Leaving fast courses for a week, we are moving into the mountains. Innsbruck’s 2018 UCI Worlds Short Lap is on menü this week. Climbers, you have been waiting for this!
There are two distinctive mountain stages for climbers in this 9-week long series, Innsbruck with its 8 km 5.6% Igls climb and Alpe d’Zwift with its 12 km 8% monster climb. But make no mistake, this stage is no doubt the hardest stage in the entire 9 weeks. It is a queen stage. It will take at least 1h20min for the winner of A group and almost 2h for the last finisher in B group. Igls climb has to be done twice and its sub 20min climb even for 5+w/kg climber with numerous steep ramps along the climb. Time for light framed climbers to get their full revenge, punish sprinters and steel back points from opening three weeks.
Believe me, this one will many try, but not many finish. It’s an indoor challenge of a kind. For riders not being able to follow wheels it’s going to be a long solo journey on almost empty Austrian roads, which is a rare privilege anyway these days on overcrowded Zwift. And even if riders manage to stay together after the first lap don’t expect big groups to travel along the course. It is all going to be split into numerous small groups of two-three-few riders riding together, cooperating. Unlike Alpe d’Zwift stage at the last weekend of this year, this one doesn’t finish at the top of the mountain. For a strong climber, leaving others behind on the second climb with less than a minute gap, it is still going to be a huge challenge to finish first over the line since he would need to push hard on steep 6.5km descent and even after descent he would need to solo all-out for another 6.5 flat kilometers around Innsbruck city.
No matter what scenario will be played, it is going to be carnage. People will have legs ripped, overheated, bodies drained of water. But, once done and dusted, huge endorphin overflow will reward every single rider. Combined with a cold beer and a good stream afterward it can be almost ecstatic.
He, he, ride on..!
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will do 2 laps, 47.2 km altogether with 974 m of ascent.
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will do 1 lap, 23.6 km altogether with 487 m of ascent.
There are two slots available and remember; you can do either one or both, your best result will count towards general points classification.
Click on the day that fits your schedule for a link to Zwift event signup page.
Saturday at 15.05 CET (3 PM CET) / 2 PM BST / 9 AM EDT / 6 AM PDT / 11 PM AEST / 2 AM NZDT
Sunday at 10.30 CET (10.30 AM CET) / 9.30 AM BST / 5.30 AM EDT / 1.30 AM PDT / 7.30 PM AEST / 9.30 PM NZDT
Here is the VeloViewer 3D map of the course.
Have you ridden the course before? The easiest way is to check the segment in your Strava account.
See you on Saturday or Sunday!