English ‘powers up’ to steal win in Austria
JACK ENGLISH celebrated a fine virtual triumph against professionals past and present on Easter Saturday.
This superb result occurred on day three of Guernsey Velo Club’s virtually rearranged Easter Festival, organised via popular stationary trainer programme Zwift.
GVC are unable to create races via Zwift so they instead jumped in on several open events organised overseas and featuring international opposition.
Yet the club’s own standings allowed them to tally results between themselves and several ‘Zwiftival’ entrants from Jersey and the United Kingdom.
English, who is the resounding ‘Zwiftival’ title favourite as action culminates today, saw off two current professionals and Guernsey’s own Tobyn Horton in the EVR Asia Weekend Race outing.
Former Madison Genesis pro Horton also edged onto the podium over the 45k Innsbruckring course.
With each of the five laps starring one short but sharp ‘leg snapper’ climb, the strong Category A bunch thinned over time and English’s bold efforts to stick with them had paid off.
The hard-fought race culminated in a protracted sprint spanning the last 1k.
English found himself on Horton’s wheel but used a tactical power-up he had conserved – a key aspect of Zwift racing – to speed across the line first in 56min. 27sec.
‘It feels good, because I have tried every time I have done a Zwift race to win it,’ said English.
‘I feel I am getting the hang of when to use the power-ups and when to conserve energy and when to expend energy.
‘It’s just about how you play your cards really.’
Horton placed third and top Jerseyman Luke Holmes fourth in the blanket finish.
The Bermuda based Jamie-Lee Wright, who adopted Guernsey colours at the last Island Games, took the domestic women’s honours.
In the previous day’s Crit City Race, James Roe pinched the Sarnian spoils.
