On we roll to Stage 3 of the Tour of Makuri Islands race series. I’m not quite sure how many races there are in this series – I’m guessing 6, as per the Tour of Makuri Islands other stages – so that very well may mean we are now at the half way point.
A new route today, not just for me but for all Zwifters. We would be taking on 24.6km of roads with 195m of climb.
As it was a new route to me I had no idea what was to come… other than thinking at ~25km and only 195m of climb that this would be fast. Oh, and I should point out that I had somehow mistaken this for ~165m of total climb… so those extra 30 meters were something of a bonus. It’s good to be prepared.
With only 29 registered riders for the B Category when I joined up yesterday evening I expected this race to settle fairly quickly into two distinctive groups. I planned on being with the front group for as long as possible.
By the time we got the GO banner there were 72 riders in the race so more than I was expecting. What this led too was a really big bunch up front – something like 40 riders in the front group. I wasn’t able to see what was happening behind me as I was only paying attention to where I was at.
Without having done a route recon my only insight for this ride was that it must be fairly flat if we were only covering 165(!)m of climb in 25km. Remember I got the climb figure wrong in my head, this is basically 200m, but more on that in a few moments.
As I was intending to stick with the fast pack for as long as possible I kept up a brisk pace, even finding myself leading the race several times. Pretty nuts.
But there settled in the niggling doubts. What was I doing leading the race? What did these guys know that I didn’t?
Or was it all in my head? Was the pack going slower than usual? Was it just a fair race, comparatively speaking?
So many questions.
It was around the 7km mark that we’d hit new roads, so from that point on I was constantly on the look out for new things that might make good screenshots, any climbs visible on the little gradient mini map (which was all over the show so was practically useless), the new road surfaces, and keeping an eye on the watts per kilo read out to look for any fliers.
Busy busy.
By the 10km mark I was deeply suspicious. I can’t think I’ve ever been up front for as long feeling, by and large, like I wasn’t at my limit. I was definitely pushing a high average heart rate and I knew I was working, but I felt like if the pack went for it, I had as good a chance as anyone to keep with them.
Clearly some of the riders had done their research.
At ~14km we hit the first true climb of the race. This one caught me off guard and I found myself falling quickly behind. Strava lists this as the Festival Harbor Climb Counter Clockwise.
As a quick tip for Surf n Turf route there are two climbs. Both can be identified on the mini map by their cross over loop – the road doubles back on itself in an upwards cork screw. Keep an eye out for that.
The pack fractured and the front runners tore away. I was putting out ridiculously unsustainable numbers in an effort to get back on.
And incredibly I managed it.
Somehow, for the first time ever, I clawed my way back on to the front blob.
Success!
But at what cost?
For the next two (or more?) minutes I was really, really struggling. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. Basically I’d gone well over my limit and needed recovery. Urgently.
Mercifully as we had crested the climb the pack eased off, blobbed back up and I was able to sit in. Looking at the climb counter I figured we had ~50m to go (wrong!) over the next 5km.
Could I possibly hold on?
Would I be challenging right to the end?
Well, no.
Though I wasn’t absolutely dying as I had been from going max effort up the climb, I hadn’t recovered anything close to a sufficient state.
A little 4% roller around the 20km mark had me panicking, but it faded almost as quickly as it came on.
Unfortunately it all came apart as the second and final climb of the race came into play.
Almost immediately I dropped off the back, and I knew my race was over. There was just no way I was going to get back on this time. I was spent.
The one saving grace is that being with the front bunch had gained me a really nice ~40 second cushion to play with. I knew the guys behind would eat that time up given a chance, but foolishly I was still thinking I had only 20m of climb left to go. So I got my head down and did my best. I have no idea what kind of numbers I was putting out, but looking at the graph it was 3-3.5w/kg.
Well, glancing up I realised I was over the 165m of climb I expected there to be. Now it was just a case of keep on keeping on until it was all done.
The guys behind had taken 15 seconds out of my cushion but with just 1.5km left, and what I hoped might be some flat stuff I knew I had enough to get to the line without being caught.
Truthfully with the exertion I’d put in on that first climb I felt like I’d earned the reprieve.
And so that was that. I crossed the finish line as a solo rider and spent the following several minutes bent over the bars absolutely dead.
What a great way to spend a dinner break.
I’d say this was a deceptively challenging route. With the climbs coming in the second part of the race it’s all about who has best managed their effort up until the fun truly begins.
If you can get over the first climb with the front runners you’re chances are drastically improved of coming in with a good result. There’s enough of a gap between the first and second climbs that a strong ability to recover under pressure will have you as fresh as you’re going to be for the final climb.
Overall I’m happy enough with this performance. I don’t know if I could do better without working hard on my core weaknesses. And that’s not going to be a quick change.
The only thing I’d say I did wrong today was forgetting to knock down my weight from 68kg to 67kg. Would that have made a difference? I have no idea.
I did weigh myself after getting off, just for a laugh. And I’d lost 3kg! So… yeah. Insane.
Right, I’m off to lay down carry on working.
