ZZRC Centaurs Start a New Chapter with ZRL

Centaurs – ZRL TTT – Southern Coast Cruise – 26.3 km

A brand-new chapter for the Centaurs! Not so long ago, we had only just been resurrected in the WTRL TTT competition, and now we were bold enough to step into the big circus of the Zwift Racing League. Today was our debut — although, to be honest, even this morning it wasn’t clear whether we’d actually get to race. The ZRL organizers seemed to be over their head and a lot of race passes were not delivered on time. Entire starting pens were scrapped earlier in the day, but somehow, against all odds, the Centaurs were given the green light.

And what better way to dip our hooves into ZRL than… with a team time trial! The route: “Southern Coast Cruise.” On paper, no brutal climbs, but with plenty of leg-sapping false flats, it’s the kind of course that slowly chews you up and spits you out.

Six strong Centaurs lined up Danny, Kevin, Iain, Llyr Dom and myself Roger. We rolled out, and only seconds later I found myself squinting at the rider list. “Wait… is Dom missing?” For a horrifying moment I thought he hadn’t made it out of the pen. But no, Danny spotted him in the distance — already moving, but 28 seconds adrift. A disaster! But the Centaurs have a code: we start together, we finish together.

Decision made. We hit the brakes, turned the turbo off, and formed a welcoming committee for Dom. In no time we were reunited — six Centaurs once more — and then the turbo was very much switched on.

We’d agreed to shorter pulls at the front than usual, and the tactic worked beautifully. Handovers were smooth as silk, no gaps opened, and the chatter on comms was so good it could have won an award. If someone was hanging on for dear life, they said so. If someone couldn’t pull, no problem — the rest covered instantly. For a debut outing, the teamwork was downright impressive.

Midway through, the serenity was rudely interrupted when another team overtook us. Like the good sports we are, we dropped back to give them space… only for them to slow down as if someone had pulled their plug. Suddenly we were right on their wheels again, and they started squealing that we were in their draft! With a collective eye-roll, we hit the brakes hard enough to nearly fall off our trainers and gave them their precious space.

From there, it was smooth sailing to the finish. We stopped the clock at 36:01 (though I swear I saw 35:26 flash as we crossed the line — maybe Zwift was just teasing me). Either way, it was a solid debut and a proper Centaur performance.

Next week? A whole new adventure awaits: the points race. No idea what chaos that will bring, but I’m already looking forward to it.