Head To Head Racing In The Mountains | Zwift Academy Finals 2021 Ep 4
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- It's day four of the Zwift Academy Finals and our pro team judges send our finalists and pros into the mountains taking on Mallorcas toughest climbs. With pro team contracts on the line, there's nowhere to hide as the finalists are pitted against each other racing up the mighty Sa Calobra - 9km of climbing with an average gradient of 7%! #zwiftacademy
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Leave us a comment below!
Do you have any stories about big days in the mountains?
It will be a big day when I get a day in the mountains.
The coaches seem to have decided from the beginning of the competition that Sam was not their man. No matter how he finishes each day, which is usually at, or near, the top of the group they only have uninspiring comments about him. I always like an underdog. So I will be cheering for the Big Diesel for the rest of the competition!!!!
racing requires a certain powercurve and an engine is easier to build than punchiness
yeah.. it feels like, but the true is what they've said, cycling its not only do the maximum high power im a matter of time, but the true part is that they see always something bad on him, but he is always there... I am really surprised about Sam. Very strong.
Yeah I agree, I feel that Alex might be a more complete rider but they really don’t seem to like Sam as much even though he’s seriously impressive. Wonder if they’ve just got a different kind of rider they want to add to the team (eg a puncheur) and so have already written him off?
it's bcs Sam is just a one-sided cyclist with no punch. This might be impressive on a bunch ride, it won't do in the pro peloton. Also they probably noticed from the beginning that he's a bad bike handler, which is a deal-breaker.
Every team needs a TT guy, but that may not be what they're looking to add. ISN has Dowsett and Ineos has Ganna. Maybe Alpecin isn't looking to add a TT guy unless he's at that level.
I was on euro brakes. I usually run Aussie brakes.
Everyone else was on their preferred braking choice. I kept grabbing too much rear brake and sliding out. I feel like they left that part out intentionally.
What’s the difference?
The right shifter grabbed the rear wheel brake. Usually, it grabs the front brake so I pull it harder to not slide out. But when I pulled it hard, it locked up the rear wheel. It takes time to get used to it
Sorry to hear this Sam
Moto style 😎
I reckon one of the other guys had a rear wheel slide in that hill TT in yesterday’s episode
I can see Sam pulling Mathieu into the final 20 km of the classics. Not much descending to worry about there! IF he doesn't get this gig, Quick-Step will pick him up.
Yeah for Sam to lose is not much of a loss. Descending is trainable and with numbers like that he'd get picked by any world tour team, just a matter of time.
He has seriously impressed and has a lot to offer, but to be fair he'd have to make it to the final 20 km first ;) Definitely agree though that if Alpecin Fenix dont grab him, another team should!
I think they want a young guy and keep nitpicking at Sam, even when he performs very good
@@JQ0110 that's definitely a part of the thought process. Still a bit disappointing in my opinion, 26 may be old by cycling standards, but there's still so much time to develop.
@@JQ0110 definitely not age. Jay Vine was 26 when he got picked.. More to it then just numbers.
Sorry to say this for the Aussie Girls (being an Aussie) its Maud all the way as she is a complete cyclist and appears to be a wonderful young lady. A real credit to her family and herself. Much respect.
It's pretty clear that they choose a shorter race for the women so Maud wouldn't leave the other women minutes behind her.
@@tinwhiskerSC yeah was wonder why they didn’t have them do the full climb, thought that was weird
I don’t think that is the reason. Actually the women’s WT races just don’t have long climbs except for a few in new TdF race
Yeah. I’m surprised she isn’t already a pro
@@jonpoon3896 How she rides vs the others reminds me of Annemiek Van Vleuten. Just dutch things, I guess… and european racing in general, I think is a different beast to AUS and US racing
Maud's got this one unless something catastrophic happens - just riding in a different level altogether than the others, plus looks comfortable on the bike even during maximal efforts. For the guys, it is clear Sam's engine is premium class while the others are a notch below, yet there is an obvious bias to ensure he will not make it for selection.
Right? He’s obviously the number 1, bike handling can be added later
Alex clearly wins it based off todays episode and the preview for the next episode in which you can see he wins the final Zwift race.
Much to the delight of the Alpecin coaches I imagine. They came into this with a preconceived idea of what type of rider they want. It wasn’t going to plan when Sam “the diesel” started to rise to the top. They were critical of everything.
I agree, it throws the concept into jeopardy. A re think needed for future series.
Yeah thats what I was thinking, they were looking for a light small guy with a certain skillset to fit their teams needs, but Sam has thrown a solid wrench in their spokes in terms of shaking up the competition...
Youth is certainly a factor right? Sam is 26, so you are quite possibly looking at near the best he will be a cyclist while Alex is 19. Sign for the upside.
Top!
For Me Sam is giving everything he has running with the Heart and Not worry with tactic , he is All or Nothing and i respect that
Best “reality show ever?” Greatly edited guys. If these episodes lasted an hour I’d watch 100% . Keep it up. Maud and Alex ? ✊🏻
I am impatiently waiting to watch this, promptly as it airs. I can’t remember the last show I watched “Live” / as soon as it premiered.
Yeah this show is brilliant. Very well put together as well!!
It always seems like the only things that ever get said about Sam by the alpecin guys are negative, he smashed the first and second days (absolutely dominated the points race) and on this climb today practically killed 2 of the 4 and almost won it. Sure his bike handling on the descents wasn’t the best but that can be worked on. In my mind him and Maud should get it! I realise I’m just an armchair pundit tho, so I bow to their superior knowledge 😂
I think Sam is very impressive, especially with the power he can generate. But i think alex is a more complete cyclist if you consider longer races in the mountain. Same goes to Caitlyn and Maud.
Sure work hard on climb get 2 min advantage and lose 5 min on descend wow Sam you're so good and strong XD Dude theyr not picking riders for Zwift where you can close eyes and just smash watts... XD
@@Apostroph418 Total nonsense! You can learn how to descend well through technical work and observing others.There are many famous examples of this, one of them being Emma Pooley or even Thibaut Pinot who overcame his fear of descending. One thing you can't 'teach' is power, and Sam definitely has that...
@@Apostroph418 he got 2nd on a 30 mins climb and he’s not a full time rider as he’s a teacher. Yes he got dropped on the descent but imagine how much he could develop riding full time n under coaching a guidance.
@@daviddang82 i guess no one care what's he's doing in addition to training. He loses on descend and from what we can see on climb too. Alpecin fenix need punchers not domestique, they wont fight for GC :)
Sam and Maud. I agree that Sam won’t get contract. If he doesn’t hopefully another team picks him up based on this video. Great video guys.
He is so strong, I cant imagine he wont get picked up after this exposure. hopefully they all get picked up, because honestly, they all seem pretty deserving!!
Many have suggested that the reason Sam has received absolutely no love from the Pro Team judges from the very beginning is because Sam doesn't fit the mold of the tyoe rider they need. If so, I believe Zwift must look at this before next year's Zwift Academy. If Zwift are going to continue to work with teams that go into this process with a clear, strong preference for a certain type of rider, it undermines all the work these young people do who become finalists but don't fit that mold. It also takes away from the experience of the viewers, IMO. I participated in Zwift Academy this year. I didn't perform anywhere near the level of these riders. They are amazing! Still, Zwift never suggested that the pro contact hinged significantly on the unique needs on the pro team. It was much more a case of...Strive Greatly and let the best rider win.
First, maybe they should, but if I were Sam, looking doomed from the get go, I would still want this opportunity. More than anything else, you know a lot of managers and DSs for World Tour and other Pro teams are watching this. If I was a DS, I would, both because I would want to learn what the new rider for these teams could do, and next to see if I wanted to sign one of the riders that does not win the contract on this show. Sam should still want that exposure.
Now, if I had budget for Sam, I could see him being used as the rider you put at the front of the Peloton for miles and miles, as TJV used Tony Martin. Put the big engine on the front and have it pull for a long time. Is he good enough to pull long and hard enough? No idea. The other question is will he be of the right character to do that, or is he going to ride for himself too much.
Cooper seemed to be thought of as the favorite by the DS of Alpecin Fenix, but he has blown that I think, so the contest is really Sam or Alex. Sam is 26 and pretty buttoned down. Alex is 19 and potentially has much charisma. Alex might become a star. Sam will probably never be a star. If they are close and I am a judge, I am taking Alex.
@@danmc7815 Hi Dan, All good points! My first reaction relates to a different comment I made. In that comment, I expressed my disappointment in the "elimination" format GCN came up with. You provided additional reasons for not eliminating these gifted young people from the competition. Whether they "win" or not, the exposure can be invaluable. Casting 4 of the 10 finalists aside does little to nothing of value and diminishes the chances of their gaining the attention of other teams. It also means we the viewers don't have the chance to watch each of these brilliant riders to the very end of the competition. I also think the current problem with this Zwift competition is there is no clear guidelines as to what being the "winner" means. These young people are in a competition that they don't understand what they must do to win because it has not been made clear at all. Is it to provide a "Tony Martin" type rider for a team? It's it to reveal the next Tadej Pogačar? Is it to be no older than 19 with seemingly strong potential? I am coming at this issue from the perspective of being a Zwift rider who participated in the Zwift Academy competition and is simply BLOWN AWAY by the riding ability of all ten of these riders. My goal in commenting is to shine a light on the things that need to be changed by Zwift to make this a better competition FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, and not for some random team that happens to be participating in the finals. Make sense? Again, great job in your comment and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Cheers! Luigi
this whole 'competition' was a publicity stunt for swift. they had already picked thie winner. Im not conspiracy nut, but I wouldnt be surprised if the winner is a ringer, and as for the contract, does it say anything about them competing at the highest levels etc? Nope. they will be part of a pro-team but thats it.
I do not understand this harsh criticism of Sam. He has shown himself to be the strongest every day. He set a pace hard enough to crack half the field right away and was basically undroppable. It seems any minor issues with bike handling are easily trainable. Isn’t the whole point to have a rider who can go the distance??? That’s how you win. I think he and Maud are all around the strongest and have shown the best tactics. No slight to the rest though-they are ALL amazingly talented. If Sam loses this one, I hope another team picks him up.
Probably we don't have the complete information. The pro team managers have analysed their Zwift data, have some role within the team in mind, and in this final event just need to get a sense of the things you can't measure on Zwift: personality, team interaction, bike handling, tactical acumen.
I think their criticism yesterday (?) was warranted as he was basically "abusing" that it is maybe easier to drop his opponents on the flat in Zwift than it would be in RL and thereby circumvented the short battles.
Today though he did great and here the result should imo be way more important than style of racing. It just does not make sense for him to play to his opponents strengths instead of his own so today his long hard pace was a very valid tactic.
@@VfLRocker While I agree, I also disagree as that, that is all he’s got in his arsenal. Set high tempo at a continual output. It was evident he raced a little scared due to him getting dropped then rushing back to the front.. He’s definitely a TT bloke. It just wasn’t what Alpecin Fenix was looking for. He will most certainly get picked up hopefully by another WT team!
Maud already got it, and today I think Alex won it. Well done to both, super good riders and both born in '02 so they can grow a lot. 2 talents to work with for the future.
I could bet that Alpecin don't want Sam because of his age - his performance was consistently good and descending skills can easily be improved through training.
I love this series. But I have to say I am not a fan at all of the elimination format. I understand it makes for entertainment drama. But these INCREDIBLE young people had to overcome so much to earn a spot in the finals. It is a shame to not allow each of them to experience the full adventure of a lifetime by being able to participate in the entire program.
As a Yankees fan you should be used to this by now... lol
@@boomchakalaka3715 Hi Boom! Hahaha! So true. (Sadly)
Elimination format does one thing: it really pushes the rider to give their best and go to new levels of pain if necessary. This is an important element that is considered by the judges.
@@jean-jacqueslavigne3109 Hi Jean, That may be true. But I don't think so. I believe these ten young people are where they are in the competition because they already are willing and able to go the absolute limit of their endurance. There is no need to "threaten" them to push harder with the elimination gimmick.
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm yes, you’ve got a point there.
hello GCN people, let me congratulate to you for this show! This is one of the best by far. High on excitement, and emotion. I hope Simon recovered in the bar after the elimination , he seemed very teary...bless him. I can fully understand the feeling of these young people. I hope all those great girls and boys who left the competition will be offered another chance from a different pro team, it would definitely change their life forever, they are fully capable to comply! ZWIFT CAMPIONS !!!
Well done to everyone involved with this series. It’s as good if not better than anything on television.
I want Sam to continue to break the perception they have & Maud to crush it !!!
7:58 ;) Dude went straight to sleep.
😂
Sam is the strongest and should win it. No idea why the judges don't seem to give him a chance. If he does not win this, then I am calling this the #ZwiftGate.
If they pick Alex over Sam it'll definitely be suss.
They won't choose the one who performs the best in the competition but the one they need for their team.
@@inz_uzi fair enough. But then why did they invite him in the first place? They knew his attributes... why have competitions if it is not enough to be the best? Also it is no reason to talk so negatively about him.
@@randomcommenthere Who's talking "so negatively" and when? Maybe I missed something. When they commented on his poor descending skills they said something like 'he has something to learn' (I don't remember the exact words). It's quite soft. I don't know much about the whole Zwift academy but I thought he wasn't invited. I thought he won his place there in the online competition.
why do they dislike sam so much? well, he better prove them wrong then, everybody likes the underdog
the guy at 26m12s explained it pretty clearly, even though he was talking about the women: they have no use for a pure time-trialist who can only go at a certain high power for 20m to 30m. Racing is not a TT, you gotta have the punch, and then have it again and again. Racing is not static. Also Sam was the only one who got dropped on the descent. I mean: being dropped on a descent by a guy who weighs 10kg more than you is kind of a deal-breaker at that level.
anyone who knows Sam would say as a person he is as likeable a person as you could meet - genuinely nice. His legs will do the talking
@@pl4free He wrote in another comment that he was on Euro Brake setup while he is normally on Aussie Setup. The others were on the setup they are used to. This totally messed up his descent.
@@pl4free Looking at his zwift numbers only, I wouldn't say Sam is a pure TT with no race acumen - sure he doesn't seem to put out that 13-15 w/kg peak the others here do but he was smashing in the 8-9 w/kg range for long periods of time and with his weight multiplier, that's a devastating amount of speed to put on the flat or slight incline roads.
Keep up the amazing work, Caitlin. TCS is cheering for you! So impressive!
Well done to Byron and Imogen! I was rooting for you both, I can see both Imogen and Byron doing very well in the near future. Chapeau!
Thank you! Just need more bike handling experience in me! Still comprehending that I’ve accomplished this only having ridden for 2 years. Keen to see where I’ll be in another 2 🥰
Si gets to ride!! And MvDP is so authentic. (Don’t lose that, bro!). Great series, GCN!! Excellent editing.
Great stuff! Jay Vine certainly was proof of concept last year.
Jay is a roadie and did the academy to try and get a contract.Sam and cooper were his team mates
To me ,it feels as if they’re kind of trying to artificially keep the suspense high by giving “female rider of the day” to several riders, although it’s pretty obvious who should’ve gotten the title every episode so far. Maud is to me riding on a different level (at 18 years of age) and anything else but her getting that contract would be ridiculous. At least to me as a “know nothing spectator”. Love this academy concept, though. So much fun to watch.
this is brilliant, other teams could do similar concepts. make biking more entertaining for sure
Indeed. Even if you won't be interested in biking this would be entertaining.
I'm amazed Simon Cowell hasn't already got this show on the slate
"You can always suffer a bit more" will be our family motto.
Chapeau! every day is the best GCN video yet. this series is so amazing, and all the competitors are phenomenal cyclists! thanks for adding in the extra bit of on the road content
GCN bringing their A Game with this series!!
Drama, excitement & so much talent it’s compulsive viewing!!
I'm addicted!
@Global Cycling Network WOW!!!!, I just realized that the picture of Caitlin Conyers in the TRI bike was taken in my hometown (La Habana, Cuba) during the Iberoamerican Middle Distance Triathlon Championship, I think it was on the 2020 Edition giving it was the year we did a lot of the cycling portion on our Sea Walk "Malecon", so we definitely raced together, I have never missed one of the championships since they started in 2017.
Hate you guys for doing this series, but can't stop watching either.
for the girls I would say Maud should win, for the guys Sam is the one I like but it seems the judges don't want him
Having a big engine alone doesn't win you bike races in moderen cycling. Especially when break-away are managed to almost perfection. Sure, sometimes the break-away gets the slip but even then you're often not heading for a solo finish. Reality: punch is sùper important in modern cycling.
They seem to have a soft spot for Cooper. Probably the most complete with solid speed in him and good endurance to be built. He certainly disappointed a bit in the climb as too passive and that will go against him for sure.
@@ReverzEffect Nils Pollit in the TDF???
@@jarrodfife242 Pollit has been WT pro for 6 years now, he's won exactly 3 races. You have just made my entire point. I'm not saying it doesn't happen but it's much much harder to win. Pollit is an excellent rider but if you can only win on days where you are the very best in the entire pack you're just not going to win much.
@@ReverzEffect There are a lot of punchers who don’t always win as well when they’re not on their day
Sam is the strongest by a mile
Fantastic content. Would have loved to see power numbers during that climb. This series is amazeballs!
Sleepy mechanic in the back 🤣
I in the ladies I think Maud has great confidence in her ability and is well aware that she has the other two covered.
Sam and Alex we’ll that’s a tough one to call, Sam’s lack of confidence in the descending might just cost him the win.
Good luck to all of them.
Hi form Australia. Lets get this party started.
I don't understand the judges' disdain for Sam. He's what Alpecin-Fenix is actually missing on their team. I see him fitting in really well, but they just don't seem to want him. I just don't get it. I'll continue to cheer him on!!!
How do you know what’s actually missing on their team? Do you work for them or something?
@@daviddang82 can he not have opinions on their team? I could say bike exchange need a sprinter before they got Dylan Groenewegan and you’d probably be like how dare you say what they need.
@@daviddang82 😂 I’ll write IMHO next time. Lol
mountain race is definitely my favorite race to watch. Maud and Alex are so good
How is Maud so dang strong?!
I'll definitely be looking out for Imogen too. You can definitely see her passion and fire. I hope her cycling career takes off after this!
This the best show I've ever seen!
Fantastic coverage guys , this is addictive viewing. You two work exceptionally well together 🙏🙏🙏
This just keeps on getting better & better - we need a Lloydy Love-In or a Simon's Squeeze rather than a Hollywood Handshake. Best reality show EVER! (c'mon Maud & Alex)
Said it after the previous video but will they ever say anything positive about Sam despite being the most consistent AND on average the best performing. My guess is Alpecin don't want a diesel for their leadout
Agreed. I don't think he's finished out of the top2 on anything! But these Alpecin directors seem set on giving Cooper the contract for some reason...
@@Joeonline26 it did seem obvious Cooper was the favourite until Sa Calobra. Sam has won everything except Sa Calobra where he finished 2nd, beating the 'climber' and yet they highlight his descending, which a) is easier to teach than to make the power gains the others would need to match him, and b) if they used him as a 'diesel' to drag the team to the line he's not going to be hitting out solo or in breakaways so his descending isn't so important. Famously ex GCN Emma Pooley tells how she just couldn't descend when she went into pro racing and learned how to do it 'on the job'
@@pantster9855 All good points. Honestly, I'm quite confused at the directors' views at this point. Sam can't seem to do anything right in the eyes of these directors, even though he's the strongest guy in the competition!
Let's not forget that they are looking for a team member with a specific role rather then someone to replace any of their current star riders at the team... Let's not forget that the personality factor is no less important than all the rest... But hey, that's only my guess...
@@Joeonline26 Exactly. Great series so far, really enjoyed watching it but what's the point in a competition based series if despite being the best you're not picked. I totally understand they want someone who fits into their team but whats the point if it's not the best thats picked. For example they have said more than once "he's just time trialled it", well if he knows what his strengths are and he knows that what it takes to win, wouldn't they criticise him if he DIDN'T do that. Each has to do what it takes for them to 'win'. The fact he did so up Sa Calobra (which I've ridden many times and couldn't come close to emulating) and beat the 'out and out climber' shows he can deploy if in different situations
With Mitch Docker retiring this year, the peloton needs Alex to win.
Hahahaha!
Sam seems like strongest overall rider to me, but maybe he is not what the alpecin fenix guys are looking for. His strength is not as a climber, although he did great, so his descending skills may not be super important. I see him more of a classics and powerhouse rider. kinda like a Tim Declercq type of rider.
"His strength is not as a climber, although he did great, so his descending skills may not be super important." That's just another reason he must be a good descender just think about getting in the time-limit in (grand)tours. Riders like Tim, but also sprinters like Greipel, Cavendish need to be very good descenders to get time back to climbers
Sam better win this! Using foreign brakes descending would be very hard. He killed the climb.
Simon and Dan should be renamed the Harbingers of Doom with that walk down to the villa to chop one of the contestants! :)
Loving these videos. Surely Maud is going to be a superstar!
i really like the gear in the video. i have same Alpecin jersey :-)
On the women’s side, I really like Maud. So much raw talent. She makes things look easy. Also, the way she approaches race tactics shows that she is wise beyond her years.
Less sure about the men’s side. It’s pretty clear the judges don’t like Sam, but I feel like the Alpecin judges are kind of negative in general towards everyone.
That long haired guy seems such a downer.
Recover in a slip stream… Up-hill 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Dan and Si, this is just an observation, Sam reminds me of "the Diesel" Tim Declercq, put him on the front, control the pace for 100K and then let Mathieu, Jasper and Tim and lead out go. Your thoughts???
As others have posted, Sam is not being given a fair shake by the judges. They seem to have their minds made up already. Maud is obviously a talented young lady but I'm rooting for Caitlyn who came to the sport later in life and looks to be enjoying the whole experience even when she's suffering!
8 of them may not get the contract, but having the opportunity to ride with/go against the pros and went thru the gruesome tests, those experiences are priceless
Other teams might pick them up. They are all worthy for a contract without question.
Why is nobody talking about the guy at 07:54 just sleeping during the Show haha
So, how long do I have to wait for the next Zwift Racing series, because this is going by way to quickly.
Suggestion for next year-like the great American game shows of the 60’s you need a “Johnny Olsen” telling those leaving about their consolation prizes of cycles, riding kit, and of course, a year’s supply of floor polish (or maybe cycle maintenance products).
Maud is a beast my god. Sam as well, if I have my choice Sam because of the efforts he puts in. It’s insane his pace .
How does Cooper survive? I reckon the judges made their mind up before anything happened. Sam is clearly a beast. You can teach descending skills, you can't teach someone to have an engine.
Very nice finals, for check all big air plans from drone have little freezes
6:44 It's not just how good you look when you're going fast. It's also how fast you look when you're looking good.
Hugely entertaining stuff. I'd just love to get up Sa Calobra sometime not just being in the lowest gear chugging away :D
Si deserves an Oscar for the final exchange.
Notice that Van Der Poel stopped hanging around with him after he got to ride with him. Poor Si!
When Simon said "Two
Riders will be leaving tonight" it sounded so reality tv haha.
Seems very weighted to Aussie zwifters and I'm Australian.
Lloyd and Si are the Cycling’s answer to ant and dec, next year this should be called “I’m a Zwifter get me a contract out of here”.
Regardless of who wins, Team Nero comes out of this quite well.
Again.
Looks like Alpecin wanted a climber for the big tours.
Sam with that big diesel engine of his is perfect to help Van Der Poel.
Maud is just different class. Star of the future!
Lots of people are looking at Alex. I think Sam is going to be the one to win. He has a lot of growth left.
Nice x factor does cycling vibe with your hosts Pants and Wreck.
Rooting for Caitlin but I think Maud will take it, as she was the most dominant so far. And although his descending wasn't the best, Sam was the most consistent for the guys, Mr. Diesel for me.
You can just hear from the tone when they speak at any given moment when they speak about Sam (at some moment annoyed even) he's never going to be the one. Might be because he's not what they are after but it almost sounds like they had their favorite on forehand.
Survivor On Bikes 🔥
Go the mighty Aussies !!!
Sam is smashing it even with his brakes reversed ( which should never happen at this level.) Easy to see the bias against him, I thought it was a fair competition but apparently it only matters if the judges have favourites. Keep going Sam, no doubt you'll get a pro ride, could be a huge mistake on their part.
Sam passing the superstars.
Go Sam.
I hope Sam or Cooper win, so Alex can get picked up by EF. He fits their culture perfectly and he’d the perfect hair to Mitch Docker
Exactly. Even if any of these don't win this competition, they will get attention from other teams. Alex on EF would be awesome and he already rides a cannondale back home.
I hope JV is watching.
@@chrisridesbicycles We are definitely watching!
He’d be great at Bike Exchange or what they’re currently calling themselves.
The final is gonna be indoors? Is this bike racing or training? We need wind, rain, cracks in the pavement, railroad crossings, actual drafting, peloton dynamics...
do you remember the name of the competition? it would be silly to crown the winner of the zwift academy outdoors
Having been the weaker rider on a number of long climbs being raced up. Looked to me like Imogen knew she wasn't the strongest, at which point setting near your hardest pace possible maintaining that and hoping it's fast enough others don't want to attack for a while is often my tack in such situations. It gets you to the top as fast as possible, and if it is high enough of a pace keeps the gap from growing to what the fastest some others could do if they TT'd the climb
The frame rate on those drone shots are terrible 😂
Codecs crying for mercy
I used to ride with a Belgium pro, English guy, and this Sam fella reminds me of him
They don’t like Sam do they? Surely they’ve got to give him credit for breaking a couple of the ‘climbers’ and that Alex needed tactical help from the race car should give him extra brownie points.
Go Sam!
I figure they wrote him off as not fitting into their culture and like any other job interview, that in itself is enough to not land you a job no matter your qualifications.
Maud and Sam for sure got this
GCN'S editing team has had way too fun with this
Im just loving to watch this... it makes want to cycle ahaha
Awesome!
Bit whats wronge with the drone?
7:53 trying to get some shut eye in the back of the car haha
Coffee on the run...
Nice coffe on wheels...
They really throwing Sam the diesel engine under the bus after he's crushed literally almost every event. I mean the dude went off the front on a Zwift race and dropped everyone by a huge margin and here they are talking mad shit because he didn't go down a descent perfectly.
An enthralling show. When will there be contracts for 50 year olds?
Maud seems to be on top of all others. Smart, skilled and so strong. She should be the winner! In the guys I am most impressed with Sam, but the Alpecin coaches don’t seem to like him from the start. But he’s always there at or near the top, smart enough to navigate through his weaknesses. Downhill skills can be learned, but his strength is impressive.
The downhill event was a farce - Sam stated his brakes were reversed from his usual setup while everyone else had their bikes tuned the way they wanted it. This doesn't mean we can conclude he's an ace descender or anything but just that this video sequence making him appear like a 12 year old on the bike the first time going downhill was uncalled for.
Sam is the smartest rider. You have seen in the last days already.
For the women has to be Maud. Calculating everything brilliantly sometimes looks like she's playing will be a great one
Difficult for the guys. Sam is apowerhouse but if a simple down hill section means he's losing ground that maybe what may miss out on his win.
Think Alex maybe in for a shout
Got me on the edge of my seat
All of them drone shots are pretty stuttering...
Stuttering?
@@TheMASDrummer dont know the best translation for a laggy image transfer and stuttering was my best option
Alpecin needs a big engine like Sam. They better give him the contract before Jumbo puts him on his train
Oooh yeah can you imagine him on the front of the peloton with Rohan Dennis? Kapow! The break will have no chance, Roglic would be eating up the stage wins.
I feel sad about Imogen, but in women... Maud is really above the rest. Mens are more equal. Cooper is not the best but he has something, Alex and Sam are for me the ones... but I think Alex will get the contract. Lets wait and see how it goes