“Loch Loop” Route Details
See zwiftinsider.com/route/loch-loop/
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of February 4-5
This week’s notable events include a good selection of endurance rides, route badge opportunities, and more!
The February ZFondo is also taking place this week. However, since the event already has its own post, other community-led events are featured below.
🤝 JETT Endurance Ride 100km 2.5~3.3w/kg
Looking for a long, faster-paced group ride? JETT (Japan eSports Tempting Team) hosts a group ride every Saturday (or Sunday for those in Asia or Australia). Throughout this ride, the leaders for team JETT will be keeping some rules in place to ensure that all riders are able to stick together and benefit from the draft. There will also be two separate categories to accommodate for two pace zones; category C at 2.5-2.9 w/kg, and category B at 3-3.3 w/kg.
This 100km group ride takes place over The London Pretzel course. This course does have a significant amount of elevation gain, so do not expect this to be an easy ride.
Saturday, Feb 4 @ 8:05pm UTC/3:05pm EST/12:05pm PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3482563
🤝 Tour de Zwift 2023 | Stage 8 | Ride
While we normally do not feature events organized by Zwift, I felt that this one is pretty important to highlight, as it is an opportunity for riders to explore the new Scotland course, and the last stage of the annual Tour De Zwift. This is one of the first opportunities to ride on the Scotland course, which will be used for the 2023 UCI eSports World Championships. Tip: continue riding in Scotland after completing the event to ride all of the new roads included in this new world.
The categories in this ride are not pace-based, but rather distance-based. There are a few different options for lengths in this ride. Category A is going to be 3 laps of the Rolling Highlands course, category B is going to be 2 laps, and category C is going to be 1 lap. As usual, category D (women’s only group) will follow the same distance as category B.
Special settings: double draft
Multiple time slots throughout the weekend
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tdz2023
🤝 Bicycle Way of Life Saturday Ride
Bicycle Way of Life (BWOL), a Eugene, Oregon-based cycling store, is also offering a longer group ride, but at a more friendly pace than the JETT event. Over the past few weeks, this ride has been receiving more and more signups. Leaders and sweepers will be present in the ride; however, sweepers will not always be able to provide aid to those off the back. The most efficient way to enjoy the most draft possible is going to be with the lead group.
Throughout this ride, riders will be paced at 1.8-2.2 w/kg. The route of this ride is also much flatter than the route of the JETT event. Over the course of the 100 km, riders will be riding around the Watopia’s Waistband course—a flat and fast course.
Saturday, Feb 4 @ 4pm UTC/11am EST/8am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3458550
🥇The Ladies Wobble Sprint Series
The Wobble Cycling Club hosts the Wobble Sprint Series every Saturday. Something unique about this event is that it has a separate women-only version! The race is also based on prime segments with finishing points, fastest across-the-line points, and first across-the-line points. The final points-based results will be available on ZwiftPower.
This race takes place over 3 laps of the short and punchy Duchy Estate course in Yorkshire. Points will be available at the Yorkshire sprint each lap (3 segments total). Note: there is also an open version of this event at the same time.
Special settings: category enforced, women only, points race
Saturday, Feb 4 @ 6pm UTC/1pm EST/10am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3482539
🥇 WKG Saturday Superstylin’
Join team WKG this weekend for a nice social group ride. Contrasting to most group rides, the leaders will have a competition for riders who are looking to put in an effort to go for the various KOMs and sprints throughout the course. This is the perfect ride for those in Europe who are looking for a nice, social way to begin the weekend.
This week, riders will be on the Chasing the Sun course in Makuri Islands for 90 minutes. The ride is paced at 2-2.3 w/kg.
Saturday, Feb 4 @ 8:35am UTC
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3482377
Your Thoughts
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!
Zwift Racing League 2022/23 Round 3 Week 5 Guide: France’s R.G.V. (TTT)
The second TTT and fifth race of Zwift Racing League 2022/23 Round 3 happens Tuesday, February 7th. Seasoned ZRL riders will be familiar with TTT races on this route – after all, the R.G.V. has been used at least twice in the past for ZRL TTTs, and it is also popular in WTRL’s Thursday TTT series.
Let’s dig into the race, including tips for route recon, bike choice, team strategy, and more.
Looking at the Route: France’s R.G.V.
It’s a fairly simple TTT this week, riding France’s Route à Grande Vitesse (R.G.V.). One lap, 25.1km, 133 meters of elevation.
Here’s the race breakdown, courtesy of Sherpa Dave who put it together months ago for the Thursday TTTs!
It’s a beautiful ride, almost perfect for a Team Time Trial. I break this route into four sections:
- Flat for 13.5km
- Up the Aqueduct hill and down the other side
- A little more flat
- Bumpy stuff then a flat sprint to finish
Part 1 – Flat
R.G.V. is the perfect route for a team that is still learning about each other. It starts with a 13km flat to sort yourselves out then gets a bit more technical but never too much.
Use the first flat section to work out your formation (whether you are blobbing, running a paceline, or something else). And get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Those with more experience will just get in formation and ride!
Part 2 – Aqueduct Hill
Many will tell you this is a 400-meter hill averaging 2.5% starting 13.5km into the ride. They lie. What they are telling you is where the Aqueduc KOM starts, and that segment’s overall statistics. Unfortunately, the KOM segment starts two thirds of the way up the hill – and ends halfway along the flat.
Right around 13km you will begin the rise – it is 2.5% on average and goes for 900M. The trick is that the actual aqueduct hill starts at 12.8km and bumps up in three ramps – two of which happen before the KOM marker. Even so, it’s not that hard. The technique here is simple – don’t let your lighter riders race ahead. It’s not that bad and if you’re careful you will barely notice it.
Part 3 – More Flat
After a 500m flat across the Aqueduct itself you’ll drop back down the other side and it will be flat once more until you hit 17.3 km. This is a good time to regroup after the climb/descent and get yourself back into formation.
Part 4 – Bumpy Stuff
This is the most challenging part of the course. A series of undulations – at first each one is just a meter or two (barely there!) but they are just enough to mess with the team’s momentum. You will be exhausted by now so concentrate on staying together. 4km of that sets you up for three small hillocks – each one approximately 10m ascent at around 3%. This whole area winds around and around, making it hard to get your bearings. Keep your eyes on the rider in front and stay there!
Don’t underestimate these three hillocks. The team will be wiped out by now if you have been going fast enough, and these three will split what’s left of you. Just remember you need 4 across the line, and it is the 4th rider’s time that matters.
From 24km to the start/finish gate is 1.2km of downhill and flat. Finish with a group sprint to show the crowd what you’re made of.
Read more about the R.G.V. route >
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This week, bike choice is easy: grab your most aero TT setup! The newish CADEX Tri is the fastest frame in game by a solid margin, and the DT Swiss disc wheels are the fastest wheels. If you don’t have access to that setup (level 42+) then see this post to determine the fastest TT setup available at your level.
Whatever you do, do not use a road frame. Even a “slow” TT frame is faster than a road frame, so now that we’re able to use TT frames and get a draft in TTT events, you’ll want to take advantage of that!
More Route Recons
Many events are now being planned each weekend on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re unfamiliar with this course, jump into an event and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming R.G.V. events.
TTTips
Team Time Trialing on Zwift is a challenging mixture of physical strength, proper pacing, and Zwift minutiae like picking a fast bike and understanding drafting.
Flatter courses like this week give valuable seconds to teams who can keep their speeds high over the short rollers and false flats that pepper the route. Staying in formation while surging your power for these rises is a challenge, especially if riders use various Trainer Difficulty settings.
Climbs like this week’s Aqueduc KOM also present an opportunity to gain or lose lots of time over a short distance. You will want a target pace and attack plan for this section, to ensure your team is climbing as fast as possible.
Your goal in a ZRL TTT is to get four riders across the line in the shortest time possible. That means every team’s pace plan will be different, based on the abilities of each rider. We highly recommend having an experienced DS on Discord directing your team, especially if your team contains some inexperienced TTT riders.
If you really want to go down the TTT rabbit hole, check out Paul Fitzpatrick’s zwift-ds.com site and particularly the Excel Power Planner sheet.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
Tiny Race Series – Results and February 4 Routes
Tiny Race Series – Results and February 4 Routes
Last week’s Tiny Races were another tough mix on the theme of training for Worlds. We ran into a hitch with race 3, when everyone who was running the current Zwift version was routed incorrectly, while those who hadn’t updated were routed properly. Ha!
Watch Titanium Ben and his admirable reaction to the bug in his A race:
(Because of the bug, we removed race #3 from the results entirely, for all zones.)
In other news, Chris Hoelzl of WattFabrik, a dominant B Tiny racer, decided to take on all three zones in his final Tiny Races as a B. And he won all three! Congrats, Chris, and good luck in the A’s.
This week we’re mixing up the routes a bit, with some flatter stuff for the sprinters. Next weekend we’ll be in Scotland for something a bit different from our standard Tiny Races… stay tuned for details!
Last Week’s Results
Overall Winners
A: Joakim Lisson (POAuto-CeramicSpeed)
B: Chris Hoelzl (WattFabrik)
C: James Gilbert (ZSUNR)
D: Dmitriy Kudria (NHK)
A: Brian Duffy Jr (NeXT pb Enshored)
B: Chris Hoelzl (WattFabrik)
C: David Hivey (ART)
D: Duonporn Daffner (Race3R)
A: Fabian D’Evola (dPAC ELITE)
B: Chris Hoelzl (WattFabrik)
C: D P
D: Simon Vandore (EVO)
Women’s Winners
A: Kurai Uma
B: Sandrine Etienne (Foudre)
C: Maria Wiklund
D: Mone Thiele (RCP)
A: Amelia Van Hove (Synergy)
B: Vlad (Velo-Baza)
C: Valery Ramirez (AEO)
D: Duonporn Daffner (Race3R)
A: none
B: none
C: あや AYA (TMR)
D: Sophie Stallasch
This Week’s Route(s): A Tiny Mix
After a couple of extra-tough weeks, we’re back to a more typical mix of flatter and rolling routes.
- Race 1: Bigger Loop (6.75km, ending at rock underpass heading into the Ghost Town)
Starting off with our flattest route, you’ll climb to the desert from downtown Watopia, pick up your powerup at the rock arch, then sprint for the custom finish line beneath the huge rocks as you enter the Ghost Town.- Powerup: Aero Boost
- Race 2: Beach Island Loop (6.166km ends at JWB Sprint)
This will be a wild finish! Everything will kick off when we hurt the Dirty Sorpressa which snakes up to the Italian Villas. But wait – you’ve got some cobbled road following the Sorpressa, plus the JWB Sprint! Where do you use your powerup? Where do you attack?- Powerup: Steamroller
- Race 3: Seaside Sprint (5.676km ends at Volcano Circuit arch)
This one is a bit of a roller coaster, starting on The Esses, down across the JWB sprint reverse, down the Dirty Sorpressa, then finishing inside the Volcano on one of Zwift’s most technical and challenging finishes. Lots of powerups will keep this fast and encourage attacks.- Powerup: Draft Boost x2
- Race 4: The 6 Train Reverse (1 lap)
A rolling counterclockwise circuit of Central Park’s inner loop, this route has an uphill finish up Cat’s Paw Hill that requires timing and punch for the win.- Powerup: none
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces
ZwiftPower Results
Zwift displays preliminary race results in game when you cross the line, but points are computed after all four races are finished, with final results on ZwiftPower. (We have to do some data processing on our side to compute results, so if your rankings don’t show up right away, be patient.)
Riders will earn points based on finish position in each of the 4 Tiny Races. The category winner of each week’s series is the rider with the most points across their timezone’s 4 races. Here are the links for each timezone’s results on ZwiftPower:
- Zone 1 (9am GMT/4am EST/1am PST)
- Zone 2 (3pm GMT/10am EST/7am PST)
- Zone 3 (9pm GMT/4pm EST/1pm PST/Sunday 8am AEDT)
Rules
Tiny Race rules are simple. Four races, four rules:
- You must have a ZwiftPower account, because final results are processed by ZwiftPower (learn how to sign up)
- No skipping then returning. These races are meant to be raced as a set of 4. If you need to leave early, that’s fine… but once you miss a race in your hour’s set of 4, don’t come back and race another or you’ll be disqualified from that race since you rested while others were racing! (Example: racing only races 1 and 2 is fine. Racing 1, 2, and 4 is not – you will be DQ from race 4. And if you race 2, 3, and 4, you’ll be DQ from all those races, since you skipped race 1!)
- Heart rate monitors are required for podium finishers
- ZPower/Virtual power is not allowed. Smart trainer/smart bike or power meter required.
Join a Chat & Chill Cooldown
Immediately following each hour’s racing, we’ve scheduled 30-minute “Chat & Chill” events where riders from all categories can spin out their legs together and have some fun chatting about how it all went down. Find them at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces.
Questions or Comments
Post below!
“Race Scotland” ZRacing February 2023 Series Details
“Race Scotland” ZRacing February 2023 Series Details
Zwift’s monthly ZRacing series is now in its sixth round following September’s Get Rolling, October’s Race Like a Champ, November’s Race Makuri, December’s Race Like a Pro, and January’s Flat is Fast. Each month has brought more and more racers out to compete for the monthly GC.
Today Zwift published details for February’s ZRacing Series, where the theme is “Race Scotland”. All the races for this month are in Zwift’s new Scotland map, where the 2023 UCI Esports World Championships will be raced on February 18. Let’s dive into the details!
Race Scotland – February’s Route Schedule
This month’s races will all take place in Zwift’s new Scotland map:
- Stage 1 (Feb 6-12): Rolling Highlands
- 1 lap (14.2km, 105m elevation)
- Stage 2 (Feb 13-19): Glasgow Crit Circuit
- 5 laps (15km, 170m elevation)
- Stage 3 (Feb 20-26): The Muckle Yin
- 1 lap (25.1km, 276m)
- Stage 4 (Feb 27-Mar 5): City and the Sgurr
- 1 lap (8.9km, 164m elevation)
See upcoming Race Scotland events >
Scotland Tartan Kit Unlock
Zwift has created a new kit to celebrate the Scotland map launch, and you can unlock it by finishing any event in this month’s ZRacing series.
Series Structure
The ZRacing series consists of monthly sets of weekly races. Each race is scheduled for seven days (beginning 1:10am UTC on Monday and running through to the next Sunday). Timeslots are consistent week to week and month to month.
Races are scheduled ~15 times each day, so there are plenty of available times to find a race.
See upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/zracingfeb2023
Monthly GC on ZwiftPower
Each monthly set of races has a time-based GC (general classification) which tracks riders’ best finishing times for each week’s race. The overall winners in each category for the month will be the riders with the lowest overall time for that month’s set of races.
See February’s GC on ZwiftPower >
With over 100 weekly timeslots available, riders can race each week’s event multiple times and try to better their finishing time.
Note: you must use a heart rate monitor and be on a smart trainer, smart bike, or power meter to show up in ZwiftPower results for this series.
If you aren’t signed up for ZwiftPower, check out our post How to Sign Up for ZwiftPower (and Why Every Zwifter Should Do It).
Get the Badge
Each month’s series has its own achievement badge which you can unlock by finishing every stage for the month.
One and Done
Zwift has planned these events around the idea of 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!
All About Zwift’s New Scotland Map
All About Zwift’s New Scotland Map
Today Zwift released details of their new Scotland map, a purpose-built world that Zwift calls “your racing playground”. Designed for training and racing, the map is inspired by the city of Glasgow and the striking Scottish countryside riders will race in the 2023 UCI Worlds in August.
But this isn’t a GPS-accurate replica of a UCI Worlds course like Zwift’s Richmond, Innsbruck, and Yorkshire. Instead, Zwift’s teams collaborated to create scenery inspired by Scotland, with roads that make Zwift racing fun. It’s a marked shift in approach for Zwift, and it makes sense. Why try to replicate what’s outdoors, when we have full control over the virtual world? In Scotland we see Zwift carrying some of what’s good IRL into the game, then working to improve on the rest, with the goal of creating a next-level e-racing experience for riders and spectators.
We’ll know soon if it’s a success as many thousands of riders and runners will take to Scotland’s roads in the coming days, culminating with the 2023 UCI Esports World Championships on February 18.
When Can We Ride/Run Scotland?
Scotland is not free-ridable at this time, but will open up in early March. For now, it’s only accessible by joining events held on its routes.
The first events in Scotland will be Thursday’s Tour de Zwift, Stage 8, where runners and riders will be on the Rolling Highlands route.
See a full list of upcoming events in Scotland >
Route Details
Scotland is launching with 5 routes totaling 58.8 kilometers of riding. Here’s the list, along with a description of each route supplied by Zwift. Click “More Route Details” to be taken to the Zwift Insider detail page (we’ll add more content to these pages later today, but the basics are already in place).
Rolling Highlands
14.1 kilometers with 105 meters of climbing. This rollercoaster ride around the loch will have Zwifters constantly going up or downhill. In races, the punchy course provides lots of places to attack. In riding and training, the rolling hills are the perfect place to train quick bursts of power as you push yourself up the repeated short climbs. More Route Details >
City and the Sgurr
8.6 kilometers with 161 meters of climbing. Sgurr means “rocky peak” in Scottish Gaelic, and this route tackles Zwift’s newest hill from two directions. Roundabouts at the bottom of both sides of the climb mean that Zwifters can easily lap the climb, making it the perfect place for hill repeats, or very challenging racing! More Route Details >
Glasgow Crit Circuit
3 kilometers with 33 meters of climbing. Zwift’s newest crit course is set in the heart of Glasgow’s city center and shows off the city’s distinctive architecture. The short course has short, punchy climbs, tight, twisty roads, and two arches. The course provides options for any length of race on the easily lapable route that’s sure to produce intense racing. More Route Details >
Loch Loop
8 kilometers with 71 meters of climbing. This loop is a time trialists’ paradise – the long, lapable course, is mostly flat and incorporates some of the Rolling Highlands, but skips the bigger climbs, giving Zwifters only a few gentle hills thrown in to break up their effort. The course measures 5 miles, making it the perfect place for 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20-mile time trials or team time trials. Or, keep riding for harder efforts! For traditional racing, exploring, and training, the Loch Loop also offers a flatter alternative to the Rolling Highlands. More Route Details >
The Muckle Yin
25.1 kilometers with 279 meters of climbing. This is the big one – a single route that incorporates almost all of Scotland’s roads in one single loop. The route starts in the heart of Glasgow city center and quickly takes riders out to the sheer cliffs on Scotland’s west coast before rolling along north to the loch, and then to the Sgurr and its dramatic views. This challenging route lets you take in all of Scotland’s most distinctive and engaging features in one ride or race. More Route Details >
Landmarks and Easter Eggs
Zwift’s art team seems to “level up” their game with each new world launch, and Scotland is no exception. The team clearly did their homework, adding many IRL landmarks to the Scotland map. They’ve also carried their Zwift playfulness into this world, adding easter eggs and beautiful art never before seen on Zwift.
Here are a few highlights, in the order you’d reach them if you took the Loch Loop counterclockwise:
- “The Cliffs” is a castle area with the ocean off to the left. A descent in this direction, but an attackable climb going the other way.
- The roundabout on the Glasgow side of the Sgurr looks rather ordinary by day, but wait until the sun goes down!
- A left at that roundabout takes you up the longer, gravel side of the Sgurr climb. Climb it at night and enjoy the Northern Lights. Then check out what happens to the constellations…
- Soon enough the trees close in and you’re surrounded by mist in a more closed-in, mysterious forest section.
- Breakaway Brae is next, an official KOM taking you up to a tower loosely based on McCaig’s Tower. Look left at the Loch and see if you can spot someone familiar!
- Descending from the tower there’s a bit of a corkscrew road through a castle. In the other direction, this sneaky climb may be an excellent place to launch a long race attack!
- Nearing the end of our loop, you’re at what Zwift’s art team calls “The Postcard” – a big swooping vista that is off to your left and behind when traveling in this direction.
- We would be remiss if we didn’t mention some Glasgow landmarks. They include the Clyde Arc, Finnieston Crane, Central Station, and a certain equestrian sculpture which may or may not have a traffic cone on its head…
New Gravel Surface
Zwift rolled out a new surface with the Scotland map: gravel!
As far as we’ve seen, this surface only shows up on the longer Sgurr climb (the one on the Glasgow side). Here’s what it looks like:
If you’re on a gravel bike, this surface rolls faster than the “dirt” surface we’re familiar with in the Mayan Jungle and on various Makuri Islands roads. If you’re on a mountain bike, this new gravel surface is just slightly slower than dirt. And if you’re on a road bike, the surface is faster than dirt, but still much slower than pavement.
The takeaway? Gravel is made for gravel bikes, which means gravel bikes climb the south side of the Sgurr much faster than road or mountain bikes.
See our Crr page for details >
New Zwift Tartan Kit
To celebrate Scotland’s launch, a new Tartan-themed kit has been added to the game. Zwifters can unlock the kit by completing a ZRacing “Race Scotland” event in February (we’ll be posting about this later today), or taking part in any of the “Ride Scotland” events which will be showing up on the calendar soon.
Questions or Comments
Post below!