A new month and therefore a new ZRacing series. For April 2023 we are taking on four “cobbled” stages, three of which will be on Zwift’s France map, with the Stage 3 shifting us over for a week in Richmond.
All of these cobble rides are to bring awareness to this weekend’s Paris Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, which seems to only relate to Zwift by name. I can’t see that the ride is actually done in any way on the Zwift platform. Bit confusing.
Today’s route was Zwift France’s Route Grand Vitesse. This is largely flat route, with the Aqueduc KOM pretty much bang on half way through, and then a section of 2-4% rollers that last ~2km just before the finish line.
Being largely flat, I expected this one to be fast. I knew, loosely, that somewhere up ahead was the Aqueduc KOM, so I was playing it safe enough by sticking in the group for a good chunk of the first half.
The pace out of the pens was high, but it settled into a fairly leasurely tempo effort. I hadn’t actually broken a sweat for the first 10 minutes or so. That’s how chilled out it was.
However, others were getting a little unsettled at our easy pace, and so after it was pointed out that we weren’t going very fast, a small group up front took it upon themselves to stretch the bunch and from then on the speed did pick up.
It was always going to come down to the Aqueduc KOM as the main point that the pack would split, and the race would be either won or lost for a good chunk of us. I definitely misjudged the ramp up to the KOM, my lack of map knowledge letting me down there.
Up the climb I did alright, but even with an aero power up I couldn’t quite catch the wheel in front that I so desperately needed if I were to stand any chance of staying with the front runners in the fast descent.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. I watched them pedal away and found myself briefly isolated, slowing a touch to get back on with a small bunch behind.
These were the riders I stuck with from then on out. Truthfully I was grateful to have been awarded a draft van power up over the top of the KOM as I was thrashed from my failed attempt to keep with the front group.
Again, my lack of map knowledge caught me out as we hit the final rollers section. I’ve struggled here before, but managed to at least keep pace today.
Strategically placed to sap the legs just before the final sprint, I held on to my aero power up, hoping to see some action at the end.
It wasn’t to be.
I was able to drop the aero with ~300m to go, but I had no sprint left.
As such I struggled over the line and would have collapsed in a heap, had I not been clipped into the pedals.
Not my best ever performance, but the stats say I wasn’t far off a 30 minute PB. I’ll take it.
