Nothing quite beats getting straight in the saddle after work for a 3 lap race around the virtual Innsbruckring and I gave it some tonight. It was up there with my best. I bloody love racing on #Zwift
The first lap saw a group of six of us pushing hard, vying to break away but no one quite managing it - until the short climb. Hitting the hill we all went for it. Going into the red, four of us came over top clear. We continued to push hard.
Nothing changed through lap two until we hit the hill again. Although the racing red mist was descending.... as one of the riders, hence forth known as my nemesis, wasn't pulling his share on the front. And to rub salt into the wound he blasted it on the hill and got clear. I hit the top level with one of the other two riders left from the group and together we pushed hard on the descent to catch my nemesis...
Into the final lap, the rider who'd helped catch my nemesis got away and there was no catching him. So now it was just me and my nemesis and guess what? Yes, he was sitting back. Grrrrrr. Every little effort I put in he responded to, to keep in my draft without coming past. Then a late starting B rider caught us and I worked hard to go with him - so did my nemesis. More grrrrrhh.
Then the B rider broke clear and I made my final move. Make or break. 30 seconds of pain to try and get back to the B rider. If I could bridge the gap I'd get a draft and even for just a moment it would settle things. I didn't make it but I'd broken the draft of my nemesis and I was 20m clear - but he came back at me and the gap started to close....
The fog of war was well upon me by this point and I wasn't having it. I put in another effort and that broke him - to be fair, it nearly broke me! Heart thumping out of my chest, the gap started to grow and I knew. I knew the battle was won. I held it together on the final climb and pushed on to win the war. 26.4km, 43 minutes. It was a right fun one and you know you've given it a good crack when your legs feel wobbly for half an hour afterwards.
Did I mention, I bloody love racing on #Zwift
The first lap saw a group of six of us pushing hard, vying to break away but no one quite managing it - until the short climb. Hitting the hill we all went for it. Going into the red, four of us came over top clear. We continued to push hard.
Nothing changed through lap two until we hit the hill again. Although the racing red mist was descending.... as one of the riders, hence forth known as my nemesis, wasn't pulling his share on the front. And to rub salt into the wound he blasted it on the hill and got clear. I hit the top level with one of the other two riders left from the group and together we pushed hard on the descent to catch my nemesis...
Into the final lap, the rider who'd helped catch my nemesis got away and there was no catching him. So now it was just me and my nemesis and guess what? Yes, he was sitting back. Grrrrrr. Every little effort I put in he responded to, to keep in my draft without coming past. Then a late starting B rider caught us and I worked hard to go with him - so did my nemesis. More grrrrrhh.
Then the B rider broke clear and I made my final move. Make or break. 30 seconds of pain to try and get back to the B rider. If I could bridge the gap I'd get a draft and even for just a moment it would settle things. I didn't make it but I'd broken the draft of my nemesis and I was 20m clear - but he came back at me and the gap started to close....
The fog of war was well upon me by this point and I wasn't having it. I put in another effort and that broke him - to be fair, it nearly broke me! Heart thumping out of my chest, the gap started to grow and I knew. I knew the battle was won. I held it together on the final climb and pushed on to win the war. 26.4km, 43 minutes. It was a right fun one and you know you've given it a good crack when your legs feel wobbly for half an hour afterwards.
Did I mention, I bloody love racing on #Zwift
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