Zwift Racing League 2021/22 Round 2 Week 8 Race Guide: Lutece Express

The eighth and final race of the regular Zwift Racing League 2021/22 Round 2 is Tuesday, March 1st. Fittingly located on the bricks of Paris’ Avenue des Champs-Élysées, this is one for the sprinters… but that doesn’t mean it’s flat.

Let’s dig into the race, including tips for bike choice, powerups, strategy, and crucial segments.

Looking at the Route: Lutece Express

Paris’ Lutece Express route was rolled out in mid 2020 for Zwift’s Virtual Tour de France events. It’s the reverse version of the Champs-Élysées route, which means the sprint and finish are on a slight downhill.

This route has a long lead-in which nearly constitutes a full lap. A/B racers will be racing 6 laps (total of 43.1km), while C/D will race 4 laps (29.9km).

Let’s discuss the four key parts of this route, beginning from the start pens:

First, the climb up Montée des Champs Elysées. 1km long and averaging 2.3%, the main “climb” on this route is more of a “drag” really. It gets steepest at the end after it levels out for a bit, so save a bit of punch for that final effort.

Second, the Lutece Sprint Reverse. 220m long and slightly downhill, this is a short sprint so you’ll want to hit the start line at high speed if you’re looking for FTS points. Both FAL and FTS will be tracked/given on every lap.

Third, the parking garage ramp. After you go through the lap banner the road will take you around Jardin des Tuileries, dipping down into a parking garage then ramping quickly out. Don’t get dropped off the back of the group on this short ramp – burst your power to maintain a good position.

Lastly, the finish. The finish arch is around 1.3km from the sprint banner. It’s almost entirely downhill until a slight false flat and flat road for the final 300m. Don’t go too early here! But at the same time, watch for sprints that turn into long attacks. This will be an interesting finish for sure.

Read more about the Climber’s Gambit route >

PowerUp Notes

Riders will be awarded powerups through each banner, and there are two banners per lap. So A/B will 13 powerups while C/D will receive 9.

These powerups will be randomly given out at each banner:

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.) Super useful if contesting the sprint, and when sprinting to the line for the finish.

Steamroller: reduces Crr for 30 seconds so you roll as fast as a road tire on pavement regardless of wheels or road surface.
This route is all brick, which means road tires have a slightly higher Crr (.0055) instead of the .004 they have on pavement (see our Crr post). A 75kg rider traveling at 40kph will save around 13 watts when using the steamroller. Heavier riders and/or higher speeds will increase this savings, but only up to ~20W.

Feather: reduces your weight by 10% for 15 seconds.
Best used on climbs, when weight matters the most. Save this for Montée des Champs Elysées.

Bike Frame + Wheel Choice

Aero is everything on this route. Choose the fastest frame and wheels you can get (read our “Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level” post for tips).

The Tron bike is a solid choice here, but not quite the fastest. (And our Tron vs Top Performers chart is a bit out of date since Zwift retooled some bike weights in the last update.)

For those who are wondering: yes, the Cervelo S5 2020 is now fixed, as are the other frames who had overweight groupset bugs. But oddly enough, the S-Works Venge and other fast frames sped up a bit to match the Cervelo in the latest update! So the Cervelo S5 2020, Specialized Venge S-Works, Felt AR, and Uranium Nuclear are all about equal. Choose your weapon!

A few Zwifters have asked us if a gravel bike is a good choice here. The simple answer is: no. Gravel bikes have a higher Crr than road bikes on brick, plus they’re heavier and less aero. A bad choice all around.

More Route Recon

Many events are now being planned each weekend on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re not familiar with this course, jump into one of these events and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming Lutece Express events.

Looking for a video recon, with lovely British commentary to boot? Check out Si and Sherpa’s recons below:

Si Bradeley

Sherpa Dave

Strategic Options

Points Distribution, Week 8

The maximum points a team of 6 could earn in this race.

As you can see from the charts above, it’s all about sprint points this week, especially in the A/B races. So what strategies will riders employ for the last big race? Here’s what we predict:

• Targeted Sprints: nobody can sprint at max power on every lap, so riders will have to decide which sprints to attack, possibly based on the powerup they’re holding. Chances are good that early sprints will be faster since the group is larger and fresher, but that also makes it harder to win those FAL points.
• Long Sprints: with FAL points on offer every lap, you can bet you’ll see riders popping their aero powerups and flying off the front in hopes of being first across the line. Do you chase, or save your legs for your own attack?
• Attacking the Hills: riders with some w/kg punch may want to put in hard attacks up Montée des Champs Elysées to drop some sprinters and sap the legs of those who can hold on.
• Long Finish: riders who don’t fancy their chance in a pack sprint will attack on the final climb, hoping to stay away around the Arc and down the hill to the finish. This may be difficult for one rider, but what if two or more teammates work together?

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!