tour de zwift – snap snap, grin grin … say no more

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 7

Tim — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:48:01 +0000

Tonight I finished the tour with the relatively short 34.3 km Category A ride Everything Bagel in New York. This was the Stage 7 ride of 8 but I never saw the opportunity when the race was originally run so I had to complete it in the catch-up week along with Stage 5. I was dreading the ride in all honesty given the short rest time between this and the nasty Achterbahn in Stage 5. Still, it wasn’t too bad as it was just over an hour’s effort.

So that’s another Tour done and dusted and I’m chuffed I completed all the Stage A rides despite never covering myself in glory with my efforts. Amazingly I didn’t level up as the ride was quite short but I did manage to get back above 2,000,000 drops so I need to go have a look in the shop!

Route	Everything Bagel
Distance	34.3 km
Time	1h 7m 45s
Elevation	545 m
Average Power	250 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 5

Tim — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 22:17:30 +0000

Tonight’s ride was really tough. I wasn’t feeling 100% so I knew it would be a struggle. However, this is a catch-up week in which I need to complete Stages 5 and 7 which for some reason never appeared on my schedule. Stage 5’s A route was Achterbahn in Innsbruck. This is a single loop that goes up and then back over a hill. The climb itself is neither particularly long nor particularly steep but I found it very hard going. So much so that I had to invoke the coffee break facility on the second climb.

This is reflected in the stats on the brilliant Cycling Analytics site where my short-term stress is shown to already be higher than my long-term stress before the ride.

Oh, I’m now at Level 30 and have a nice new top to wear.

Route	Achterbahn
Distance	47.7km
Time	2h 6m 35s
Elevation	990 m
Average Power	208 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 8

Tim — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 23:02:24 +0000

Well, the missing stages continue! After Stage 5 mysteriously failed to appear on my calendar, so do was Stage 7 missing. How odd (pun intended!). So I rode Stage 8 this evening, the A Category ride was the 55 km event-only route Spiral into the Volcano. I was feeling pretty fatigued before starting this so I knew it was going to be a hard slog. Indeed it was but I held in and managed to reach Level 29 (!). Now I need to ensure I complete the two missing routes in the catch-up period which feels like it will be quite hard to do.

Tonight’s ride was on a new frame and wheel combo, after I decided to spend some of the drops I’d earned. I bought the Scott Addict RC frame and paired them with some ENVE SES 8.9 wheels. This was someone inspired by the brilliant site Zwifter Bikes.

Route	Spiral into the Volcano
Distance	55.8 km
Time	1h 34m 19s
Elevation	355 m
Average Power	240 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 6

Tim — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:42:24 +0000

Firstly I’m not sure what happened to Stage 5 – I logged in as normal for my weekly ride only to find Stage 6 presented to me. Oh well – I shall do this on the catch-up week a the end of the event.

Anyway, last night I reached Level 28 and unlocked some Polka Dot socks by completing the sixth stage of the 2024 Tour de Zwift. The Category A route was one I didn’t like the look of at all – Accelerate to Elevate in Watopia… I’ve ridden Alpe du Zift a few times previously but these were always around the 80 – 90 minute mark and completely tiring. This time there would be a 30 km ride just to get there. Two and a half hours later I reached the top of the Alpe and finished about 170/259 so I was pleased with that. A few aches this morning but nothing as bad as I expected.

Route	Accelerate to Elevate in Watopia
Distance	43.5 km
Time	2h 30m 41s
Elevation	1158 m
Average Power	215 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 4

Tim — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 07:57:09 +0000

Last night I completed the fourth stage of the 2024 Tour de Zwift. The Category A route was a (thankfully) single lap of Petit Boucle in France. As normal I’d not ridden this route previously but had ridden some of its sections. I thought I’d mix things up a bit and change the wheels to aero ones given the route is mostly flat. Seemed OK but I did struggle on the final climb. This was my longest single ride without a break to date and this morning I am pleased to say I have no aches or pains!
Hey guess what – I’m now Level 27 and have unlocked a nice pair of white shoes…

Route	Petit Boucle in France
Distance	61.6 km
Time	1h 55m 15s
Elevation	483 m
Average Power	221 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 3

Tim — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:55:08 +0000

So another ride and another levelling up! I don’t like this at all – it seems far too easy to do so. Anyway, I’ve now unlocked the Tour de Zwift 2024 Bucket Hat and some Oversize Glasses. This evening I completed the third stage of the 2024 Tour de Zwift. The Category A route was a single lap of Makuri 40 in the Makuri Islands. I’d not ridden this route before but I had ridden some of its sections. I was quite surprised at how tiring this one was given the lack of climbing.

Route	Makuri 40 in Makuri Islands
Distance	40.3 km
Time	1h 12m 13s
Elevation	313 m
Average Power	225 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 2

Tim — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:11:55 +0000

This evening I completed the second stage of the 2024 Tour de Zwift. The Category A route was two laps of The Muckle Yin in Scotland. I’d not ridden this route before but I had ridden most of it’s sections including the nasty Sgurr Summit. This ride would feature that twice in both directions as well as four other climbs. Needless to say it was a little tough and I could feel the burn in my legs afterwards. However it wasn’t as tiring as Stage 1 which I was very pleasantly surprised with.

I also levelled up to Level 25 during the ride. It seems rather too easy to level up following the recent changes and I’m not sure I like it.

Route	The Muckle Yin in Scotland
Distance	47.4 km
Time	1h 30m 44s
Elevation	564 m
Average Power	229 W

Zwift Tour de Zwift 2024 | Stage 1

Tim — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 23:20:29 +0000

This evening I completed the first stage of the 2024 Tour de Zwift. The Category A route was Triple Loops in London. This was a fair distance and not having completed it previously along with not checking the route beforehand I had a nasty shock on the ride when I realised it would cover both Leith Hill and Box Hill climbs, not to mention that particularly gnarly 15% staircase in the tube station at the end!

Still I completed it without feeling too bad and managed to level up to Level 24 during the ride.

Route	Triple Loops in London
Distance	41.4 km
Time	1h 28m 22s
Elevation	569 m
Average Power	224 W