Sticky draft up Alpe

General Discussion
1

So set off on TDZ group ride up alpe. I rode steady until start 1.5wkg and then went up to about 3wkg for the climb. There was loads in front of me and as started climb and was constantly passing people riding 2-2.5wkg. I was hoping they would help me get under an hour as I was drafting and passing. I finished climb at 1hr 6min, 4min slower than best.

Question…did this tactic actually harm my speed, getting stuck in sticky draft over and over? I felt like I was getting on to groups but was not passing easily.

2

Sticky draft on a 10% climb doing 10 km/h. Thatˋs ZWIFT. :man_facepalming:

Had the same experience doing Stage3 of TDZ on Alpe du Zwift.

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3

Unlikely to be much drafting effect at the speeds you are doing whereas sticky draft is as strong as ever up there.

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4

So what’s solution for a fast time up Alpe

5

Hi Paul,
I think just a little more power, 3.2 or 3.3 maybe?
Congratulations, as both those times are really close, so its only a matter of time!
Pun intended.

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6

Yes, the sticky draft will slow you down on a climb.
I did two climbs up Ventop.
The first was very quiet and hardly any other riders.
The second was a very busy group ride/sportive.
Strava had me putting out slightly more power on the second climb but getting a slower time. The only explanation we could think of was that the sticky draft was slowing me down. I def remember being on people’s wheels for a lot on the second ride.

If you want a genuine time, then ride when it’s very quiet. Easiest to do by turning your wifi off once you start the climb, and reconnecting near the top. This should record accurate times and remove all other users while you are disconnected.

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7

Or for a quiet ride, create a private Meetup. You only need to invite one other person, and they don’t have to show up.

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