Right now I’ve come some clue what I’m doing, vaguely understand the art of drafting - signed up for my first race (well, knowingly anyway).
Volcano KOM After Party Race - 2 laps + climb (40.2km/25mi 286m)
Not liking how it takes my best ever result to stick a 4/wkg next to my name - but I’ll suck it up in cat B - whats the worst that can happen!!!
A number of my club are in the British Cycling race at 7:30pm this evening. The South East division of british cycling are also pulling together some team rankings, so we’ve setup a club Zwift Power team and are all competing in that. Being low Cat B, I’ll no doubt have my arse handed to me, especially as I did a ramp test at lunch, but should be good fun.
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Possibly trying my first race this afternoon/evening round Yorkshire Worlds, assuming it lets me in, have been dumped out twice previously while on the start line
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The racing at the front is hard, but much more disciplined than further back. I would recommend going really hard for the first 2 minutes, start to pedal furiously 5 seconds before the gun goes. for the first 5 minutes or so there will be a big pack at the front, this will gradually spilt. Don’t try to hold a group that it too fast, you will get spat out and then swamped by following packs.
The other strategy is to start slow and jump from pack to pack. This is more like interval training. However, there is real strategy to do this well. Unless you are feeling super strong, don’t try to bridge a 20s gap alone - unless you are capable for doing 400w for 2-3 minutes. You can sit on the front of a pack and drag the whole pack forward. When you have a gap a 10s to the pack ahead then put on a massive solo effort, if you are lucky, someone will come with you. When you catch the pack ahead, sit at the back for a couple of minutes to recover, then repeat.
Another nice trick is put on a big effort on a small climb, then continue the effort on the descent, this is a great way to split a pack. Also worth watching out for others doing this too, on the small climbs, try to stay near the front of the pack, of you are likely to be dropped on the split
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I think I’m just going to try and not vomit. I really don’t have bursts of power - so I’ll be doing my best to sit in a decent group. See if I have anything left for the climb at the end.
Yes saw that / number in my club talking about. Not sure how many will ride it.
7:30 is prime kids to bed time for me 
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Yeah, can imagine that’s the case for a few. Conversely for me, the gf has a virtual class at 7.45, so works out ideally!
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I’ve put my name down for the Yorkshire GP at 5:30 and the Bologna TT @7 tonight, will see how I feel for that one, but it should only be a short blast as it’s only 8k.
Jeff
8k, straight up hill 
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Arse, it doesn’t mention the ascent on the events page! It’s really poor like that. Might have to do something else then, like watch the TV
It was stage one of the giro last year
It says 236m, that’s almost flat 
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Try it. 
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I’ll report back after I’ve been sick on the garage floor
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I’m sure one of the Zwift races I did went up and down it twice FFS.
In fact, the first race I ever did went up to the ski station (I hadn’t checked the route in advance)!
I did an event on that last year. You get a few kms on the flat but yeah it’s all up after that. A few points where it really ramps up too - it’ll be a good race though
Interesting experience, went off way above FTP and just watched a stream of people fly past and then another stream and another! Got to about 7-8 minutes in I think when it split into more obvious groups, lots of people overtaking and being overtaken for then next bit then eventually got into a group which pulled a few back, finally one other chap who rode with me to the finish. Could have gone harder.
Hell of a lot of sandbags dropped by others on the course
Yeah I did the Bologna TT course…hmm! Enjoy 
Definitely a ride of 2 halves. Lightweight bike probably quicker than TT bike on that course.
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Yeah mine was a mix of pain, inevitability of being dropped and bit of fun at end.
Tried to start relatively steadily and quickly got spat back to middle of field (outta 185ish).
Sat in a group of 20. First 10 mins felt manageable - but knowing it was going to be an hour and the HR creeping up - it felt like a ticking bomb and just after half way, spat out the back. 20km in no mans land with just an Italian for company. Tried to work together to keep the group behind at bay… little lump with 6k to go and his avatar is standing (ooh weakness??) . 4km climb to finish… tried once, tried a second -then he countered. Decided to sit in… waited waited then managed to put something 7+ w/kg out and got the gap. Kept 300 odd watts down to the finish catching a Cat A on the line for the coverted 74th position
Fun stuff
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