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Raced the 18.55 Team Italy Gladiators Race last night.
Last minute decision, and less than a 5 minute warm up before race started ... half a KM in I realized I had forgotten to switch fan on!
So took the decision to get mid pack of the front group and jump off quickly and switch fan on; I estimated it would take 2-3 seconds and prob put me towards back of the quite sizeable front group ... wrong!
It put me about 2-3 seconds off the back of the sizeable front group, and unable to chase back on!!
Sat in then with a pretty big chasing pack for the next 8 laps of the volcano. Pretty decent group that hoovered up a lot of riders, and was closing down the fairly big bunch of front B cat riders ... my group finished 30 seconds behind them which was pretty decent considering they were well over a minute 30 seconds ahead after about 3-4 laps.
Didnt look like anyone from my group wanted to sprint at end (who sprints for 20th eh!) so just me and another STW rider rolled the group home.
^^^
Long stick...
Trying to get all the TDZ rides done this week because I was late to the party, this morning it was Innsbruck.
Had a 5 minute warm up and Zwift counted down to throw me to the starting gate, except it didn't, I was still in Watopia...cue a quick panic and reboot of everything, pair up etc and I hit the start just as the countdown hit 1, so straight into the mad sprint pretty cold.
First group went out and I couldn't keep up (A and B riders), so it ended being a solo TT for most of the session, coming in mid pack out of 26 riders. ZP has me as 10th.
Fastest D, surrounded by B's and C cat riders, so I'll take that. I'm surprised ZP hasn't put me up to a C yet.
Race day i think.... not expecting much as the legs are tired. 10:45am.
Good reports guys.... Mooman, never ever ever get off the bike LOL. unless it's a massive downhill. It's just impossible to not lose the ground.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=332456
Meh, not sure i quite timed it right, think i went a bit too late if i'm honest....
MAybe even 300m too late.. Should have potentially tried an early one.
Good efforts above. Well done for sticking with the ultimate race weeksey. Really wish Zwift didn't make so many cock ups with event setup, it soured the end of the series a bit!
Illness and motivation been keeping me from doing more however dragged myself onto the bike last night as its the first time in a week without a pressure headache. Little bit of climbing on four laps of Watopia hilly :D.
Didn't have an ideal start with only five minutes to warm up and this route going straight up the forward KOM. Fortunately the pace was relaxed on the first time up so I have a chance to settle. Oddly in this race the B/C/D groups never attached to the back of A apart from a couple of riders. Seems everyone started a bit calmer than normal (nothing like an impending 2 minute effort to focus the mind).
This race was all about the forward KOM with most of the rest of the lap being easier pace. Lap 2 I went hard at the front just before the bridge (set a all time PB up the KOM) and triggered a fairly substantial split in the pack (20ish down to 9). Lap 3 was more of a sit on as the lap 2 effort hurt. Even so I found myself with two others 3s off the front by the top. Oddly though no one wanted to try and escape and the rest of group rejoined (minus the last B and one A who were shelled on the climb). Lap 4 I tired again for a big climb but it just didn't happen and we we went up as one. My plan now was a long attack into the esses but someone else had other ideas and went from the end of the sprint. This caused chaos as the group responded but for some unknown reason the attacker backed off at the top of the hill despite a 5s gap. Crazy!
Heading to the end of the esses there was another attack by the winner. There was no quick pack response and I was at the back preparing for my own attack so they got away. At 600 I went for it but just couldn't get far enough away and was caught by the sprinters. Still 5th and with the lead pack which I'll take for now. Got a week off skiing to rest the legs now :D.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=330933
Alp d'huez today, not quick but just wanted to ride at a tempo to get my legs back. Didn't get a Weeksy ride on though ☹️
When I joined a few weeks back I thought I would only do training rides on Zwift, being a little lacking in speed, fitness and confidence for racing. But having now done a few events I love pitching myself against others and chasing riders down, it helps me forget the pain. I may be mid-pack in the lower categories but I get a buzz from it, events have become my training!! 🙂
I seem to always pick the group rides that go off full tilt from the start, I haven't had one with a fence yet...
oop north
Subscriber
Trying to get all the TDZ rides done this week because I was late to the party, this morning it was Innsbruck.
Yes - its the last one I have to do to complete the series; what do you get for finishing the series? I am in two minds to do the 18km Innsbruck today to complete series, or do the 41km Hare & Hounds race on at 6pm .... Innsbruck is less than half the distance, but will be twice as painful as all the very short races are.
oop north ..the races are the only thing that keeps me motivated on Zwift; it soon gets boring riding around the different worlds. Occasionally I do Alp du Zwift because thats a solid hour effort to keep yourself motivated.
Any others here want to do a meet up for a race? seems enough varied abilities to work for a win for one of us. I only do Zwift for the work out so would happily ride for someone else to grab a good position.
Sooo... any particular recommendations for a short tester of a race on Saturday morning?
I'm coming off of Gastro and a mild Flu (the proper Flu) yet at the same time I'm in a rest week with Training resuming on Monday. Weather's rubbish so I thought I might test/warm up my legs before I get back to it.
Despite rumours of a bike frame reward for completing TDZ, it's simply the tdz kit.
Today has been another write off day off work so far, I'm guessing due to intterupted sleep on Mon and Tues night, randomly waking at 0300ish both nights.
I've got three TT Tune-Up workouts I'm supposed to do and one optional by Sun night, part of me fancies a Zwift race or two (such as the Oh Crit double starting at 1615, or the team time trial at 1815 if a few of us STWers got together), but I have no idea how my legs feel after yesterday!
Not to mention it might actually be dry tomorrow and so I could possibly ride outdoors. But then Fridays often have a few TT events I like entering.
Saturday 9.30am DBR Saturday Race
or the 11.15am 3R Tick Tock Flat Race which would probably be better if trying to work together because its flat.
Bloody Zwift glitches...
Halfway up the TDZ Bologna climb (which is horrible by the way!) everyone disappears but the clock is still going, power etc. Got to the top and it recorded my finish and time, that I had completed another tour stage.
But now it's not recorded in Zwift or in ZP, it records only that I rode up until the point everyone disappeared. Frustrating and looks like I won't get all stages done now...ah well it's only a t-shirt unlock.
I was rubbish.
4 laps of greater London in the Kalas Cup series.
Held the big front group almost to the finish of the first full lap but hanging on generally so got tailed off when the inevitible split happened.
Small group with an out of category B rider doing intervals dropping back past us then dragging at least 2 groups back to us. Reported to ZP and he appears to have history.
By the last lap the 4 smaller groups behind the front group came back together for a big sprint finish. As per usual on this route I started too late and was way back.
First finisher under 80kg was in my group! Average weight of the front group looks to be about 90kg.
26th 4 minutes back on the winners in C.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=332530
I did Innsbruck stage 2 of the Zwift series yesterday.
The start was not the usual full on 3-4km sprint. One person went off front on his own and was pushing over 5w/kg for almost the entire race, but he was left to play on his own ... obvious weight doper.
The group stayed together till the first little climb; and that made a split of 8 of us at front.
On the second climb of final lap we managed to drop one rider on the climb; and the chasing group were about 30 seconds behind. As we got to the bottom of the climb and about 4km from the end the rider we had dropped was about 10 seconds behind. But the group I was in frustratingly started to ease up for the sprint finish; which was allowing the gapped rider to close back onto us.
I tried to keep pace up by going on front to keep the gap - but only occasionally would one of the other riders contribute; with 400m to go the gapped rider was 2 seconds behind so I decided to go early hoping the others would overtake me quickly so I could jump on them as they passed and stop the gapped rider getting on ... they sat on me till 200m to go!! and by which time I was cooked to get on back of them.
But did manage to stop gapped rider getting on lol
I need to up my distances, I'm happy up to 30km right now. Any suggestions for good routes of 40-50km in Zwift world that I won't get bored on?
What are your favourites?
Sooo… any particular recommendations for a short tester of a race on Saturday morning?
I’m coming off of Gastro and a mild Flu (the proper Flu) yet at the same time I’m in a rest week with Training resuming on Monday. Weather’s rubbish so I thought I might test/warm up my legs before I get back to it.
Take a look at BestBikeSplit, I haven't tried this is anger yet...but...you can upload a previous race file (TCX) and download it as ZWO to ride as a custom workout in Zwift (using ERG)
Anyone else looking at the Kirchmair sprint double races at 1805 and 1835?
3 laps of La Guardia in both directions, ~11Km reverse first and then 10Km forward.
No idea how my legs will cope, did the 1645 Bell Lap race, but ~12 miles of pain won't take long... Right? 😆
#oopnorth I'd pick routes from the list on the worlds. I prefer Watopia and if you go up any of the mountains it tends to be reasonably quiet. Try tickong off route badges to keep your interest.
Revisited Crit City this afternoon. Reasonable warmup and another brutal start. This time it didn't let up at halfway so I barely saw the front of the group. Got dropped multiple times but not enough to get rid of me and a few others. Finally lost the group with 5 corners to go and sat up as there was no way I was coming back. Finished 10th which meant there were 7 sandbaggers pulling the group hard. Beaten by 2 90kg powerhouses and the rest got DQed including the 40kg rider pulling over 5 w/kg!
Winners were 40 seconds faster than last weeks race.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=335191
I’m going to do the 16.30 crit city race. Anyone else in? I’m in D
My legs are tired today sorry after a long racing week. I still keep threatening to start easing off the racing, but as you may have gathered, that's not going well lol.
@oop north - look for some of the long group rides and just drop out when you are done, much better than riding alone.
I have been doing the 100k Audax rides that start at 9.15 on Sunday mornings (whilst the weather has been poor).
@oop north – look for some of the long group rides and just drop out when you are done, much better than riding alone
I’ve done that. There’s an Austrian group (DIRT) who do a 100km on a Sunday. I’ll join and ride until bored. Never got to the end yet, but better than riding on your own.
Having said that I’m revisiting all the standard routes on my new Direto. It’s SO much nicer than the Flux it replaced (and has yet to stop working which again places it apart from TACX offerings).
Muir and the Mountain this morning. Beat my best time up the KOM by nearly a minute but had nothing left for the radio tower! Plus the Direto works up to 15% gradient, the Flux was only 10%...
Anyone know how to ‘calibrate’ my Garmin Fenix with the Elite cadence sensor? Leaving it on auto has you riding at 130kmh 🙂
@Alex Have you tried using 173 or 17.3 under the circumference setting on the Garmin?
The wheels have well and truly fallen off my TT Tune-Up plan on this 6th week, I didn't touch the turbo on either Tues or Sat (two rest days in a week is very unusual for me) and I was very late in jumping on the turbo on Fri to squeeze in three small races between ~1640 and ~1900.
Think it's been a combo of several bad night's sleep and putting me way outside my comfort zone asking me to do repeated intervals in the ballpark of 2mins @441W, when my best 2mins before this week was ~410W as a one-off effort in Oct 2018... I am definitely not your man for sprint power! 😆
Trying to decide if I want to do https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup/week-6-power-intervals-2/ (which will kill me), https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup/week-5-endurance-3/ or look at the race events or even freeride before dinner today.
Quite like that Crit circuit. Although a lap counter would be nice...
Just completed the last ride on Tour d'zwift - not sure if I will bother with the kit I earned - ended up doing 4 stages in last 4 days. Did the Bologna TT yesterday - 2 times up that assent is brutal. The Harrogate stage today was more to my liking - no massive steep hills - and a bit shorter
Did the crit city 4.30 race. Went pretty well really. Couldn’t keep with the very front group but was in a good group of 20 in the second group on the road. Surprisingly I was one of the strongest on the short uphill section as I kept popping to the front of the group. Kept with the group until the last lap when I got caught out and about ten went away on the short downhill gravel section.
I did a 15 min warm up before hand and went to hard. Ended up with a IF of 1 and 2 x 1000w sprints in the warm up but I was playing around with gears and seeing what to use in the race. Without that I might have done better.
ZP has me as 3rd only 3 seconds behind the Winner
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=336376
Top job. Any podiums are hard fought.
I did the C race. Slower than you did the D...
Realised how much easier it is to keep track of who’s who when everyone isn’t wearing identical kit ala TDZ races.
jam bo the short crit circuit equalises the races a bit I think. On a longer hillier rout you would easily be ahead. I know what you mean about a lap counter although that might be a bit dispiriting if you look and still have 5 laps left!
I was trying to do the sums in my head while trying not to get dropped. Worked my way up with another couple of people from ~50th at the end of the first lap to 37th by the end. Went to late on the sprint and missed out on a few more places.
Always like doing long rides outside so thought I’d do the Slovenian Zwift League race this morning that was raced on the four horsemen route. A 55 mile race taking in the climbs of : original hilly KOM, volcano KOM, epic KOM then the Alpe du Zwift. I’ve ridden the course solo a month ago in a decent time (just over 3hrs) so was intrigued on how faster it’d be in a race situation.
It went really well, stayed with the front group most of the way with a bit of a breakaway going up the Epic KOM but thankfully managed to bring it back. I fully expected it to all kick off at the bottom of the Alpe so made a point of riding it just over SS and not get carried away. To my surprise I was in the top 3 at the top so pulled my tripe out to get a gap before the decent. It worked a treat and because of my heft (all 82kg of it) by the time I got to the bottom I had a healthy 1 minute gap. The rest of the course is my forte, rolling terrain with no big hills so just rode it TT stylee. With about 3 miles to go the chasing pack gave up so I knew I had it in the bag, finishing over 2mins in front of the guy who came second 😁
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=336318
Now that's a race !!!!
@oop north – look for some of the long group rides and just drop out when you are done, much better than riding alone.
Good idea that, to be honest it never crossed my mind as I always like to finish what I started 🙂
As most of my riding is early morning before work I have limited time and try to work around 60 minutes to maximum 80 minutes ride times. I have been looking at some of the Watopia routes like Out and Back but I may have to do them on a weekend as I'm not sure if I can do 40km in that time, especially with any big hills involved.
Races and group rides definitely keep me more engaged and push me more, so thanks for your suggestion @eskay
weeksy
Now that’s a race !!!
It’s a good one that’s for sure ! Well, that’s if you’re into the long races, a lot people prefer the short crits. Not everyone can spare (or can bear) 3hrs on the turbo.
Team Italy Gladiators Race tonight. 30km of Watopia figure 8.
Relatively gentle start and fairly big group until the first little climb 7km in which split the front group in half. I managed to stay with the front group of A riders until the last climb 8km from the end when they dropped me. I had to solo from there to the end with the chasing B cat riders about 1 min 30 behind. Managed to keep the gap and got my first B cat win for quite some time.
The slower start and easy climbs definitely made all the difference.
I've swapped to an old steel Dawes Edge rigid mtb with road wheels, it's so much more comfortable on the trainer than my road bike.
I've got an actual outdoors mtb race on Sunday, after that's done I think I'll try some longer stuff. 1.5 hours was all I could deal with on the roadie.
First time up the Alpe tonight, joined a group ride. Went better than I thought it would, hard but felt good. 67 minutes from bottom to top, gives me a target to beat for next time.
FTP increase too to 274.
That’s a good marker to start with and congrats on your FTP increase! I signed up for the Tron challenge at the end of November so it feels I’ve lived on the Alpe! All my interval workouts have been on it. Up to 90 odd percent now so not much more to do thank God.
Did my first crit city race - 18km - recently upped to B so just pootled around to see how it felt. The group rode the whole course together (I think) which surprised me. No charges off the front to spice it up. Did not want to sprint too soon, ended up missing it altogether and finished 12th on Zwiftpower, av 343 which is 4.1 wpkg for me, 1.8 sec behind winner. Will try and finish a bit harder next time.
Otherwise enjoying doing some of the longer events/ group rides. Signed up for some 100km, furthest I've managed is 70km before terminal bordom set in.
Not been able to get on Zwift for a week or so and been missing it.
Doing the 3R classique at 14.05 today. 38km which is longer than I usually race. Or ride. So should be a nice one to get back into racing/zwifting again.
Sounds like some of you guys are smashing it at the moment!👍
Well, that was unpleasant.😁
6 laps of the London Classique.
Had 2 small energy drinks in the hour before the race. Bad idea. Had to get off the bike wish 3 minutes to spare and nip to the loo for a pee.
Race starts and in the past week I've forgotten that zwifting can hurt. It goes of pretty fast as usual, why does that always surprise me? Settled in with a little group of 5 or so riders and just tried to hold on for dear life. We catch a few riders and are caught by a few. I just about hold on.
We got lapped at least twice by the lead group. They just fly past am an incredible/disheartening rate of knots. Go solo for a bit (meaning I got dropped...) then get caught by a C and a D. The C on a TT bike and just riding his own race really. I followed the D's lead and we swapped around a bit holding onto the TT's wheel. That was a Godsend. They were going just slow enough that I could hold on but just faster than I'd been going on my own.
By lap 4 of 6 I'm bloody BUSTING for a wee again. Shuffling about on my saddle to try and relieve the feeling but no dice. Almost got off but was damned if I was going to waste all this sweat to come in last. We started to pass stopped riders. Either mechanical issues or what not, or had just blown up. I was pretty envious by now. Heart rate had settled into abbot 173 which I can hold oki'sh but I had to spin my way up the small inclines. I've never liked low cadence up hill, particularly when tired.
Lap 5 of 6 and it was all about holding out. I was having a little battle with 2 other D's at this point. We caught and passed a few solo riders and I was fairly sure these 2 would be the ones I was going to have to keep with to the line.
Come down the long "promenade" section before it doubles back to the finish line... I give it some welly (for me anyway) and broke away from the 2 blokes.... Only to realise that the bloody air balloon loop thing wasn't the actual end! There was another 1.4km to go! Gahhhh! Mother ***!!
Go over the "line" being caught by the 2 of them and I suspect they know I am a dumb arse and sprinted for the wrong "finish line."😳
Get to 500m of the real finish, sitting on their wheels and get out of the saddle to use the weight of my belly for something positive for a change! Pushing just over 5w/kg (which is good for me at the end of a ride) for a few seconds....overtake the 2 riders and sit down...now pushing about 3.5w/kg with the finish line in my grasp!.... Then just coming upto the line I see the rider behinds metre countdown catching up with me rapidly... He overtakes me with about 4 metres to spare!👿
I crossed the line and shouted "f!!" so loud I got told off.
Just held off the other rider so a small consolation there. I knew 500m was too early for me. I can't stay out of the saddle that long at the end of a race. Quads just give way. I should have waited till one of them went then go with him or her. Still, it's all part of the game.
I don't usually finish in sprints for the line so was quiet thrilling to be honest.lol
I bloody missed Zwift. Group ride or free ride next ride though.😉
Still got to do the 4 Horseman Double too, as a ridiculous "theoretically I could ride the SDW in a day" confidence booster.
16th of 23 in D on Zwift.
Well b***er me,I got a bronze in Zpower. First podium ever. Mind you, that was only 3rd out of 6 riders. Ha!
https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=340292
The rider that pipped me at the line is only 38 years old. That makes my 51 year old legs feel better.lol
Well done!!!!