CLUB 10 TT
Heavy rain sees flood of talent into virtual Bologna
Much of the UK was hit by biblical rain last Wednesday (19 August), leading to the cancellation of several ‘real-life’ time trials. CW’S virtual race benefitted accordingly, with many riders logging into Zwift for a replacement test on the 10-mile Bologna course.
The men’s race was dominated by reigning national hill-climb champion and Youtube vlogger Ed Laverack (Saint Piran), who live-streamed his performance as he tore up the climb pushing eye-popping wattages. His finish time of 22.43 was 1.29 quicker than secondplaced Simon Norman. Elite rider Adam Duggleby, best known for being tandem pilot for Paralympic star Steve Bate, finished third in 24.31.
“My local TT was cancelled,” said 26-year-old Laverack, “and I remembered the CW Zwift TT. It was an ideal opportunity to have a stab at a more ‘sporting’ TT course.” How did the Llanelli man pace the virtual ascent? “I invested a lot on the main climb but made good use of the descent, with my heart rate dropping from 175 to 135bpm in under a minute, allowing for a good final blast to the line.”
The influx of talent extended to the women’s race too, where Naomi de Pennington (Banbury Star) clocked 28.11 to take the win, 26 seconds faster than secondplaced Elspeth Grace. M Sellers was third in 30.19.
“Wednesday was so wet here in Oxfordshire that it was decided that it wasn’t safe to run our local TT,” said 43-yearold veterinary surgeon de Pennington. “A club member mentioned they were doing the Cycling Weekly Zwift TT, so I decided to join them.”