Intro to Team CRYO-GEN
Founded in 2018, Team CRYO-GEN is a global Zwift community team known for its friendly atmosphere and formidable racing prowess. The name CRYO-GEN stands for “Competitive Riders Young & Old – Groups for Experienced or New,” reflecting the team’s inclusive ethos. Under the leadership of team manager Rick Bowman, the team has grown to over 1000 members worldwide, ranging from complete novices to elite A+ racers.
Team CRYO-GEN prides itself on a strong community spirit, striving to ensure every member feels like an important part of the group and “not just another name or number”. This welcoming culture, combined with a drive for excellence, has helped the team become a force on the virtual roads – even fielding men’s and women’s squads in the elite Premier Division of the Zwift Racing League.
2024/2025 ZRL Season Highlights
The 2024/2025 Zwift Racing League (ZRL) season was an outstanding one for Team CRYO-GEN, marked by strong podium finishes, key promotions, and consistent performances across all divisions. Below we recap the season’s high points, from championship victories to gritty efforts in tough leagues, showcasing the depth and determination of Team CRYO-GEN.
Promotions & Achievements
Team CRYO-GEN dominated many league standings this season. Eight CRYO-GEN squads finished in the top two of their divisions, with four teams earning promotion to higher tiers:
- Team CRYO-GEN Haleakala (AMERICAS E, Div 2) – League champions, earning promotion to A1 (the top A division).
- Team CRYO-GEN Stelvio (EMEA W, Div 2) – Dominant division win and promoted to A1 after an undefeated season.
- Team CRYO-GEN Hautacam (AMERICAS E, Div 2) – Finished strong with a Week 6 victory to clinch the division title and promotion to A1.
- Team CRYO-GEN Tourmalet (EMEA E, Div 2) – Consistently on the podium (three podium finishes) and promoted to B1.
Additionally, several other squads – Team CRYO-GEN Galibier, Mt. Evans, Iseran, and Grand-Colombier – finished as runners-up in their leagues, underlining the team’s competitive depth across regions. Impressively, no CRYO-GEN teams were relegated this season, a testament to the strength and consistency of the team’s performances.
One notable highlight: in the Americas Eastern A2 division, CRYO-GEN’s Haleakala and Hautacam finished 1st and 2nd respectively, showcasing Team CRYO-GEN’s depth by sweeping the top two spots in that league!
Top-Performing Teams
Several Team CRYO-GEN teams consistently fought at the front of the pack, demonstrating exceptional form and race IQ throughout the season:
- Team CRYO-GEN Iseran (EMEA East, Div 1) – Runner-up overall for the third straight season, constantly dueling with their rivals from DZR. (Best moments: managing to beat DZR in multiple races. Looking ahead: preparing for the ZRL Finals in April to cement themselves as one of the top C category squads.)
- Team CRYO-GEN Stelvio (EMEA W, Div 2) – Never finished below 4th place and took two outright wins during the season.
- Team CRYO-GEN Hautacam (AMERICAS E, Div 2) – Capped the season with a clutch Week 6 win, securing their promotion as division runners-up.
- Team CRYO-GEN Tourmalet (EMEA E, Div 2) – Earned three podium finishes and consistently placed in the top 4 each race.
- Team CRYO-GEN Galibier (EMEA W, Div 3) – Scored three outright wins, dominating their division from start to finish.
- Team CRYO-GEN Haleakala (AMERICAS E, Div 2) – Logged three first-place finishes over the season, showing remarkable strength in every race.
- Team CRYO-GEN Grand-Colombier (AMERICAS E, Div 1) – Ended the season with back-to-back wins, proving themselves as one of the top teams in their division.
These top-performing squads solidified CRYO-GEN’s status as a leading force in ZRL, regularly battling at the highest level of competition.
Mid-Table Consistency
Team CRYO-GEN’s mid-table teams also held their own in challenging divisions, ensuring a strong club presence even when not contending for the title:
- Team CRYO-GEN Mur-de-Huy (EMEA W, Div 1) – Hard-fought season with finishes ranging from 7th to 11th in a very competitive top division.
- Team CRYO-GEN Ventoux (EMEA E, Div 1) – Steady performer, consistently coming in 8th or 9th each week in a tough league.
- Team CRYO-GEN Santis (EMEA W, Div 2) – Balanced campaign with finishes between 5th and 9th place, showing reliable performance.
- Team CRYO-GEN Val-Thorens (EMEA E, Div 2) – A model of consistency, finishing 3rd overall in the league. Notably, Val-Thorens never placed lower than 6th in any race, with top points scorers Nick Hird (355 pts) and Philip Helfenberger (311 pts) leading the charge.
- Team CRYO-GEN Koppenberg (EMEA W, Div 1) – Mixed results; managed a couple of 2nd-place finishes but struggled with inconsistency in other races.
- Team CRYO-GEN Mortirolo (EMEA W, Div 1) – A solid presence, regularly finishing 4th or 5th in a very strong division.
Battling in Tough Leagues
A few CRYO-GEN teams faced especially fierce competition in top divisions, showing tremendous grit and determination despite the odds:
- Team CRYO-GEN Mauna-Kea (Oceania W, Div 1) – Achieved two superb 3rd place finishes, but a DNQ (did not qualify in one race) hurt their final standing.
- Team CRYO-GEN Etna (Oceania W, Div 1) – Consistently finished around 8th–11th in an extremely competitive B1 league, holding their own in a brutal field.
- Team CRYO-GEN Mount Aspiring (Oceania W, Div 1) – Displayed fighting spirit by avoiding any bottom-place finishes (never lower than 14th in a 16-team league).
These teams showed true grit against elite competition, and their efforts were nothing short of impressive.
Special Recognitions
Throughout the season, certain Team CRYO-GEN squads earned special shout-outs for exceptional performances:
Teams of the Week
- Week 3 – Team CRYO-GEN Stelvio for a superb win in EMEA-W Southern A2.
- Week 4 – Team CRYO-GEN Iseran for beating DZR in the Team Time Trial by just 3 seconds.
- Week 5 – Team CRYO-GEN Mt. Evans (Americas Central C1) and CRYO-GEN Galibier for their dominant victories that week.
- Week 6 – Team CRYO-GEN Hautacam for its first win in AMERICAS Eastern A2 and CRYO-GEN Mauna-Kea for securing another 3rd place in Oceania W Div1.
Team of the Season
Team CRYO-GEN Haleakala was recognised as the standout team of the season for their dominant title-winning campaign in Americas Eastern A2. Haleakala’s consistent excellence set the bar for the entire team.
Looking Ahead
With the ZRL format expected to evolve next season (moving to a new Zwift Racing Score system), Team CRYO-GEN is ready to adapt and continue competing at the highest level. The team has already set key targets for the upcoming season:
- Team CRYO-GEN Iseran – Preparing for the ZRL Finals in April, aiming to establish themselves as one of the top Category C squads.
- Team CRYO-GEN Stelvio & CRYO-GEN Tourmalet – Both pushing for yet another promotion to even higher divisions after coming so close this season.
- Team CRYO-GEN Mur-de-Huy (and other mid-pack teams) – Looking to build on their chemistry and climb further up the rankings in their leagues.
With incredible depth, teamwork, and a hunger for results, Team CRYO-GEN appears poised for another dominant season ahead. Congratulations to all CRYO-GEN riders, captains, and support crew on an unforgettable ZRL season – let’s come back stronger, faster, and ready for the next challenge!
The Power of Volunteers and Automation
None of these achievements would be possible without the dedicated volunteers working behind the scenes. Team CRYO-GEN’s day-to-day operations are supported by a strong admin team of volunteers who handle everything from social media and website management to graphic design, data analytics, and team captain duties for each racing category. This robust support structure allows the racing squads to focus on performing their best, knowing that planning and community management are in capable hands. The team’s leadership includes three team managers and numerous admins who devote countless hours to keeping the community running smoothly – truly the unsung heroes of CRYO-GEN’s success.
To manage a community of this size and complexity, Team CRYO-GEN also embraces automation and technological tools. For example, the team leverages ZwiftPower, a community-built platform that automatically tracks race results and rider data across Zwift events. Tools like ZwiftPower (now an official part of Zwift’s ecosystem) and the WTRL scoring system for ZRL help eliminate tedious manual data crunching. This means volunteer organisers can quickly get accurate standings, monitor performance, and even enforce fair racing rules (like category limits and disqualifications) without doing it all by hand. Additionally, Team CRYO-GEN coordinates via Discord and other apps to automate event scheduling and communications, ensuring that members around the world stay informed and engaged.
In short, dedicated volunteers are the backbone of Team CRYO-GEN, and smart automation ensures their efforts scale effectively. This combination of passionate people and helpful technology creates a well-oiled machine — a community that runs efficiently and delivers a top-notch experience for all its members.
Join Team CRYO-GEN – Ride and Race with Us!
The Team CRYO-GEN community is always excited to welcome new riders into the fold. Whether you’re a seasoned Zwift racer or brand new to virtual cycling, Team CRYO-GEN has a place for you. Our team spans all experience levels and focuses on fostering a supportive, fun environment as well as offering competitive racing to test your skills. If you’re looking for camaraderie, encouragement, and the thrill of online racing, now is the perfect time to get involved.
Together we ride, together we race, and together we win! Team CRYO-GEN is more than just a racing team – it’s a family of riders who push and uplift each other. If you’re ready to start your next cycling adventure with us, you can sign up on our website cryogen.team. Come be a part of this vibrant community and share in the excitement of the Zwift Racing League and beyond. We can’t wait to see you on the virtual roads – Ride On!
