ABR Flying Monarch ZRL Race 3, Season 2

Team Report from Team ABR Flying Monarch, Race 3.

Another week, another ZRL and another brutal start.

Jared shot out of the pen like a scalded cat, tracking the leaders who went out at 800w in a cat C race. The rest of the pack was just clinging on for dear life. Dave was sitting in the middle of the pack smashing 400w just to hold position, questioning his life decisions that led him to this moment. The rest of the crew were in the mix but the pace was relentless.

New York’s “Mighty Metropolitan” is one of the longer routes on course, taking riders past the largest museum in the US, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Interesting note: “The Met” is the largest structure on the Zwift NY map. Apparently, this was never the plan, but it helps give us an appreciation for the footprint of the real thing.)

After passing the Met, you’ll ride over the Reservoir with its “Manhattan Megadome” on your way to the reverse KOM (1.14km, 5.9% grade). Come down from those heights to ground level and up Cathill Climb through the start/finish banner and your first lap is complete.

We hit the first little climb and the pack managed to stay together somehow, but it took its toll on some legs. By the time we reached the second punch, the pack had fragmented. Jared was still smashing away up front keeping everyone honest. Dave, Arne, Kieth Barry and Faris were doing their best just to hold their positions at this point.

We approached the KOM with Jared clinging to the leaders like a baby monkey holding its mama, nothing was breaking that grip, keeping the pressure on. Dave was struggling at this point and had to let the pack ahead go, just as Keith found a surge and passed him on the KOM. Next up Arne managed to get onto the wheel of Dave and they started working together from the bottom of the KOM with a Team NL rider 15s up the road to the target.

Barry and Faris were giving it their all, swearing in french, panting but still fighting for every point.

Meanwhile, Arne and Dave had caught the Team NL rider and started to play the game. He took the third wheel and wanted to get a nice draft so Arne dropped the hammer on a little hill while Dave let his wheel go leaving the Team NL rider stranded. Dave fell back into his draft, letting him work the whole way to the finish, for an easy overtake in the last 200m.

Overall Finishing positions: Jared - 1st Keith - 44th Arne - 46th Dave - 47th Faris - 58th Barry - 59th



Overall race position 7th

League position 4th