Got round to trying Stage 5 TDZ race at 1710, having done a TT Tune-Up workout a little earlier (which was a struggle through the surges)…

Just about kept with my group of ~12, we caught similar sized group towards end of lap2, surprised to stick out 290W average at my new sub 77Kg weight and finish in 25mins40secs.

Long gentle recovery ride on part of long group stage 5 event afterwards, hoping to be able to walk tomorrow!

I regularly weigh myself and adjust my Zwift/Strava/Stravistix stats, over the last ~7 months it’s gone both ways, was ~84Kg back in August and have been making good inroads since around Xmas, snacking a bit less and ramping up the turbo time… 75Kg is starting to feel feasible again, a weight I’ve not been since ~Nov 2017.

Cheers @nixie that makes sense. I’ll concentrate on weight and fitness and let ftp sort itself.

Yeah, the weight doping is a bit of a shame really. I find it hard to get my head around it. I’d honestly prefer to finish last at my real weight than finish higher up by taking a load of weight off. Knowing I was cheating would completely demotivate me. Even just freeriding round the courses.

I know there are a load of things I can’t control like my trainers accuracy and what other riders do but I’ll actually increase/decrease my weight on Zwift by a single kilo if I know it’s changed.

It’s petty really but let’s face it, we are really riding against ourselves as much as the other riders so why cheat yourself?

I guess online mimics real cycling and the temptation to cheat for some.

I guess so mate.

Thing is that apart from a miniscule elite on Zwift there is no financial or material gain unlike real racing.

Just human nature I suppose.

Poopscoop

Subscriber
I guess so mate.

Thing is that apart from a miniscule elite on Zwift there is no financial or material gain unlike real racing.

Just human nature I suppose.

To be fair there is no financial or material gain for all except a miniscule elite who race on the road. Local crits or road races dont mean anything to anybody except the guy who gets the win … and then only till the next race.
For some people to enter their wrong weight on zwift so they can pretend they are up the sharp end of an A cat race instead of getting shelled in the D cat is probably just a way of how they stay motivated … I am not bothered in the least. The target for me is maintaining a 170bpm or 300w for 20 minutes; if that sees me riding in 1st or last there is no biggy.

Its all motivation to actually sit on the turbo instead of the sofa in the evening.

The weight doping bugs me. I’m race clean or don’t race. Even though I’m not at the sharp end once I’ve found my weights (required for the weigh in protocol) I’m intending to regularly post to zwift transparency with weigh ins. Will also buy a power meter at some point to validate my trainer readings (even though I’m using one of the more accurate models). Sad yes but that’s how my head works.

I was tempted to weight dope, but to artificially gain weight so I can go down a category.
My FTP is increasing, 266, 5 foot 8 and 69kgs. I’m at the back of the B’s, pretty much every race I’m shelled out, whether that’s climbing or on the flats.
Got fed up of the racing, one of the B races I did the climbing was ridiculous, 7w per kg up one of the short climbs in Innsbruck and then normalised to 4 watts per kg for the flat sections, I stuck with it for 3 out of 5 laps. Wasn’t fun.
Lately I’ve just been race prep training instead of the races.

nixie

Subscriber
The weight doping bugs me. I’m race clean or don’t race. Even though I’m not at the sharp end once I’ve found my weights (required for the weigh in protocol) I’m intending to regularly post to zwift transparency with weigh ins. Will also buy a power meter at some point to validate my trainer readings (even though I’m using one of the more accurate models). Sad yes but that’s how my head works.

Its all just pretend racing. apart from the elite professional riders everybody else is just pretending to some degree. The guys at my local Llandow crit refer to it jokingly as Llandow World Champs … its just the same local biffers pretty much every week; nobody would know who wins the local road races, except the winner and his mother … nobody remembers and nobody cares. But the winners pretend they are on a bigger stage and pretend it actually means something to other people … it doesnt; they are just pretending.

And zwift is exactly the same. Of course we are racing … our heart rate and pool of sweat each side of bike proves that, but its just pretend racing whether you validate your weight or pretend you are 40kg lighter.
Zwift is just a turbo trainer that is much more exciting because you can chase other riders in real time. I think it is brilliant.

Did my first race this morning, the stage 5 TDZ at 0610, Jeez that hurt. Let the speed demons go off as I knew I couldn’t keep their pace, settled down and rode with a few in the mid pack. Ended up 24 out 45 so I’ll take that!
Just need to work on endurance cos I felt sick / drained at some points, especially sprinting at the end to get up a place.
Going to look for endurance events now to help improve, if any of you have recommendations let me know.

I’m doing the Team Italy Social Sub 2 Ride at 5.30 for a change tonight.

Watopia flat, 60 minutes.

@oopnorth

Great result mate! Hurts but endorphin high once you go and sit down.😁

I’ll be riding the four horses x2 this month. Over 100 miles and it’s up the Alp de Zwift twice…. I’ll be riding it bloody slowly but your welcome to tag along/overtake me! Lol

Been on Innsbruck and seen a time up the climb that would have meant maintaing 70kph for the duration of the climb. The time vanished after a few minutes but either a glitch or someone was seriously cheating.

Best group ride I’ve been on. Great bunch of guys and lots of convo. No bitching, even though the “B”.word came up a couple of times.Lol

First 2 laps and I though, ah, great little bimble. Lasr lap hurt, in a good way. Going to ride with this lot again next Friday.👍

[url=https://falloutfacts.com/moira-brown-astronaut]fallout 3 ghoul[/url]

Did the 1930 3R watopia race tonight. 3 laps of the hilly circuit. Propping up cat D.

Only 15 in the race in all cats.

Did a lap in a group of 3, sitting 8,9,10. All working well for a lap then on the climb on the 2nd lap that all went to crap, I ended up in the middle of the 3. By the end of lap 2 I was a minute behind 8th but a minute up on 10th. Because there were so few of us that was that, was hard to keep the motivation up after that so pretty much cruised around the last lap keeping an eye on the time gap.

I didn’t get lapped so that’s a positive.

Finished 9th out of 15 overall, 2nd of 4 in D. Not many on zwift power though.

Might try again on Sunday.

Wow, that was a small group, wonder why? Still a good result though.

Anyone ridden the TdZ Stage 6 yet? I’m trying to figure out whether the Richmond route includes that bastard 13% cobbled climb or not!

Richmond is full course, embrace the roller coaster! 😆

I did small group ride stage 6 as my first session of the day, treated it as a leg tester warmup after missing the start by ~20secs.

Can’t get on Zwift till Monday for stage 6. Not sure if it does include it.

Not ridden Richmond before so ignorance is bliss! Lol

I did small group ride stage 6 as my first session of the day

It’ll be my only session of the day when I ride it.Lol

I shall race it on Monday evening – very short race again with 3 little climbs at end.
Those struggling to hold on till the first climb will be shelled on the short steep 2nd climb .. by that I mean me!

Just been looking at the route on Zwiftinsider.

Going to be fast from the off.Lol

Is it the second to last climb that’s a bit of a sod?

I need to try and hold back a bit on the flat or I’m just going to be my usual rolling road block by the climbs.😄

Yep, it’s the second incline that is short and steep, keep it steady on the flat/downhill until the left hairpin at ~7.5 miles and then prepare to work (or reduce the “trainer difficulty” to make the climbs take longer at a lower power).

Got a nice wide 2x setup on the trainer bike so I’ll twiddle up the climbs.Lol

Is the second one cobbled? That’s extra nasty.

Well, today was a good day.   Did the ZHR 100km as a Zone 2-2.5 ride for the second time this weekend but after starting to read Matt’s Fitzgeralds “Do you want it enough” last night, I had a buzz about me.  Once the group was formed I spent the majority of the ride pulling it along, with a feisty last 5km and a little sprint at the end.

Entered as C but finished 5:30 mins in front of the eventual C “winner” to be bumped to B and finish 11th in category. 2.7w/kg average over 210km this weekend to earn a beer with the Rugby today.

Good times, and feeling pretty good with it.

Raced the 4 Horsemen today, 55 miles with 7000ft climbing. Not a course I am suited to, got into a decent group from start that pretty much held until Radio tower climb, lost a few places up the Alp, clawed a few back coming out of jungle. Ended up 4th in C on ZP, took 3:30 with an NP of 229, good workout, feeling it now, time for rugby and beer.

Raced the four horsemen…

I want to ride that but as a bimble, not in a race.😳

Well the FTP Booster plan seemed to work, Sat with steam visibly rising from me after Tour du Zwift C cat.

As before I Started too strong, stayed with the lead pack for most of the race and led for a bit. Totally fell apart near the end, not helped by thinking the race ended 2k before it did.
The last 0.7k felt like it went on for hours. Dropped down to 32nd in the end but FTP has risen from 279 to 302 apparently.

not helped by thinking the race ended 2k before it did

I thought I was the only one that does that! Lol

Nice increase on ftp though. 228ftp here.Lol

Was it Stage 6 you raced? Richmond?

Well that Richmond finish isn’t fun is it…

Yep stage 6, Richmond. Was horrible, I dug too deep. There is no way I’d be able to ride an actual bike in the state I was in near the end, saw 163bpm which is a lot for me.
The screen is quite far from the bike so couldnt read the Km remaining and the archways look like finish lines with the sweat in my eyes.

Pleased with the power increase. Still fat though @97kg.

Didn’t know where I was at any point other than recognising the KoM climb.

Certainly wasn’t expecting that climb just before the finish…made up 4 places on the flat just after though.

24th on Zwift, 4th on zwiftpower at the moment but expecting to get bounced.

24th on Zwift, 4th on zwiftpower at the moment but expecting to get bounced.

Nice! Assuming the same race, I’m 14th on Zwift power and FTP is slightly lower than Zwift stated @298.

19.10, I was in D’s.

Bumped to 2nd. Don’t really understand the rules they apply.

Nice ride guys. I don’t understand how the “bumping” happens either. I was a little perplexed by it after a race last week.

Still fat though @97kg

99kg here so your power/weight is a damned sight better than mine. Encourages me as it shows what is possible.👍

I’ll be riding Stage 6 tonight. Looks like it gets a bit vertical after about 12k…. Got to try and force myself to hold right back in the D’s as I am going to suffer on those ups.

Good going fellas.. Nice work.

Poopscoop

Subscriber

I’ll be riding Stage 6 tonight. Looks like it gets a bit vertical after about 12k…. Got to try and force myself to hold right back in the D’s as I am going to suffer on those ups.

No good holding back because you will lose the front groups and drop too many positions. You gotta go all in on first climb in the hope you can hold a wheel to bring you back up to the front on the descent whilst getting your breath back … the last climb will be the one that hurts; short nasty climb!

19.10 for me tonight …

Not a nice feeling having to sit up and back off coming towards the first sprint on Saturday of TDZ. Favourite race course too. Cruised round the hills with a HR that was too high. A far cry from racing it for a podium in October. Think that confirms I’m still vaguely ill and not recovered from a big weekend before :0(
3rd last in C and a couple of big hitters were racing so fancied just hanging on.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=316025
Not raced since the beginning of December!

I think when we take a bit of time off racing for whtever reason we forget how to suffer for the first few races back… I’m sure you’ll get form back soon Tom.

Now I’ve been bumped. Tried to hard, zwiftpower has reclassified me as a C…