Our week five race took us to Zwift’s new “Southern Coast” route expansion, with one lap of the new “Big Ring” course. The longest of the new routes released this week, this course features a long flat section through the desert and the new coastal road, followed by a dirt climb in the jungle, and a finish back at the desert sprint.
Melissa, Zinj, and I lined up with about 120 other starters. I always feel like these flatter races should be easier, but I’m always wrong. The front group started with around 40 riders, but the big guns at the front were pushing the pace relentlessly, and it was down to 20 or so by the time we entered the new coastal section. Eventually a bunch of them escaped, and Zinj and I ended up in a fairly stable chase group that mostly held together up and over the climb out of the jungle.
Zinj apparently has a one-hour time limit on his rides, and pulled the plug with just a few miles to go. I’m still giving him a point despite his DNF, since he pushed hard and punished me on the climb. My legs were dead by the end and I ended up near the back of my group. Melissa finished a few minutes back, the overall top female finisher.
Results for Week 5
- Jonathan O’Keeffe (B) – 10 of 70 = 91.5 points
- Melissa Warwick (B) – 39 of 70 = 62.4 points
- Zinj Guo (B) – DNF = 1 point
Overall Season Standings after Week 5
- Jonathan O’Keeffe (5 races) – 430.7 points
- Melissa Warwick (3 races) – 205.0 points
- Zinj Guo (2 races) – 92.9 points
- Jamie Pair (1 race) – 84.0 points
- Tim Downey (1 race) – 73.5 points
- Casey Gibson (1 race) – 40.6 points
Here is the NCC Zwift schedule:
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – Time Trial / Hill Climb
- Wednesday 8:00 PM – Social Ride
- Thursday Evenings – Road Race (times will vary between 5 PM and 7 PM EST)
- Sat 9:00 AM – Social Ride
Join the NCC Club on Zwift or check Link My Ride on your mobile device for information on each ride.
To learn more about the NCC and Zwift rides, please visit our Zwift page.
