Stage two Makuri 40 eight points race is a cracking little course with three little climbs that will test your two to three minute power but there’s something for everyone. The sprinters, the climbers, the lovers and the haters. So let’s have a look at the tips, tricks and tactics that you need for you and your team to triumph in stage 2.
0:36 The most important thing to understand about the ZRL points race is the RPS - that’s right. The ridiculous point structure. For some reason they decided to incentivize the fastest through segment points. So if you get in the first three in the fastest through, then you’ll receive a bonus points.
0:56 Now this makes the race far less exciting and discourages breakaways because what you need for the fastest through times is draft, and you need to be with the front riders, and you need to get to the back - more about that later…
1:10 Let’s talk about the tactics that you could employ to help you triumph in stage two. The most effective way to win most Zwift races is to sit at the back and take as much draft as possible and then sprint for the win at the end.
1:22 But that is not going to work in this race because this is a points race. Most of the points are divided out in the segments. Try something to get some points on those segments. Otherwise most people would just roll through with zero points. Try something. You can do it! Be bold, have a plan and go for it!
1:47 Tactic two, and the one that I would employ is to target FTS based sprints. Pick one or two or maybe more if you’re a beast.
And try to maximize our team by picking up some of those bonus points for getting the fastest through the segment.
2:02 The tips for this are to know your segments. The second half of this video is dedicated all showing where to go and to keep your entry speed high. If you are trying to go through a segment fast, you want to enter it fast, and then, even if you have to slow down at least you are putting yourself in a chance of winning.
2:22 Tactic three for the bold and brave diesels out there is to go for a break away after the Castle Park Sprint which comes shortly after the Alley Sprint. So people will be tired from both of those sprints. If you can keep yourself a bit fresh, but stay with the front group and then rolloff into the distance, after the second sprint in the confusion that follows the sprint and then get a gap and use your arrows early. Make that gap so that people can’t easily bridge over and work hard all the way down the decent, along the flats and then you can work your way up the Shisha climb.
2:55 You will need to have a big gap there because it’s very draftable that climb and people will pull back time. But if you can get a big enough gap people maybe won’t want to chase and sacrifice their own FTS chances. So you could roll over and maybe - just maybe, make it all the way to the end.
3:11 Now don’t listen to people who say that you need to watch out for break aways in the first half of the race. It’s flat. Yes, there’s a little bit of rolling but unless you’re in the A category race and you are in division one I can’t really see it happening.
3:30 Now we are going to have a dig deep into the segments for this race. The first segment is the Village Sprint. And it starts at about 1.6, but for FTS you want to start your sprint before the segment starts. Especially, for the shorter segments.
3:46 You want to be ideally at the end of a long line of strung out riders and then hit your power up about 250 meters to go. Go all in before the segment starts. Get your power up; get your speed up. And the arrow and the speed that you’ve gained from it should take you all the way to the end.
4:09 Let’s just have a look at a video or two… so the sprint starts at the end of a long climb so people will be tired, but you wanna finesse your positions so you are at the back and then when this archetypal Japanese building appears
4:25 that is approximately where you want to start your sprint. Hit your arrow there. And the start of the segment is marked by this green marker
4:35 on the side of the road on the left. But you already want to have you speed up here. And Mark from Rhino, is doing a great job.
4:43 He has got his speed up and he is slingshotting through the park. And that is the effect that you want to gain. There is a couple sprinters faster than him which there will be for most of us, but even for a moderate sprinter, if you can time it right; get to the back and then push through the group, use your arrow, then you might well pick up some points for FTS.
5:07 But knowing the segment is the key. So here is Snowy, and he is a teammate of mine he’s an awesome sprinter. And he’s going to show us how it’s really done. So as he rounds this corner, and the building comes into sight,
5:23 he starts ramping up his power. He hasn’t any power ups in this race, but not everyone has 1200 Watts, but you see how he slingshots through the group. And wins by a comfortable margin.
5:38 Segment 2 is the country side sprint (reverse?). And it’s another short one. It starts at 7.3 km in, and it’s 150 meters flat so you can use your arrow in advance. Speeds will be very fast because it comes after a descent. So you don’t want to be too far off the back.
5:55 Let’s have a look at a couple of races to see what we can learn.
5:59 So we got Mark here again. There’s a fence on the left, which signifies that the start of the segment is coming up. Hit your arrow when that fence starts (pretty much), and accelerate through the park, and take the slingshot and hopefully take the win.
6:15 And here’s Snowy again. He gets a bit further forward than me. You can just see behind him. I start going at the fence and leaves a tad later, but still going hard by the time the start of the segment comes. Just by having that knowledge you can take the win.
6:31 Segment three is the Alley Sprint. It’s the longest sprint of the race. It’s 380 meters long. It is slightly downing so it may feel a bit less. But because it is the longest you probably don’t want to start your effort until you see the part of the segment banner which is at 16.1.
6:47 But you do need to get your Position right before that. Ideally, you want to be at the back of a long line of strung out riders. So let’s have a look at my race. Where I do pretty well
7:00 And you want to use this ramp at 15.9 to finesse your position get to the back, look out for this pink and purple bridge
7:08 because that is just before the start of the segment. And as you approach you want to get in gear be set to hit your arrow shortly after the segment starts. Get your power up and hit your arrow about here
7:25 accelerate through the park. Others will be using their arrows, speed will be high. You keep going all the way to the banner and hopefully you take the win.
7:36 Section 4 is the Castle Park Sprint and it’s an average length sprint and it starts at 18.0 kilometers and it’s 220meters and it’s on the flat and because it’s just after another sprint you probably want to go just before the start of the segment. It’s kind of disguised where it starts.
7:56 Let’s have a look at a video. I’ll tell you what I mean. So, here’s Mack again. And he’s in a great position.
8:05 The guy keeps breathing in, Walter, just behind. And that is the start of the segment. He accelerates through well. And if you had an arrow you would go even faster. So bear that in mind
8:19 And the guy from GTR beat him again unfortunately.
8:25 And here is Snowy again. I’m with him in the right position. But I haven’t the same amount of watts. And I start my effort a bit too early
8:36 The place to go is this U turn here
8:42 As you can see in the mini map in the top right. Just as this U turn starts you will see Snowy ramping up his power.
8:52 So he has really got it on now. The segment banner starts and you can see in the apex of the U turn - he gets his power up, slingshots through everyone. I think literally everyone in this case and so he would take - well maybe would not quite take the FAL points as well. But he certainly takes the win
9:18 Section 5 and it’s the Shisha Sprint. It comes up the top of Shisha climb. So you might already be well on the limit. Dig into your reserves and see what you can do.
9:28 It’s a 280 meter sprint. It’s upish and it is tough.
9:34 Let’s have a look at how Snowy does it. So he gets in the right position at the top of the climb in touch with the front group, but not too far back. And he accelerates past the start of the segment banner, gets out in front. You want to use your arrow just as you are going through the banner, accelerate all the way to the line. This was a FAL sprint, but you want FTS as well. I suspect you get them both there.
9:59 There is no segment at the finish, but I’m going to show it here anyway. Now there is a little bit of a secret and it is the Zwifty double drop!!
10:08 Let us have a look at a little race. Eric from Don’t get Dropped Cycling is doing. He obviously makes it look easy all the time. But what you want to look out for is this guy drops a feather here
10:22 and he’s going to pick up another power up at this banner here
10:27 Now that is not the finish, but you do get another power up. The finish banner is there up in the blue. In the distance
10:35 And you’ll still have your arrow active here, and once that runs out, probably hit the other one so it will be active for these flatter bits when you are going fast and then you get a double drop.
10:49 A double drop is where you use one power up and you immediately use another one afterwards. And that is a long old race. And hopefully you’ll have enough to take the win.
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