Zwift Chat

[Whorty]

In other news @Whorty and @Brusgaard were going well. I was at the front with them for a couple of laps until the leg went. The both looked to be comfortable - Carl even texting as he rode

I only txt'd on the downhill sections

Missed the cut on the approach to the final climb .... was right at the back of the group of about 25 so had to chase through the pack. Thankfully my climbing was strong as I had no sprint left ... came 6th over the line

 

[Peter Salt]

That's your issue, rest days are just as important- probably more so

It's a strategy

 

[CXRAndy]

The wonders of yoofs endless energy, well nearly

 

[Whorty]

I waved to Carl as he was lapping me

Lowest 20 min. power so far out of the 4 races BUT 60 min. power the best so far - by 7 watts Better cooling in the fishnet T-shirt as well. As a result max HR 12-15 BPM lower than any other similar effort. Power variability on ZP at 1% so I think I paced it well.

Considering it was my 17th consecutive day riding, I'm very happy with the 61st place

I would have waved back, but we always seemed to catch you on the climb and I was having to work hard so couldn't reach my phone

Well done on the 61st place ... that would have been a hard ride without the help of other riders to draft off.

 

[Whorty]

No banter yet for the race tomorrow? Is it because it's a forgone conclusion who will take 1st and 2nd, and the rest of us will be fighting for scraps of the minor places?

 

[berty bassett]

No banter yet for the race tomorrow? Is it because it's a forgone conclusion who will take 1st and 2nd, and the rest of us will be fighting for scraps of the minor places?

Hope so 😁

 

[straas]

Are we setting off at our current gaps?

 

[Joffey]

Are we setting off at our current gaps?

Mass start again I'd think. 500 metres neutralised probs - then I'll attack and probably win from the resultant solo breakaway

 

[Whorty]

Are we setting off at our current gaps?

It's not a TT stage is it? I thought this was just a flat race which will almost certainly result in a mass sprint finish ... for 2nd place as @Joffey Van Aert will have made a solo break and destroyed the chasing pack!

 

[mjd1988]

It's a hard one to call this week isn't it? Hard to see a small breakaway get away. Dependents how burnt out the sprinters are by the pace, maybe we'll see a team sky train wearing everyone down. Or maybe everyone goes mega fast for 2 minutes then super slow till 700m out

 

[steverob]

While it is very unlikely anyone will be able to break away at the front, if the pace is kept high for as long as possible, people will instead get dropped off the back of the main pack and once you're out of that draft, there'll be no getting back in to it.

It all then depends on how many riders get dropped - will there be a group of only 3-4 riders contesting the finish, or will it be more like 7-8? Given the length of the course, it might be more of a war of attrition than you think.

 

[<Tommy>]

Not sure who’s going to be willing to set a high pace at the front knowing there’s 10 wheel suckers behind who won’t take a turn. I foresee a pretty dull race followed be a frantic last 1km.

That is unless 2-3 riders make a breakaway stick.

 

[Whorty]

Not sure who’s going to be willing to set a high pace at the front knowing there’s 10 wheel suckers behind who won’t take a turn. I foresee a pretty dull race followed be a frantic last 1km.

That is unless 2-3 riders make a breakaway stick.

 

[steverob]

I don't know - if it was a one lap race, I'd totally agree with @<Tommy> but that second lap might just see some tired legs creep in, especially for people who are used to most races boiling down to a 20 minute hard effort before coasting the rest. All it takes then is a momentary lapse in concentration and all of a sudden someone is out of the draft and those 10 wheelsuckers become 9, then 8, then...

There's also the fact that winning a sprint at the end doesn't mean much if you don't gain any time on the people you're behind in the standings. I think as the race gets into the last 10km, we might see some riders willing to up the pace if they think a rival is at risk of dropping off the back.

I'm certainly not thinking I'll be hanging on to the lead pack for the whole thing - will be super happy if I'm still in the mix at the end of the first lap.

 

[Whorty]

It's a hard one to call this week isn't it? Hard to see a small breakaway get away. Dependents how burnt out the sprinters are by the pace, maybe we'll see a team sky train wearing everyone down. Or maybe everyone goes mega fast for 2 minutes then super slow till 700m out

C riders won't have the power I don't think to push the pace, and may be in the red just holding on if pace is high. That should reduce their sprinting chances.

The Bs who are not big sprinters are not going to want to drag you to the line only to have you blast past them over the last 500 metres, so I think it will be up to them to put pressure on the rest of us to nullify the sprint. Yes we'll be wheelsucking for all we have, but anything less will just mean more of us able to contest the final sprint.

I have a decent sprint, so I'm happy with a slow pace Just depends if anyone wants to try and take the power out of my legs (and the other sprinters) before we get to the last 500 metres

But as in a flat stage of any race, it's up to the non sprinters to drop the sprinters (just like in a hilly stage it's up to the sprinters to try and hang on, or breakaway to nullify the climbers advantage on the hills). I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, if only because we may all be there, or there abouts, at the end and that has to be fun and nervy