Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube
  • Get Started
    • Create Zwift Account
    • How To Get Started On Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Women’s Racing on Zwift
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • RoboPacer Calendar
    • Climb Portal Calendar
    • Route of the Week Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Game Updates
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Current Models
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
      • XP Basics for Riders
      • XP Basics for Runners
      • Kit Unlock Codes
      • Master List of Badges
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List: Routes
      • Master List: Climb Portal
      • Master List: KOMs
      • Master List: Sprints
      • Master List: Rebel Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Printable List of Routes by Difficulty
    • Speed Tests
    • Tiny Races
  • Women
    • Race Calendar
    • Why race?
    • Women’s Teams
    • Racer Spotlights
    • More Women’s Racing posts
  • Shop
    • Watopia Map and Other Posters
    • ZI Indoor Cycling Kit
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Get Started
    • Create Zwift Account
    • How To Get Started On Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Women’s Racing on Zwift
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • RoboPacer Calendar
    • Climb Portal Calendar
    • Route of the Week Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Game Updates
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Current Models
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
      • XP Basics for Riders
      • XP Basics for Runners
      • Kit Unlock Codes
      • Master List of Badges
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List: Routes
      • Master List: Climb Portal
      • Master List: KOMs
      • Master List: Sprints
      • Master List: Rebel Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Printable List of Routes by Difficulty
    • Speed Tests
    • Tiny Races
  • Women
    • Race Calendar
    • Why race?
    • Women’s Teams
    • Racer Spotlights
    • More Women’s Racing posts
  • Shop
    • Watopia Map and Other Posters
    • ZI Indoor Cycling Kit
More
    EventsRacing

    Zwift Grand Prix: Round 4 Women’s ZRL Scratch Race Report

    Zach Nehr
    By Zach Nehr
    December 2, 2023
    LAST UPDATED February 29, 2024
    0

    Round 4 of the 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix continued with a thrilling women’s Scratch Race on Suki’s Playground. Mimicking another round of the Zwift Racing League, the Scratch Race had points available for every rider at the finish. 

    Watch the Livestream

    Exactly like the Men’s Round 3 Scratch Race in London, Suki’s Playground offered points from 80th to 1st. Here’s how the scoring looked: 

    1st: 80 points
    2nd: 79 points
    3rd: 78 points
    …
    80th: 1 point

    After a super impressive performance in Round 3, Lou Bates and Coalition Alpha were looking to extend their lead atop the Zwift Grand Prix Series leaderboard. On tap in Round 4 were two laps of Suki’s Playground for a total of 36.8km with 300 meters of climbing. There were four points on the course where the riders would have a 33% chance of getting a Draft Boost, Feather, or Aero Boost. 

    Between the rolling climbs, fast descents, and downhill finish, there were plenty of tactical choices to be made – would riders save their power-ups for the final sprint? Or would they attack on the climbs, attempting to break away from the peloton?

    It didn’t take long for Åsa Fast-Berglund (Team Swedish Zwifters) to start pushing the pace on the first long and draggy climb of the day. 

    Less than a quarter of the way through the race, around 15 riders had been dropped as the peloton sped towards the next section of Suki’s Playground. For the next 10km, the best women’s Zwifters in the world put on a clinic in drafting and saving energy. 

    The live broadcast put it into perspective, as nearly every rider in the peloton was saving precious energy on the fast roads of Makuri Islands. 

    Kathrin Fuhrer (Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24) put in the first big attack of the race, dropping the Feather powerup with 20km to go. Fuhrer’s attack firmly split the field at the end of Lap 1, leaving just half the field left in contention. 

    Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24 confirmed the message that they weren’t waiting for the final sprint when Kristen Kulchinsky launched off the front with 16.5km to go. The American earned a five-second gap before Coalition Alpha took up the chase. 

    Kulchinsky kept pushing, and with 13km to go, her gap was 17 seconds and growing. As the road began climbing with 12km to go, Kulchinsky’s lead started to fade as Coalition Alpha and Wahoo Le Col pushed the pace in the peloton. 

    With 10.6km to go, Kulchinsky was caught, and there were only 34 riders left in the peloton. After the long and lightning-fast descent, Gabriela Guerra (Saris | Nopinz) was the next rider to attack with 5.8km to go. 

    The Brazilian was closed down almost immediately, but that didn’t stop her from trying again with 4km to go. However, the peloton seemed set on a sprint, and so the lead group came into the final kilometer with very few gaps. With 900m to go, Bates (Coalition Alpha) surprised the sprinters with an all-out attack, going clear into the final descent. 

    Just like she did in Round 3, Bates held her attack all the way to the finish, earning maximum points for Coalition Alpha with 1st place. Mika Söderström (Movistar eTeam) won the field sprint for 2nd, while Lizzi Brooke (Wahoo Le Col) rounded out the podium in 3rd. 

    Bates’ finish helped Coalition Alpha make it two in a row by winning Round 4 of the 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix. The team points were incredibly close at the top of the leaderboard, with Coalition Alpha winning (305 pts) ahead of Wahoo Le Col (297 pts) and Hexagone (294 pts).

    Coalition Alpha extended their lead atop the Zwift Grand Prix – Series leaderboard, and they now have a 13-point lead over Hexagone in second. With three rounds to go, here is what the women’s Series leaderboard looks like. 

    Coming Up Next

    The 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix returns next week with Round 5 – Men’s Points Race on The Muckle Yin. In yet another round mimicking the Zwift Racing League, the Round 5 – Men’s Points Race will include five intermediate sprints and points at the finish line. FTS and FAL points are available for the Top 10 at each intermediate sprint. 

    On December 14th, the women’s 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix continues with one of the longest Team Time Trials (TTT) in Zwift Grand Prix history at 36.3km on Triple Flat Loops. All 16 teams will start with five riders, with their time being taken from their third riders across the line.

    Related Posts

    • Tags
    • wmn
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest
    ReddIt
      Zach Nehr
      Zach Nehrhttps://zachnehr.com/
      Zach is a freelance writer, professional cyclist, and the owner of ZNehr Coaching. He writes about everything related to bikes and endurance sports, from product reviews and advertorials to feature articles and pro data analytics. You can find Zach’s articles in Cyclingnews, Outside & Velo, TrainingPeaks, Bicycle Guider, and more.
      Subscribe
      Notify of
      guest

      guest

      0 Comments
      Oldest
      Newest Most Voted
      Inline Feedbacks
      View all comments

      Get Started on Zwift

      Sign Up (Free Trial)
      Buy Zwift Ride
      Buy KICKR CORE One
      Read More...

      Newest Featured Posts

      Zwift Offers Free Play Controllers To Level 85+ Riders

      Hardware/Equipment

      Join the CommuniTTTy: On-Demand Zwift Time Trialing!

      Racing

      Support This Site

      Write a post, shop through us, donate or advertise. Learn more

      NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

      Zwift tips and news every 2 weeks! Click to subscribe.

      More Posts

      Zwift Will Not Be Hosting an Elite Zwift World Series This Fall

      Racing

      Zwift Charts: Climb Portal Growth

      Routes & Maps

      Friday Night Fun Races Announced

      Events

      Zwift Releases Fitness Trends Charts on Companion App

      Game Updates

      This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs.

      This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts.

      Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy

      Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent

      [email protected]

      Latest articles

      “Hautacam” Climb Portal Details

      Zwift Route of the Week Schedule

      Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 12-13

      Popular Categories

      • Racing1509
      • Events1014
      • News833
      • Training & Nutrition712
      • Interviews564
      • Routes & Maps447
      Comment Author Info
      :wpds_smile::wpds_grin::wpds_wink::wpds_mrgreen::wpds_neutral::wpds_twisted::wpds_arrow::wpds_shock::wpds_unamused::wpds_cool::wpds_evil::wpds_oops::wpds_razz::wpds_roll::wpds_cry::wpds_eek::wpds_lol::wpds_mad::wpds_sad::wpds_exclamation::wpds_question::wpds_idea::wpds_hmm::wpds_beg::wpds_whew::wpds_chuckle::wpds_silly::wpds_envy::wpds_shutmouth:
      0
      0
      Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
      ()
      x
      | Reply
      You are going to send email to

      Move Comment

    • Related Posts