What happens when you try running Zwift on your phone during an outdoor ride? Even more intriguing, what about a Zwift race? In this week’s top video, watch as one Zwifter tries riding both on Zwift and outdoors simultaneously.
We’ve also included videos about getting started with Zwift, indoor cycling news, Tour of Watopia 2026, and the Zwift Ride V2.
I Entered a Real Zwift Race in Central Park New York!
Ben Foster rides around Central Park, New York, while also riding in a Zwift race. Can he stick with the pack and compete for the win?
How to Start Zwift in 2026 (Everything You Need to Know)
Looking to get started on Zwift? Benji Naesen shares a complete guide to getting started on Zwift.
Zwift News: Ride v2 Sale, New RoboPacers, Points Racing and More
Adam from Road to A shares the latest Zwifty news. Watch as he discusses the recent Zwift Ride sale, updated RoboPacers, and points races.
Tour of Watopia 2026: New Roads, Twice the XP
Tour of Watopia is just around the corner. Hear from Bike Bonk Biff as he shares all the details on the upcoming tour.
Time to get Zwift Ready with my new Ride V2
Ryan Condon sets up his new Zwift Ride V2 and shares his initial impressions of the updated frame.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below, and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
This weekend’s notable events are a nice mix of races, challenging group rides, and beginner-friendly group rides. Our headliner event from Flamme Rouge Racing has hundreds of signups – hop in if you want to push it to the limit!
By far the most popular event this weekend, Stages 1 and 2 of Flamme Rouge Racing’s Tour Ignite happen on Saturday and Sunday respectively, kicking off the 8-stage daily tour. These are points races, so be sure to read the event description and the rules to understand how they are scored!
This is the first event of a new series from Black Watts. Riders will be on Tempus Fugit for 2 laps (36.8km, 56m). Hang with the beacon at ~2.5 w/kg, or ride at your own pace.
“Expect steady pacing, good banter, and that perfect mix of challenge and fun that keeps you coming back week after week. If you want to push major watts, there’s space for you too. We welcome every rider.”
This is a new style of event Zwift recently spun up, and this weekend is your last chance to take part (unless Zwift decides to run them again in the future). Technically classified as a group ride and not a race, these events are made up of two groups: the Party People (category D) who start first and wear fun costumes, and the Party Crashers (category E) who start a few minutes later and push hard to catch the Party People and crash the party before the ride ends.
As an added bonus, whenever you ride through an arch, you’ve got a 1/3 chance of landing the big XP bonus (250 XP). That can add up to a lot of XP!
This week the theme is Man vs Machine, so the Party People are in space robot costumes while the Party Crashers are in Brompton Tweed kits. The event is on 2 laps of Makuri Islands’ Island Hopper (36.1km, 257m).
It’s good to see the return of this popular series from LEQP! This week the team is riding on Paris’ Heart of Montmartre (77.7km, 509m). If you’ve never earned this route badge (1490 XP bonus!), or just want a solid long ride with friends, join the fun! Choose between C (2.6-3.2 w/kg) and D (2.2-2.5 w/kg) paces.
Join the ZABI group for a banded ride that allows you to go as hard or as easy as you’d like. “Your level or watts don’t matter. What matters here is friendship, fun, and enjoying virtual cycling as a group.”
This week’s ride is 120 minute long, on Watopia’s Deca Dash (52.2km, 501m).
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
How the Race Was Lost: Going Long On Innsbruckring (ZRL)
Zwift Racing League is underway, and while I missed last week’s race (which turned out to be a good thing, since it was annulled) I was ready to hop on and “give it the beans” for race 2. This would be my first race on a new squad – still under the overall Coalition banner, but now on the “Perception” team racing in the Open Dev Cobalt Division B1.
I’ve raced this route (Innsbruckring) many times, never winning but usually at least surviving to contest the final sprint. I thought I had a pretty good idea how the race would unfold, and it did indeed work out the way I’d imagined… until I hatched my own last-minute glycogen-depleted ill-fated plot.
The Warmup
Before kitting up, I did my standard “this is an important race” prep: chewing caffeine gum and rubbing PR Lotion into my legs. Then I headed up to the pain lab, where I found myself on the bike with plenty of time to spare before the race. I picked Beach Island Loop so I could earn the Route of the Week XP bonus while spinning up my legs. As I made my way around the loop I set up my avatar, changing my screen name and swapping my Zwift Insider kit into the new 2026 Coalition kit (certainly an eye-catching number).
With everything set and my legs warmed up, it was time to join the pens. Let’s race!
Lap 1
Our league has 7 teams listed, but only 30 riders started. The pace was super tame out of the gate, making me wonder if everyone had the same plan as me: to put out as little effort as possible, so I could (hopefully) survive all four Leg Snappers, so I could be in a position to sprint for the win.
I only averaged 224 watts during the first 3 minutes, surfing the wheels. Riders started showing their hands early, including Kristian Miller from TBR, who went off the front for a bit and was easy to track because he was wearing a cowboy hat.
The first Leg Snapper of a multi-lap race is always a bit of a wild card, because you don’t know how strong everyone else is. That was the case in this race, too, since it was my first ride in this league. Would I struggle to keep up? Be able to push the pace on the front? Or something in between?
As it turned out, the first climb wasn’t bad. Sure, the Leg Snapper is always a hard effort. But it’s only 50 seconds long, which is right in my sweet spot. 519W for 53 seconds got me over the top just a few wheels from the front, then I recovered as we descended. I took some time to look around, and noticed that only one of my Perception teammates, Susanne, had survived in the front group of 18. Not a good sign. But there wasn’t much I could do about it, either, apart from not pushing the pace on the front.
Lap 2
A group of 4 riders chased back on, and Perception teammate Jonathan Baker was in that mix, bringing us to 3 riders in the front pack of 23 as we spun our way around the flat portion of the second lap. Susanne was sitting on the front of our group, so I figured she was feeling fresh and confident in her ability to survive 3 more Leg Snappers.
This time up the Leg Snapper was a bit spicier than lap 1. I finished in 51 seconds, averaging 533W, nicely positioned in the top 10 riders. The group had shrunk to 19, and we descended to the flat and finished out the lap, it became clear that nobody was chasing on this time around. Susanne and I were still in the front group.
Lap 3
Kristian from TBR asked how my legs were doing as we headed into the third lap. “Terrible,” I said. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t stand a chance.” I added a ;P to the message to make it clear I was doing the classic cyclist thing, then asked him how his legs were. “Pretty terrible,” he said.
Turns out, we’re both liars.
A few different riders kept popping off the front, and Susanne would often chase them down. I just sat in the pack. No reason to chase down attacks a teammate had already followed, plus most attacks on Innsbruckring’s flat roads are ill-fated anyway. They don’t stick.
I was suprised to see a group of three rejoin us as we neared the bricks leading to the Leg Snapper. The group included teammate Jonathan – nice!
Our third Leg Snapper was the tamest of the race. Nobody attacked hard this time around, but once again the group shrunk, from 23 to 19. I timed my feather a bit later this time, so it finished just before the arch. Averaging 497W for 54 seconds put me just a few wheels from the front. One lap to go!
Lap 4 + Finish
JW Be (Velos) attacked just before the last lap started, but I wasn’t going to chase. (Susanne was putting in some good work at the front to keep the group’s speed high and keep JW in sight, but I was content to leave the chase to the teams with more numbers/strength in the front group.)
As our pack of 18 neared the final Leg Snapper, we were also slowly closing the gap to JW. I was mulling over the finish in my mind, wondering how to best execute it to achieve the highest placing. Should I just sit in and sprint, like I’ve done in the past? Go earlier?
That’s when I realized something: I could launch a double powerup attack in the final 2km by using my aero just before riding through the sprint arch, then using the feather from that arch soon afterward. Did I have the legs for a hard 3-minute final attack?
I wasn’t sure that I did. But I also knew my team wasn’t going to win this race with only two riders in the front group.
Up and over the last Leg Snapper, we set our fastest time of the day: 49s, averaging 549W. Then I spun my legs out and rested as much as I could, knowing I needed every ounce of strength I could muster, whether I was going to sit in and wait for the final sprint, or execute my double powerup attack.
As we neared the sprint banner, I could see that only 12 riders had survived the final Leg Snapper. That was a good thing if I wanted to launch my long attack – fewer riders to chase me. I was still on the fence about whether or not I should do it, but with the sprint banner just up ahead, I made the call: let’s go!
I pushed hard on the pedals and triggered my aero powerup. Not the smoothest, most well-timed launch. But I was all in now! I quickly accelerated from ~38kph to ~50+kph, then steered to the inside of the hairpin with 1.4km to go, my feather now activated, making me lighter and just a bit faster for another 30 seconds.
Unfortunately, as I settled into what I thought was a sustainable breakaway pace, I saw that three riders had gone with me: cowboy Kristian and his “terrible legs”, his teammate J Mahot, and JW Be (Velos). We had a 3-4-second gap to the chasers, but I wasn’t going to turn myself inside out to pull 3 opponents to the podium, so I eased slightly. The TBR boys hesitated on the front, JW Be put in a bit of a pull, then Kristian jumped hard from second wheel and was gone. (He’s got a killer sprint.)
I got out of the saddle and died a thousand deaths just trying to keep the power high as riders from behind began to pass me. Crossing the line, I looked up to see I’d finished 5th.
Watch the Video
Takeaways and Team Result
While it wasn’t the result I wanted, it was fun to be in the position to make the race interesting. Could I have played it differently for a better result? Perhaps. My guess is I would have been somewhere in the top 10 if it came down to a typical short sprint. Or perhaps if I’d waited, I could have followed someone else’s wheel when they went early. Who knows?
What I do know is, I used all my weebles in that final attack. Check out my Intervals.icu W’ chart:
It’s wild how precise this stuff is. W’, if you’re not familiar, is your anaerobic work capacity (AWC) – basically your energy tank for anaerobic work (those extra hard efforts like a Leg Snapper or final sprint). As you ride at lower aerobic power, your W’ refills. And as you ride at higher power, it empties.
So you can see my W’ dipping at each Leg Snapper, then refilling over the easy portion of the circuit that followed. Wash, rinse, repeat… until that final ill-fated attack, which began with my W’ already depleted by ~45%. I really felt like I gave it everything I had in those final seconds, and according to the charts, that’s exactly what happened. I “used up all my weebles,” as Zwift racers like to say! (I actually set a 2026 power PB in the final 5.5 minutes of the race, starting with the Leg Snapper and going to the finish line…)
My Coalition Perception team finished fourth overall:
How about you?
How did race 2 go for you? Did you or your team execute any interesting tactics? Share below!
If you’re on an C or D team, you’ll be racing one lap of Urumaze, a course ZRL hasn’t used before. This guide is for you. A and B teams will be on Makuri 40 (read that race guide here).
Most riders will be unfamiliar with the Urumaze route, since it only launched in game August 2026. Let’s look at crucial course segments, powerup usage, bike decisions, and strategic options!
Looking at the Route
The Urumaze route is 26.8km long, with 202 meters of elevation. It’s a figure 8 with two key climbs and a flat sprint finish:
This is a points race, and all 5 intermediates are flat sprints. Apart from those key intermediates, there are also two key climbs. Let’s talk about each key segment in order of appearance:
Tidepool Sprint Reverse @1.7km (0.31km, 0%): this pan-flat sprint signals the end of the route’s lead-in. It’s the first points segment of the race, and will be hit twice more!
Pain Cavern @3.2km (2.1km, 3%): although this isn’t an official points segment, it’s a crucial callout since riders will be dropped on this hard effort. This is our first and longest climb on the day, and it comes at us in three sections separated by short flat stretches. The pack typically stays together on the first section – it’s the second section (the longest and steepest!) through the figure 8 where things really break up. The final section is your last chance to close the gap to riders ahead (or keep pushing to drop riders struggling to hold on). See the Strava segment for details >
Tower Sprint @7.7km (0.32km, 0.4%): another flat sprint, although in this direction it has just a bit of an uphill to its start. If you want to top the FTS leaderboard, you’ll need to push extra watts up that false flat to begin the segment fast!
Festival Harbor ClimbCW @18.5km (2.5 km, 2.1%): our second climb of the day, and another crucial non-points section where riders will be dropped. Expect stronger riders to attack this climb hard to grab FAL points on the Shisa Sprint Reverse and/or form a breakaway that may survive to the finish. See the Strava segment for details >
Tidepool Sprint Reverse @26.4km (0.31km, 0%): one final sprint, but this one carries extra weight as your FAL points are effectively doubled, since you’re getting FIN points based on your position as well! All the more reason to go all-in in this final effort.
Powerups for this race are… confusing. Don’t blame WTRL – it’s really an issue with how Zwift has set up visible and invisible arches in game. As it stands, WTRL has confirmed that certain powerups are assigned to certain arches, while other arches award random powerups, and still other arches are invisible and will award aero powerups!
Everyone will receive an aero boost powerup in the pens. Use it as quickly as you can, because another aero powerup awaits less than a minute down the road at an invisible arch. If you use your powerup before the Tidepool Sprint arch, you’ll get a 250 XP bonus there. Or save the aero for Pain Cavern or the Tower Sprint up the road!
In fact, you’ll get a 250 XP bonus each time through the Tidepool Sprint arch, as long as you aren’t holding a powerup when you go through the arch.
This is how the powerup situation should unfold, according to WTRL. (But don’t shoot the messenger if it turns out differently – there’s no way for me to test this on my end):
Tidepool Sprint Reverse @26.4km (0.31km, 0%): 250 XP bonus
Every physical arch you ride through that is not the Tidepool Sprint Reverse will give you a lightweight (feather), draft boost (van), or aero boost (helmet) powerup. Probabilities are equal for each.
Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting).
Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most.
Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting). Deploy when contesting sprint points.
Bike Recommendations
Bike recommendations for this race are simple, thanks to how Zwift has set up the current crop of in-game road bikes. You’ll want to pick one of the top “aero all-arounders”, the best of which are:
Wheel choice feels a bit trickier here, because we have the option of the most aero wheels (disc wheelsets), better climbing wheels (to help you survive the twowo climbs), or something in between. Zwift has strong options in each of those categories, so I’d say take your pick, depending on whether you want a bit of an edge on the climbs, on the flat sprints, or strike a balance between the two:
Shimano DURA-ACE C99/Disc: the most aero wheels in game, but a bit heavy compared to non-disc wheels
SwissSide HADRON Ultimate 650: a compromise between light weight and strong aero performance. A bit heavier than the Wake 6560, but also a bit more aero.
Of course, your frame’s upgrade status should impact your decision.
Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.
Additionally, riders in the Zwift community do a great job every week creating recon videos that preview the courses and offer tips to help you perform your best on the day. Here are the recons I’ve found (comment if you find another!)
J Dirom
John Rice
Strategic Options
Points Distribution: Urumaze, 1 Lap
Chart shows the maximum points a team of 5 could earn in a race with 60 participants. Note that we designed the final sprint’s FAL points as FIN points, since that’s what they effectively are. To learn how ZRL points races work, see this post.
How will the race unfold, and what strategies will riders employ in the first points race of the season? Here’s what I predict:
First Time Tidepool Sprint FTS: with most riders holding an aero powerup heading into the first tidepool sprint, and the pack at its largest and freshest, expect most or all top 10 FTS times to be set on the first go-around.
Pain Cavern Attack: got a team full of stronger climbers but weaker sprinters? It would make sense to push hard up the Pain Cavern climb to drop some sprinters so you stand a better chance of grabbing FAL points on the four sprints up the road.
Selective Sprints: almost 60% of the race’s points are from sprint FAL (even more if you include the finishing Tidepool Sprint), but the powerups we receive from some arches are (somewhat) random. Riders will approach each sprint differently based on which powerup they’re holding, but make no mistake: riders will be targeting those sprint points, because that’s how you’ll win this race.
Chasing It Back On the Flats: from the top of the Pain Cavern climb, you have ~5km of flat road followed by ~4.3km of descent. Expect riders dropped in Pain Cavern to work to rejoin during this section. Riders ahead will need to decide if it’s worth pushing the pace on what is otherwise a “recovery section” to hold onto higher FAL points.
Punch Into the Final Sprint: the last sprint segment (Shisa) offer punchy climbers opportunities to attack off the front and take high FAL points by keeping the power/speed high through the sprint arch. It also offers a chance for a reduced front group to stay away for the final 6km if they can work together.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
If you’re on an A or B team, you’ll be racing one lap of Makuri 40, a course we haven’t raced for three years.This guide is for you. C and D teams will be on Urumaze (race guide coming soon).
We haven’t raced this course in three years, and much has changed since that time, including the race setup itself. Let’s look at crucial course segments, powerup usage, bike decisions, and strategic options!
Looking at the Route
The Makuri 40 route is, unsurprisingly, 40km long (40.3km to be exact). Along the way, you’ll cover 317 meters of elevation as you pass through major portions of each Makuri Island section: Yumezi, Neokyo, and Urukazi.
This is a points race, and all 5 intermediates are flat sprints. Apart from those key intermediates, there are also four key climbs. Let’s talk about each key segment in order of appearance:
Starting Climb @0km (1.5km, 3.2%): right out of the pens, riders will have to go all in for a few minutes as the first selection is made on the climb up to the Village Sprint. Keep your W/kg high enough, and you may just grab some FAL points on the Village Sprint!
Village Sprint Reverse @1.6km (0.15km, 0.8%): this sprint is short and flat, but comes after what is sure to be a tough starting climb. Who will have the punch to grab FAL, and who will be brave enough to save their legs and go for FTS?
Country Sprint Reverse @7.3km (0.15km, 0%): riders will grab some recovery and speed on the downhill after the Village Sprint, so expect this short and flat sprint to have high speeds and big power numbers!
Alley Sprint Reverse @16.1km (0.38km, -1.2%): after 8km of flat road following the Country Sprint, riders should once again have fresh legs to tackle the longest sprint of the race.
Castle Park Sprint @18km (0.22km, -0.7%): just 2km after the Alley Sprint, FAL points on this one may just go to some riders who are brave enough to attack on the Alley Sprint and stay away for a few minutes.
Festival Harbor ClimbCW @25.8km (2.5 km, 2.1%): after a recovery descent through the cavern, expect riders to attack this climb hard in an effort to grab FAL points on the Shisa Sprint Reverse and/or form a breakaway.
Shisa Sprint Reverse @27.4km (0.28 km, 0%): this longish sprint comes just after the Festival Harbor Climb, so expect tired legs and a strung out pack. Same question as the Village Sprint: Who will have the punch to grab FAL, and who will be brave/crazy enough to save their legs and go for FTS?
Slot Canyon Climb @33.4km (2.8 km, 2%): the climb through the Slot Canyon is beautiful, but don’t get distracted by the visuals. Expect big attacks and the hardest sustained work of the day here, as this is the longest climb of the day and it finishes only ~4km from the finish line!
Finishing Climb @39.6km (1.3km, 2%): don’t get fooled by the lap banner near the start of this climb – this route ends at the virtual banner further up the hill!
Everyone will receive a draft boost powerup in the pens. If you use it quickly before the virtual banner, you’ll get a 250 XP bonus at the virtual lap banner. Or save it for the sprint up the road!
You’ll get a 250 XP bonus at each “lap arch” you ride through, but here’s a little insider secret for you XP farmers: there are invisible lap arches all over Makuri Islands. In fact, WTRL tells me you’ll receive a total of 5x 250 XP bonuses in the race, as long as you aren’t holding a powerup when you go through the arch! Here’s where those bonuses occur:
Virtual start/finish line, just ~100 meters from the start pens
Virtual start/finish for Sea to Tree, ~4.6km into the lap
Every arch you ride through that is not a lap arch (so, each of the five sprint arches) will give you a lightweight (feather), draft boost (van), or aero boost (helmet) powerup. Probabilities are equal for each.
Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting).
Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most.
Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting). Deploy this during sprint segments.
Bike Recommendations
Bike recommendations for this race are simple, thanks to how Zwift has set up the current crop of in-game road bikes. You’ll want to pick one of the top “aero all-arounders”, the best of which are:
Wheel choice feels a bit trickier here, because we have the option of the most aero wheels (disc wheelsets), better climbing wheels (to help you survive the key climbs), or something in between. Zwift has strong options in each of those categories, so I’d say take your pick, depending on whether you want a bit of an edge on the climbs, on the flat sprints, or strike a balance between the two:
Shimano DURA-ACE C99/Disc: the most aero wheels in game, but a bit heavy compared to non-disc wheels
SwissSide HADRON Ultimate 650: a compromise between light weight and strong aero performance. A bit heavier than the Wake 6560, but also a bit more aero.
Of course, your frame’s upgrade status should impact your decision.
Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.
Additionally, riders in the Zwift community do a great job every week creating recon videos that preview the courses and offer tips to help you perform your best on the day. Here are the recons I’ve found (comment if you find another!)
J Dirom
John Rice
Strategic Options
Points Distribution: Makuri 40, 1 Lap
Chart shows the maximum points a team of 5 could earn in a race with 60 participants. To learn how ZRL points races work, see this post.
How will the race unfold, and what strategies will riders employ in the first points race of the season? Here’s what I predict:
Selective Sprints: over 71% of the race’s points are from sprint FAL, but the powerups we receive are random. Riders will approach each sprint differently based on which powerup they’re holding, but make no mistake: riders will be targeting those sprint points, because that’s how you’ll win this race.
Punch Into the Sprints: the first and last sprint segments offer punchy climbers opportunities to attack off the front and take high FAL points by keeping the power/speed high through the sprint arch.
Breakaway for Castle Park Sprint FAL: with the Castle Park Sprint coming just 2km after the Alley Sprint, a coordinated breakaway could gap the field after the Alley banner and stay away to grab FAL points on the Castle Park Sprint.
Slot Canyon Attrition: over 84% of the race’s points will already be locked up before riders hit the final Slot Canyon climb. Riders who believe they may get dropped on this climb may go all-in for those sprint points, then get dropped on the Slot Canyon climb, leaving a reduced back to fight over the FIN points table scraps.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
Torturefest ITT Climbing League Announced Beginning October 5
Inspired by stage 13 of Tour de France 2025 – a mountain ITT won by Tadej Pogačar on a lightweight aero road bike instead of the traditional time-trial setup used by his competitors – Torturefest Cult has announced a weekly/monthly ITT climbing league running from October 2026 to March 2027.
The Format
Events in this series are similar in format to Zwift’s ITT Racing League, where the weekly distance increases, but in the ITT Climbing League elevation is the target which increases each week:
Week 1 Max Elevation 250 meters
Week 2 Max Elevation 450 meters
Week 3 Max Elevation 650 meters
Week 4 Max Elevation 850 meters
Week 5 when it rarely happens… Alpe Du Zwift
The clock runs from the start pen to the banner finish, and routes have been selected/designed to provide world and climb type variations to keep it interesting and challenging.
Strategic Options
Unlike some other KOM segment smash races, racing strategy comes into play with this league. You will have to work different power ranges, manage energy levels, and ponder bike choices.
No draft regardless of bike.
No powerups, just you and your watts.
Weekly distances will fluctuate – for example, week 2 could be 15km and week 3 only 10km. Elevation is the primary focus.
Categories are enforced, and you must wear a HRM.
Identical setup to Zwift ITT League in ZwiftPower, with weekly and monthly results.
Some weeks will have long lead-ins to the climb which creates the bike choice dilemma: TT bike, climbing bike, or mid-race bike change (which has gotten easier as per Zwift Insider’s recent test)?
What is the intensity of your effort on each climb in a week where the course has multiple climbs?
How do you regulate your power on the flat sections before or between climbs?
Sign Up
One week it’s long draggy climbs, next week it’s multiple smaller climb This is weekly climbing, Russian roulette style. The first month’s events are now live on the calendar:
In a chase race, category starts are staggered, with slower categories starting before faster categories. (This is why chase races are sometimes called “handicap races”.)
For example, a chase race may have these category start times:
Category D – 12:00
Category C – 12:03
Category B – 12:05
Category A – 12:07
Race organizers calculate start times to give faster categories a chance to catch slower groups near the end of the race, so the front of the race contains multiple categories as riders near the finish.
Most chase races use the Zwift chase race kit, so each category can be easily seen on course
Chase races begin as team efforts, but end as individual efforts. That’s what makes the format so compelling. If your category’s pack isn’t working together to keep the speed up, they won’t be able to catch the group up the road and may be caught by a chasing group from behind. But chase races always end as individual efforts as you sprint for the line against your category, and often other categories as well!
The Now and Not Yet
Unlike some of the race concepts I’ve written about in this series, such as elimination and relay races, chase races are already happening on Zwift, and have been since the early days. Most chase races are long-running weekly events put on by the community, including DIRT Dadurday, COALITION Chase To The Underground, and Rhino Crash. But Zwift’s own Party Crashers and long-gone Beat the Bots events were basically chase races as well, even if they were classified as group rides.
Chase races are already happening daily on Zwift, and they can be super fun. But the experience is lacking in four key areas, as I see it:
No time gaps to groups: Unless you have Sauce for Zwift running, or you’re really good at clicking through the rider list or watching ZwiftPower’s Live view, it’s hard to discern time gaps to other categories. Are you closing the gap to the group ahead fast enough? Will you be able to stay away from the group behind?
Bad start time gaps: Because courses, group sizes, and rider abilities vary, it’s not always easy (in fact, it’s nearly impossible) to set the perfect start times for each group. Sometimes rider organizers get it wrong, and that can cost you the race, no matter how hard you ride.
Team chat: If the other categories are visible in game, they can also see your chat messages. This makes it impossible to privately chat with your group.
Miscategorized riders: This is less of a problem nowadays thanks to category enforcement and better categorization systems, but it’s still worth mentioning, since just one overpowered rider in a group can throw everything off. (I was once in a chase race where a current pro rider joined the B’s and pulled us to the front in record time!)
Let’s look at how Zwift could take Chase Races to the next level!
Required Game Changes
If Zwift wants to level up their chase race game, they need to focus on implementing game upgrades that help ensure a consistently fun experience for everyone who joins. Let’s discuss three specific game upgrades that would address the key issues mentioned above. Each of these is a standalone improvement that could be used in other areas of the game. Implementing them together, though, would radically improve the chase race experience:
Category-Only Chat Option
This is the easiest feature for Zwift to roll out and, in fact, it may already be an event option I don’t know about. Simply put: ride organizers should be able to restrict chat visibility so only members of the same category see in-game chat messages. This would let riders communicate closely with their “teammates” without alerting other teams about their plans.
Time Gap UI
If Zwift added smarter time gaps into the HUD, everyone could see how far away the other categories are. It would take some doing to make this work in a useful way. For example – what time do you show for the group ahead? Do you show the rider who is furthest up the road from the group, or the group’s main “peloton”, or the closest rider to your group? Or maybe all three?
It would require no small effort to build this feature out so it’s intuitive yet informative. But it could be done, and could be used in typical Zwift scratch races and group rides.
Dynamic Pens
This is the coolest of the new feature ideas, IMO, because it would feel a bit magical.
What if you simply clicked to join the chase race event, and it automatically broke riders up into groups and set time gaps based on rider numbers, route, race length, and rider abilities? Done right, it would make races more fair and fun for everyone.
As a bonus, the dynamic pens idea could be leveraged for other Zwift race formats as well!
Fun For All
The end goal, of course, is maximizing the fun (funmaxxing?) for everyone. Whether you’re one of the slowest or one of the fastest, a well-organized chase race should deliver an experience of teamwork and competition for all riders.
Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on chase races? Any improvement ideas I didn’t mention above? Chime in below!
Zwift has just announced the details of its next major event series, and it’s a crowd favorite: the Tour of Watopia (ToW) featuring double XP! This year includes two stages with brand-new routes from the upcoming Watopia expansion.
The 5-stage tour runs from October 5 to November 15. With double XP on tap, fresh kit unlocks, and a Watopia expansion, you can bet Zwifters will turn out. Because everyone wants to level up and ride new roads!
Tour of Watopia is Zwift’s only series featuring double XP. Typically riders are awarded 20 XP per kilometer or 32 XP per mile, but for ToW stages, riders will receive 40 XP per kilometer/64 XP per mile. Learn all about cycling XP and unlocks >
Runners typically receive 10 XP per .25km or 15 XP per .25 mile. You will receive 20 XP per .25km or 30 XP per .25 mile in ToW stages. Learn all about running XP and unlocks >
Stage Completion Rewards
Various rewards are configured for stage completion, for riders only:
Stage 1 – Socks
Stage 2 – 500 XP
Stage 3 – Cap
Stage 4 – 500 XP
Stage 5 – Finisher’s Kit
Ultimate Challenge Rewards
Go big and complete every cycling route in the challenge! You’ll earn extra XP as you progress towards completion, which requires a total of 405.5km of riding with 3759 meters of elevation gain:
7 Routes – 500 XP
9 Routes– 1000 XP
11 Routes– 2000 XP
13 Routes– 3000 XP
15 Routes– 4000 XP and Ultimate Challenge Finisher’s Kit
Stage Details
Group ride events for ToW use the following category/group setup:
Group A: Longer Ride
Group B: Standard Ride
Group C: Shorter Ride
Group D: Women Only (same route as Group B)
Late join will be enabled for all rides, but Zwift encourages everyone to get into the pens before the event begins to maximize the fun. Events will be scheduled hourly.
Remember, any route below can also be free-ridden (or completed in a workout, meetup, or even a non-ToW event) for stage credit once the stage begins.
Missed a stage or two? Or maybe you just want more of that sweet double XP? Make-up stages will be held from November 9-15. During those 7 days, Zwift will host events every 30 minutes covering all 5 stages.
Event Schedule
Group Rides are scheduled hourly
Races are scheduled hourly, with events every 30 minutes during make up week
Runs are scheduled every two hours
Routes may also be ridden or run via any other method for full stage credit, once the stage begins.
So Much XP!
How much XP could you earn by riding all the ToW routes? Well, that depends on which routes you’ve already completed, if you repeat some of the stages, how long you ride during the cooldown (where you still get double XP), whether you’re on an accelerated leveling plan, etc.
Here’s a table showing how much XP you will earn if you’re at level 100+ with plenty of banked XP, and you’ve already ridden all the existing routes (so no route badge), and you ride every route in every stage of this year’s Tour. The total? 55,525 XP!
Stage/Route
20 XP/km
Doubled
Banked XP Added
Bonus XP
Route XP
1: Watts of the Wild (42.2km)
840
840
2520
1: Sand and Sequoias (22.4km)
440
440
1320
1: Beach Island Loop (13.3km)
260
260
780
2: Long Ride: Out and Back Again (42.5km, 335m)
840
840
2520
500
2: Downtown Eruption (19.9km)
400
400
1200
2: Tick Tock (19.1km)
380
380
1140
2502
3: Climber’s Gambit (27.9km)
560
560
1680
500
3: Coastal Crown Loop (23.6km)
460
460
1380
3: Jarvis Seaside Sprint (15.3km)
300
300
900
1000
4: Pacific Pursuit (54km)
1080
1080
3240
500
1080
4: California Roll (33.2km)
660
660
1980
2000
660
4: California Dreamin’ (19.1km)
380
380
1140
380
5: One Ride to Rule Them All (38.7km)*
760
760
2280
3000
770
5: Molten Momentum (20.8km)*
420
420
1260
415
5: Crit Cross (13.5km)
260
260
780
4000
270
* denotes new Watopia routes 2 Tick Tock is the Route of the Week for October 12-18
Questions or Comments?
We’ve shared everything we know above, and will update this post with new info as it becomes available.
Still got questions? Post below and we’ll try to get them answered.
The course selection rewards different types of riders. Flat and rolling stages are combined with several demanding hilly races, while Stage 6 on Achterbahn serves as the Queen Stage with 990 meters of climbing.
Zwift Racing Score Categories
A: 690–1000
B: 520–690
C: 350–520
D: 180–350
E: 0–180
Points and General Classification
The top ten riders in each category will receive 100, 95, 92, 90, 88, 86, 84, 82, 80, and 78 points respectively.
From 11th place, points decrease by one point per position down to 87th place. Riders finishing from 88th to 100th will receive one point. Riders finishing 101st or lower, as well as DNF, DSQ, and invalid results, will receive no points.
Points are awarded only according to each rider’s final finishing position in the official ZwiftPower results. Intermediate sprints, KOM/QOM segments, primes, banners, and other in-game segments will not award points.
All eight stages count towards the general classification, with no dropped results.
How to Take Part
Participation is open to any rider, but all stages are private TEZH Racing club events. Riders must first join the TEZH Racing club in Zwift Companion to access the events and register: zwift.com/clubs/1fa742da-8706-4aca-91ba-ebf22f24d916/home
Joining TEZH Racing is only required to access and enter the events. Riders can continue representing their usual team and wear whichever kit they prefer.
Requirements
To be included in the official results and standings, riders must:
Have a ZwiftPower profile
Use a heart rate monitor
Use a smart trainer or power meter (no zPower)
Official results and category standings will be based on ZwiftPower.
The top three riders in each category will receive a digital diploma, with the winner also earning the title of TEZH Grand Tour 2026 category champion.
More Information
Full information, rules, and standings will be published on the official TEZH Racing Discord at discord.gg/4wwSBaTrvZ.
