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We are on to the Spring Series. This will be the last one before a break over the remainder of Spring and through the Summer. All are welcome to join in.
If you want to take part then post up on this thread or message me. Let me know your FTP and weight as well so I can calculate the handicap.
Each Race series is made up of the 4 traditional categories but with a bit of a twist to give everyone a chance to compete.
1. The main handicap race – as per previous events a handicap will be applied to your finish time based on your weight and FTP and the entire group is sorted by race time plus handicap and points distributed accordingly. This is based on the best of 5 races points from the 6 races (all sprint points count towards this total).
2. The sprint jersey – Sprint points are awarded for the Top 5 finishers on a sprint section (10,6,4,2,1 points) or the fastest lap time on circuit race. The points are awarded on each sprint section on a race but only for the fastest time across that section during the whole race (i.e you may get a couple of chances to get a good time).
3. The KOM jersey – Points are awarded for the Top 5 finishers on a KOM section (10,6,4,2,1 points).
4. The GC race – This is based on the shortest time to complete all 6 stages and is sorted by traditional Zwift cat. The zwift cat is determined on the weight and FTP that you supply me so may not match your ZP cat as that takes historical data into account.
5. The combined jersey – the highest total score for sprints and KOM combined.
OK so here are the courses for the Winter Series of the STW Racing League.
No restrictions on bikes on this series so choose what suits you or the course.
Note: If you want to be included in the Green Jersey or KOM points race scoring you need to be registered on Zwift Power as this is where I will pull the data from. You are still welcome to take part on the rest of the series if you dont register on Zwift Power
8th March – 19:30 – Wandering Flats – 26km
This is a good course to kick off with. This hits 3 sprint segments so one for the green jersey hunt.
15th March - Double Header
Race 1: 19:30 – Jungle Circuit 1 Lap – Points available for the fastest lap
Race 2: 20:00 – Spirit Forest 1 Lap - The first KOM points with 2 attempts for a fast time up the hill
22nd March – 19:30 – Innsbruck 2018 UCI World Champtionship
We havent been up this hill since the first ever race I think (Im surprised any of you came back). This will award points for the KOM and sprint in the town.
29th March – 19:30 – Dust in the Wind – 30km
30 km of the dust in the wind route - this will take in the Titans Grove KOM for KOM points
5th April – 19:30 – TT Tempis Fugit
A TT that takes in the Fuego Flats sprint section. This will use the TT start and no draft will be available.
12th April – 19:30 Tour of Ice and Fire (19km)
Dont panic – it doesnt go all the way up – only to the 19km mark but a tough stage to finish on. KOM points awarded for the fastest to the finish.
So sign up and join in!
Count me in!
Yay. I think. 😉
Those courses really do sound like you're trying to get rid of us though!
sign me up 👍
Count me in again thanks.
70kg, 230w
Sign me up - no changes
Thanks!
Great mix of courses there Robbo. Already feeling the likely pain some (all) of them will cause!
Me too, no changes. Thanks again for organising.
Yes please, well for the season start anyway 👍. I'll post ftp and weight closer to the start.
As always… sign me up!
Please, same details as last time.
Count me in. No changes.
But, are you really sending us up another hill for the last one? 😭
Count me in please Robbo.
I'd like to give it a go too Robbo, same stats, cheers
Yes please, same as before
I'm in 🙂
P.
Yes please.
In!
Must make more races this series. Must make more races this series. Must make more races this series.
I'm in please. Will keep same details unless I squeeze an FTP in somewhere.
Yes please - thanks Robbo
Thought I'd bounce this in case there's any riders who didn't realise this was being re-run.
Yes please Robbo.
Sounds challenging, count me in...
Looks like I'll miss the last race again (why do different regions have different holidays in such a small country... )
I'll be watching from the sidelines/YouTube feeds for the upcoming series.
I've cancelled my zwift subscription with the intention of biking outdoors more and using the xplova training app which came with the trainer.
Back for the autumn series later in the year.
Everyone should have a message with the race links in their message inbox now!
Can you send them to me too please?
I’ll be up for some more pain robbo.
FTP 208w
68kgs
Will we have enough time to do a lap of the jungle in 30 mins before the second race?
It usually takes me half hour to do 15k on the flat 😬
@v7fmp Here's STW doing 3x jungle once upon a time - https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=1313968
The long lead in makes it hard to judge, but considering there are 2 climbs in the second half of that race it'll be OK won't it?
(TTR have messed up their Tuesday morning double header by making precisely that mistake though...)
Can I join in too please. I had been in on one of the earlier leagues so we are following each other. With luck I'll manage to join in more than just a couple of the races this time.
Steve Ross STW
Weight 70kg
FTP 234
Thank you!
Yes please. Will send FTP a little closer, seems very down last series so hoping it bounces back before the start of this one
@v7mfp the slowest riders should be complete in about 26 mins so there should be enough time but I am going to see if I can move the start time of the 2nd race out 10 mins. The 2nd race is about 20 mins max so we should still be done by 20:30 so gives everyone a bit more time to recover.
Cheers
hey Robbo, ok cool. As you say, im sure its totally achievable, just didnt want people to miss out of the second race if things didnt quite pan out as expected.
Either way... its gonna be a tough night in the saddle! looking forward to it!
Could you 'sign me up' please.
248W 99Kg - still hoping both will improve.
Thanks
that will be like when you're out for a group ride, just done the massive climb, then the fast guys who finished 15 mins ago are like "right that's enough rest, on we go!!" 🤣the slowest riders should be complete in about 26 mins so there should be enough time
Bump for the Monday evening crowd and hopefully everyone who has requested has been sent the links for the race series.
can you send me the links please Robbo, ill still steuggle to do more than 3 but will tey my best to get on when I can.
no handicap neccesary.
Go on then...
I'll possibly only make a few of these (22nd March is m'birthday! ) but would like an invite please?
71kg
312w
Cheers
DrP
Sign me up please, 73kg 239w
Hi Rob,
I am in again 80kg & 284w FTP.
Muchas Gracias
Cheers all. I have got the start of Race 2b updated to 20:10 as well to give a bit more time
Bump for the Monday evening crowd and hopefully everyone who has requested has been sent the links for the race series.
No links for me yet.
Now you should have! Thought it was strange earlier that you hadn’t signed up!
Hi Robbo - can you sign me up please. Hopefully the new arthritis meds will have done the job by then! FTP and weight to follow. Cheers.
Robbo - Can you send me some links over please.
Not sure if it's too late to update Robbo, but I'm now 85kg and 295w.
All sorted hopefully!
Yep, thanks
Weight down 69kgs ... hurray
Power down 228w ... booo
P.
Sign me up too please 🙂
86kg 264w
though the ramp test I just did says 249w <shrug>
Handicaps are live for Tuesday
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SYEJq-_k2w-I3LUIgg6hoi5LAb7angXxiRasZfjvPE4/edit?usp=sharing
Anyone struggle to get onto Zwift tonight? Could connect via iPhone app but MacBook said it couldnt connect to update server and then said my login was incorrect. I vaguely remember this being an issue before and can't remember how it was solved
not that it matters but I presume I should be a C not B cat
Well tonight we are back in the pen!
https://zwiftinsider.com/route/wandering-flats/
3 sprints tonight (although 2 of them are pretty long for a sprint!) and we get to see the City and Countryside in Makuri.
Enjoy everyone, I’ll be missing this one due to ongoing back issues. Hoping it resolves itself soon, as I am missing gym and biking.
@robbo1234biking sorry for the super late message, but could I get the link for tonight please? 65kg and 284W
That's not so good giggsmaster, been a couple of weeks now hasn't it?
Aye, it’s starting to pee me off a little. I can actually walk now, but can’t really bend or lift anything.
I’m very hopeful I can get back on the turbo by next week, keeping my fingers crossed that the rest is doing some good.
The little gains I have made in the last month through these races and the TTT has been a waste now, back to square one!
Looks like I'm not going to make it tonight :(. Hope you all have a good race.
No point pushing it and doing more damage @giggsmaster, better to come back late than early and have to rest it again.
Hi robbo, can you sign me up please. Not sure on my FTP but about 295W these days and (sadly) 80kg. If my FTP change as a result of racing, as has happened in the past I'll let you know. Nothing like the incentive of a race to push your FTP up. Will join the one tonight if I get the link.
If you happen to see thiis in time. Robbo, please can I have an invitation to tonight's ?
(Unlikely to make any of the others)
optimistically 275W and sadly 79kg, if you care - please don't include me in the standings unless it's actually easier to do so than to leave me out
Oops nearly missed it!
Zwift crashed for me and couldn’t get back in time so missed the start. Really annoyed!
I was helping Jnr with his homework and got carried away!
1915 I realised and it was a mad rush to get any warm up!
Great 1st race though, that hill was just too much, I think I felt every one of the extra KG I have put on in the last 2 weeks.
Great break away, timed to perfection and that was it, the second group were pulling well fighting for 3rd place at the end I think.
One of these days I'll learn to read the course properly and not think I'm able to pull off a 400m sprint!!!
Great ride guys, see you next week
Chapeau Robbo!
Great ride guys and what a win Robbo. Loved the course and will ride it again.
Thanks for the pirate jokes , used them already and got a laugh!
Hope to join next week but Tuesday night mtb training starts soon .
Don't know what to make of that.
The good: I have a FTP increase to report, 232w which is a 10% increase since the last series!
The bad: You lot just buggered off as usual after 30-40 seconds. I thought I had a chance to hold onto the group for the first 30 seconds but then everyone just went up a gear and pulled away despite me going balls-out. That meant the rest of the 'race' was yet another solo TT, which is really getting depressing now if I'm honest. I'm producing much more power than previously, a little bit lighter and my stamina is massively better yet I'm not getting any result to show for it while doing these races.
Sorry for being all negative but the fun in all of this was the racing and jostling that the first two series had for me, partly down to me being fitter but also to there being a lot more riders who were around my level so there was tactics and the like going on. Will have a think over the next few days on whether I continue with the other races, which is no way a reflection on the effort that Robbo puts into these or anyone else. Reading all of your stories of what happened each race at the front and mid-pack is great but it just reminds me of what I'm missing out on.
Good ride tonight, I didn't get chance to ride it beforehand, but at least skimmed the route video so new about the hill at the end. I managed to stay in contention in the sprints as I expected it to all break apart, but it regrouped after each one, at least I think it did on the last one, and so it was going to be the hill that separated everyone, I managed to stay in the 2nd group and lukily had 2 feathers so that helped.
messed up the sprint a bit, I dropped back to get a run up, but left it too late, still very happy with 7th, and possibly a sprint point ( but I'm not holding my breath on that one )
Thanks Robbo, and well done to all, Robbo for the win, and John for beating me on the line, even though I won on MY screen 🙂
Roll on next week.
P.
That went about as well as it could have gone.
Got dropped from the lead group on the hill (how do you say “quelle surprise” in Japanese?) but managed to not blow completely - don’t think our little sprint for 14th place was too far behind the front pack.
Might have grabbed some sprint points too which will be nice if it is the case 🙂
Edit: @reluctantjumper keep going mate - maybe do a few more pickup races in the week so you can get better at holding higher power for a minute or so at the beginning. Took me ages to build that up.
Well that was a baptism of fire! The group split more than I expected in the early bit if the climb and I couldn't find the right gear to chase back on seemed I need to be somewhere between about 7 where the effort to claw the gap back was about 5-10rpm too high for me & 8 where was just a bit too grindy to make ground.
Made a couple of decent pulls to get back on when the group split earlier but they just took a bit too much out of me really.
Think I made a reasonable stab at all of the sprints too.
Spent most of the climb trying to reel a small group in then Doug Drysdale, finally got him with about 800m to go but hadn't got anything left for the fight for position on the road. Maybe should have played cat and mouse a bit more once I got into the four but the final charge is never my forte any how.
Great ride, all and thanks as ever Robbo.
Ohh and I set a new FTP of 301 which is the first time I've been over 300 in about 18 months so reasonably chuffed with that, though obviously not with the inevitable additional handicap.
Thanks for everyone for taking part in the series! Hope you all enjoyed it.
The results are provisional in case I have made any mistakes. Please let me know.
Race 1 - Wandering Flats
Overall Race Winner
1. robbo1234biking
2. Savoyad
3. yanboss
Overall Race Winner (with handicaps)
1. bails
2. mossimus
3. Paul-S
Tower Sprint Reverse
1. Straightliner
2. Yanboss
3. Jimdubleyou
4. slowpuncheur
5. savoyad
Alley Sprint Reverse
1. savoyad
2. straightliner
3. slowpuncheur
4. J-R
5. yanboss
Country Sprint
1. robbo1234biking
2. savoyad
3. straightliner
4. J-R
5. Slowpuncheur
Green Jersey Standings
1. Straightliner
2. Savoyad
3. robbo1234biking
I have set up a GoFundMe for people who have enjoyed the series. This time around we are raising money for Diabetes UK. Slowpuncheur has been a regular in this race series from the start. On Fathers Day last year he ended up taking his son to hospital as he wasn't feeling well. Many hours later they were delivered the news that his son is Type 1 diabetic. His son has adjusted well to the changes in life and continues to do everything he wants to. Diabetes UK helps his son and others like him through investment in Diabetes research and support for other Diabetes sufferers. I know there are also others on the forum who have diabetes or close family members with diabetes.
Please dontate if you are able to and would like to show your appreciation for the series.
Might sound daft but when are you starting, are you waiting for zero or pedaling hard from 5-10seconds to go?
It's always hard holding on at the beginning (even back a few seasons when the start inevitably meant me sodding off up the road solo every time) but yoy need to be out of the blocks hard to hold the bunch, trying to ride into the draft from behind will absolutely ruin anyone that early on.
Do you do much other Zwift racing? The draft physics changed a while ago now and need a lot more practice to get right (I'm still pants at it) but it's hard to practice then outside of a fairly evenly matched race so might be worth living up a couple of crits (as they're short and hard so really reward or punish good Zwift technique) in the right category if you can?
Thanks Robbo and awesome riding on that course - looks like you rode it to perfection. Do we have a new Pogacar in our midst? 🙂
I forgot how hard these races can be, although I was pleasantly surprised the lead group stayed together for so long and didn't splinter. At least it meant more time practicing my yo-yo drafting technique.
No FTP increase for me, but I did achieve one long term goal - I got the 1.21Gigawatts badge which has been eluding me for a long time.
Thanks all - great "fun" (yes, stumpy, the "" are for your jokes 😜 )
Just didn't have it in me to hold on up that hill, despite holding a feather right from the start and randomly using it at just the right point. Great work Robbo
@reluctantjumper - stick it out. If you made it to 30-40 seconds you were probably really close to hitting the first lull in the pace. It doesn't feel like it because the speed of the pack+draft means it keeps pulling away but nobody* just smashes on at full gas beyond around a minute.
(I assume you know to start your race power 5-10 seconds before the "go")
Interesting - all that grovelling at the back of the TTT must be teaching me something. My Whaaaats were way down on what I was expecting. Not even an FTP jump
@reluctantjumper - I for one really hope you keep going with it Neil.
It's not going to be long before Robbo adds in some hills, and normal service of you leaving me for dead is swiftly resumed 🙂
Cheers All! These races do make for a far more exciting Tuesday.
Pleased the jokes went down so well!
I'm not sure what happened on the hill. I think it was lack of race tactical awareness....one minute it was all tickety boo and the next I was on my own with everyone thundering off up the hill.
Not steep enough or long enough to reel anyone back in.
Great race though and well done Rob!!
Dare I look at the results?! 😁