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Joffey

Big Dosser
Location
Yorkshire
Just had a quick gander of your blog @Joffey. Congrats on your January performance - a great start on your yearly goals :okay:

Cheers! February is starting very slowly - still struggling with this cold!
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
That’s odd - my default is private but I switched this ride to “everyone” in the app yesterday: https://strava.app.link/IPLsGc5eZ3

You’re right - had a good start up and over the first climb but blew up on the flat after the second climb. Was only pushing 2.0-2.5 on the last 10km of flat!
I see it now :okay:

Over the top of the climb you was 43 seconds ahead, but by the base of the descent heading to the gravel section we were back on par again. Whilst I had a lot of riders on my race, I was actually on my own for the majority of the climb as you can't really draft on climbs. As I went through the KoM banner at the top, I noticed 3 riders about 50 yards up the road and I kept the power on to get on their wheels before the descent (2 other riders behind me jumped on my wheel too). So on the descent we had a small group and picked up a few more on the way down.

As we entered the gate from the KoM hill to the Jungle circuit we had a nice little group going which stayed together to the boards at the bottom of the jungle, before climbing again. Climbing out the jungle I was on my own all the way to the bridge at the top. Coming back out towards the KoM gate 2 chasers caught me (I could see them coming so pulled back the power a bit so I could try to work with them). We then caught one of the original group just before we rejoined the KoM.

This little group came down the rest of the KoM together. I could also see 2 more riders just up the road so I called out to them to rest on the flats for us then we could all work together. We caught them on the S's and as a group we stayed together until the end (I think we may have picked up another rider on the way). I kept talking to them as we rode, encouraging us all to stay together and work as a group; I think everyone was on their limit so no one really wanted to attack anyway.

Don't know about anyone else, but on these rides that count towards our leagues, I don't see myself as racing those around me; I see these other riders as my domestiques ^_^ If I can charm them enough then I can keep the group together and as a result I'm in a faster group :wahhey: I do my share of pulling in the group, but it's a lot less than if I was on my own (I'm also willing to drag the group back together if someone does try to break free :ninja: )

There you go ... another one of my tactics revealed :tongue:

1581409881461.png
 

BurningLegs

Veteran
I see it now :okay:

Over the top of the climb you was 43 seconds ahead, but by the base of the descent heading to the gravel section we were back on par again. Whilst I had a lot of riders on my race, I was actually on my own for the majority of the climb as you can't really draft on climbs. As I went through the KoM banner at the top, I noticed 3 riders about 50 yards up the road and I kept the power on to get on their wheels before the descent (2 other riders behind me jumped on my wheel too). So on the descent we had a small group and picked up a few more on the way down.

As we entered the gate from the KoM hill to the Jungle circuit we had a nice little group going which stayed together to the boards at the bottom of the jungle, before climbing again. Climbing out the jungle I was on my own all the way to the bridge at the top. Coming back out towards the KoM gate 2 chasers caught me (I could see them coming so pulled back the power a bit so I could try to work with them). We then caught one of the original group just before we rejoined the KoM.

This little group came down the rest of the KoM together. I could also see 2 more riders just up the road so I called out to them to rest on the flats for us then we could all work together. We caught them on the S's and as a group we stayed together until the end (I think we may have picked up another rider on the way). I kept talking to them as we rode, encouraging us all to stay together and work as a group; I think everyone was on their limit so no one really wanted to attack anyway.

Don't know about anyone else, but on these rides that count towards our leagues, I don't see myself as racing those around me; I see these other riders as my domestiques ^_^ If I can charm them enough then I can keep the group together and as a result I'm in a faster group :wahhey: I do my share of pulling in the group, but it's a lot less than if I was on my own (I'm also willing to drag the group back together if someone does try to break free :ninja: )

There you go ... another one of my tactics revealed :tongue:

View attachment 504074

Thanks @Whorty - an interesting insight! I got ahead of you on the big climb, but you started gaining time on me on that descent and just carried on. Being in a group of four, I thought I might have stayed ahead through the descent but clearly not, and even if I had it would have only saved me about 1minute because you were so much stronger on the second climb and final 10km of flat :notworthy:
 

Norry1

Legendary Member
Location
Warwick
Just googled and it gets great reviews. Take it up to the Holiday Inn Express in Edinburgh for a real test.

On another subject just got your coach's book finally. Through Amazon it took 2 weeks.

I found the book really interesting - let me know what you think.
 

Joffey

Big Dosser
Location
Yorkshire
Turns out I've not been riding to hard on the TdZ rides... just done a Crit and my FTP gone from 216 to 239 :eek:

I thought my HR monitor was bust as it never went over 150... up to 177 tonight... It was me that was broken :laugh:

Anyway, first race and I placed 13th out of 24 in D so happy with that.

I'll shut up congratulating myself now and watch Love Island... :laugh:
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
Turns out I've not been riding to hard on the TdZ rides... just done a Crit and my FTP gone from 216 to 239 :eek:

I thought my HR monitor was bust as it never went over 150... up to 177 tonight... It was me that was broken :laugh:

Anyway, first race and I placed 13th out of 24 in D so happy with that.

I'll shut up congratulating myself now and watch Love Island... :laugh:
Zwiftpower has you 3rd out of 10 .... 🥉 My guess is the 10 in front of you in the actual race were sandbaggers, not D riders, and ZP DQ'd them :okay:

Onward and upwards :wahhey:
 

Joffey

Big Dosser
Location
Yorkshire
Zwiftpower has you 3rd out of 10 .... 🥉 My guess is the 10 in front of you in the actual race were sandbaggers, not D riders, and ZP DQ'd them :okay:

Onward and upwards :wahhey:

Sweet - a podium :becool:

I tagged on to the back of a Cat B rider but made the mistake of helping him try and reach the following group and blew up. I should have just wheel sucked him all the way round - might have got 1st lol
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
Sweet - a podium :becool:

I tagged on to the back of a Cat B rider but made the mistake of helping him try and reach the following group and blew up. I should have just wheel sucked him all the way round - might have got 1st lol
ha ha - we've all done that ^_^ Racing, even on Zwift, relies on tactics as much as raw power. I'm not the most powerful rider, but I've learned to use wheelsucking to position myself better than my power alone should have me :laugh:
 
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