The best riders come out on top in this climb. As a fairly good time trialist, I wanted to give it a shot after getting in peak condition for the Academy finals. Having won the sprint competition, I began to focus on training for the Alp.
The Alp is beautiful, with 22 turns. I can usually guess my time by how well I am doing at the half way point (turn ten). In training, I rode my goal pace past the half-way point, under twenty minutes. The goal was under forty minutes.
Under forty minutes requires a lot of power, steady grinding power. I have been taught to race in a smaller gear but time trial in the big gear. I trained in the big gear, but on race day, I went half way before going big. I just felt the big gear might be too big and I would tire out before the finish. This day, I got it just about perfect. My holo pacer did not work (?), but I was just glassy-eyed and focused on my watts. Be consistent or waste energy and lose time.
The leaders are first and foremost, Ille Gardner at 38:21 at 265 watts. Lucy Barkley has the most power at 301 watts. Etienne and Gigante have gone under forty as well. Gigante had a fantastic climb, but her power meter had a twenty watts error. (that is easily two minutes here). Kulchensky is under the forty mark as well.
For me, I broke the 48 minute mark in the first week and basically similar times recently. I'm not the skinny climbing specialist for sure. But if I was, I could match the best of them in power. I think races based on watts would be very exciting. After all, cda is purely guesswork on Zwift.
I was very steady and calm, keeping my watts around 240 for the first half. I must have pushed good on the second half, bringing up my power and heart to top off at 245 watts at...drumroll....38:47. When the board came up near the finish, it read 38:58. I was so happy, I just kept focused on bringing the time down, I pulled up and had a good finish to trim ten more seconds off.
Would I do this again? I really planned on this being my last hurrah. I've already trained a long season, expecting this academy in September, not December. I really need a break from being sore, tired, or just firing myself up for a heavy training session or race. What remains ahead, I'm not sure. I want to focus on fun. I have plenty of great moments and memories. I am amazed how a few older gals have kept at the top of their field. Mary Wilkenson is a legend. Ditto for Rachael Elliot and a few I don't know their age but i know they aren't the new young generation of Zwift racers, like Langham and Guerra. I've grabbed a few Q's this fall. That was some great challenges. I even achieved some real brilliance in the ZA workouts, hitting nearly top watts and %'s. (Gabby smashed the 20 minute mark.)
Thanks Zwift. I will always love you. Can I buy a home in Richmond?
