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La reine? I picked the wrong week to fall off my bike didn't I?
je vais regretter la reine
So we can roll gently along in a pack for a few km, then hit the climb and get sorted by W/kg.
Your forgetting the rollers straight from the pens and the the Petit KOM before the main event.
I think I'm back to ZRL next week. Its a similarly hard course (climbers gambit).
Oh hang on, it's last race next week, that means it's 16k of fizz and chat, with interviews for the winner doesn't it?
I reckon I can hold my own in that.
16km should be about 500m of climbing . There is a sprint and timed KOM section.
Feel free to crack the fizz though!
So are we discounting the first race that never ran? (rather than tagging it on the end)
Final results will be our best 5 from the remaining 6 races (after next week)?
Given that Race 1 didn't happen, would it be possible to schedule another go (just for 'fun') through the STW Club as a 'Group Ride'? I assume it would need to be on the 22nd Feb if Robbo has already got the Spring Series sorted with Zwift but I think it would still get a bit of interest.
What do people think?
I'd be up for "racing" it, either in official format or the old fashioned, group on robbo, go go go one
I’d be up for a resurrected race 1 in some format.
Your forgetting the rollers straight from the pens and the the Petit KOM before the main event
I just thought you fast guys might be a bit more sociable for the last race, and keep your powder dry for the final climb.
I shall (co-incidentally) be halfway up a French mountain, but not on a bike!
Good Luck all 🙂
Oh…Drunken zwift racing..that sounds fun!!!!
DrP
Oooh spring series, hope that doesn't clash as much this time.
Oh…Drunken zwift racing..that sounds fun!!!!
DrP
I don't envy robbo working out the handicaps though, or us having to make good on "6 pints and 8 minutes"
I can put beach island loop in for the 22nd.
The next series doesn’t start until the 8th March. Routes are already sorted out and zwift have even sent me the links.
I can put beach island loop in for the 22nd
Sounds good
Would I be able to join the Spring series? Literally got my smart trainer yesterday! I recognise several user names from the thread I started last week after setup recommendations. (cheers again for the mega advice)
Having to just make do on my phone currently....would I still be able to join in with such a basic setup?
I did my first turbo session in probably 9 years last night.....I'd forgotten how much it hurts! You guys were right about needing a fan even though I was setup outside at 6pm too 😂
Yes you can race on a phone. It's a bit more difficult to see what's going on but it is possible.
Here are the links for Tuesday's race
oh christ - is in Ventop tomorrow! ?
It is 16km of La Reine so the total elevation is 575m and therefore similar to the Epic KOM or half of Alpe du Zwift. La Reine weaves through the countryside a bit including the ballon sprint before hitting the pettit KOM which is a timed segment for the KOM points competition and then continuing up to 16km in distance. The gradient isnt too bad until around the 14km mark and there is a small plateau before that at 13km so it shouldnt be too challenging!
Because of the course profile I suspect there may be a peloton protest at the beginning and therefore a fairly (well for STW anyway) comfortable start as everyone will be saving themselves for the climb with a brief surge for the sprint section. Climb starts at 8.2km in so is 7.8km long.
Sounds hideously fun Robbo!!
Thank goodness not full ventop!
Be aware - there is a zwift update out today - not sure if it is forced upon you or not - took about 30 secs on Apple TV - ymmv.
https://forums.zwift.com/t/game-update-1-22-1-february-14th-2022/576352
anybody else really not looking forwards to this 🤣
I've not done this route before - how much more climbing after the race to get the badge?!
@zilog6128 - i read that you wont get the badge if you continue, as the course differs from the badge requirements. Not 100% sure how true this is. Just a heads up so that you dont flog yourself for another 10kms or so for no rewards (other than the glory of riding to the top).
Edit: scroll to the bottom of this piece and its the first comment.
https://zwiftinsider.com/route/la-reine/
ha, thanks for the heads-up. That would be [I]really[/I] upsetting 😃
You don't get the ventop badge because...that's a different route (!).
There's no La Reine badge because it's an event only route, and they don't have badges (unless that has changed, but I don't think it has).
If you want to push on to the summit for the sake of it, it's 6.8km past the finish line and 610 meters higher.
@savoyad - well that would certainly make sense as to why no badge!
just a U-turn after the finish line for some free KM's back down then 😀
There are two routes being discussed here. We are only doing part of La Reine so you can continue up another 6.8km to Chalet Reynard and you will finish La Reine. There is no badge but if you are trying to tick of all routes this is your chance to do this one. This is an event only route so not selectable. Once the race finishes the status bar at the top should switch to La Reine to tell you how long is left on that course.
Ven Top is even longer and you wouldnt get the badge if you chose to go all the way to top of Ventoux!
Ah, I forgot La Reine only goes to Chalet Reynard. @robbo1234biking is quite right, the extra 6.8km only get you to the finish of La Reine, not the summit. That's quite a lot further.
(I'm still not sure there is a badge for la reine though.)
Its another 6km and 450m of climbing I think (although the gradient is more pleasant).
So if you want to go to the top of Ventoux tonight you basically have to ride alpe du zwift after the race and you wont get a badge!
think I'll pass thanks 😃So if you want to go to the top of Ventoux tonight you basically have to ride alpe du zwift after the race and you wont get a badge!
@robbo1234biking Just messaged you with a request for a link to tonights race. You don't have to add me to results / handicaps etc, I haven't done any other races this series.
I'll be livestreaming from my OH's house tonight!
Also...genuinely having an afternoon of cake and fizz as birthday celebrations (not mine!) so the notion of 'pissed zwifting' may come true!!!
I also MIGHT carry on up the hill, as don't think i've got the route badge...
DrP
lol, might want to read the last few posts 😃I also MIGHT carry on up the hill, as don’t think i’ve got the route badge…
Also…genuinely having an afternoon of cake and fizz as birthday celebrations (not mine!) so the notion of ‘pissed zwifting’ may come true!!!
Might well explain
I also MIGHT carry on up the hill, as don’t think i’ve got the route badge
Ah... I figured ven top badge can't be hot this way.. but there's NO la reine badge... ?
Meh!
DrP
I'm currently undecided about whether to crack on & tick-off the La Reine route once the race finishes.
At the moment it doesn't feel like a big deal to tack on another 6.8km, but it's 6.8km UPHILL & I reckon I won't really feel like that after racing.
I don't feel like riding 6.8" more after racing, sod 6.8k.
Even the effort to turn round and set my av avaty off to coast down the hill sounds a bit much, especially as I seem to recall there's a need to pedal several times on the way down as it flattens off and you loose momentum.
I’m currently undecided about whether to crack on & tick-off the La Reine route once the race finishes.
At the moment it doesn’t feel like a big deal to tack on another 6.8km, but it’s 6.8km UPHILL & I reckon I won’t really feel like that after racing.
Believe me, you won't even consider it, it keeps going at the same gradient up to the end of La Reine, 10 and 12% of misery.
This is one race where I'm glad I'm not able to do the race series currently...good luck everyone!! 😉
How long are we expecting the uphill section to take? Just asking for a friend who will probably ride it about 3.6W/kg.
I don't know a way to gauge it accurately, but I think your friend can plan to be climbing for less than 30 mins @j-r.
(My working: 3.6 w/kg is ~ 80 mins for the 21km of ven top. We're doing 8km of mainly the same climb. 8/21 * 80 is about 30. Our bit is, on average, a little easier than the whole thing. So a little less than 30.)
Have we got handicaps for this week by the way and I'm just being blind? I've yet to figure out who I need to be disheartened to see riding away from me in the first 1k.
Thanks @savoyard, my friend is relieved to hear that.
@dangerourbrain yes the handicaps were out a day or so ago - page 13 on the thread.
Ah yes, so they were!
Can’t say I’m sad to be missing this slog fest!
Good luck to all on the start line.
It’s not a slog fest. Just a quick vo2 max blast up the hill 😳
Looking forward to some punishment soon...
Swim lessons for me tonight followed by some dirty food. If I’m back I’ll tune in to the uphill sprint finish! Good luck all!
DrP... fueled by cake, COVID lung, and prosecco 😷😷🤣🤣🥵
Feeling a bit ropey tonight! But have brought all the riding stuff to the OH's so may as well make use of it!
Tron bike? Or tarmac and Millsteins?
DrP
Good point, with no downhill this is one of the few tarmac routes than the Tron [i]isn’t[/i] the fastest on by default!
Pheweeee!
That's a tough one! No let up after the petit kom...
Bravo sav om the kom and the win...
I MUST get my breakaway legs back!
DrP
Wow, that was tough but my best race yet. Slow start but settled into the climb and somehow managed to pick off our captain Robbo and several other scalps!
That was brutal
deffo a tough one. I enjoyed the relatively gentle intro, which was a saviour as for letting my dinner settle, but then lack of attention at the sprint meant I lost the front group (and Paul). Once on the climb though I settled into just trying to keep my numbers high which went really well until the last 200 metres when cramp kicked in.
Oof, that was tough. After loosing the front 3 up the hill I managed to settle down with @vanilla83 for a long slog, until he slowly edged ahead and it was all I could do to stop him finally taking a well deserved 20 seconds off me.
After cruising back down I stopped the bike and was offered a Zwift workout: "What goes up must come down"
No thanks.
Thanks for some great racing this season everyone, and especially @robbo1234biking
That was, erm, interesting!
Really struggled to get into a rhythm along the first few km and started the climb with not much in the legs. Still putting out a decent 200w though so not shabby by my standards! Kept that up until I saw that I was catching A. Wood slowly over the last 2km and somehow managed to find another bit of energy to overhaul them with =in sight of the finish. Was putting out a steady 300w for the last 200m, no idea where it came from but it felt ok. Guessing all the racing this winter and the beginning of the training programme DrP has got me doing is actually doing some good after all.
The usual thanks to @robbo1234biking for organising everything, even if Zwift HQ torpedoed the first race 🤣 Roll on the next series.
Toughest one yet. I did Stage 2 of TdZ, Fire and Ice up Alpe de Zwift and thought that this was the same 1000m climb, so was not looking forward to it, as like Cinderella when the clock stuck ( 1 hour ) it all went wrong.
@msjhes2
So on the plus side finding that it was shorter was a very very pleasant suprise.
I thought that there might be a split at the Sprint, so contested it just ot make sure that I was on the right side and was pleased to see Arch nemisis @msjhes2 on the wrong side, with the gap growing up to 14 secs. What followed next was not as good, I put some turns on the front to keep momentum going, but mark must have been in a good group because the gap just kept on shrinking.
He finally caught me with about 1km to go and then dropped with 800m to go, I stuggled on until the end trying to limit my losses and hold to a potential 2nd place.
I did the Best but Chappeau to @msjhes2 he rode a better race tonight. 'Grats also to @savoyard for the win.
Cheers again to all esp. @Robbo1234Biking for organising.
I'll now go and watch the replay and see what happened up front. 🙂
P.
@J-R
Oof, that was tough. After loosing the front 3 up the hill I managed to settle down with @vanilla83 for a long slog, until he slowly edged ahead and it was all I could do to stop him finally taking a well deserved 20 seconds off me.
That was super tough. Looks like Dr P's training plan is actually doing something though!
Thanks to everyone for the races and big thanks as always to @robbo1234biking for doing everything
Ouchie.
Ground my way up using my unique positive splits technique, and got pipped on the line by a nicely timed Zilog.
Max bpm 177, is that bad for a 57 year old, 'cos it feels pretty toasty.
Thanks @robbo1234biking again - now to lose some kg's before the start of the next one.
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 6 - La Reine
Overall Race Winner
1. Savoyad
2. DrP
3. Phil56
Overall Race Winner (with handicaps)
1. bails
2. Freeridenick
3. msjhes2
Ballon Sprint
1. Straightliner
2. Zilog6128
3. Sturdylad
4. savoyad
5. robbo1234biking
Yorkshire KOM Forward
1. savoyad
2. DrP
3. Phil56
4. J-R
5. vanilla83
Final Green Jersey Standings
1. paino
2. savoyad
3. slowpuncheur
Final KOM Standings
1. savoyad
2. Donnersrider
3. DrP
Final Series Top 3 (including sprint/fastest lap points) Best 5 race points counts (due to first race not happening
1. Paul-S
2. msjhes2
3. J-R
Final Combined Sprint and KOM Points Total
1. savoyad
2. paino
3. donnersrider
I will be in touch with the winners about prizes! (@Paul-S, @savoyad)
There is a 3rd prize. Last time round we had riders rider of the series. I forgot to put a poll together for this series but along with reluctantjumper, @woodadam has ridden the majority of the series near the back of the field but has made improvements and completed every race and for this reason I have voted him as Commissaire's Rider of the Series. Well done all.
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.
Looking at ZP, Zilog beat me by 10 secs, but it looked like about 2 secs at the time.
Something odd happened at the end, I passed the end marker, through the blue barrier, meter countdown was 0, and it then re-appeared a few meters in front, and then did it again - that perhaps was 10 secs.
Wierd.
I kinda enjoyed that. I think I feel better at grinding against a gradient than spinning on the flat.
Not that it's easy though! I had a feather which I used to keep up with c.charles towards the end, but then had nothing left right at the end and got pipped to the line right in the last few seconds!
Cheers Robbo for all your hard work in organising and roll on the spring series.
That was fun!
I’ve only ridden a couple of times with you all but wanted to say thanks for being so freindly and competitive, just what Tuesday nights are for! @robbo1234biking thank for helping me join up and explaining everything.
MTB season not too far away.
The start was a bit punchier than I'd hoped for but managed to stay with the front runners well enough until the start of the climb, not surprisingly I then watched most of them disappear at right about the same rate the gradient increased.
Held the second group until about half way I think but dropped my chain shifting rings a few times, nothing bad and managed to bring it back on with an upshift every time but it was enough to see my power drop to zero for a second or two and need a real push to get back. Just couldn't find the legs for it the third time.
Then it was just a case of head down and try and hold a decent pace up the hill.
Pleased to see a few familiar names still on the road behind me but think all my targets in the handicap were in front.
Another great series robbo!
2nd on the sprint! Pleased with that!! Wish I’d kept the Tron bike now rather than switching in out for a climber! 😀 of course, it did ruin me so dropped off the back and spent most of the climb recovering 😂 Did recover eventually and managed to finish strongly, just pipping Haloric (definitely nearer 2s than 10!)
Something odd happened at the end, I passed the end marker, through the blue barrier, meter countdown was 0, and it then re-appeared a few meters in front,
I had something similar. Absolutely emptied the tank to get past John B, went through the finish gate and stopped pedaling, only to see I had 15m left!
Thanks once again Robbo, I'll sort out a donation shortly.
Those technical problems in races 2b (10 points when I could have won) and 3 (0 points) have come back to bite me given the overall scores. But I was pleased with today's performance, and it finally got me an FTP increase to 230.
@haloric - my banner did the same.
@robbo1234biking - thanks for another well organised race series! I really need to lose a few kgs before the next one, but I do like cake sooooo much!!
Race was a bit rubbish for me. I had a very late dinner for some reason. I've been tired all day and even when warming up I felt that I was missing the top few % of energy.
I went up the hill a decent way with freeride Nick but got the impression from the numbers that he was taking it steady while I was feeling there wasn't much more to give. Then with about 2.5km to go he just went. Absolutely left me for dead and made several places. It was an awesome effort!
I kept pushing for the line but had to tell myself it was the last race and would be over soon. It was a bloody tough effort!!
Thank you all for me getting up and moving for the first time in years.
And many thanks @robbo1234biking for organising, and the nod of Commissaire.
Tuesday evenings are going to be a bit disappointing for a while without the view of you all far off in the distance providing motivation.
This last race was looking hopeful until the climb, gravity, and those 6 pre-race pints we had to drink more than caught up with me.
Thanks for all the company at the tail @reluctantjumper! I thought I might hold out this time, but you just kept coming.
I look forward to next time 🙂
Great course design @robbo1234biking, perfectly judged finale to a great series.
On the start line I was totally focussed on points, particularly the KOM. Rationally I knew @paino and @donnersrider were absent, but psychologically I couldn't risk not racing for the points. I enjoyed the big group rolling along together through the intestines.
Then @robbo1234biking and his 46 chainring went charging off the front at the sprint, and the race was suddenly on. @drp, @phil56 and @j-r (or his friend) went a bit faster up the petit kom than I expected - not as fast as when it's the main event, but faster (I think) than if it wasn't artificially a little climb built into the the big one. I went over the "top" (well, through the banner) with @drp and he made the race very hard from there to the top.
He never really let up, and had a gap a couple of times (I used one of them to get rid of a burrito) but we stayed together for most of the way. I was struggling though (looking back I was v close to my all time 20 min power best), so my only hope was if he was too. I upped the pace a little with 1km to go - there was a bend which looked steep so seemed like a nice place to try something - and got a little gap which I managed to hold long enough to seal it. There was no sprint though, just knackered people gratefully finding the end in slow motion!
The finish line jumped towards me, and then jumped away again as I thought I would cross it (like @haloric and @bails I think) but I didn't care by then!
Great racing, so much going on in these races. Massive congrats to @Paul-S @msjhes2 @J-R the handicap standings are so hard to do well in.
Ooh I do love it when it points upwards, very happy with the 4th after the handicap. Another FTP increase from 200 to 204, not much of a jump but getting close to where I was a year or so ago.
Felt great to be at the front of the group for so long, though I knew it wouldn’t last, as everyone else were in the comfort zone while I were pumping above my FTP!
In the last few km or so, I could feel @feed slowly catching. Getting into the last km, a little cramp set in. It wasn’t too bad when standing on the pedals and with a few choice words of encouragement from my coach @stumpy01 😂, I managed to hold him off.
Another great series @robbo1234biking, I’ll echo everyone’s thoughts and say a big thanks for sorting it all out.
In the last few km or so, I could feel @feed slowly catching. Getting into the last km, a little cramp set in. It wasn’t too bad when standing on the pedals and with a few choice words of encouragement from my coach @stumpy01 , I managed to hold him off.
Good one Giggs, I was never going to catch you, cramp or no cramp 🙂
Enjoyed that, was a solo effort from the start as I just didn't have the legs to stick with the main group from the off. Decided I'd take it "relatively" easy and keep on going at the end to do the full route. Did the full route and then decided to keep going to the summit but if I'd realised how much further it was I'd probably have knocked it on the head. 1,600 mtrs climbing total, legs are feeling cooked but good 🙂
Thanks for organising another great series @Robbo
Thanks everyone for the kind comments and the donations.
I had a plan that went a bit wrong last night. I am rubbish at sprints so I decided to start with an aero bike and go for the sprint. I dont know that sprint very well so I went a bit early and ended up acting as a lead out man but still managed to get 5th place so not too bad.
My plan then was to swap bikes for a climbing bike and attack the timed KOM segment and try and pick up some more points then. Excpet I stopped to change bikes after the timed segment started, fluffed the bike change and lost about 40 seconds to the group I was with. I still managed to get my second best time up there missing my fastest time by about 20 seconds so I would have got a decent time (for me).
I then carried out and caught a few people but our shop was delivered late. I have found that if I eat something decent about 5pm then that seems to work for me but it wasnt to be last night so I went into it fairly empty. I then just ran out of steam about 30 mins in and didnt start to feel better again until 40 mins when I started to make up some time on the group ahead. THe group was between 100 and 200m ahead of me most of the climb but it was showing a 20-40 second gap most of the time!
Oh well - it was fun to try something different. First time we have really gone properly uphill in the series with sustained slopes and the 13% gradients didn't really suit me.
Spring Series will commence on the 8th March. I will start a new thread soon with sign up details.
I was amazed when you came up behind me Robbo! and then even more amazed when I caught you up again!
And yes stumpy, I used you as a paceman at the bottom of the climb, then thought sod it as was feeling good and just went for it!
Climbing suits me
Once again things didn't go according to plan!
After a day of feeling absolutely dreadful, tired with zero enthusiasm or energy, I planned on turning up for the start and most likely being dropped within minutes.
It would appear that exercise really is a great pick me up, felt more awake after 10 mins warming up than I had all day.
Stayed in the lead bunch until the start of the main climb and as soon as I was dropped I settled in with a group who were riding at a good pace and slowly catching anyone dropping from the lead group.
After a bit of a solo to catch and pass the rider (sorry, forgotten names already!) in 6th place I thought I had the gap covered all the way to the line.
With about 40-50mtrs to go and a 2 second gap I lifted off the gas a touch and got mugged!
Still great fun as always and again no tech issues, they only seem to appear on TT Thursday!
I look forward to the spring series and hopefully getting better at remembering who I'm riding with!!
Cheers all! JB
Thanks again Robbo. Not a great series for me as I seem to have been fighting a cold/lurgy for a number of weeks, but sort of enjoyed last night. Okay, lugging my delicate weight up a big hill isn't ideal but it's a continuous effort which I like and as someone points out above, having something to push against makes it feel a bit better.
@RichardKennerley and @ChrisCharles, there seemed to be plenty of ebb and flow in those last few kms, and the couple ahead and small group behind also seemed to stay relatively constant so plenty of work was put in.
Thanks to everyone who's entered any of the races for making the hard work fun.
Don't forget - you are all welcome to join the (mixed category) STW TTT team on Thursday evenings.
Full info (and questions usually answered quickly) here: https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/zwift-team-time-trial-thursday-evenings/