Zwift Winter-Spring League – Meet the Contenders!
Over the last 12 weeks, our largest league yet has seen watts increase, friendships form and lots (and lots) of climbing!
We’ve been talking about them for months now, those at the top of the league, but what is their turbo set-up like, and how did they find the Zwift Winter-Spring League?! Read below to meet the Contenders, and to find out where they finished!
If you took part in the Zwift Winter-Spring League but we didn’t hear from you below – please send us in your pic and your sum-up of your experience, and we’ll share some on our socials! You can email the team at digital@triathlonireland.com.
The Contenders
The Triathlon Ireland Winter-Spring Zwift league has made those dark cold wet COVID winter days go by a lot easier and quicker and kept the body and mind in a healthier place looking forward to the Wednesday night races. Here’s hoping in a few weeks time we’ll be back on the roads, in the water and on the track in reality enjoying races face to face.
ENDA BAGNALL, EDEN TC
WINNER, MEN’S CAT A
Finishing on Alpe Du Zwift certainly finished the league off with a bang! It was also a great way to get my bike fitness on track over the winter, and in the midst of a lockdown, ready for some real-life triathlons and Cork 70.3 this summer, hopefully! The Women only categories made it much more fun for us ladies and the fact that my particular category (B) came down to a few seconds in the last of 12 races was exciting! Well done to all the winners!
GAIL MARTIN, LISBURN TC
2ND, WOMEN’S CAT B
The TI Zwift league has been a great motivator for our club over the past 12 weeks. We had over 30 members competing at some stage across the various leagues, with many podiums and also amazing personal achievements. Most of them didn’t even have smart turbo beforehand. I am delighted to take 3rd place in Cat A, amongst some of the best triathletes in Ireland. Great to be battling with familiar names every week. Congratulations to everyone who took part.
MARK FARQUHAR, TRILIMITS TC
3RD, MEN’S CAT A
I’ve really enjoyed the TI Zwift race series, it’s great having some competitive racing this time of year, especially while club training has ceased. It’s been great fun racing with and against clubmates trying to earn individual and club points. Looking forward to the next series already!
KEITH FORTUNE, CORK TC
3RD, MEN’S CAT C
We only bought our smart trainer at Christmas and I was totally new to Zwift when I started the league back in January. I was hooked straight away and truly felt like I was actually racing on my bike!!!! After a period off my bike due to having a baby last February I’m now well and truly back on the saddle and looking forward to meeting all these amazing women in my C group in person at a triathlon race! I already feel I know them!!
I have to say as much as I enjoyed the racing the ultimate highlight of my week was on a Thursday evening at about 5pm when the race report was published. Kudos to whoever wrote the reports, I couldn’t wait to read them and they really added to the excitement of the league.
ROISIN DONOHOE, LONGFORD TC
2ND, WOMEN’S CAT C
Well done TI on organising a fantastic event. Thoroughly enjoyed it (even if the wheels fell off on Alpe Du Zwift!!). Training and racing motivation is hard to find during the lockdown but the TI Zwift leagues have been a great incentive. Adding the club league element created a real sense of team spirit and encouraged at lot of fellow Cork Tri Club members to get involved
PETER BLISSETT, CORK TC
WINNER, MEN’S CAT C
The Winter-Spring Zwift League was a great motivation for the past 12 weeks to train and virtually race across different challenging courses. Week in and week out, it was an amazing opportunity to socially connect with all triathletes taking part, chasing the leaders from the start till the “never ending” sprint finishes!
Personally, this series, combined with the autumn one, gave me the focus and perspective for a long term training plan which would have not been possible given the outdoor training restrictions.
ADRIELE PRINA, BELPARK TC
2ND, MEN’S CAT A
Having never sat on a turbo trainer before November, the TI Zwift Winter/Spring league was a whole new adventure for me. I was always known as a swimmer, but never a cyclist! Coming from a small rural Tri club, I’m extra proud at how brilliantly Lanesboro TC performed during this league in all categories. I’ve really bonded with my club members through league training & received so many tips from them. And it’s a real honour to be placed next to my neighbouring club, Longford TCs amazing cyclist, Roisin Donohoe.
Points were so close, it was a toss of coin who would win. I’ve been challenged every week by some fantastic female cyclists & there was never a runaway winner. Congrats to everyone & thanks Triathlon Ireland for a hugely successful league!
ELAINE LALLY, LANESBORO TC
WINNER, WOMEN’S CAT C
I’ve never looked forward so much to training and racing before. My fitness and Zwift racing skills have grown from week to week thanks to the superb level of competition in Group C and the varied level of courses. As a club the level of camaraderie amongst us has increased. We’ve been sharing tips, strategies, best bike setup and dedicated our online Sunday ride to scouting out each map. The level of interest has been huge. I can’t wait to meet some of the other competitors when the crisis is over and sharing a pint or two with them. Thanks to everyone who raced and was involved.
MICHAEL SULLIVAN, LANESBORO TC
6th MEN’S CAT C
The league was exactly the kick in the tail I needed at the start of this year. I did little or no cycling towards the end of last year, so to have the league was a great motivator to get going again. So nice to have some form of competition but it was the social aspect that was most enjoyable – it really felt like you weren’t on your own. And it was brilliant to have something to look forward to on the dark winter/early spring Wednesday evenings. Huge thanks to TI for organising and massive well done to all.
MIRIAM GROGAN, PIRANHA TC
WINNER, WOMEN’S CAT D
I’m not familiar with the Triathlon Ireland Zwift League, I do however race every Wednesday in the “Try to beat Oliver Harkin” league. The league has worked great as a motivator like that, to find a rider at a similar level and use that challenge to push yourself in races. He’s had the upper hand in the Winter/Spring series and got some great results, congrats to Oliver for a deserved win in the Cat B league.
I felt I was coming into some form in the last few races so was looking forward to the last challenge up the Alp.
Although it was an open race it was basically a TT. I tried to stay just below the red for the first 8k and not chase the other Cat B riders who were up the road, I knew I had a little left in the tank for the last 4k so increased my effort slightly, changed cadence a bit to change the pressure on the legs and squeezed a bit more out of my legs over the last 15 minutes. Took about 5 mins off my PB for a climb of the Alp so it’s definitely leaving me in a good place coming into the summer.
Though maybe the timings of the race could be a bit later, last night my wife asked me to mind my language on the bike while she’s putting the kids to bed.
KEVIN DERRIG, PULSE TC
3rd, MEN’S CAT B
This league was just what was needed to get me through Lockdown! I loved the competition we had in the Ladies C category! Never a dull moment
But the best was participating in this league with 5 of my female club mates, some of whom had never zwifted up until this. We have kept each other motivated, have had some great laughs and a few spills; and have taken our whole club behind us on the journey.
CATHY CUNNINGHAM, OMAGH TC
3rd, WOMEN’S CAT C
The 12 week Winter-Sprint Zwift League was super competitive with lots of racers from every club and small margins between them. There was a great variety of events from TT to Road races and different challenging profiles. At a time when we could not have live outdoor races this was a great virtual alternative which gave us a reason to train and the rush of live competition. Thank You.
PAT LINEHAN, PIRANHA TC
2nd, MEN’S CAT C
What started out as a bit of fun during the dark Winter nights ended up being so competitive among a number of triathletes in D Cat. It was extremely tough going and really got the adrenalin pumping, a perfect set of events to get the hunger for racing back. The final race was a cruel finish to the series and, while I would never be competitive climbing, it was fair for all abilities that there was a big climb stage in the series too. From a club point of view, loads of members of my club Trilimits TC took up the challenge and did something that they never had done before despite already being on Zwift which was wonderful to see.
KEVIN HUGHES, TRILIMITS TC
WINNER, MEN’S CAT D
North West Triathlon Club had representation in nearly every category in both male and female and we really enjoyed the craic and banter pre-race when we were on discord warming up together. Winning the female A category with Aoife Wilson and winning the Male Team category with a strong and consistent team was the cherry on the parfait! Thanks TI for putting in a great series, we look forward to the next one!
STEPHEN MULBERY, NORTHWEST TC
4th, MEN’S CAT A
I found the Triathlon Ireland Winter/Spring League really beneficial to keep me going throughout the winter. Once I found myself on the leaderboard it also gave me that extra little push to keep going. However I think I pushed too hard as I was then upgraded to C category and so could not contend in the last week of the league. However I am pleased with this and it is definitely a positive as it shows I have made some progress in the winter months, which will hopefully show out on the road. The support and encouragement from my club Down Triathlon Club also helped spur me on.
MAEVE GALLOWAY, DOWN TC
3rd, WOMEN’S CAT D
I found the winter racing a great way to stay focused with my training. It gave me a reason to get on the bike every Wednesday and turn myself inside out, week after week.
Alp du zwift was relentless. Compared to other races it was a different kind of toughness. Watching the kms slowly tick by was probably the worst part for me.
Happy with my 7th place in group C.
COLIN O’NEILL, PIRANHA TC
7th, MEN’S CAT C
Thank you for pulling us through this lockdown. Zwift Tri Ireland Spring Winter league has helped keep us together as a club and allowed us to “meet-up” and chat regularly (virtually). It’s been a very tough but rewarding form of torture!
Would I do it all over again… Absolutely! I look forward to meeting, and putting faces to the names of, the cyclists I have competed with in CAT C at outdoor events around Ireland soon.
JOHN HEALY, LANESBORO TC
5th, MEN’S CAT C
The women’s D league was fairly competitive with lots of really strong ladies participating. It was great to have something to target every Wednesday night. My sister, Cathy Kelly, who also took part and I probably enjoyed the post race analysis most!
LOUISE MCGIRL
2ND, WOMEN’S CAT D
I completed the summer and winter TT leagues in 2020 and now the 2021 Winter- Spring league too. I have found them to provide excellent motivation to train and a great way to get the buzz of competition while we can’t otherwise race. The introduction of draft legal racing in the winter – spring league definitely made things more interesting and in my opinion contributed towards it being the best TI league yet. I added a lot more structure to my training since Christmas and it was great to see this pay off as my results improved with each week that passed, and as my results improved, the motivation to train even harder grew too! The league has pulled the club together by giving us something to support and offered a great way to link in with other competitors via social media who I wouldn’t otherwise have known. I already can’t wait for the next one!
COLM BELLEW, FINGAL TC
2nd, MEN’S CAT B
Check back as we’ll update the page as we receive more pics from Zwifters around the country!
