Titans Grove KOM Suffering! // Best Of Stage 1: Sand and Sequoias // Category B

[@MayhemZwifting]

Way to go on this one! You got me at the end! Lots of fun!

[@CaedmonCycling]

Yes, nice to see you out there, good racing!

[@MayhemZwifting]

Your group caught me with 1.8 km to go and my legs were blown to pieces🎉 great race

[@CaedmonCycling]

I saw that! Way to stick with that front group longer than I could 👍

[@EvoZwifts-ex4nf]

Well done for hanging in at the finnish. I really struggled on this route. A fast pace at the start and too many attempts to break away before the KOM destroyed me.

[@CaedmonCycling]

Yeah, it was tough for me once it hit Titans Grove. I got lucky that no one really attacked early in the desert

[@mumblecake251]

The front of the group were really pushing it up the climb. You did brilliantly hanging on as long as you did. From what I can see these climbs are a little bit out of your comfort zone. There is just nowhere to hide so to some degree these races tend to be hanging on as long as you can and then damage limitation at the end, all of which you did brilliantly. It could always be worse. I got my arse spanked by Rob in my race yesterday 🤣

[@CaedmonCycling]

Yeah, I think 5 min power is now my worst metric which is exactly what is needed for a lot of these short climbs. Next thing to work on! And don’t take it personally, Rob beats up on everyone 😂

[@robertdiez3091]

That lead group that attacked near the top of the climb was bad timing going into the down hill won't help create a gap an just a waste of matches. If you hit hard from the base to the down hill would have made a gap. An it looked like normal tempo up the climb nothing hard.

[@RoyImahara]

Wasted legs and an 11.8 w/kg sprint at the end. Good racing!

[@CaedmonCycling]

Thanks Roy!

[@drewbuffington]

I just streamed this one if you wanna see an ultra aggressive approach to this course 😅

[@CaedmonCycling]

Just watched it! Super aggressive in a small field. Big watts, nice work 👍

[@drewbuffington]

@@CaedmonCycling thanks! I was really frustrated, but it’s all good training at the end of the day. Really wanna start being able to break away.

[@ZwiftyZwifter]

Great workout! And Barfell's Bump gradually gathering momentum. Soon people who've never heard of him will be calling it that. Generations to come will wonder who Barfell ever was! It was he who thought there were no bumps! Kinda everything I love about your rides in the never quit, always sprint if you can. You really earned every position. But...man where's that focus on efficiency gone :( 2nd/3rd wheel on a whole load of those flats. It's not a good climb if 5 mins is your weak suit and you've just been upped, but I think you can give yourself a better chance of making it further with a bit more of that Georg-esque (used to be Caedmonesque) drafting. And if you save some energy and put out a big 5 mins, Zwift might put you back into C again!

[@CaedmonCycling]

Haha, I didn’t even notice I was being inefficient until you mentioned this. I suppose I’ve lost all concentration 😂 it’s back to basics going forward. Need to study up and watch more of your and Georg’s races.

[@ZwiftyZwifter]

@@CaedmonCycling one thing I've found to help, having also recently being upped is to accept it's possible I'm going to get dropped. If a group go off the front, I literally can't even stay with them, even if I want to. So best take all the draft I can and hope that it DOES split, being at the back of the largest group, whilst they chase the front is ideal. And it usually comes back on these ZRacing courses anyway. And you weren't ineffiecient, just not Caedmon-efficient.

[@CaedmonCycling]

Yeah, with all the attacks in B races, I’ve tended to try and stay more midpack. Your point makes sense though. I don’t really want to follow most of those attacks anyway. No need to be up there 👍

[@MarkyMarkZwifts]

Congrats on the upgrade back to B cat mate! That Titans Grove KOM was brutal but you did a great job 👊💪

[@CaedmonCycling]

Thanks Mark! I always appreciate your supportive comments each and every time 😊

[@Morehills840]

Good.

[@marcmyers3034]

Nice race I had 245 watt average as well cat d im heavier than you. That 2nd hill part is insane its where I lost the front group as well. I find if I try to stand when climbing indoors it throws me off I guess I should shift to a lower gear first.

[@CaedmonCycling]

Nice work, yeah that KOM is a tough one! Yeah, I’d recommend shifting down a bit to lower the cadence before standing up. I’ve found that makes it easier and much more natural 👍

[@Gnzo13F]

Nice race. I did it this morning! How was your nutrition before the ride? You did really well. Looks like the 5 min power on the climb was your toughest part. Keep it up, progress comes slowly!

[@CaedmonCycling]

Nice! How’d it go for you? I think nutrition before this one was probably lacking, I didn’t eat much prior. Yeah, I’ve improved my 20 min recently. Now gotta work on my 5 min power too.