For the first time in the short history of the Zwift Pro Tri Series, yesterday – the kickoff of the third “season” – the competitors weren’t only on bikes, the event also featured a run. After the first ride, the competitors did a run, followed by a second ride. Despite the fact that France’s Antony Costes skipped the run, the winner of Zwift Pro Tri Series’ second season now also took the win on this first race day of racing in the third season.
Throughout the first bike race, a non-drafting time trial, the lead group mostly stayed together. On the tough Bologna course of Bologna, the racing really began over the final two-kilometer climb: Costes rode away, Adam Bowden (GBR) took second at 3.5 seconds, with Belgium’s Seppe Odeyn (BEL) third at 13 seconds.
During the 5.7 km run, things got a little bit complicated. The men were divided into six categories and points were earned based on the pace per kilometer. The maximum pace was set at 19 km/ hour – the fastest speed for many treadmills. Matt Hanson (USA) grabbed the full 20 points by staying under 3:15 minutes per kilometer.
The final 11.8-kilometer bike race included six laps of the Crit City course, each with six climbs and points available in the sprints along the way. In the end it came down to a final sprint in, won by James Cunnama (RSA) ahead of Costes (FRA) and Jackson Laundry (CAN).
The overall victory went to Costes. The French triathlete picked up a lot of points in the sprints in the final leg, which more than made up for his non-participation in the run.
Charles-Barclay takes the win
The overall victory in the women’s race went to Lucy Charles -Barclay (GBR). Here 36 points kept her ahead of Meredith Kessler (USA, 28 points) and Amelia Rose Watkinson (NZL, 23 points).
