The finals for Zwift Academy 2023 have just finished, and Zwift partnered with Eurosport to bring you a series of four episodes documenting the finals process.
Today episode 3 premiered. Watch it below, or read the summary if you’d like…
We begin in Denia, Spain with the men, who take a downhill master class from Downhill Coach Jonny Towers. Jonny takes them down the descent first, then they take turns leading the pack down the descent while Jonny gives pointers. Adding to the fun, the descent is wet!
After this class, Jonny and the coaches agree that all three riders are very competent descenders, and while Louis is the fastest, Mattia seems to have the best mix of skill, teachability, and confidence.
Next on the menu for the men’s finalists was a Zwift race! The finalist’s job is to protect their Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates and “bring them smoothly into the final.” Louis and Mattia are able to follow the race radio instructions very well, with Mattia putting in a key final attack and averaging 5.2 W/kg over 40 minutes. Anton stays a bit hidden in the pack, and later reflects that there may have been a misunderstanding about instructions.
On to the women, who begin with a downhill master class with Jonny Towers. Laura and Maddie impress the coaches the most, while Katy lags behind a bit.
Then it’s on to the Zwift race! Our three finalists plus two CANYON//SRAM team members are racing against 4 other community teams, so there are 25 riders total in the race. As Matt Stephens explains, the goal here isn’t necessarily to win: it’s to see how well the finalists can follow instructions and execute a race plan.
With 1.1km left, Katy is the only surviving finalist in the front group. She finishes 8th.
Afterward, the coaches debrief, sharing that:
- Maddie followed instructions immediately and perfectly
- Laura also followed the plan well, but struggled a bit with the pace
- Katy tried to do what she was told, but it was a bit erratic
Up Next
Watch this space for the final episode tomorrow, in which we’ll learn who wins the pro contracts!
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