Anyone else do the Giro TT course on Zwift this weekend? An exact replica of Stage 1 of the Giro - even most of the buildings were accurately rendered. This was cool and a seriously great workout. (8k long - 6k flat but the final 2k averages 9.7% and tops out at 16%)
I did “Alpe du Zwift” a/k/a Alpe d’Huez a couple weeks ago. Another cool simulation and another great workout.
And - I definitely needed my TR training on both of them!
I hope they lean more into replicating real life courses. Definitely helps put into perspective how impressive the pros are.
I raced it too, loved it!
Not surprising, but getting beat by 10 minutes in an 8k time trial does put things in perspective!
Not gonna lie. I started 3 minute intervals Saturday but just didn’t have it in me so I abandoned them and entered the TT instead. I didn’t use a TT bike but with the climb at the end I’m not sure it mattered. More of a Threshold workout but it helped keep me motivated that day.
I find Zwift very useful for those days where I just don’t have an interval session in me. The Alp du Zwift is a fantastic challenge - and it provides me with a good indication of where my sustained power is.
I also enjoy the Zwift races for a great way to break up monotony of riding the trainer. I’ve used them to substitute for a TR workout here and there, and also to give me an opportunity to test my fitness - particularly short power in an unconstrained environment.
Finally, Zwift is what got my 12 year old son interested in cycling - combining video games AND bikes… perfect sell for a kid! And kids accounts are free with an adult account… win/win.
It’s certainly got its place - and I don’t see that place as a TR replacement, but more of something to keep things fresh mentally, and break up training slumps.
The length and climb make that course extra painful. No letting off the gas anywhere. Too short to settle in, too long to just bury it.
110% for 16min hurts:)
I just started racing on Zwift once a week for the last three weeks. I’ve found I’m able to really push myself harder than I would for a workout on TR that hovers around FTP. I’m training at 256FTP and averaged 246 for 50 minutes in one of the races. Feel like TR and Zwift combined is helping me break through to the next level of riding.
I really enjoyed the course and I hope they do more like it.
I managed 108% for just under 20 minutes! Lugging my virtual 91kilos up that climb. We were discussion this in another thread, it was brutal but enjoyable. Group suffering!
I didn’t realize there was no drafting until I’d jumped off the line at 400+w to chase the leaders… like you have to do to be competitive in every other zwift race.
Could have gone a bit faster if I saved it for the climb, but not by much.
Agree. For me, Zwift and TR are complementary - on days when the discipline needed to follow a structured plan is low (long day at work, tired) or a time slot suddenly opens up, I find it’s easier to do a 45-90 minute session on Zwift. The bigger climbs on Watopia work well in that regard. It might not yield the same benefit as a similarily long session on TR, but with the “some training is better than no training” mantra in mind, I find Zwift to be a good alternative. Perhaps comparable to doing a gravel ride in the woods rather than hill repeats outdoors; variety is easy to appreciate. I still have no doubt that TR is the better option as far as training quality goes.