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Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 Details

Eric Schlange
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1
Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 Details

Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 Details

Now in its 15th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Team signups for the second round of the season are now open.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s coming next for Zwift Racing League…

Intro to ZRL

Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is the world’s largest virtual cycling competition. How big is it? Over 36,000 riders participated in the 2023/24 season, making it the biggest season on record!

Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spread across multiple weeks, with teams organized into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races happen every Tuesday, and the season is broken into three 6-week rounds with short breaks in between.

ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.

This page contains the latest info about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.

Routes and Dates

Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.

Race #1: Waisted 8
January 14, 2025 (TTT)

ZRL is heading to Jarvis for the first time ever as we kick off round 3 with a Watopian TTT. Most of this route is flat, but there are key climby bits that will test your team’s ability to work together to maintain maximum speed.

Race #2: Douce France
January 21, 2025 (Points Race)

We’ve raced this multiple times in ZRL as a TTT, but never as a points race. This is a super-flat route, with the only small bump being the punchy Aqueduc KOM. One for the sprinters!

  • 1 Lap of France’s Douce France (24.8km, 137m elevation)
  • PowerUps: TBA 🛈
  • Intermediate Segments (FAL+FTS):
    • Ballon Sprint
    • Aqueduc KOM
    • Pavé Sprint
    • Marina Sprint

Race #3: Road To Ruins Reverse
January 28, 2025 (Scratch Race)

We raced the forward version of this route as a ZRL scratch race back in 2022. The reverse version of the route is going to unfold in a very similar fashion since the key selection points and even the finishes share many similarities even though they’re coming from opposite directions.

Race #4: Wandering Flats
February 4, 2025 (TTT)

Our second time racing this course in a TTT. Although it’s a bit twisty, this is a very flat route with just one key climb near the end, up to the Castle area.

Race #5: Everything Bagel
February 11, 2025 (Points Race)

The Queen Stage of this round, this pitchy route will make for a spicy points race as riders head up the New York KOM early on, with all the points segments coming after that key selecting climb.

Race #6: Danger Noodle
February 18, 2025 (Scratch Race)

What do you get when you take messes of Esses and add in a ton of Titans? Danger Noodle! This new route from Mark Brzezinski (ZSUNR) won the design competition for the final race of round 3. Mark says, “This route, with its snaking ups and downs, lefts and rights, provides plenty of opportunities for a breakaway to succeed.”

Race Timeslots

Some divisions and start times get tweaked between each round, so make sure you pick the time slot that works for your team.

Teams/Registration

ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can have up to 12 racers rostered, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can be rostered on no more than 2 teams per round.

Team registration opened on December 20 at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration.

Want to race, but don’t have a team? Here are six ways to find a team:

  1. Recruit friends onto a new ZRL team, then sign up your team at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration/.
  2. If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
  3. Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day starting two weeks before the first race. Learn more >
  4. Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
  5. Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
  6. Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.

First-Timer Tips

If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:

  1. You have to be signed up for ZwiftPower to participate. Instructions >
  2. You must create a WTRL account as well – do so at wtrl.racing/registration
  3. The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
  4. Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
  5. Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
  6. Cadence monitors are required.
  7. You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team, and then are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round.

Race Recon Events

If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.

You can find a list of upcoming ZRL recon rides at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

Live Broadcasts

Select ZRL races will be broadcast with commentary on Zwift’s streaming channels, including YouTube.

2024/25 ZRL Dates

  • Round 1: Sept 10-Oct 18, 2024
  • Round 2: Nov 12-Dec 17, 2024
  • Round 3: Jan 14-Feb 18, 2025
  • Finals: Apr 8-22, 2025

Questions or Comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page for rules, team registration, results, and more. They also have a Help Center with lots of useful info, and their Facebook page is the place to go for discussion of all things ZRL.

You may also share questions or comments below!

Tiny Race Series – December 28 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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0
Tiny Race Series – December 28 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – December 28 Routes and Last Week’s Results

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

So you got a Zwift bike/trainer. Now what?

Eric Schlange
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2
So you got a Zwift bike/trainer. Now what?

So you got a Zwift bike/trainer. Now what?

Over the past few months, I’ve seen more and riders asking different versions of the same question: I got my bike and trainer set up. I’m on Zwift. What do I do now?

Zwift is a big thing to wrap your head around, especially if you’re new to cycling. First, you’ve got the hardware side of things: what do I need to own in terms of a bike and smart trainer? What computer should I use to run Zwift? And let’s not even start talking about fans, rocker plates, and trainer tables…

Secondly, once you’ve got your hardware up and running, you have to decide what to actually do in Zwift’s virtual world.

That’s what this post is all about. I aim to give you an overview of the sorts of activities you can do in Zwift, and a bit of guidance to help you maximize your enjoyment of each.

My Resume

How am I qualified to be your tour guide for all things Zwift? Here’s a bit about me:

  • I joined Zwift in November of 2015
  • Since then I’ve completed over 1100 races and ridden nearly 90,000 kilometers on the platform
  • I’m at level 100 (the highest level Zwift currently has)
  • I’ve also led many group rides, and ridden in lots more
  • Most importantly, I’ve burned 5,922 slices of pizza while Zwifting

I’m also a Zwift superfan, having built this Zwift Insider website and published over 4500 articles to date covering all things Zwift.

Why have I done all this? Because I know from experience that Zwift is a special place where cyclists can make positive connections and receive motivation to achieve their goals.

With that out of the way, let’s begin. I group riding activities on Zwift into four broad categories: Exploring, Social Riding, Racing, and Structured Training. We’ll look at each one in turn.

Exploring

Zwift has 12 unique maps/worlds containing hundreds of kilometers of virtual tarmac. There are lots of different ways to ride these virtual roads, which leads to nearly 250 different routes spread across Zwift’s maps!

Browse the Master List of All Zwift Routes >

The most common thing people do on Zwift is simply ride various routes. Explore the different worlds. See all sites, and as fitness and time allow, conquer the biggest climbs and longest routes.

Nearly all routes in Zwift have an achievement badge which you earn the first time you complete the route. That badge comes with an XP bonus roughly worth the amount of XP you would get when riding the route, which means you effectively double your XP the first time you ride each route in Zwift.

If you’re looking to level up faster, riding new routes is a very effective way to do it. Of course, you can ride new routes in group rides, races, etc as well. But as you begin to cross routes off your to-do list, you will learn it’s not always easy to find group rides on the routes you need to finish. A solo effort may be needed.

You don’t have to follow a particular route when exploring Zwift roads, either. You get to choose which way you go at each and every intersection, so if you want, you can go your own way and ride a route nobody has ever pieced together before! That’s how the concept of Rebel Routes came to be, after all…

Need help finding your way around Watopia? Check out our map poster >

Social Riding

We all need connection, and cycling is a very social sport. So it’s no surprise that many Zwifters embrace the social side of Zwift.

I would break social riding on Zwift into three broad categories: scheduled events, RoboPacer groups, and Meetups. Let’s look at each of these.

Scheduled Events

As I compose this post, there are 1000+ group rides scheduled over the next 7 days on Zwift. That works out to almost 150 per day, or around 6 per hour on average. You can browse these rides on the Zwift Companion app (highly recommend, available on iOS and Android). Or if you want to do some “power browsing” check out ZwiftHacks’ event search tool, which lets you filter events on a huge number of parameters.

These rides are organized by teams in the Zwift community, and most of them recur each week, often rotating between various routes. There’s a lot of variety in group rides, so read the event description to make sure you know what you’re signing up for! A few ways group rides can vary:

  • Pace: usually stated in watts per kilogram, this is the main determiner of how hard you’ll need to work to keep up with the group, unless it’s a banded ride.
  • Length: every ride goes for a set time or distance, so you know how long you’ll be on the bike.
  • Route: some groups ride the same route each week, while others rotate between a handful of routes and still others tackle tough routes to help you earn badges.
  • Banding: some rides are “banded”, meaning everyone stays together as long as they keep pedaling. Most rides are not. Click “Rubberband” under the Rules section of the ZwiftHacks events app to see banded rides.
  • Leaders and Sweepers: leaders are designated with a yellow beacon, sweepers with red. Some group rides have no designated leader and/or sweeper(s), but in my opinion, the best recurring group rides are those with regular leaders. They bring a personality to the event!

My advice? Join a group ride that fits your schedule and meets the parameters you’re looking for. If you like it, come back next week. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, try a different ride next time. The most rewarding group ride experiences I’ve had are on rides where I return week after week and get to know the other regulars.

RoboPacer Groups

RoboPacers are bots who ride at a particular pace on particular routes around the clock. What they effectively create is an always-on group ride. If you hop in with the same pacer around the same time each day, you’ll start to notice some of the same folks are there with you, which is why RoboPacer groups (especially the slower ones) can often be quite social!

Joining a RoboPacer is the easiest and most hassle-free way to start riding with others on Zwift because they’re always going and you can pop in and out whenever you wish.

To get started, just pick a group from the list of cards on your homescreen’s “24/7 Group Rides” carousel, and the game will drop you into that RoboPacer’s group. Start riding, and if the pace works for you, stick with it! Too fast or slow? Teleport to another RoboPacer.

Related Links:
All About Zwift RoboPacers >
RoboPacer Schedule >
All About Teleporting in Zwift >

Meetups

Meetups are a way to organize group rides with one or more friends. When you schedule a Meetup, you pick the date, time, route, length, and whether everyone should be kept together (banded) or not. Then invite your friends to join you!

Related: All About Meetups on Zwift >

One last bit of advice when it comes to being social on Zwift. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” That’s true in life, and true on Zwift. Make friends by messaging in game and/or interacting with others in Zwift groups on various social networks (Facebook and Reddit are popular). The more you reach out, the more connections you’ll make.

Racing

If you have a competitive spirit or just want to push yourself to the max, you’ve got to give racing on Zwift a try! There are around 650 races on Zwift each week, which works out to nearly 100 per day, or 3-4 each hour.

Like group rides, races vary in significant ways. But where most group rides are organized by Zwift community teams, a good chunk of the races on Zwift are actually organized by Zwift themselves.

When you sign up for a race, you’ll want to pay attention to a few details:

  • Route: are you racing on a hilly course? A flat course? Knowing what to expect course-wise helps you play your pacing and strategy smartly.
  • Type of Race: is this a standard “scratch race” (first across the line wins)? A points race? A time trial? Most races on Zwift are scratch races, so assume that unless the event description says something else.
  • Categories: how are riders grouped in the race? Does everyone start together, or does each category start on its own?

These details and more can be discovered by using the ZwiftHacks events app.

Related: How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More) >

Finding a Team

Racing on Zwift is fun. Racing with teammates is more fun! Whether it’s the massive Zwift Racing League, a tiny team vs. team Club Ladder event, or a one-off race with a few teammates in the field, having friends in the pack always makes things more interesting and rewarding.

It’s also nice to be part of a larger organization since this provides you with a network of helpful friends who can answer your newbie questions or offer encouragement when you’re struggling. So I highly recommend joining a team on Zwift.

Related: Teams on Zwift: A Comprehensive Guide >

Just Do It

One last note on racing: some riders avoid racing on Zwift because they’re intimidated and fearful of “failing.” But here’s the thing: nobody is watching you that closely. Everyone is focused on themselves, working hard to keep up, and if you drop off the back or decide to exit the event early for any reason, chances are nobody will even notice!

So just jump in and give it a go. You may discover, like I have, that racing is the perfect motivation to push harder than ever and build your fitness to new heights.

Structured Training

While all activity on Zwift is “training” in some sense, structured training is a specific type of activity. We call it “structured” because each workout follows a precise plan, and often those workouts are part of a much larger months-long training plan.

Here’s an example of one structured workout:

The chart gives you a picture of what you’ll be doing during the workout. The height and color of each block tells you how hard the effort level will be (higher effort=taller blocks, and colors follow a standard power zone coloring scheme.) The width of each block tells you how long you’ll be holding that power level.

ERG Mode

Most people ride structured workouts in ERG mode, which is different from the SIM mode your smart trainer uses when simulating hills in game. ERG mode modulates your trainer’s resistance to force you to hold a particular power output. You don’t need to shift gears. Just keep your cadence where you’d like and the trainer will adjust resistance so you’re hitting the target power. Magic!

Related: All About ERG Mode on Zwift >

Your FTP

Target power numbers are generally set based on your FTP, so you’ll want to have your FTP set accurately before you take on a structured workout, otherwise it may be way too easy or way too hard!

How do you set your FTP if you don’t know it? Zwift can auto-detect your FTP if you ride at maximum average power for 8+ minutes, or you can take an actual FTP test.

Related: How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift >

Browsing Workouts and Training Plans

Zwift has a huge library of individual structured workouts available by clicking “Workouts” from your homescreen. You can also click Training Plans from that screen to browse progressive, long-term plans that have you complete multiple workouts each week to build fitness in a structured way.

Training plans can feel very rigorous and… well… structured. But they’re also the most efficient way to build fitness on the bike, if you can stick to them!

Wrapping It Up: Find Your Joy

Every rider is different. Some people love exploring, while others love chatting and being social. Some are highly motivated by competition, while others prefer the rigors (and efficiency) of a structured training plan.

Most people are a combination of two or more of these things. I, for example, love social rides and races. These make up probably 95% of my Zwift activities.

There is no right or wrong here. The important thing is to find what motivates you. Because when you find activities you enjoy, they’ll drive you to get on the bike day after day. And it’s that consistency that builds real fitness on the bike!

Questions or Comments?

What gets you going on Zwift? Share below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Alpe du Zwift, Zwift Tips, and Fastest Bikes

Oli Chi
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Top 5 Zwift Videos: Alpe du Zwift, Zwift Tips, and Fastest Bikes

For those of you who have completed the Alpe in under 60 minutes, you’ll know that that was no easy feat. In this week’s top video, one Zwifter makes an attempt at conquering the Alpe in under 40 minutes!

We’ve also selected videos about improving your Zwift experience, the top bikes on Zwift, a beginner’s first race, and a Zwift race breakdown.

How I Crushed my Fastest Time Cycling Up Alpe du Zwift! – Chasing Sub 40

Tom, aka, Going for a Fairly Long Bike Ride, is on a mission to break the 40-minute barrier up the Alpe du Zwift. In this video, he makes a hard effort to get up the Alpe to see how close he is to his goal…

7 Zwift Tips To Level Up Your Cycling Fitness

Phil Mosley provides 7 Zwift tips to help you maximize and enhance your Zwifting experience.

Top 5 Fastest Bikes on Zwift In 2025

Looking to gain every last second on Zwift? Make sure you are using the fastest bikes on Zwift! In his latest video, Crank and Sprints Chronicles shares the 5 fastest bikes on Zwift.

I’m a Zwift Racing n00b. Help me get to 500 race score… (Race Recap and Questions for Learning)

For the longest time, James has been a die-hard Trainerroad user. However, as we all do at some point in our Zwifting careers, James discovered the joy of Zwift racing. Watch as he tackles a race and starts his mission to reach a racing score of 500.

Zwift Race | ZRL Round 6 Scratch race

Max from The Watt Life breaks down race 6 of the Zwift Racing League on Tair Dringfa Fechan.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Zwift Camp: Baseline Follow-Up Challenges Now Available – Sprinting, Attacking, Endurance

Eric Schlange
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10
Zwift Camp: Baseline Follow-Up Challenges Now Available – Sprinting, Attacking, Endurance

Zwift Camp: Baseline Follow-Up Challenges Now Available – Sprinting, Attacking, Endurance

Zwift Camp: Baseline events end this week, and many riders have already wrapped up all six stages. So what comes next?

Three new challenges have been released today, each targeting one of the areas of fitness which Zwift Camp: Baseline was evaluating (Sprinting, Attacking, and Endurance). You may take on whatever challenge(s) you’d like, but the performance report email sent at the end of Zwift Camp: Baseline points you to a particular challenge to help strengthen your limiter.

Each of the challenges contains 4-5 workouts which you must complete in order to finish the challenge and get the 1000XP bonus. You can see a list of each challenge’s workouts by clicking the challenge in your “Challenges” carousel on the homescreen:

Below, you’ll find the details of each challenge’s workouts. But first, let’s talk about the new route-based workouts!

Route-Based Workouts

For years now, Zwift has talked about bringing route-based workouts into the game. What exactly is a route-based workout, you ask? Think of it like this: have you ever ridden outdoors and used the physical layout of your route to determine/inspire your workout? Maybe you did hill repeats on a short loop that contained a climb, or put in a steady endurance effort on a long, flat road.

Route-based workouts in Zwift are meant to provide a somewhat looser, more organic alternative to structured ERG sessions. Instead of specific timed intervals at precise wattages, Zwift places you on a particular route and gives you on-screen instructions so you know what sort of effort level to target on particular locations on the course:

For these route-based workouts, the goal is to turn in a maximal effort on each timed segment (KQOM or sprint). So you can expect the workouts to feature:

  • Longer endurance intervals on flat or rolling sections
  • Sweet spot to threshold-level intervals on longer climbs
  • VO2-level intervals on short climbs
  • Sprint intervals on in-game sprint segments

Looking for Feedback

While the benchmarking events Zwift used in Zwift Academy Road 2021-2022 were basic route-based workouts, today’s release is Zwift’s most ambitious route-based workouts rollout to date. It’s still early days for this concept, but internal contacts within Zwift tell me they’re hoping the community will embrace the idea and deliver feedback to help direct the continued development of the route-based workout idea. (Share your feedback on this post – Zwift says they’ll be watching it!)

I’m stoked about the route-based workout concept, as I think it could be a “Zwifty” feature that creates a new kind of training experience. One that sort of mirrors what you can do outside, but with some improvements to the experience.

While I received early access to these challenges so I could publish this post when they went live, I haven’t had a chance to complete any of the workouts quite yet. My plan is to complete some or all of the route-based workouts so I can write a follow-up post detailing my experience, recommendations for improvements, etc. As you complete these workouts, please share your experience in the comments below for other Zwifters and Zwift HQ to see!

Endurance Challenge

Route-Based Workout: The Big Ring

“Challenge your speed and endurance with a long flat route and a few short sprint segments to turn up your heart rate and boost your endurance.”

51.2km, 275m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
Acropolis Sprint Reverse (0.45km, -1.1%)
Stoneway Sprint Reverse (0.4km, 0.75%)
Fuego Flats Sprint (0.5km, 0.2%)

Animated “The Big Ring” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Aerobic Sustainability

This 50-minute basic endurance workout consists of 3 identical blocks, each containing 3x repeats of 30 seconds at 95% followed by 3:30 at 80% of FTP.

Route-Based Workout: Itza Climb Finish

“Challenge your muscular strength and endurance with 4 powerful sprints and 2 consecutive endurance-building climbs for the climb finish.”

30km, 294m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
Acropolis Sprint Reverse (0.45km, -1.1%)
Stoneway Sprint Reverse (0.4km, 0.75%)
Mayan Mountainside KOM (1.99km, 3.1%)
Itza KOM (3.75km, 2%
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)

Animated “Itza Climb Finish” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Long Climbs

This 57-minute workout focuses on strength endurance work by having you complete steady, low-cadence intervals like you would encounter on long climbs.

Route-Based Workout: Peak Performance

“The most challenging workout of this Challenge with a mix of long, steady climbs (including The Grade) and short intense sprints to boost your muscular strength and endurance. You might even get a new FTP at the top of The Grade!”

46.6km, 729m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Titans Grove KOM Reverse (0.89km, 4.4%)
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
The Grade KOM (3.52km, 8.6%)

Animated “Peak Performance” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Attacking Challenge

Route-Based Workout: The Muckle Yin

“Challenge your attacking power with 3 punchy climbs, 2 slightly longer climbs, and one sprint finish. Your goal is to attack each segment with maximum effort, while recovering smartly between segments.”

23.6km, 282m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Breakaway Brae Reverse (0.4km, 2%)
Sgurr Summit North (1.6km, 3.7%)
Breakaway Brae (0.62km, 2.4%)
Sgurr Summit South (1km, 3.3%)
The Clyde Kicker (0.3km, 3.6%)
Champion’s Sprint (0.2km, -0.4%)

Animated “The Big Ring” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Hill Attacks

This 45-minute workout has you complete 8x 1-minute intervals at 140% of FTP, simulating repeated attacks up a short hill in a race.

Route-Based Workout: Figure 8

“Challenge your strength and attacking power with a mix of 2 short sprints and 2 climbs. Focus on giving a strong and controlled effort in each segment.”

29.7km, 254m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Hilly KOM Reverse (2.4km, 2%)
JWB Sprint Reverse (0.2km, 0%)
Hilly KOM (0.9km, 5.5%)
JWB Sprint (0.36km, -0.1%)

Animated “Itza Climb Finish” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Surge to the Max

This 46-minute workout contains 4x ramp repeats to train your ability to put in a big effort even when you’re already tired. Each ramp builds from 70%-105% of FTP over 3 minutes, then finishes with a 1-minute max effort. (Be sure to catch your breath during the 3 minutes of recovery between each ramp… you’re gonna need it!)

Sprinting Challenge

Route-Based Workout: Neokyo All-Nighter

“The shorter route of these Challenges with 4 short intense sprints and one short climb to challenge your sprinting power.”

24.5km, 168m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Castle Park Sprint Reverse (0.21km, 0.3%)
Alley Sprint Reverse (0.38km, -1.2%)
Castle Park Sprint (0.22km, -0.7%)
Tower Sprint (0.32km, 0.4%)
Rooftop KOM (1.9km, 2.7%)

Animated “The Big Ring” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Fun is Going Full Gas

Inspired by Mathieu van der Poel, this 45-minute workout trains your explosive power. The key intervals here are 8x 30-second efforts at 165% of FTP.

Route-Based Workout: Coast Crusher

“Challenge your sprinting power with a longer flat route with 8 short sprint segments spread out over the entirety of the route. Focus on maximum effort in each sprint and recover smartly in between segment. This one is going to challenge your mental and physical strength. Try to finish with a max effort for the finishing sprint!”

42.8km, 211m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Stoneway Sprint (0.4km, 0.75%)
Acropolis Sprint (0.45km, 0.67%)
Sasquatch Sprint (0.35km, 0.2%)
Woodland Sprint (0.5km, -2%)
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
Acropolis Sprint Reverse (0.45km, -1.1%)
Stoneway Sprint Reverse (0.4km, 0.75%)

Animated “Itza Climb Finish” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Nelson Vails – Sprint

Nelson Vails, the first and only African American cyclist to win an Olympic medal, was known for going from zero to 40mph+ in the blink of an eye. this 38-minute work begins with 3x 15-second sprints at 150% of FTP, then you’ll complete 3s 2.5-minute ramp sections where the final 30 seconds is an all-out sprint effort.

Questions or Comments?

Let me know if you have questions about these three new challenges. And I’m especially interested in you sharing your experience as you take on the route-based workouts above. As mentioned above, Zwift HQ is watching the comments on this post as they look to iterate on the route-based workout concept, so please do share your thoughts below!

“Flat Is Fast” ZRacing January Series Details

Eric Schlange
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“Flat Is Fast” ZRacing January Series Details

“Flat Is Fast” ZRacing January Series Details

Zwift’s “ZRacing” is the platform’s most popular ongoing race series, with over 45,000 riders participating in last month’s races!

In January the series takes on a group of flatter routes. But the bigger news is a shakeup in how the events are categorized, which I unpack below.

Read on for details about new category ranges and top-level races, plus race routes and strategically competing in the monthly GC competition.

Category Shakeup

Beginning in January, Zwift is making major changes to the category ranges used in ZRacing events. Their goal? “Fairer, more competitive racing for everyone.”

Zwift is doing this by creating a new set of “Advanced Category” races for riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 650+. Additionally, races for riders at 700 and below will feature tighter, alternating category ranges.

Read all about Zwift Racing Score >

Advanced Category Races for 650+

One common complaint among top-ranked racers is a lack of participation in the top category of ZRacing events. Zwift is working to change this by creating a new set of “Advanced” category races targetting riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 650+.

Unlike the old ZRacing schedule with its hourly events, these Advanced races will only be held 5x per day in order to focus participation and improve competition at the top level.

Event times will be as follows, but Zwift says “We will evaluate the number of times ongoing according to demand”:

  • 10:15 UTC/5:15 ET/2:15 PT
  • 12:15 UTC/7:15 ET/4:15 PT
  • 18:15 UTC/13:15 ET/10:15 PT
  • 19:15 UTC/14:15 ET/11:15 PT
  • 00:15 UTC/19:15 ET/16:15 PT

Note: you can always “race up” in Zwift, so even if your Zwift Racing Score is below 650, you can join the Advanced events.

Tighter, Alternating Categories for 700-

For riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 700 and below, ZRacing events will feature tighter categories that alternate hourly between two different sets of ranges:

  • Category Range 1: 0-160 | 160-270 | 270-390 | 390-510 | 510-650
  • Category Range 2: 0-210 | 210-330 | 330-450 | 450-570 | 570-700

A few interesting things worth noting:

  • Riders with scores between 650-700 will have the option of racing in the new Advanced events, or in the top category of Range 2 events.
  • If you’re looking for a race where you have the best shot of winning, the alternating Range 1/Range 2 events give you access to an event where you are fairly close to the top of the category range.
  • Looking for a harder workout? You can always race up a category, or choose a category range that puts you near the bottom of the category.
  • Category ranges flexing across events has implications for riders competing in the overall monthly GC. More on this below…

Monthly GC

Each month’s series includes a time-based GC (general classification) on ZwiftPower tracking riders’ best finishing times for each week’s race. Just like a Tour de France-style stage race, the rider with the fastest combined time across the month’s stages wins!

See January’s GC on ZwiftPower >

With Zwift restructuring event categories in January, riders competing in the GC will need to think more strategically than ever. There are now 203 weekly events being held, and those events rotate between three different combinations of categories (Advanced, Range 1, and Range 2 as explained above). Riders will need to consider:

  • Field Size Matters: all else being equal, the fastest times will come from the largest fields. So riding in the most popular races can help your GC results. But also…
  • Category Range Matters: a group of riders with scores between 330-450 will be faster than a group of riders at 270-390. So while Zwift may recommend either of these categories for you if your score is 350, and you may have a better chance at a race win in the 270-390 group, the upper category may very well give you a better finishing time. But also…
  • Your Abilities Matter: neither of the above considerations matters if you get dropped from the front group midway through the race.

While the GC results pages on ZwiftPower let you filter by score range, those are really artificial groupings at this point since the actual events aren’t using those score ranges. It may be most helpful to see the GC as a way of ranking yourself against the entire universe of ZRacing participants, which means it’s up to you to choose your events and execute your races strategically to maximize your GC ranking.

New to Zwift Racing? Three important GC-related notes:

  1. You must be signed up for ZwiftPower to be included in the GC results. Need help? Read How to Sign Up for ZwiftPower (and Why Every Zwifter Should Do It).
  2. To be included in the final ZwiftPower results, you must use a heart rate monitor as well as a smart trainer, smart bike, or power meter.
  3. You can race each stage multiple times to improve your finishing time.

January’s Routes

Here are the routes we’ll be racing in January:

  • Stage 1 (Dec 30-Jan 5): Tempus Fugit
    • 1 lap (19.6km, 22m elevation)
    • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
  • Stage 2 (Jan 6-12): Beach Island Loop
    • 2 laps (26.4km, 88m elevation)
    • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
  • Stage 3 (Jan 13-19): London Flat
    • 2 laps (24.4km, 230m)
    • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
  • Stage 4 (Jan 20-26): Douce France
    • 1 lap (24.8km, 133m)
    • Powerups: Feather, Draft 🛈
  • Stage 5 (Jan 27-Feb 2): The Fan Flats
    • 3 laps (19.5km, 48m)
    • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈

See upcoming “Flat Is Fast” events >

Get the Badge

Each month’s ZRacing series has a unique achievement badge, which you can unlock by finishing every stage for the month. There are no makeup events, so if you miss a stage, you miss out on the badge and competing in the GC.

One and Done

Zwift has planned these events to deliver a solid 1-hour workout, so each race should only take around 1 hour to complete, including your warmup and cooldown.

Questions or Comments?

Post below! 

Woman Racer Spotlight: Vanessa Murray    

Karla Williams
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Woman Racer Spotlight: Vanessa Murray    

Woman Racer Spotlight: Vanessa Murray    

Name: Vanessa Murray          

Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand but reside in Melbourne, Australia.

How did you get into cycling? My intro to cycling was through triathlon. I met my husband, and he raced Ironman.  At the time I did some running for fitness, was an ex-competitive swimmer but had never ridden a bike.  He suggested I jump on a bike and give a sprint triathlon a go and from there my love of cycling and triathlon began. 

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? Actually, not that many.  It was only in 2021 that I really started to explore Zwift racing.  Living in Melbourne, Australia through COVID we had one of the harshest/longest lock-down periods across the globe (and were not allowed to go more than a 5km radius from home) and it was over that time that I really got into Zwift racing.  At the time I was still training for world championship triathlon events and used Zwift racing in my preparations but also just to really push myself and have fun during what was a challenging time.

Are you part of a Virtual team? Yep! I am part of BL13.  Last season was my first season racing for a team.  I had so much fun, and the team was so welcoming and supportive.  Although I love to race and work hard on the bike, I have enjoyed having some experienced Zwift racers around me to offer tips and tricks.

What do you love most about racing? I love pushing myself and getting the best out of myself IRL and in virtual racing.  Particularly in a team racing environment as you aren’t only racing for yourself but for the success of a team.  Triathlon is a very individual sport, so I have really enjoyed the team element of Zwift racing. Being an endurance athlete, I have also really enjoyed developing my top-end power – this is tough! Being an endurance athlete, I am well used to dialing in Z3 power for 180km, but developing my top end power has been challenging, which is why I have also enjoyed it and love seeing improvements and working on something new and different.  

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I do prefer a traditional scratch style or points race. The points races have been the most challenging for me – learning to sprint and recover quick enough but that’s part of the challenge and why I have learnt to love them. A iTT is much more similar to my triathlon-style racing, so I enjoy mixing things up when it comes to Zwift racing and working on my lesser-developed skills.

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside, outside or both? The Ironman World Champs in St. George in 2022 was a great experience – being on the Zwift Academy Triathlon team was an awesome experience but the race was also very memorable as I was able to overcome 2x punctures on the bike to become an AG Ironman World Champion.  Backing this up in Kona 2023 and becoming 2x Ironman World Champion was also top of the most memorable list.

What is your favourite food to eat post-race? Guilty post-race pleasure is the one and only golden arches.  Can’t go past a cheeseburger, chocolate thick shake and some salty fries with sweet and sour sauce.

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? There are so many great race series with a great community behind them. Jump in and get involved and ask questions… there are so many people willing to offer help and advice.  I would suggest joining a virtual team as this gives you access to a great support network.  Although I had a lot of IRL race experience when I joined BL13, I was very green on the virtual racing side of things, and it was so great to have plenty of teammates on hand to learn from and help develop my virtual racing skills.  It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be an elite-level cyclist to get involved in virtual racing – there is something for everyone.

Any upcoming races you are looking forward to? I can’t wait to get involved in the ZRL race season again – I’ll be taking part once the AUS time zone changes over.  I’m also hoping to give the Zwift World Series racing a crack from round 3 if I can nab a qualification spot. IRL I have the Ironman 70.3 World Champs coming up in December so full focus will be on that, and I love incorporating some hard Zwift racing and workouts into my build – so see you online!

Where can people follow your racing adventures? Insta – @vanmurraytri Strava – https://strava.app.link/YfNftE220Mb

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 21-22

Eric Schlange
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Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 21-22

We’re sinking into deep winter here in the northern hemisphere, and that means lots of base miles to build our aerobic systems. This week’s featured events are all great places to put in endurance efforts… and you can even make things a little spicy on the Off the MAAP makeup rides if you’re up for it!

📊 Workout 5 | Endurance Elevator | Zwift Camp: Baseline

✅ Endurance Training 　✅ Tough Workout

Zwift Camp: Baseline is nearing its final week, and this weekend is your last chance to execute Workout 5 in a group setting. This workout features long blocks of riding at threshold. It’s not easy, but it’ll make you stronger!

Learn all about Zwift Camp: Baseline >
Read Eric’s walkthrough of the Stage 5 and 6 >

The standard workout is 59 minutes long and held on Mayan Mash, while the shorter “lite” workout is 33 minutes on Mayan 8.

Group workouts scheduled hourly
Sign up at zwift.com/zwift-camp

🤝 BMTR Flat 100 (Miles)

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Legacy Leaders 　✅ Kit Unlock 　✅ Endurance Challenge

This was the only weekend event with over 100 signups at the time I checked (Thursday afternoon Pacific time), so they earned a spot on the list! This event is one of our most commonly-featured events, for good reason. The BMTR Flat 100 consistently gets big turnouts because it offers multiple pace groups on flatter, distance-friendly routes.

This week riders are on the Big Flat 8 route, with four different pace options. Be sure to read the event description for details!

Saturday, December 21 @ 1:10pm UTC/8:10am EST/5:10am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4682024

🤝 Off the MAAP Makeups

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Kit Unlock

Off the MAAP 2024 has been really popular, but it ends this weekend with makeup rides for each stage held every hour.

Learn all about Off the MAAP 2024 >

These are officially group rides, not races, but like any big Zwift series, the front of the ride will always feel like a race. Ride at whatever effort level you’d like!

All three stages scheduled each hour
Sign up at zwift.com/events/series/off-the-maap-zwift

🤝 Vikings Valhalla Sunday Skaal Ride

✅ Epic Route 　✅ Endurance Challenge　✅ Legacy Leaders

We’ve featured this event many times in the past, as it’s always well-attended and well-led at pace that helps everyone stay together. Experienced leaders and sweepers do their best to keep the groups together so everyone can work together to knock out a long ride!

This week’s ride offers two options: D cat is held at a 1.7-2.2 W/kg pace and C cat is held at 2.3-2.7 W/kg. Both groups are riding London’s PRL Full, the longest route in Zwift!

Sunday, December 22 @ 8:05am UTC/3:05am EDT/12:05am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4684329

🤝 ZWIFT NL Longer Ride

✅ Beginner-Friendly 　✅ Jersey Unlock

Looking for a group ride this weekend? Zwift NL is hosting their longer ride, which is really three separate events since each category has its own pacing and route!

C group will ride The Big Ring for 79km, D group will ride Makuri 40 for 2 hours at 2-2.4 W/kg, and E group will ride Triple Flat Loops for 2 hours at 1.5-1.9 W/kg.

Saturday, December 21 @ 8am UTC/3am ET/12am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4681914

How We Make Our Picks

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!

Join Eric Min’s PRL Full Badge Hunt Ride December 28

Eric Schlange
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Join Eric Min’s PRL Full Badge Hunt Ride December 28

Join Eric Min’s PRL Full Badge Hunt Ride December 28

Zwift CEO Eric Min is an avid Zwifter, reaching level 100 a few months ago after riding more than 80,000 km on the platform.

Over the past 10 years he’s led group rides, raced, and ridden every bit of tarmac in Zwift’s virtual worlds… including some roads none of us have ever seen!

But do you know what he hasn’t done yet? London’s The PRL Full – the longest route in Zwift.

That’s going to change soon, though. Next Saturday at 4pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT, Eric aims to cross this final route off his list. And he’s inviting the Zwift community to ride it with him, because long days in the saddle are always better with friends!

Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4691206

About the Route

The PRL Full route was released with the original London map back in 2018, and the intent was to mimic the length (but not the actual roads) of the IRL Prudential Ride London event.

In contrast to Zwift’s other long routes, The PRL Full is quite simple: it’s just 11 laps of the London Loop, followed by a bit more riding to get you onto The Mall where you finish at the Classique forward sprint:

But simple doesn’t mean easy. The route is 173.5km (107.8 miles) long, with 2625m (8,599′) of elevation gain. Strava KOM holder Stefan Kirchmair did it in 3 hours and 58 minutes during a Zwift Insider badge hunt ride in March of 2021. But the rest of us mortals will need to plan on a ride that takes 5+ hours. (Our ZI Metrics estimate stays 280 minutes at 4 W/kg, 313 minutes at 3 W/kg, and 397 minutes at 2 W/kg.)

The big feature of the London Loop is Box Hill – 3km/1.9 miles long with 136m (446′) of elevation gain for an average gradient of 4.4%. It’s not a particularly long or steep climb, but 11x up any climb is a challenge!

Read more about The PRL Full >

Tips for a Successful Ride

  • Show up on time. Yes, late join is enabled for this ride, but if you arrive late the game will place you with other riders partway into the route, which means you won’t earn the route badge. Ouch.
  • This is not a race – it’s a group ride. You can treat it as a race if you’d like, of course, but the ride will break up naturally into pace groups. Find riders working at your target pace and work together. Don’t burn your legs up early.
  • The VeloViewer Leaderboard shows that top riders crush The PRL Full in under 4.5 hours. But most mortals require 5-7 hours, with plenty taking even longer. You do you. Be sure to plan accordingly.
  • Because of its repetitive nature, this route is best tackled in a group. Discord and in-game chat will help pass the time as well.
  • Prep your fuel and get good rest the night before. It’ll be a long ride!

Join Me Discord

Zwift Insider’s Discord server will be open for voice chat during the ride, and I’ll be signed in as I ride the course with everyone else. (I bet I can even convince Eric Min to join us.)

This really helps pass the time, so we highly encourage it!

Join the server at https://discord.gg/zwiftinsider and sign into the Cycling Chat Room. And if you’re new to Discord, read “Using Discord on Zwift” for tips!

Rapha Festive 500

This event happens right in the middle of the Rapha Festive 500, and finishing it will let you check off over 30% of the 500km challenge! (Plus, finishers will unlock the new Rapha Festive 500 kit.)

Sign Up Now

Sign up for Eric Min’s PRL Full Ride at zwift.com/events/view/4691206.

Questions or Comments?

Post below and we’ll do our best to answer them!

Best Bike Split Announces Zwift Training API Integration

Eric Schlange
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Best Bike Split Announces Zwift Training API Integration

Best Bike Split Announces Zwift Training API Integration

Last week Best Bike Split and Zwift announced a new level of integration via Zwift’s new Training API, making it easier than ever to execute Best Bike Split-created workouts directly in Zwift.

About Best Bike Split

Trusted by some of the top pro teams in the world, Best Bike Split’s proprietary math and physics engine uses your power data, course info, and race day conditions to predict your race performance and create the perfect power plan so you can hit your best bike split ever.

It’s super-popular with TT specialists and triathletes, for obvious reasons.

Best Bike Split doesn’t have a training calendar tool like some of Zwift’s other Training API partners (see list at bottom of post). Rather, Best Bike Split helps you create powerful and accurate workouts based on real course info, so you can train to do your best on race day. Once the workouts have been created, this new Training API integration lets Best Bike Split premium subscribers click to send workouts straight to Zwift.

There are three types of workouts Best Bike Split can create and send to Zwift:

  • Race Plans: create a structured workout that mimics the power requirements of your personalized race plan for a particular course on race day. Great for training for specific time trials!
  • Analytics: upload your ride activity to Best Bike Split, which then creates a structured workout that replicates those efforts.
  • AI Workout Builder: an innovative tool that lets cyclists and coaches create highly personalized, structured workouts tailored to specific race scenarios and individual training goals.

Pricing

You’ll need to pay for Best Bike Split Premium in order to access most of its useful features, including Zwift integration. Cost is $19/month, or get a big discount by paying annually ($119/year works out to $9.92/month).

Connecting Best Bike Split + Zwift

All of your interaction with Best Bike Split is done via the website (bestbikesplit.com). Visit the site, create your account, then connect it to Zwift under My Account/Connect Zwift:

Exporting to Zwift

Pull up any Race Plan, Analytics, or AI Workout on Best Bike Split, and you’ll see a “Zwift Uploads” section at the bottom-right. Click the button to send it to your Zwift “For You” carousel.

You can also go to Workouts → Custom and select “Best Bike Split” to see workouts you’ve exported.

It should be noted that Best Bike Split has allowed you to export their workouts to .zwo files for years, but this new integration just makes the process smoother by sending the workout directly to your Zwift profile so you don’t need to bother with moving files into the proper folders.

Complete List of Training API Partners

Best Bike Split is just the latest to be added to the growing list of Training API partners at Zwift. Here’s the complete list, which will be updated as new partners are added:

Questions or Comments?

Have you raced using a race plan from Best Bike Split? Share any related comments or questions below…

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