STW Zwift Race Series 3 – Winter

yeah it does Robbo.

The sprint is uphill isn’t it?

Yeh its the short cobbled climb. People naturally sprint there in any case as you don’t want to become detached from the group.

So… who’s expecting an ftp increase today… I think if I average 312w for the 20 min, mine goes up…!

DrP

To be honest, as sluggish as I’ve felt the last few days I’ll be pleased to get within 100w of mine. Rather hoping the excitement of the race is enough to pull my head from my backside.

Don’t think I’ll get an FTP increase but do have a plan. I’m hoping the field spreads out enough for lots of draft opportunities.

Don’t think I’ll get an FTP increase but do have a plan. I’m hoping the field spreads out enough for lots of draft opportunities.

A lap is pretty short – we could just form a 60 person long draft that might spread the whole lap. Go to UCI rules if there isn’t a gap everyone gets awarded the time of the first person to cross the line?!

deffo won’t be getting an FTP upgrade but i’m sitting here with the dilemma of whether to race it or wingman it for my mate. I’d set out with the plan of being a wingman and riding with him, but the temptation is high to jump on an push. I actually think if i go for it i could get a top 20….. Which i think would be batting above my pay-grade. But i race well on the Crit course over this distance and i could flatter myself with a decent effort.

Don’t hurt yourself @weeksy.

I won’t mate, honest. 🙂

Be good to have you in it @weeksy as it’s perfect for you….but please don’t break yourself, it may be too early and you said back in February.

Listen to the body as you go.

Its going to be full on tonight…will we see some lapping???

Live stream ready to go for tonight’s vom fest..

DrP

will we see some lapping???

There’s a very good chance that I’ll take off like a monkey being blasted into space and i think it likely my legs will have similar longevity to poor Albert if I do so it’s a distinct possibility.

Its going to be full on tonight…will we see some lapping???

A lap for the fast guys will be around 2mins 20. The slower guys assuming they bunch should still be around 3min 0 at the most. But depends on the fast guys group size as to whether they can manage 2:20s, i think they’ll be closer to 2:30 average. But again, depends on the slower guys too and their group size as to whether they’re sub 3’s….

I think the front will lap a few riders potentially.

It’s going to be an interesting race and it’s almost a shame to be riding in it as it will be interesting to see from the sidelines, the attacks up the cobbles are going to destroy groups and riders alike as some of the guys who are Bs try and stay with the As, some of the Cs try and stick with the Bs etc and all end up deep in the red. It’ll also be interesting to see the As as they get over the crest, can they hold the power to pull away, or will the group drag them back. It’s all well and good having 10w/kg up the hill, but you’ve then got to hold on for the remainder of the race time and time again as the bunch gets after you.

As I’ve never done this race before, are we expecting it to be a 20 min effort? Also what is the expected duration of the climb? If climbing at about 300 watts and 4.5w/kg? Just trying to judge my effort level needed.

Like the TT, I’ve never done a crit on Zwift, so this will be interesting. 20min flat route definitely doesn’t play to my strengths (still MIA btw) but I recall I enjoyed Paris last series, which is maybe sort of similar to this…..maybe.

Yeh it will be a little over 20 mins for most people I think – between 20 and 25mins. So work on being just over FTP for the duration (say 105% average). Not a lot of places to rest/shelter on this course. Climb is a 20 second effort once a lap.

Im not 100% sure which power ups we will get.

You might get Burrito and Ghost.

Burrito stops anyone drafting you for the 10 second duration.
Ghost means you disappear of other peoples screens for 10 seconds (a bit like a wifi dropout with less risk!)

I can’t race tonight. I *might* be able to log in and capture some of the action, but no promises.

@w00dster the climb lasts ~15 seconds (plus a few flat seconds to the arch for the actual prime timing). You’ll be well over 4.5w/kg.

There’s also a steamroller on this course, which flattens out the cobbles for appropriate trainers.

Never raced a Crit, planned to have a nosey at one last week but never got round to it.

Sounds like it’s going to be painful.

Well if i’m racing a Crit in C usually, my Max HR is 184, my average for the race is 175-176. So yeah, it’s right up there in terms of flat out effort.

It all depends how you cope at this type of effort.

Climb will double that @w00dster.

I’m not a crit city fan and my last outing (when I was not right) did not go well.

Never done a crit before, so I literally have no idea of what to expect, other than to be close to vomiting by the end if what you lot are saying up there holds true 🙂

I’ve podiumed a few Cat C Zwift crits before but only done it this way round once – I think it’s the easier way round to be honest, the single climb followed by a generally downhill lap seems a bit easier than climbing over the rollers.

seem i’m the opposite… i prefer the rollers. However, when it comes to the finish, if you time it right on the rollers you can get the speed spot on and make up places, which is harder in the Bell format.

Or lose loads of places when you time it wrong. Voe!

Having had a look on ZI, it seems the steamroller only works off-road..making it like road… Doesn’t mention cobbles etc etc…
Now here’s a thing…a lot of people think/mention that the road feel on a tacx neo slows you down..?? reckon there’s any truth in that?

DrP

a lot of people think/mention that the road feel on a tacx neo slows you down

I think it’s just a psychological thing… messes up your rhythm… certainly that’s why I turn it off for races

OK…so have been reading up on it!
Apparently your avatar DOES slow down when going over cobbles etc, just like real life. Thus EVERYONE needs to pump out more power to maintain the same speed.
It’s not the road-feel leading to that… it’s jsut the road feel happens WHEN the errort increase is needed…

DrP

Never raced a crit before, sounds likes its going to be another FTP test… Or another solo TT if I can’t stick with the big guns

@benman I think your safe there as long as you stay smart and in the draft.

Here’s my feed for this evening;

He’s only gone and worked out how to stick up a thumbnail image!!! 😉

DrP

Well I don’t know about you lot but I for one am very glad it’s an indoor race this evening.

He’s only gone and worked out how to stick up a thumbnail image!!

Only by hacking it and create a < link > < img > < / link >. It doesn’t work properly and embed a player like yours. I wonder if it is something to do with the ‘allow embedding’ setting in youtube studio against the video however I cannot change that for some reason.

That’s a faff!!!

You still jsut running the Zwift screen..? no rider action?!!!

DrP

Did a crit in this course a few weeks ago so know roughly where to attack etc and know roughly what I need to place at but being on MTB’s is going to skew the figures a bit.

I know it’s going to hurt and I will feel like crap afterwards but strangely I can’t wait!

You still jsut running the Zwift screen..? no rider action?!!!

Yeap. Not really sure I want to show you all my ugly face!

Edit: though thinking about it I have a massive pile to ikea temporary blinds downstairs. COuld make a greenscreen with those and have a nice embedded rider without the background.

@nixie … it’s quite fun plaing with the streaming stuff isn’t it!
The likes of GPlama etc are quite inspirational for ideas. My issue is that the music i listen to/stream isn’t always copyright approved, so popular songs bring my video down!

DrP

Yeap getting quite into it, I’ve just found some lights downstairs that that I could use with the webcam . Need to look into music and what is copyright approved.

If you green screen it properly you could replace your avatar with you on the turbo 😉