WTRL #114 – Ocean Lava Cliffside
Course Notes – 2 Laps – 38.4km
A whole new course for WTRL this week, which starts and ends the same as the flat and fast Volcano Flat Reverse, but with an extra, less flat, less fast extension up on to the new Cliffside road, which brings the race down to two laps.
Each lap features a single climb of significance, coming at 9.3km and 28.5km respectively. This lasts for around a km, starting steep at 8-9% before shallowing to 3%. Once you take the left away from the Epic KQoM and start along the cliffside, the road is still heading uphill gently, but nothing that should trouble a well drilled team.
As this is a new course, I do not have reliable past data to be able to predict finish times with the TTT Time Predictor and Power Planner . The Power Planner will tell every rider what they need to be doing in every position though and is not course specific. This event has plenty of opportunity for practicing those rotations.
Full Details below. Distances are full race distance, starting from the pens. Use the PRINT button for a simplified print out.
| Distance | Feature Length | Elevation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAP 1 | |||
| 500m | 500m | 2-3% | Initial drag off the sea front, one rider could take the lead on this. |
| 1.0km | 4.0km | Rotations based on Power Plan | |
| 5.0km | 1.1km | 3% | Gravel climb to Villas, then gentle road climb (agree w/kg for gravel to stay together) |
| 6.1km | 3.1km | Team Rotations all the way to start of the Epic KQoM, backmarkers will need to work a little harder to potentially stay on over gravel and boardwalk sections | |
| 9.2km | 1km | 9% | CLIMB 1: Worth pushing a big number up this for a couple of minutes only. Most time is likely to be made on other teams on this slow section. First lap, so try and keep everyone together with an agreed figure. 9% is the early maximum, it will shallow. |
| 10.2km | 3km | Incline shallows. Take the time to regroup now and then push on with the Rotations along the Cliffside road. | |
| 13.2km | 1.2km | Coming down off the Cliffside – try to build speed as a group at this point, in time for… | |
| 14.4km | 600m | -8% | … a wee Supertuck – to be honest, probably not worth the time waiting for it, but a potential rest none the less. |
| 15km | 4.5km | Rotations all the way to the end of the Lap – excluding tunnel exit at 18km. |
| Distance | Feature Length | Elevation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAP 2 | |||
| 20km | 500m | 2-3% | Off the seafront again. I would now consider who can stay the course. This incline may be enough to drop someone, and I would let them go. |
| 20.5km | 4.0km | Rotations based on Power Plan | |
| 24.5km | 1.1km | 3% | Gravel climb to Villas, then gentle road climb (agree w/kg for gravel to stay together), but another potential ‘drop’ point on this 2nd lap. |
| 25.1km | 3.1km | Team Rotations all the way to start of the Epic KQoM, backmarkers will need to work a little harder to potentially stay on over gravel and boardwalk sections | |
| 28.5km | 1km | 9% | CLIMB 2: Time to push over threshold average for the group in terms of w/kg. Perhaps chance for a final fling from a lighter rider to pull the group up and then let the heavier more powerful riders go at the top. 9% is the early maximum, it will shallow. |
| 29.5km | 3km | Incline shallows. If you have the numbers, don’t wait for any stragglers now, you will lose too much time. | |
| 32.3km | 1.2km | Coming down off the Cliffside – try to build speed as a group at this point, in time for… | |
| 33.6km | 600m | -8% | … a wee Supertuck – to be honest, probably not worth the time waiting for it, but you really might need it this time! 🙂 |
| 34.2km | 4.5km | Build the effort and speed now. Push the Rotation power by a few watts and see who can hang on. A early ‘suicide pull’ through the tunnel will help the team, before dropping off at exit at 37.5km |