Stage 2 overview
Stage 2 of the Virtual Joe Martin Stage Race was the first of the road races, 76km on rolling roads on the sand and sequoia courses in Wattopia, Zwifts virtual cycling island.
We started the stage with a 1 minute silence to show our respects to the social inequality issues which have been highlighted. After this period of silence we started a 1km roll out neutral to show our respects to those who have died as a part of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race
As you may know zwift races tend to be a cyclo-cross style start, all sprinting full gas for the first few minutes. This race was different with this neutral roll out it meant we were all together meaning the race start was a little easier. This being said for the first 10-15 minutes it was pretty tough.
Coming into the bottom of the climb for the first time, a group of 120 of us all pushing upwards of 7w/kg for the first few minutes. Then there is a flat down hill before the start of the 2.2km climb up to the top of 'titans grove'.
At the top of the climb 20 guys had already been distanced meaning the group was reduced within the first lap. After the peak of the climb there are rollers, this causing the downhill to not be as easy as some, where we would usually 'super tuck' we couldn't.
From then on it was a cycle of flat roads on the desert, up the hill, 20 get droped until the last lap. Coming into the climb there was a solo break at around 20seconds, but we quickly closed this down on the first riser. By this point there was perhaps only 50 of us left in the peloton.
The finish
The finish of this race was just over the top of the climb, past the line for the Titans Grove KOM, 800meters or so over the top. This meaning it was a downhill sprint after the climb.
Up the climb for the last time it was full gas, red numbers 7-8w/kg, strung out. Luckily I was towards the front. I knew that it would be a early sprint as we would be traveling at upwards of 70km/h.
Over the top of the climb now, sitting at around 15th place, slightly further back than I wanted if I want to win the sprint. So I went early, 700meters to go. It was a 5 wide lunge for the line, with a few guys in front already taken the major positions. In the end I finished 7th on the stage.
As a team we secured the KOM classification for the day going into the last day. Being tonight at 17:00BST. 4 laps of the 2015 UCI course!
