The first race of the “Race London” series takes riders through the urban streets of London. Because riders are racing the Greater London Flat course, this race is pretty straight forward, but there are some important notes to make about timing and power up usage.
Start
The race starts at the London pens, and riders will complete the long-ish lead-in. The lead-in is mostly downhill, but make sure you have a solid position as you enter the tunnel. If you find yourself off the back, it can be extremely hard to catch back up—not the way you want to start a race! There is a small kicker around 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers) into the course. Beware of major splits occurring. The best course of action is to stay in the top ten riders and continue to push over the top of the climb.
The Middle
To be completely honest, literally nothing happens. There are a few small rolling hills (nothing over 2%) for the vast majority of the course. In the higher categories, we could see some interesting tactics play out. However, in peak times (200-300 riders), it will be nearly impossible to pull something off. The most notable incline will be the climb out of the tunnel at 9.4 miles (15.1 kilometers).
The Finish
The finish is actually one that often catches people off guard. This is because the finish is not a straight shot like most finishes. At 10.4 miles (16.4 kilometers), you will hit a sharp 170° right turn, bringing you into the finishing strip. By now, riders will already be upping the pace, and if you do not have a good positioning at this point, the race has pretty much been lost. The aero boost is going to be the best power up in this race, as it is a very fast and slightly downhill finishing sprint.
Bike Choice
Bike choice is also very simple for this course: the most aero dynamic frame and wheelset that you own. Not sure which one you should choose? Simply go by this amazing guide put together by Zwift Insider: https://zwiftinsider.com/fastest-frames/
Summary
Overall, this is going to be one of the most simple and straight forward races of the series. However, there is still a good amount of time to be lost and gained on this course for those going for the GC.
Tip: race in the afternoons European time to get the best result. This often happens because of the amount of riders racing at that time.