Course: Volcano Flat
Distance: 49 km (4 Laps)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ylNBE0fR4
This was probably my longest race so far on Zwift. I’ve done race-type rides like Fondo’s before which end up being a sprint but this was my longest actual race.
I’d had a couple of days off before I did this. Not unusual but I normally ride to work and back on a Tuesday so I’m pretty loose and warmed up well before my Tuesday night race. I couldn’t do that today as I was on a course and had to drive, so I had to warm up in Zwift so I did a lap of Watopia flat beforehand, about 11km.
There were nearly 90 riders in the pen and it set off fast and split in the tunnel. The first exit up the ramp split it again and again in and out of the volcano so by the end of the first lap the selection was made. The tempo was kept high so any attacks were pulled back quickly or just deterred. Into lap 2 and I wasn’t feeling 100%. I developed quite a bad stitch for some reason and any effort left me feeling pretty blurgh so I just plodded on in the group, managing my effort. Lap 3 was probably the steadiest with most of it feeling like just a high tempo ride which was fine by me given how I felt. I was able to keep up quite easily in the volcano so I was reasonably confident for the last lap and inevitable sprint. As we exited the tunnel for the last time I began to think about what to do at the end. Wait for the sprint or try a long one. I decided to try and stay at the front on the ramp into the volcano and keep going and see if a gap opened. That idea was blown away when someone attacked just before the ramp. It was a big effort to stay with the chasers and then it went again just before the last tunnel out of the volcano. I got up to the leaders with a km to go and held off using my aero power-up until 500m to go. I opened the taps but there was nothing there. I just felt sick so I just rolled in 6th over the line and 2nd in my age group, so I don’t know what I’m moaning about really. Decent ride considering!
