Si: Simon Yates, winner of the Vuelta a España. Adam Yates, fourth overall and best young rider
at the Tour de France. Jonny Brownlee, twice world champion. Alistair Brownlee, double Olympic gold
medalist. All racing head-to-head. This is the ultimate lineup to settle the debate of our times,
roadie versus triathlete. There's been plenty of friendly rivalry and banter between roadies
and triathletes since the latter first took off their cycling socks and put on speedos
instead. Sorry, cheap shot. Anyway, it's clear that the very best triathletes are
absolutely incredible at all three disciplines. Now, we get to see what, if anything, separates
the best from the best at bike riding. With the help of Scott, who was part of their week of pro
athlete group rides and workouts on Zwift, have now supplied two of the very best triathletes on
the planet and two of the very best road riders. The four of them are going to go head-to-head over
just 13.9 kilometers but nine and a half of them are up Zwift epic KOM. Mark Threlfall and I are
also going to join, just to add some perspective. Dan: Adam, Simon, firstly, thank you for joining
at GCN on this race today. Really hoping that you'll be more than a match for the Brownlee
brothers. Before we go ahead with the race, I want to ask you a couple of questions. Firstly,
how much you know about Alistair and Jonny. Simon: Of course, they're some of the best
in the world in what they do so it's going to be a tough matchup I think. We’ll try and
give it to them and see how we go. Dan: You're, both sets of you,
are endurance specialists. Whilst this, I guess, is technically an endurance event,
it's a very short one it's going to be roughly half an hour long,
let's say. From that point of view, a bit of flat, a bit of climbing at the end, short race,
who do you think that's going to suit most? Simon: I think I'd probably say us, because,
you know, they're more used to doing a bit long distance. You never know,
you never know. I think we also at a little bit of a disadvantage. I don't know where they're based
in the minute but we're based in Andorra and at the minute, we’re actually at a quite high
altitude which obviously affects a few things. Dan: They said they're in Colombia at
4,000 meters at the moment. Simon and Adam: [chuckles]
Dan: I don’t know where they are actually, I’m presuming in the UK somewhere and therefore
not. at altitude I want to talk to you about tactics. Firstly, how you two are going to ride
together against the Brownlees but also how you're going to use Si, preferably in the early stages.
Adam: [chuckles] I think what we'll do is we’ll use Si early on. He's going to be a
good mounter on the flat, I imagine. He can cover any moves for us and then we can do our
thing on the climb. That’s what we’re best at and that's what we're known for. Once we get
to climb, we can set off and do our thing. Dan: He should be good on the flat. You've
obviously seen his ankles. Simon and Adam: [chuckles]
Dan: Finally, Simon, talk us through your setups for the day, not just your indoor setups but also
the bike that you're going to be using in-game. Simon: In real life, I'll be using the Addict RC,
the new one for 2020. I'll be using that with a Tacx home trainer. Then in game, we'll be
using a Scott Foil with Shimano components. Dan: Wish you both the best of luck, and to Si of
course. He'll need it more than you two. Be very interesting to see how it goes. Have a good one.
Adam: Cheers. Simon: Cheers.
Fraser: Do you think that there might be any weaknesses that you're going to
be able to expose from the brothers when you're giving them a bit of a nudge soon?
Jonny: I don't think they're going to have any weaknesses getting up a hill. The only weakness
I can think of is if their turbo's are running a little bit low or something. [chuckles] Hopeful.
Obviously, I've watched them both on TV and they're incredibly strong. i's going to be a very,
very hard half an hour or so. In a normal week, we train between 30 and 35 hours a week. Somewhere
between 15 and 20 hours of cycling, seven or eight swimming, up to ten hours of running
and a couple of gym sessions on top of that. Fraser: You do quite a lot of that together right?
Alistair: Normally, yes. Obviously, it's a bit difficult in these times. Normally,
the vast majority of that apart from very specific sessions, we do together.
Fraser: Dan asked the brothers earlier on about whether they might be able to use Simon
from GCN as a little bit of a [unintelligible 00:04:47]. I'm wondering if you guys might want
to recruit Mark to come in and help out in any way whatsoever. Do you think that's possible?
Alistair: [chuckles] Yes, Mark, can you just go as hard as you can for the first 5k oof the
climb for us please? That's good lad. Si: Not long to go now until the start.
Didn’t think I was going to be nervous about racing triathletes. Well, it turns out I am,
mainly because I've just been listening to Dan's interview with Simon and Adam. They've very kindly
involved me in their race tactics which, well, like I say, is an honor. It's been eight years
since I raced against those guys and I wasn't really very good back then either. We'll see.
Dan: What a race we have in store for you today. Two of the best triathletes that the world has
ever seen against two of the best climbers in the current pro peloton. Triathletes and roadies,
not just represented here in Zwift today but also in the commentary box. You've got me,
former roadie but we've also got Fraser Cartmell, former triathlete. Fraser, what do
you expect in the early stage of the race today? Fraser: Well, Dan, I guess instantly we're going
to look at Jonny and Alistair as being underdogs against world-class World Tour riders but they are
fantastic riders in their own right. They are not shy of going uphill fast so I really think
they're going to be able to give it to Adam and Simon from the get-go here. I'm not going to be
surprised when we see them giving them a nudge. Dan: Incredible athletes, the Brownlee
brothers. I’m in agreement with you there, Fraser. I think that they could take this.
They certainly couldn't be written off in terms of this climb of the Epic KOM at the end of the
day. Can we write our presenters off? Well, we probably can, yes, but we're expecting to
see something from them in the early stages of the race because they need to show themselves
at one point of the race, of course. Then, go as hard as they can all the way to the finish
in the battle of triathletes versus roadies. Dan: Well, this is Si Richardson GCN as you can
see at the back here. Has he already dropped? No, he’s back on. In fact, it looks like the
cheeky little group at the back there launched an attack immediately, Fraser. We're one minute
or so into this race and 14 kilometers, to remind you all of how long the distance is,
but Si Richardson is already off the front. Fraser: I don't know what you think, Dan,
but I'd say that's quite a bold attack that Simon has put down there. A long way to go
and a lot of climbing yet to 200 teeth. Dan: Remains to be seen is just how long
Si is going to last there out at the front and how easy they go behind him.
Looking good at the moment though, Fraser. Fraser: He is but I'm seeing the shadows
coming through already. [chuckles] Dan: [chuckles] I think I spoke
slightly too soon. Si Richardson off the front of today's race for 52 seconds and
almost immediately off the back. Fraser: It does look like that,
doesn’t it? I'm not sure that Simon is going to be wishing he put that early dig in so soon.
Simon: Who is that breathing? Jesus Christ. Si: I think it's me.
Dan: Seven watts per kilo up there for Alistair. Simon's on 7.1, Jonathan was hovering around
about the same powers away as well. I's no wonder, Fraser, that our two presenters,
not sloppy I would say, but we heard a lot of heavy breathing from Si Richardson at the
start. Mark's feeling the pain as well, now. Fraser: They're very much being thrown into
the fire here. This is not something that they're particularly used to having to deal
with. We've got some of the best athletes, as you've said already, in the world competing.
I'm impressed that they're still riding and as close as they are to the four of them.
Dan: We have our first casualty. Si Richardson paying for his early efforts today. He's currently
at just over six seconds behind this group of five. We're down to five from an initial race
of six riders. All still to play for amongst these riders but it's not looking quite so good for the
roadies versus triathletes because we have three triathletes in here and just two roadies left.
Well, as you can see from the gradient graphic there on the right hand side of your screen,
we are on the lowest slopes now of the Epic KOM so I'll remind you of
the overall climbing stats. Distance is 5.9 miles or nine and a half kilometers.
Average gradient is 3.9% but with a max of 10.7. Towards the end there are in fact a
couple of small down hills before the final kick up towards the finish. Just looking here, Fraser,
it looks like we've got a couple of riders going off the front. That looks to be Simon
Yates and Jonny Brownlee there. That is putting Mark into a bit of trouble here at the back.
Fraser: It is ,which, let's be honest, we're not too surprised to see the second of our
presenters getting shelled off the backpack. It’d be interesting to see if that is Jonny
with the other Yates brother because that's significant. I would have expected
Alistair perhaps to make the first move. Dan: Here Jonny Brownlee at the front,
Simon Yates now sat in his wheel. Actually, the other brothers, I think, are coming back
on. I think very quickly we are going to have four riders back together again. It’s all to play for.
Well, this being the steadiest part of the climb, as you can see, 6-7% pretty much all
the way up the first part of the Epic KOM. All still together but just as I say that,
this looks to be a big acceleration from Simon Yates of Mitchelton-Scott. Will there
be a reaction from those behind? Of course, his brother Adam is now just going to sit on
the Brownlee brothers. At the moment, that looks like a decent attack. Again, daylight opening up
between them. Mark
Threlfall has lost another 19 seconds, he's at one minute and sixteen. He's still 24 seconds in front
of our Si Richardson. Come on Si, you’ve got to make it up to Mark. Lots of athletes, cyclists and
triathletes have been forced inside over the last few weeks, particularly if they've been living in
Spain. I know that certainly the Yates twins have been doing a fair bit of Zwifting. I know
that the Brownlee brothers as well, so they'll know the tactics to employ but tactics only go
so far. After that, it's the legs that have to do the talking. It's Simon Yates's legs that are very
much doing the talking here today. 13.3 kilometers through his event now, which means that he has
less than 700 meters to go before a potential win. His lead has been slashed. It was 13 seconds. It
is now down to just seven seconds to the Brownlee brothers who still have Adam Yates for company,
who's sitting on their wheel in fourth position. As you can see behind though,
that trio of riders very much have him in their sights but have they got enough left to bring it
back before the finish? [music]
Dan: Just a matter of 50 meters before Simon Yates declares himself the winner
of this race. There he goes, Simon Yates taking the win in today's competition. I think it's
going to be Alistair Brownlee who takes second place just in front of Adam Yates. It’s first
and third for roadie, second and fourth for the triathletes as Johnny Brown crosses the line in
fourth place. Mark should be coming up to the line very shortly indeed. In fact, there he can see the
finish line arch in front of him. Just a few more seconds of pain to go until he can stop pedaling.
Fraser: I don't doubt that that's a lot of pain he's put himself through
because he will have been working hard. Dan: There’s a lot of prides at stake,
wasn't there, Fraser, on this one? I've got my clock rolling. Well done to Mark Threlfall
on the day. Ten seconds have already passed and Si has yet to cross the finish line. 15,
16, 17. I think we're going to hand this to the triathletes. Si's in a very valiant effort but
he crosses the line 23 seconds down on fellow presenter Mark Threlfall and a good couple of
minutes behind Simon Yates, today's winner. Si: Oh my word. I got totally annihilated.
Dan: Was that you at the start? Si: Yes it was, yes. That’s my max. Still,
I did what you said, Adam and Simon. I went early in the race and drew Mark’s sting out,
then that crippled him for the rest of the race so you're welcome, boys.
Adam: It's good man. Got to get rid on the climb there. It was good.
Si: You were
all absolutely smashing it. Fantastic. Dan: Simon. Yates, obviously. Congratulations.
Simon: Thank you. Dan: How did it feel to
win that inter rivalry battle, the battle between the brothers, the battle between the disciplines?
Simon: It was tough. I wasn't expecting it to be so difficult actually. I tried once earlier on the
climb but got brought back in and then I tried it again managed to get a gap and really just
tried to hold on from there, really. Dan: As a 17-minute effort goes,
where does that rank in difficulty? Simon: It was a good job there was nothing before
it or after it because, like I said, it was a tough effort. it wasn't easy, I think we're
doing over six for most of the climb. Six watts per kilo that is. Like I said, it's pretty tough.
Dan: Alistair, second place of the day, for you. You can't be too disappointed with that,
to lose out to one of the world's best climbers is no bad thing, really.
Alistair: I was pretty pleased with that. It was tough though. Really, really tough.
All the climb I couldn't go much harder. Jonny: It's actually the first time that
Alistair's beat me up a climb for long time. I'd like to have beaten Alistair, but it was good.
It was really good fun. It was really, really hard work. Obviously, all that kind of climbing,
it's the hardest course you do on Zwift. It just goes up and up but I really, really enjoyed it.
Mark: I know, in all seriousness that was absolutely amazing to watch. I
got in the mix to start off with, stupidly thinking I might be able to hang in there,
obviously couldn’t. I got shut out of the back quite early on. A little bit later
then Si did, so I just tried to hold that gap. I was just continuing watching the gap between me
and Si but also watching the numbers that those guys were throwing out ahead of me. Phenomenal,
absolutely amazing. Blown away really. Fraser: Just as you got towards the top there,
was there any slight worry that Simon was perhaps closing that
gap back to you? Did you have it under control? Mark: I must admit, the last 3k I wanted to stop
and I could see him pushing on and probably spotting that, but I managed to hold out.
Dan: Mr. Richardson, as we all know, despite being nice to watch climbers dance up the climb towards
the finish, the real race was behind. About two minutes behind in the end. Unfortunately,
you finished second in the real race behind Mark Threlfall. Talk us through that.
Si: I'm just so sorry, man. I'm glad, obviously, Simon and Adam could uphold our honor. I think it
was just all loyal teamwork I did out the blocks. I sacrificed myself on the flat bit and and then
when we hit the climb, funnily enough, I went straight at the back. I think that just goes to
show that I went into this a little bit hard. My average power was pretty woeful but then I
think Mark did exactly the same. I could see him hanging in there, putting out some massive
power. Then and I just hoped that when he got detached he had to go into the red little bit
more than me and I might be able to get him back, but he's annoyingly strong. I think it's fair to
say he's probably off out for a run now as well. Dan: Finally, Adam, it was a good day for you
both. I don't think we've come any closer to deciding who's better out of triathletes
and roadies. What do you reckon to that? Adam: I mean, this course is suited to me
and Simon there. I guess next time we'll have to do [unintelligible 00:17:32] and mix it up a bit.
Si: Was that the result that you were expecting? Not me getting dropped. Clearly, that was a
no-brainer. That it was so close at the front of the race. Let us know your thoughts in the
comments section down below. For me, the Brownlees performed even better than I expected. Frankly,
it's quite scary given their talents in the water and on foot as well. Do make sure you give the
video a big thumbs up to thank all the athletes for their efforts. Remember that you can join
the Scott pro athletes from road mountain bike and triathlon disciplines over on Zwift from the
21st of June 2020 for a week of scheduled group rides. The link to all the information is in the
description beneath this video. [00:18:12] [END OF AUDIO]