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Zwift Academy Road 2022 Winners Announced

Eric Schlange
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9
Zwift Academy Road 2022 Winners Announced

Zwift Academy Road 2022 Winners Announced

If you’ve been following this week’s Zwift Academy Final series from GCN, you know it’s been filled with highs and lows, thrills and spills, triumph and disappointment! Today, with the release of the final episode, the winners have been announced.

Congratulations to Alex Morrice (Great Britain) and Luca Vergallito (Italy), winners of Zwift Academy Road 2022!

Alex Morrice
Luca Vergallito

Full Press Release from Zwift

For the seventh year in a row, the Zwift Academy Road talent identification and training program has awarded pro contracts to two athletes who distinguished themselves above all others. The 2022 talent identification program concluded in mid-November in Denia, Spain, and Zwift announced the winners in a video released on GCN today. 

The winners are Great Britain’s Alex Morrice, age 22, who will join the UCI Women’s World Tour with CANYON//SRAM Racing, and Italy’s Luca Vergallito, age 25, who will join the Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team. 

In order to earn their respective pro contracts, Alex and Luca set themselves apart from the more than 160,000 Zwifters who participated in the 2022 Zwift Academy Road. They were among the finalists – five men and five women – who were invited to the finals in Denia. 

At finals, all the riders participated in Zwift challenges and races, met with coaches and team staff, and had the chance to ride with athletes from both teams. Alex and Luca distinguished themselves for having exceptional athletic talent, impressive on-bike skills, and the necessary demeanor to learn what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of racing. 

Alex is a level 34 Zwifter, and impressed the coaching staff at finals with her raw talent. A relatively new rider, the team believes she has a huge amount of development potential. 

Magnus Bäckstedt, lead Sport Director at CANYON//SRAM Racing says: “Alex impressed me with her current power numbers for the type of rider we were hoping to find for the team. She also displayed a good understanding of tactics, with a real feeling for the race moment and she still has room to develop. Alex impressed during the whole week of finals and we’re excited to welcome her to the team.”

“It was such a privilege to get to go to Spain and spend a week with the incredible women on CANYON//SRAM Racing,” said winner Alex Morrice. “I was so excited to get to ride with some of the world’s best women professional cyclists. Everyone made me feel so welcome and I couldn’t be more excited to race alongside these ladies in 2023 and beyond.” 

Luca is a level 39 Zwifter who impressed the judges with his impressive power numbers and proved he had the capabilities needed to succeed on the road, as well as on Zwift.  

Kristof de Kegel, Performance Manager at Alpecin-Deceuninck says: “Luca performed in a very constant way during the Zwift Academy Finals week, which shows that he has the right physical and mental skills to be a professional rider. His cycling progression was interrupted because of his studies so within the team we believe that we can make some big steps with him in the future. We are really looking forward to getting the best version out of Luca!”

“Even for someone who lives so close to the heart of professional racing, it can be very hard to get noticed by the big teams. I’m so grateful that Zwift gave me a way to get noticed, and I’m so excited to join the Alpecin-Deceuninck development team for the coming season, to get to test my fitness in the most important races, and to learn racing from many of the world’s best athletes,” said Zwift Academy Road winner Luca Vergallito.  

Ride with the Winners!

You can join the Zwift Academy winners for rides in Watopia in the coming days:

You can find both events in the Zwift Companion App.

Decision Time! Who Wins The Pro Contract? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 5

Eric Schlange
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0
Decision Time! Who Wins The Pro Contract? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 5

Decision Time! Who Wins The Pro Contract? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 5

Over 160,000 took part in Zwift Academy Road 2022, and it’s now down to just 3 women vying for a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM and 3 men vying for a contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of 5 episodes documenting the finals process – a new episode each day this week, hosted by Si and Manon. Here is the final episode.

Watch Episode 5:

Episode Summary (Spoiler Alert!)

In the final day of competition, our six remaining finalists are taking on a 3-hour outdoor ride with pros, including a “little” climb at the end. (Or at least, that’s what Si tells the riders. In reality, the climb is the Coll de Rates Extreme – a route that Tadej Pogačar has used to test his legs!)

But first, we get a report on the two finalists who crashed yesterday. Chiara seems to be doing well with a slightly swollen hand. Alex has some major cuts on her arm that had to be checked at the hospital, but she’s bandaged and on the bike today.

At the end of the long women’s outdoor ride, members of the CANYON//SRAM team pace up the final climb for the first ~30 minutes. The target pace is 4.5W/kg, but the pros are pushing a bit more! The finalists reach the final bit of climb, and Chiara attacks. She will stay away to finish first in the end. Alex arrives 2 minutes and 27 seconds later, with Nele in third.

Next the men are up, beginning the 9.8km climb at a target of 5W/kg. The truth is, the Alpecin-Deceuninck pros are pushing above the target, and it strings out the group. In the final 3km Luca charges to the front, in his element and spinning at 6.3W/kg. Jasper is behind, trying to hold Luca at a respectable distance. But Lucas paces the climb well and catches Jasper, coming across the line in second. Jasper is noticeably disappointed with this performance.

Winners Chosen

At the end of the day, the judges choose the two winners of Zwift Academy 2022: Luca and Alex.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Finalists Race The Pros… Who Will Win? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 4

Eric Schlange
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0
Finalists Race The Pros… Who Will Win? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 4

Finalists Race The Pros… Who Will Win? Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 4

Over 160,000 took part in Zwift Academy Road 2022, and it’s now down to just 3 women vying for a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM and 3 men vying for a contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of 5 episodes documenting the finals process – a new episode each day this week, hosted by Si and Manon. Here are the details of today’s episode…

Watch Episode 4:

Episode Summary (Spoiler Alert!)

It’s another double day for our finalists, with a race drill followed by a group attempt to beat a World Tour pro. But really, it’s a triple day, because riders begin with a short Zwift workout session to build up a certain workload in their legs and get warmed up before the morning race!

The outdoor race drill is a simulation: you’re in the final 4km of a race, in a group of 3, racing against each other for the win. It’s a 4km winding circuit race with an uphill finish for the women, for a total distance of 6.5km with 91m of elevation. The men, on the other hand, are taking on a flat 3.7km course with just 17m of elevation.

In the day’s second challenge, after working to beat each other, the riders will work together on the same courses to attempt to beat a pro cyclist! The girls will go up against CANYON/SRAM’s Pauliena Rooijakkers, and the guys will be up against Mathieu van der Poel.

In the women’s race, Chiara starts off on the front, putting in a good pace. Nele takes turns as well, and stays on the front for quite some time. But is this playing into Alex’s hands, as the strongest sprinter, who is smartly sitting on the back, getting an armchair ride?

As the pace ramps up at the bottom of the climb, there’s a clash of bikes and Chiara goes down hard! While the coaches and some riders stop to attend to her, Alex finishes the race… and we cut straight to the men.

The men’s course is both shorter and flatter than the women’s, and there’s a stark contrast between how the men handle the race vs the women. None of them are willing to push the pace, and it’s a game of cat and mouse. Eventually Luca jumps, with Jasper on his wheel. Lucas struggles to close the gap to the two ahead, dangling just behind the two front men as the judges question his strategy. Luca, with the weaker sprint, is unable to get away. Jasper takes it at the line.

On to the women’s second race. Chiara is back on her bike after her crash, and it’s time for the three finalists to take on a pro. Can they work together to beat Pauliena Rooijakkers? The finalists begin by letting Chiara drift off the front, forcing Rooijakkers to respond, and the team trades (somewhat tentative) attacks to keep Pauliena on her toes. But Pauliena takes the fight straight to the finalists, surprising them with an attack of her own.

Then, going into a sharp descending left, another crash! Alex hits a fresh oil slick on the road, going down and leaving Pauliena with nowhere to go. Both riders hit the deck, stopped from careening off the road by the metal guardrail.

The men are up next, with our three finalists working together to beat Mathieu van der Poel. Lucas starts with a hard attack, forcing van der Poel to respond. Luca is next, then van der Poel takes control on the front at 70km/hr, keeping the pace high to keep things under control as Lucas dangles off the back again.

In the final meters, Lucas is dropped from the group, and Mathieu van der Poel crosses the line first in what Si classifies as “one of his best victories.”

As the coaches and hosts debrief in the evening, we get an injury report: Chiara is doing alright after her crash, but Pauliena has a broken wrist and Alex has some deep skin wounds. Her status is tentative.

Riders of the Day

The judges select race winners Jasper and Alex as the riders of the day, since they both rode tactically sharp in the day’s challenges.

Coming Up Tomorrow

On day 5, the six finalists will go head to head against each other up a tough climb. Who will impress the judges with their climbing abilities? In the end, four riders will be eliminated, giving us our winners for Zwift Academy Road 2022.

Don’t miss it! Watch this space for episode 5.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Zwift ‘For You’ Recommendations Coming This Month

Eric Schlange
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7
Zwift ‘For You’ Recommendations Coming This Month

Zwift ‘For You’ Recommendations Coming This Month

Zwift has announced the imminent release of an update to homescreens which adds a “For You” row near the top of the screen.

“For You” Details

The new “For You” carousel will appear at the top of the homescreen, just below the list of major Zwift campaigns. It will feature activities Zwift thinks you’re most interested in (or “preferred in-game content, as Zwift calls it): your favorite RoboPacer, the “Join a Zwifter” box, the next workout in your training plan, group rides, etc.

Do Recommendations Work?

In the previous version of Zwift’s homescreen, certain activities weren’t “recommended” by the interface in any way. It was up to Zwifters to decide what they wanted to do, with free riding, workouts, and other activities basically getting equal exposure (although we would argue that events got relatively minor exposure).

But Zwift knew that getting riders into events was an important part of the Zwift experience. And we know this as Zwifters: it’s the community, the ability to plug into others, that makes Zwift extra-special.

So the new homescreen emphasizes events. And guess what? Event participation has soared! (Zwift has shared some event participation metrics with us, but we aren’t at liberty to share them here.)

With those learnings, Zwift is using “For You” to take the next step of surfacing content which you’ll be most interested in, to make your Zwift experience rewarding for you. So you’ll keep coming back for more!

Just the Beginning?

There’s been a lot of talk lately about artificial intelligence, thanks to the recent release of chatGPT. You could say the “For You” row is Zwift’s first foray into AI, as they look at your recent activities and attempt to predict what you’d like to do next.

There’s so much potential here. We don’t expect “For You” to be super-smart initially, but imagine if it could really learn about you as a cyclist and recommend events, workouts, and other activities.

Or take it a step further: what if Zwift could detect your fitness levels, then recommend effective activities to make you faster/stronger/fitter… an AI coach?

There are already services doing this, and the quality of their content is only going to improve. As we see it, it’s not a question of if but when Zwift will make it happen on their platform.

Release Date

Zwift says “For You” will gradually roll out to all Zwifters starting in December. With the holidays upon us and “For You” not yet visible on our screens, we’re guessing most Zwifters won’t see this feature until the new year.

Your Thoughts

Share below!

Elimination Time: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 3

Eric Schlange
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0
Elimination Time: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 3

Elimination Time: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 3

Over 160,000 took part in Zwift Academy Road 2022, and it’s now down to just 4 women vying for a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM and 4 men vying for a contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck after Will Lowden tested positive for Covid.

Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of 5 episodes documenting the finals process – a new episode each day this week, hosted by Si and Manon. Here are the details of today’s episode…

Watch Episode 3:

Episode Summary (Spoiler Alert!)

It’s another double day for our finalists: an outdoor ride, followed by a Crit City race on Zwift in the afternoon.

The day begins with bad news: Will Lowden has tested positive for Covid, the second finalist to fall to Covid (American Liz Van Houweling flew to Spain and tested positive just before the competition even began).

The outside ride focuses on key technical elements of outdoor racing: putting on jackets while on the bike, fetching bottles from the team car, riding behind the car, and grabbing a musette.

One of the favorites on the men’s side, Luca Vergallito, talks about where his “Il Bandito” nickname came from, and what his strengths are.

“Riding your bike for a living would be incredible”

Luca

In the skills test, Luca performs well, while Lucas rides too slowly, drops a bottle, and gets dropped from the group. The coaches joke that Lucas will have to pay for that lost bottle. But the irony is, that slip-up could really cost him!

The Crit City race is next: a brutal points race across 5 laps of Downtown Dolphin, where points are given on every lap (3 points for 1st, 2 for 2nd, 1 for third) at the top of the brick climb, and double points at the finish line. The coaches are looking for smart tactics as well as fitness.

The women trade blows first, but the pack of four stays together until the final 60 seconds. Chiara puts in a dominant showing, with the final points results being:

  1. Chiara: 15 pts
  2. Alex: 10 pts
  3. Elena: 9 pts
  4. Nele: 8 pts

In the men’s race, Hanna says Cooper is the one to watch. Jasper, however, wins the first three sprints. Then Luca makes a big attack on the descent of lap 3, staying off the front to the finish to win two sprints and take the overall win.

Riders of the Day

Judges selected Alex and Luca as the riders of the day. Alex was picked because she performed very well in the outdoor skills ride and produced a strong result in Crit City. Luca was chosen once again because he impressed the judges with this approach to the race, both tactically and physically.

Eliminations

At the end of the day, judges needed to decide who the first riders eliminated from competition would be. Elena and Cooper were chosen.

Coming Up Tomorrow

On day 4, the six remaining finalists will go head to head against each other… then race against pro riders Pauliena Rooijakkers and Mathieu van der Poel! Watch this space for episode 4.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Tiny Race Series – Results and December 17 Routes

Eric Schlange
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20
Tiny Race Series – Results and December 17 Routes

Tiny Race Series – Results and December 17 Routes

Last week’s “Watch the Dirty Bits” Tiny Races were extra spicy with their key dirt sections and riders choosing non-road rigs for certain races. Big props to Joakim Lisson, currently the world’s top-ranked Zwift racer, who finally achieved a perfect score against the Zone 1 A’s, taking 1st in all four races. Incredible!

Of course, it’s not just the A’s who race. We’ve got B, C, and D categories fighting it out every Saturday as well. Watch Scott from KOM Hunt TV take on the C category:

Last Week’s Results

Overall Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: Joakim Lisson (POAuto)
B: Simon Matros (WattFabrik)
C: S Arkwright (PCC)
D: Arie Pieter Roodnat

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: Teppo Laurio (Wahoo Le Col)
B: Rudi Nussbaumer (KC)
C: Daniel Lundberg (eSRT)
D: B B

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: Thomas Lajoie (OPTIMUM)
B: C L A N C Y (CLS)
C: Richard Fecteau
D: Todd Sheaman (CRYO-GEN)

Women’s Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: none
B: Anneli Granberg (eSRT)
C: Lynn Shiels (Team CLS)
D: Julie Clark (ART)

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: Charlotte Colclough (Toyota CRYO RDT)
B: Naomi de Pennington (Twenty24)
C: Sophia Chi (Speed Hound)
D: Linny O’Rourke (ART)

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: Natalie Stevenson (Toyota CRYO RDT)
B: Zee Kryder
C: Claire Jackson (WTRL)
D: Dorothy Davis (Herd)

This Week’s Routes

This week’s routes get a bit more climby as we go on…

  • Race 1: Bell Lap (3 laps)
    Most racers know Crit City well, but have you ever raced just 3 laps? Hopefully somebody will go long on the final twisty climb and really make it interesting.
    • Powerup: Anvil 2x
  • Race 2: Champs-Elysees (4.52km, ends at Sprint Banner)
    Our first-ever Tiny Race in Paris, we won’t even complete a full lap in this effort. Just the lead-in around Jardin des Tuileries, then it’s gonna be a hard drag up Montée des Champs Elysées to the sprint banner for the finish.
    • Powerup: Steamroller
  • Race 3: Rooftop Rendezvous (1 lap, 6.7km)
    The pack will get stretched and snap up the Rooftop KOM, but it’s the descent afterward, and riders’ sense of timing, which will determine who crosses the finish line first.
    • Powerup: Draft Boost
  • Race 4: Douce France (7.047km, ends at Ballon Sprint)
    This rolling, twisty route will take you flying through Les Intestins and over a few rollers before sprinting for the Ballon Sprint arch.
    • 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:

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!

Tested by the Pros: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 2

Eric Schlange
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2
Tested by the Pros: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 2

Tested by the Pros: Zwift Academy 2022 Finals, Day 2

Over 160,000 took part in Zwift Academy Road 2022, and it’s now down to just 4 women vying for a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM and 5 men vying for a contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of 5 episodes documenting the finals process – a new episode each day this week.

Watch Episode 2:

Episode Summary (Spoiler Alert!)

After yesterday’s Zwift-based indoor test, the riders head outside for two different challenges on day 2: paceline work on flatter roads, and a hill climb TT challenge.

Pacelining is one of the most exhilarating things you can do as a road cyclist, working with a group of riders to go faster together than you can apart. The CANYON//SRAM coaches explain that they’re looking for good technical skills, comfort in a tight group, riding technique (pedal stroke, upper body control, etc), and 360-degree awareness in the group. They spot Nele Laing as a standout in terms of her abilities in the paceline, and note that Jasper’s cadence is a bit low, an issue they noticed in yesterday’s test as well.

Luca makes a good showing of strength when Mathieu van der Poel decides to take the pace up a notch, and Lucas overcooks a corner and has an unplanned dismount. But he pushes on, showing some of the toughness required of a pro rider.

After a coffee stop, it’s time for the time trial. This challenge is about pacing, position, and technique, in addition to raw power. The twisting, climbing course is around 10-13 minutes long, where it’s hard to see riders ahead. The course seems to suit Will best, with his light weight, but will Cooper’s grit/experience or Luca’s raw power be too much for him?

Luca, the last rider to start, puts in the best time, beating the next-best (Will) by 36 seconds on a comparatively short course. And he looks much too fresh for someone who just won a time trial. Chapeau! Final TT results for the men:

  1. Luca
  2. Will
  3. Cooper
  4. Jasper
  5. Lucas

The women take on the TT next after an easy recon of the course. Chiara takes the win 30 seconds ahead of Nele, the next closest rider. Final TT results for the ladies:

  1. Chiara
  2. Nele
  3. Alex
  4. Elena

After being named “rider of the day” yesterday, the two Italian riders took the top spots in the TT challenge!

“In life you don’t have to stop dreaming, and you don’t have to stop moving and changing. Every chance is a great opportunity to learn something new. So I don’t want to stop.”

Chiara

At the end of the day, the judges meet to debrief and discuss the riders’ performance. Coaches for both teams agree that the riders’ IRL skills were strong today, with no big standouts in terms of weak bike handling or fitness.

While Luca won the TT, the judges mention that Cooper and Jasper managed 20-50 watts more in their ~10-minute outdoor TT effort than the indoor, putting in a 4.7-4.8 w/kg uphill effort.

Lucas crashed during the paceline section – is that a black mark against him? The judges say no: “It can happen to anyone”.

Riders of the Day

At the end of the day, the judges select their riders of the day: Nele and Lucas. Nele performed very well in terms of on-the-bike skills and comfort level in the bunch, while also finishing second in the hill climb. Lucas crashed, but picked himself up and carried on with the day. With crashing being a part of pro cycling, this impressed the judges.

Coming Up Tomorrow

On day 3, finalists will be out in the hills in the morning, with a second session later in the day indoors on Zwift, racing in Crit City. Two riders will be sent home at the end of the day- our first eliminations of finals. Watch this space for episode 3!

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

New for Zwifters: See Your Power Metrics Online

Eric Schlange
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49
New for Zwifters: See Your Power Metrics Online

New for Zwifters: See Your Power Metrics Online

Zwift just updated our web-based dashboards to display key power metrics used in race Category Enforcement. It also shows Peak Power numbers for a range of time windows between 5 seconds and 30 minutes.

See Your Numbers

Just sign into my.zwift.com to access your fitness numbers. On mobile devices you’ll need to tap the “Profile” link at the top of the page (then scroll down), while on full-sized screens you can simply scroll you’ll see your numbers down and to the right. Here’s mine:

More Info: zFTP, zMAP, VO2max, and Peak Power

What exactly are these key fitness metrics Zwift is displaying? First, it’s important to understand that these numbers are based on the last 60 days of Zwift ride data.

Clicking “More Info” shows additional details:

  • zFTP: Estimate of your current Functional Threshold Power (FTP), the power you can sustain for a long period of time, i.e. > 40 min.
  • zMAP: Estimate of your Maximal Aerobic Power, i.e the power at which you achieve peak oxygen consumption in a short duration effort 4-6 min.
  • V02max: Estimate of your maximal oxygen uptake relative to your current weight expressed in ml/kg/min. (Assumes a fixed cycling efficiency)

Additionally, clicking “More Info” will show the date/time when you set each of your “Peak Power” numbers.

Category Enforcement Thresholds

According to this FAQ page, the current thresholds for category enforcement are:

Open RaceszMAP value and WattszFTP and Watts
Category A≥5.4W/kg≥4.2W/kg and ≥250W
Category B≥4.2W/kg≥3.36W/kg and ≥200W
Category C≥3.3W/kg≥2.625W/kg and ≥150W
Category D<3.3W/kg<2.625W/kg or <150W
Category EN/AN/A
Women Only RaceszMAP valuezFTP
Category A≥5W/kg≥3.88W/kg
Category B≥4.2W/kg≥3.36W/kg
Category C≥3.5W/kg≥2.625W/kg
Category D<3.5W/kg<2.625W/kg
Category EN/AN/A

If you match your zFTP, zMAP, and VO2max values up with the thresholds in the tables above, you should be able to see why Zwift has slotted you into the “Suggested Category” shown.

Why It Matters

This update brings much-needed visibility to the numbers driving Zwift’s category enforcement system. The first category enforcement races happened in February 2022, but racers have never actually seen the fitness metrics Zwift used to enforce categories, until today.

With category enforcement used in approximately half of all Zwift races today, giving riders more information about why they’re placed where they’re placed is a smart move.

But My Numbers Are Wrong!

I’m already seeing feedback from Zwifters saying things like:

  • My FTP is higher than the zFTP value shown
  • My Garmin doesn’t agree with the VO2max value shown

Here’s what you need to know: these numbers are based on your last 60 days of Zwift power data. The zFTP value is calculated on Zwift’s end using a formula they’ve kept under wraps, although we know for sure it’s not the simple “95% of your best 20-minute effort” formula that the game uses to auto-detect your FTP.

The VO2max number, similarly, is computed by Zwift using an algorithm that certainly differs from Garmin’s.

As always, the system is only as good as the data feed into it. In order for Zwift’s fitness numbers to best match your actual fitness, you need to be feeding some all-out efforts into the system. Clicking the “More Info” link on your fitness profile shows this: “*For accurate metrics estimation you need to have done maximal efforts of at least 12 minutes in duration.“

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Coming Soon: HoloReplays for All Routes on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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18
Coming Soon: HoloReplays for All Routes on Zwift

Coming Soon: HoloReplays for All Routes on Zwift

Since their October launch, HoloReplays have become a popular Zwift feature. They can be used as a training tool for hill repeats or sprint intervals, or simply as a way to compete with your past self.

Zwift recently announced plans to expand HoloReplay’s capabilities substantially, making it possible to show HoloReplays on all routes in game.

What Isn’t Changing

As before, Zwifters will be able to replay their 90-day PR, last effort, both at the same time, or turn replays off. HoloReplays will still only show during Pacer Group rides and free rides, and all your segment and route activities are recorded except for group workouts, meetups, or other activities that have rubberbanding enabled. 

So Many Routes!

Zwift has 168 rideable routes, but only 13 are holoreplayable at this time (see list under “Replayable Segments” here). With this change, any route you ride in game will be replayable.

Timing: Late January

Zwift says this feature is slated to release around a month from now, in late January 2023.

Your Thoughts

Share below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 17-18

Oli Chi
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0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 17-18

The events selected this week include some exclusive, one-off events from some of the most prestigious organizers!


🤝 BMTR’S 6-Year Zwift Anniversary Ride

BMTR is a pretty big team on Zwift, and they lead some pretty big rides! They are well-known for their popular endurance events each weekend. 6 years ago, on December 18th, the BMTR team was created. This weekend, join them for their 6th-anniversary group ride, led by the rider who created BMTR!

The ride is open-paced, meaning riders are free to go at whatever pace pleases them. This is a longer endurance event, so riders should expect to be riding ~2-3 hours depending on their pace. Riders will be completing one lap of the Watopia Pretzel, the course where the first-ever BMTR group ride was hosted!

Saturday, Dec 18 @ 1:10pm UTC/8:10pm EST/5:10am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3331259


🥇 Talent:frei Race Series

Talent:frei is hosting their first-ever race series beginning this weekend! Those who race on Zwift may be familiar with this team because they are known to have some extremely strong riders. Expect a fast, large group in this race as over 100 riders are already signed up to race!

Like many race series, there will be (FAL – First Across the Line) points available for select races throughout the season. Race formats will vary between time trials, scratch races, and points races. This week, riders will be tackling a points race around 8 laps of the Neokyo Crit Course.

Rules: Category Enforcement

Saturday, Dec 17 @ 12:30pm UTC/7:30am EST/4:30am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3321643


🤝 Team Rwb Santa Sleigh Ride For Focus Ireland

Team RWB is hosting a longer endurance group ride featuring four different categories, each at a different pace and distance to ensure there is a category for everyone! The distances range from 50km (31 miles) to 160km (100 miles). This is a great way to prepare for the Rapha Festive 500 which begins exactly one week from this event! Even better, RWB is raising money on this ride to help Focus Ireland, an organization that helps people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

In this event, there will be two leaders spread across the different categories. The ride is mass-start, so riders from other categories can join riders from other groups to form larger groups. Riders will be on the Out and Back Again course in Watopia.

Sunday, Dec 18 @ 9:55am UTC
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3298038


🥇KISS Racing – The Annual 200

Taking the place of the KISS Classic 100 is The Annual 200. This is definitely the longest race that I have come across, and it will definitely attract some of the most talented riders from each category! To make this race even more challenging, the course will not be flat. Throughout the 200km, riders will climb over 1500 meters (5000 feet).

As the title suggests, riders will be racing 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, on the Makuri 40 route. Riders should expect to be riding for at least 5 hours depending on the category. Sticking to larger groups will be key to success in this ultra-endurance race.

Rules: Category Enforcement, Power Meter Required, Heart Rate Required

Sunday, Dec 18 @ 2:15pm UTC/9:15am EST/6:15am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3329765


📊 Ride With Pro | Annemiek Van Vleuten: All Rounder | Movistar Team

Annemiek Van Vlueten is a legendary rider and winner of the first-ever Tour De France Femmes p/b Zwift this year. She currently rides for the Movistar team and will be leading this group workout as part of the Zwift Pro Training Camp series. If you fancy a ride with a professional cyclist, we’d highly recommend hopping into this ride. The Movistar team cap will be unlocked with the completion of the event. So far, over 200 riders are signed up for this event, making it one of the most popular events this weekend!

Riders will be riding around the Douce France course during the 50-minute workout. Note: this is a group workout, riders will remain together regardless of the amount of power they are putting out.

Sunday, Dec 18 @ 6pm UTC/1pm EST/10am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3253094

Your Thoughts

Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!

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