps separated by easier segments and even some downhill. Why is this a problem? In a large group race you have a big group to hide in, and as the groups split up you still have plenty of protection. In a TTT you have only have (up to) 6 team members to hold things together – when the hill bites each team member will be impacted differently.
What to look out for here?
- Lighter members leaving the team behind. This is not a time for a solo break.
- Heavier team members being left behind. Particularly on the first ramp – at over 10% someone will crack if you go at race-pace.
If you come over the top together you’re in luck – gather momentum on the descent and there is even an opportunity to supertuck – just look out for the flatter section around the bend where your supertuck might break. Stay together here and power down.
Part 3 – Across the desert
There is a slight rise into the desert itself, but mostly this is a flat, fast 11km. Heads down, get in formation, and ride like the wind.
Part 4 – Col du Saddle Springs and home
You exit Saddle Springs at around 24km. The col is small rise that comes right after the futuristic building you pass on your left (it’s a copy of the LAX Control Tower). After a lengthy flat this is a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m before you head back down and into the undersea tunnels.
After that it’s pretty plain sailing – exiting the tunnel system has a short bump up – but by this time you can make your own decisions on whether to jettison slower riders based on how many of you are left! Just a short finish back to Downtown!
Course Recon from No Breakaways
Here’s the short and sweet recon from Rick at No Breakaways
What to ride?
This is a “mostly flat” route, so aero rules. If you have it, the Specialized S-Works Venge with Zipp 858/Super 9 wheels is the pick of the bunch (and the only frame/wheel combo to beat Tron on the flat). Tron is almost as good on this course, and if you haven’t done it yet – kick off the Everest Challenge and start the long painful climb to get Tron.
If you don’t have either of those two setups, here are the fastest frame/wheel pairings at each Zwift level.
As always, the Zwift Insider reports on frames and wheels are superlative so if you want to find the perfect bike and wheel combo for you, check them out.
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