Day 2 had an early start, 8.30am to be exact. This was because I was tackling a 116km ride to Sant Salvador which Zwift had called the Uber-Pretzel.
The evening before over dinner with Zwift Insider’s Eric Schlange and his wife Monica, we debated which route to tackle, this one or the slightly shorter Mega-Pretzel. This seemed a better option, so I was set on riding it.
As I waited on the start line, there were volunteers to go off first in what would be considered the “fast group.” Doubting my capabilities, I decided it was best to hang back for the next group.
In the second group, I found myself among recognised names and faces. First and foremost was 3-times gold medalist Kristin Armstrong, who only the night before had been speaking about her cycling career and Olympic victories. 2023 Zwift Academy winner Louis Kitzki and then there was Eric Min Co-Founder of Zwift and CEO, Steve Beckett, Zwift’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Eric Schlange from Zwift Insider, Rhian Denton and members from the Zwift Community. It was a group of “worldies*” and me!
The ride out to Saint Salvador was beautiful. Quiet, rolling roads through the majestic Spanish countryside, where the recent rain had meant that the flowers were in full bloom.
The group was dynamic with riders swapping position to chat, but with the three-time Olympic gold medalist pulling at the front, the pace was not slow and after a few hours we reached the base of the climb to Sant Salvador, a climb I was not familiar with.
At the base of the climb, Kristen continued her natural cadence and started pulling ahead of the group and was matched effortlessly by Rhian. With delusions of grandeur, I cruised up behind them, thinking I could keep pace. I lasted 2km of the 5km climb. I should have known better because what chance did I have of keeping pace with an Olympic gold medalist and Rhian, who I learned later is the world record holder for the the fastest journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats by Standard Bicycle (WUCA) (team of four).
I had gone into the “red zone” to keep pace, which meant the next 3km’s to the top were going to be tough, and soon I was caught by Zwift’s CMO, Steve Beckett. We climbed the remaining few kilometers to the top where we were met with spectacular views. As I somewhat struggled up the climb, I quipped to Steve that “I wasn’t representing the Mountain Massif brand well.”
A quick photo followed by a safe descent saw us regroup at the bottom and make our way to the café for a much-needed drink. I could feel myself struggling the last few kilometers as a consequence of under fueling, where I saw myself slip to the back of the group, in true Zwift style.
I hung in there for a few kilometers until the coffee stop and two glasses of coke and a cereal bar, I was feeling good again.
The last 25 kilometers back to the hotel was fast and rolling with a missed turning seeing us take a gravel track, which made for an interesting end to the ride.
The hero of the day for me was Steven, who had traveled from Philadelphia, USA. Steven explained that he had arrived at the airport to fly to Madrid, Spain and then to Mallorca, only to be told that his passport was not valid to fly as it expired in the next few months. Having trained for the event for months and fearing he would not make the trip, he decided to get an emergency passport. This involved traveling to Washington DC, 3 hours south of Philadelphia, the next day to get it.
After getting the passport, he flew to mainland and then on to Mallorca. Arriving only the day before, and with little sleep, he managed to complete the ride that had been set, before joining the group for today’s ride. And I have to say, he was certainly riding better than me!
So, another unique ride completed. I do have a confession, which is that it is quickly becoming normal, riding with such elite riders! This is just not something I have experienced and now, twice in a row, it’s becoming my new norm! Getting back to reality will be hard.
*”Worldie” is an informal term used to describe something or someone that is exceptionally good, of the highest caliber, or “world-class.”
