Turbocharged last night. Tough course with 4 laps of Innsbruckring with the Legsnapper. Ouchy!
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=1011629
https://www.strava.com/activities/3932732854
I rode well last week (after 10 days off) but after not finding time to ride on the weekend really know I've done nothing to regain my fitness from before. I'd resolved myself to just ride this one and try to be tactical. For me that meant trying to hold the group on the flats and then stretch my legs on the climb as I knew that's where I should be strongest. It's a tough course and knew I was unlikely to be in the front group for more than the first lap or two.
The
ramp out the gate was hard, faster than I expected. I was chasing wheels for far longer than I wanted and barely made the front group. Things
didn't really ease for much of that first lap which was surprising, but the group was massive, maybe 40 riders of the ~60 starters. So sure enough a
tough selection was made the first time up the Legsnapper. The group was smashed to pieces and I found myself one of the many scattered riders chasing. Over the top and on the descent a small group was forming, 1 of the riders being my TTT captain Percy.
I pushed the ramp on the descent to catch some riders up front. We ended up in a group of 10 riders so just hung in recovering for the next one.
Second time up the Legsnapper Percy and I pushed it and dropped 2 of the group. We nearly split things further but both needed to tuck on the descent to recover and rode the flat/sprint very easy. I felt good on that effort but was unsure if I could repeat it again and hit it harder the last time up. We caught another TTT Teammate (Tom) after he'd nearly popped from the group up front (which had split to 3 at this stage). I made the call to ride the 3rd Legnapper easier and was badly placed as we hit it.
Others riders in the group pushed the pace and I got dropped with Percy and another rider. 5s gap by the top and 8s on the descent.
I put an effort into the ramp on the descent and we caught Tom who had also been dropped! So from the group of 9, 4 riders had got dropped, 3 of them 3R... As we'd been the ones working on the flat and 2nd climb I really felt guilty about calling the guys to ride the 3rd easier. On the flat and sprint
I put in several long pulls drawing the group closer. Within 2s I shouted on Discord for the guys to bridge up as I was toast. I'd about blown up, but with a little ramp on course I'd actually nearly made the group too with my momentum.
I went hard and kicked burying myself totally, the guys made the group and I was so close myself but eased knowing the Legsnapper on final lap would blow me out anyway. I was annoyed and kicking myself afterwards that I didn't continue the effort and close that final bit of a gap and worry about the climb afterwards. I rode the rest tempo, just managing gap to chasers to the finish. There was a group of 4-5 and they got within 10s before the Legsnapper,
so I pushed on and emptied myself on it to keep away. Only 1 of them was closing the gap towards the finish. The guys up front did well, Percy and Tom only being beaten by 1 of the group. So in a way I'm quite glad I did my
domestique duties to get them back in there, even though I sacrificed myself I could have gone deeper and got back on myself. Maybe with a little more form/fitness I would've.
