Power data reveals the efforts behind Chris Froome’s celebrity Zwift race, featuring Olly Murs and Mel C
Unsurprisingly Froome took the win, but there were some impressive performances from the other stars


Chris Froome’s victory in the unique celebrity Zwift event may not have been a huge shock last weekend, but we still saw some impressive rides from the other stars.
The four-time Tour de France winner went up against the likes of Olly Murs, Mel C and Kevin Pietersen to take a prestigious win in the charity challenge, having started a long way back on his rivals.
Wheels for Heroes, broadcast across Sky Sports and on YouTube, saw Team Ineos leader Froome start at a disadvantage to his celeb competitors, all in aid of NHS workers,
The money raised from the event will pay for bike docks at NHS hospitals across the UK, from charity Wheels for Heroes.
But what do the power numbers behind the race reveal?
The riders covered a 22-kilometre course around the Watopia Volcano, with Froome taking the victory in 41-40, finishing just five seconds ahead of former cricketer Pietersen.
Froome averaged 254 watt for the duration, which is around 3.68 watts per kilogram for the Grand Tour star, and his heart-rate sat at around 117 beats per minute.
Meanwhile Pietersen put out 310w, holding 3.01w/kg, with an average heart-rate of 156bpm.
Spice Girl Mel C put in possibly the star performance for the unique event, finishing third just behind Pietersen with a 203w average.
She also held the highest w/kg out of any of the riders in the race, with 3.27.
England rugby international player Maro Itoje was also strong with a 291w average, but missed out due to his 115kg athletic build, with his w/kg sitting at 2.49, finishing fifth.
Pop star Olly Murs was seventh with 200w, while TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher was eighth with 137w.
Another former cricketer, Andrew Flintoff, crossed the line last, with 231w, eight minutes behind Froome.
So Chris Froome took the celebrity yellow jersey, but could we see any of these stars continue there Zwift racing careers? Only time will tell.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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