Zwift Grand Prix // Round 4 Men ZRL - TTT Race Report

The Team Time Trial (TTT) was back for Round 4 of the 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix. Sixteen men’s teams took on one lap of Watopia’s Waistband in the classic TTT format, mimicking the upcoming round of the Zwift Racing League. Five riders from each team started together, and the team’s time was taken from their third rider across the line. 

It was the first time that time trial bikes had ever been used in the Zwift Grand Prix, and it all kicked off with Primór RWB esports. Each team set off in one-minute increments, with the goal of setting the fastest time over the 27.8km course. 

There were three time splits across Watopia’s Waistband, where teams could see how their times stacked up against the competition. Saris | NoPinz was one of the pre-race favorites, and they set the early mark at the first intermediate time check. The other pre-race favorites were Coalition Alpha, Wahoo Le Col, NeXT eSports pb Enshored, and ABUS – Synergy. 

At the halfway point, Wahoo Le Col had set the fastest time, with NeXT eSports pb Enshored and Beastmode p/b ROSE not far behind. The other favorites were losing time, and they would continue to do so all the way to the finish line.

In the back half of Watopia’s Waistband, teams were really piling on the pressure in hopes of increasing their average speed. Teamwork was paramount, and the fastest teams were the ones who stayed together and rolled the smoothest turns. 

Led by Marc Mäding, Beastmode p/b ROSE surprised the favorites by coming through the finish line with a time of 34:54, more than 15 seconds ahead of Saris | NoPinz and Movistar eTeam. But it wasn’t long before Wahoo Le Col came roaring into the desert, crossing the finish line in a time of 34:37. 

Wahoo Le Col had laid down the mark, and now it was up to Coalition Alpha, NeXT eSports pb Enshored, and ABUS – Synergy to challenge them for the top spot.  Coalition Alpha lost time in the second half of the race, ultimately finishing in 6th with a time of 35:06. 

ABUS – Synergy, leader of the Zwift Grand Prix standings, finished just one second slower than Coalition Alpha, earning them 7th place. 

Coming into the final kilometer, it looked like it was all coming down to NeXT eSports pb Enshored. After losing a few seconds to Wahoo Le Col in the opening kilometers, NeXT eSports pb Enshoredhad begun clawing back time on the roads of Watopia. They were getting closer and closer, and as the finish line neared, all five riders from NeXT eSports pb Enshored sprinted to the line – but was it enough?

Less than a second… Wahoo Le Col took the win by less than a second. NeXT eSports pb Enshored finished in second place, while Beastmode p/b ROSE surprised many of the pre-race favorites to finish on the podium. 

Round 4’s TTT offered a big shakeup to the Zwift Grand Prix - Series Results Men, with NeXT eSports pb Enshored jumping into second and Wahoo Le Col making the leap into third. The points gap from 1st to 6th is only 23 points, and there are still three rounds to go. 

The men’s Zwift Grand Prix field returns in less than two weeks for another round imitating the Zwift Racing League: a 23.7km points race on The Muckle Yin will include five intermediate sprints and points at the finish line. FTS and FAL points are available for the Top 10 at each intermediate sprint. 

The women’s 2023/2024 Zwift Grand Prix continues this week with the Scratch Race on Suki’s Playground on November 30th.

Race report by Zach Nehr.