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Zwift Grand Prix Brings a Fresh Approach to Elite Team Racing on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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31
Zwift Grand Prix Brings a Fresh Approach to Elite Team Racing on Zwift

Zwift Grand Prix Brings a Fresh Approach to Elite Team Racing on Zwift

As the northern hemisphere heads into “indoor season”, Zwift is taking a long, hard look at what elite-level Zwift racing can be. While some details are still being ironed out, what is taking shape bares little resemblance to the pro-level Zwift racing of past years.

Elite team racing is being completely decoupled from Zwift Racing League and rebranded as “Zwift Grand Prix”. This should allow the elite events to feature a fresh set of race formats that are “uniquely esports”, creating a more varied and exciting experience for racers and audience members alike.

It’s a major shift from the past two years, when the elite-level “Premier League” teams would race a day before the community teams, riding the same Zwift Racing League route as the community riders.

Let’s dig into the details of Zwift’s plans for elite team racing in the 2022/23 season.

Selected Teams

Zwift has already selected the 24 elite teams which will participate in the Zwift Grand Prix:

Men’s Teams Women’s Teams 
ABUS – LE COLAEONIAN RACE TEAM
AEROAERO
CANYON ESPORTSBEASTMODE POWERED BY ROSE
CRYO-RDTCANYON ESPORTS
HEXAGONECRYO-RDT
KALAS ESRT P/B WAHOO BIRKMOVISTAR TEAM
MOVISTAR TEAMROCACORBA COLLECTIVE
NEXT ESPORT PB ENSHOREDSARIS NO PINZ
SARIS | NOPINZSOCKS4WATTS
TEAM ITALYTEAM SWEDISH ZWIFTERS
VELOCIOVIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE TWENTY24
WAHOO LE COLWAHOO LE COL

(Invited included those who took part in Premier Division racing for 2021/22, plus any new teams who had expressed interest in elite-level Zwift racing for 2022/23. Interested teams had to complete an application process and meet numerous requirements in order to be considered for the series.)

Season Schedule

All races during the regular season will be scheduled on Fridays at 6pm/7pm UTC. Men and women will alternate weeks.

Round 1 
Mens Race(s)  Friday 23rd September @ 6pm UTC
Women’s Race(s)Friday 30th September @ 6pm UTC
Round 2
Mens Race(s)Friday 7th October @ 6pm UTC
Women’s Race(s)Friday 14th October @ 6pm UTC 
Round 3
Mens Race(s)Friday 21st October @ 6pm UTC
Women’s Race(s)Friday 28th October  @ 6pm UTC
Round 4
Mens Race(s)Friday 18th November @ 7pm UTC 
Women’s Race(s)Friday 25th November @ 7pm UTC 
Round 5
Mens Race(s)Friday 2nd December @ 7pm UTC 
Women’s Race(s)Friday 9th December @ 7pm UTC 
Round 6
Mens Race(s)Friday 13th January @ 7pm UTC  
Women’s Race(s)Friday 20th January @ 7pm UTC 
Finals 
Mens Race(s) and Women’s Race(s) On or around 23rd – 26th March (tbd)

This schedule gives elite racers the opportunity to race in Zwift Racing League events on Tuesdays if they wish, meaning we might see some very high-level racing in the top divisions of ZRL.

Race Formats

Zwift’s Esports Team is working on a groundbreaking set of race formats aimed at providing great entertainment while making the racing more strategic and intriguing for riders.

Some weeks, for example, may feature multiple shorter back-to-back races, perhaps with riders being eliminated in each round.

The formats have not yet been finalized, and this is a noteworthy change from Zwift’s past approach to elite racing. Zwift says now that Grand Prix teams have been selected, “we will present the remaining event format options for further feedback and refinement with teams – this is a key facet in collaboratively building the sport.”

Kudos to Zwift for collaborating with top teams to help build something compelling and uniquely esports.

Prize Money/Start Money

Each participating team will receive $1,000 as start money for the season.

Both the men’s and women’s competitions will have prize pots of $16,500 for the season.

Where to Watch

Each Friday’s race will be broadcast live with commentary on Zwift’s Youtube channel.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

“Get Rolling” ZRacing September 2022 Series Details

Eric Schlange
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44
“Get Rolling” ZRacing September 2022 Series Details

“Get Rolling” ZRacing September 2022 Series Details

As we head unto Autumn here in the northern hemisphere, Zwift is rolling out a fresh set of races with some welcome twists sure to get “more Zwifters racing more often.” Called the “ZRacing Monthly Series”, these races actually function much the same as the just-finished Zwift Classics series, except each series happens on a monthly basis… and includes badges!

Series Structure

The ZRacing Monthly Series is made up of monthly sets of weekly races. Each race will be on the schedule for seven days (beginning 12:10am UTC on Monday and running through to the next Sunday). Timeslots will be 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/zracing

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, and that includes your warmup and cooldown.

Monthly GC on ZwiftPower

Each monthly set of races will have 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.

See September’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 in order 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 series will have a theme (September’s is “Get Rolling”), and you can unlock an achievement badge by finishing each week’s race for the month.

September’s Route Schedule

September’s routes match the “Get Rolling” theme, as each course features rolling hills for most or all of its profile. None of the climbs are particularly long, but their rolling nature means you’ll have to push hard up repeated bumps while keeping your eyes open and racing smart so you have enough kick left for a strong finishing effort.

  • Stage 1 (Sept 5-11): Queen’s Highway
    • 5 laps (17.6km, 245m elevation)
    • Powerups: Draft Boost and Aero Boost
  • Stage 2 (Sept 12-18): Sand and Sequoias
    • 1 lap (22.5km, 181m elevation)
    • Powerups: Feather and Anvil
  • Stage 3 (Sept 19-25): Douce France
    • 1 lap (24.3km, 133m)
    • Powerups: Feather and Draft Boost
  • Stage 4 (Sept 26-Oct 2): Park Perimeter Loop
    • 2 laps (19.5km, 251m)
    • Powerups: Feather and Draft Boost

Race Categories

Separate events will be held as women-only races 3-4 times daily.

Races will use Zwift’s Category Enforcement tools to ensure riders don’t sandbag by entering too low a category.

Dino-Might!

Some of the ZRacing events will have a bit of extra fun added – this month Zwift has designated special “Dinosports events”. Look for the special event banner to join one:

At the time of this post, the only Dinosports events on the calendar were for stage 2, and they happened daily around 3:10am, 11:10am, 6:10pm UTC.

See all upcoming Dinosports events on ZwiftHacks >

Questions or Comments?

Post below! 

Tiny Race Series – September 3 Route Details and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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10
Tiny Race Series – September 3 Route Details and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – September 3 Route Details and Last Week’s Results

Last Saturday’s Tiny Races were quite a mix of punchy climbs, downhills, and flats. Each race suited a different type of rider, so it took a combination of fitness, smarts, and consistency to come out on top.

Confetti popped in Yorkshire
Feathers flew in NYC
Richmond was downright painful
And the Jungle was dusty!

Congrats to Last Week’s Winners

Overall Podiums

Zone 1 (8am UTC)

A: Yuichi Sasaki
B: Simon Matros (WattFabrik)
C: Paul Smith (ART)
D: Dan Dan (TFC)

Zone 2 (2pm UTC)

A: Pedro Errecart (OTR)
B: Richard Shoebridge (EVO)
C: Anton Hansson (eSRT)
D: Daniel DS Biking (SZR)

Zone 3 (8pm UTC)

A: Tim Humpton (Electricspirit.co)
B: Pedro Bastos (PTz)
C: Gregory Gout (RWB)
D: Damon Leake (CRYO-GEN)

Women’s Podiums

Zone 1 (8am UTC)

A: none
B: Cornelia Engström (SZ)
C: Jennifer Frevel
D: Mone B.

Zone 2 (2pm UTC)

A: none
B: Ro Berbel (Team Italy)
C: Jo Graham (CrushPod)
D: Linn Björgvik (SZR)

Zone 3 (8pm UTC)

A: none
B: Madi Roberts (AHDR)
C: Kelsey Tranel (KRT)
D: Carrie McBride (HERD)

This Week’s Routes

This week we’re going all-in on Watopia, with four fresh routes that have never been seen in the Tiny Races.

Here are photos so you can see the precise location of the custom finish lines:

Approaching Volcano Flat Rev finish
Volcano Flat Rev custom finish
Approaching Mountain Route finish (first bridge tower)
Mountain Route custom finish
Approaching Seaside Sprint finish (Volcano Circuit arch)
Seaside Sprint custom finish
Approaching Tempus Fugit finish
Tempus Fugit custom finish
  • Race 1: Volcano Flat Reverse (5.5km, ending atop Dirty Sorpressa)
    • This route is fairly uneventful until the final ~50 seconds, when we hit the snaking Dirty Sopressa climb up to the Italian Village. You’ll have a steamroller to help make the full gas dash up the dirt a bit faster, but be sure to time it well!
    • Powerup: Steamroller
  • Race 2: Mountain Route (5.27km, ending at first bridge tower)
    • Here’s one for the punchy climbers. Your lead in is fairly tame, but this race ends in an all-out, 700-meter slugfest up the foot of the Epic KOM to the first bridge tower.
    • Powerup: none
  • 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 aero boost powerups will keep this fast and encourage attacks.
    • Powerup: Aero Boost x2
  • Race 4: Tempus Fugit (6.17km)
    • Tempus Fugit is the flattest route on Zwift, so we wanted to give it a try and create the flattest Tiny Race to date. This race ends with a bit of a “blind finish” as you exit the twisty tunnel leading from the Oasis.
    • Powerup: Draft Boost

Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces

Join a Chat & Chill Cooldown Event

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.

ZwiftPower Results

Zwift displays preliminary race results in game when you cross the line, but points are computed after all four races finish, with final results on ZwiftPower. (We have to press a ZwiftPower button to compute results manually, so if your rankings don’t show up right away, just 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:

Questions or Comments

Post below!

VirtuSlo Tour Fight for GC Announced

Eric Schlange
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7
VirtuSlo Tour Fight for GC Announced

VirtuSlo Tour Fight for GC Announced

The VirtuSlo Club has announced a new weekly race series dubbed Fight for GC. The monthly GC series will feature a weekly race each Tuesday at 17:45 UTC (19:45 CEST/13:45EDT/10:45 PDT).

This series is intended for individual riders without a team, as well as teams with 3 or more riders who wish to race for the Team Classification.

See upcoming series events at zwift.com/events/tag/virtuslo

Rules for GC

  • General Classification (GC): Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has taken the least time to complete all stages for the month.
  • Team Classification is calculated by adding up the top three rider’s times from each team for each stage. The team with the lowest total time is the winner of the classification.

Results for GC and Team GC on ZwiftPower at https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=1205

Routes

Each month at least one stage will have a hilly/mountain KOM finish.

Course Schedule for September

See upcoming series events at zwift.com/events/tag/virtuslo

Categories

Category enforcement will determine the rider’s minimum category with CP and Vo2Max/MAP, but for light riders under 59kg Dynamic Watt Floors will be used:

  • Cat A: 250W for 59kg (From 59kg every kg is -3W from Watt Floor)
  • Cat B: 200W for 59kg (From 59kg every kg is -3W from Watt Floor)
  • Cat C: 150W for 57kg (From 57kg every kg is -2W from Watt Floor)

Examples:

  • Cat A for 55kg rider: 59kg-55kg=4kg*3W=12W, For Cat A is 250W-12W=238W/55kg=4.33W/kg
  • Cat B for 50kg rider: 59kg-50kg=9kg*3W=27W, For Cat B is 200W-27W=173W/50kg=3.46W/kg
  • Cat C for 40kg rider: 57kg-40kg=17kg*2W=34W, For Cat C is 150W-34W=116W/40kg=2.9W/kg

Read more about Category Enforcement >

Race Settings

  • No Powerups
  • Double Draft will be used to give racing IRL feeling. Read more about Double Draft >
  • No TT Bikes
  • Participants must be registered on zwiftpower.com to be included in the results
  • Smart trainer or powermeter only, Zpower will be removed from results
  • Heart rate monitor and correct HR data for podiums
  • Using Sticky Watts to get an unrealistic advantage will result in DQ

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

7 Deadly Wins Week 7: Desperate Times…

Adam Dawson
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5
7 Deadly Wins Week 7: Desperate Times…

7 Deadly Wins Week 7: Desperate Times…

The 7 Deadly Wins challenge is my personal mission to collect a gold trophy in every Zwift Classic, no matter how many tries it takes. You can follow the highs and lows on my Youtube channel, Zwiftaholics. 

I began the series with a twinkle in my eye and grand ideas about solo breakaways and long sprints. For three weeks the dream was alive, but steeper challenges were looming, and the steep roads of Bologna certainly forced my hand in more ways than one. 

Attempt #1: Heartbreak Hill

I feel like I have my Bologna pacing strategy fairly well dialed in at this point. I use a training app called Xert to look at my theoretical max power for the 17 or so minutes I expect it to take, then subtract around 20W to get my wattage target on the flat and add 20W to get my target for the climb. At the moment that’s about a 330W / 370W split. Having recently knocked out a 20-minute 340W ITT on Tempus Fugit, and gratefully taking the demotion back to B Grade thanks to James Bailey’s tweaks to the category enforcement limits, I was feeling confident I could deliver the watts and the win. 

For the flat part of the race, that optimism remained. Another rider jumped to an early lead, but I stuck to the plan and gradually reeled him back in. As we took the sharp right-hand turn up the hill I’d averaged exactly 330W and opened up a 15-second lead. 

That would be the state of play for the first few hundred metres, but as the ramps got steeper I started to struggle. This has become a thorn in my side of late. I suspect a long period of riding indoors almost exclusively through a wet Melbourne winter, and most of that on flat or punchy races or cruisy bot rides, has left me with something of a muscle imbalance. Whatever the cause, when the trainer starts pulling hard against me I can’t put out anywhere near the same power as I can on a flat virtual road. I’m curious if other Zwifters have noticed the same. 

My 370W target was clearly the stuff of fantasy. I was holding 320 if I was lucky, fading, and losing time. On the final and steepest ramp I was overhauled by one rider, then another, and another. After some easier spinning I squeezed a little more juice out of the legs to reclaim 3rd place on the shallower finish, but it was a demoralising loss after such a good start and falling so far below what I should have been capable of. 

As I did my post-mortem (flat out on my living room floor) I thought about doing something a little controversial. I opened up the Zwift settings, found the trainer difficulty slider, and dropped it down several percent. 

Attempt #2: The Experiment Works; The Challenge Ends

I’ve never ridden at 100% trainer difficulty, well at least not since one of my first rides when I went up the radio tower and physically could not move the pedals on the steeper gradients, even out of the saddle with my full body weight trying to get them spinning. If realism was the goal, that certainly wasn’t it. I also like the convenience of shifting gears less and using cadence to modulate power rather than gear changes. 

Nor could I ever see myself taking it all the way down to zero. Feeling the changes in the road is one of the great joys of Zwifting. I just don’t happen to be particularly good at those changes right now, especially on the steepest gradients. 

Despite this attempt being only 16 hours after the first, I had a much better time of things. The 370W climb target was still fanciful, but I did manage 317W on the flat and 338W up the hill, a much better split than last time. I had a 30s lead after the flat, and it was only extending as we worked our way up the hill, but after the previous night’s disappointment this ride wasn’t just about winning. It was about proving a point, mostly to myself, that the watts were indeed there. 

In the end, the final win of this challenge came in emphatic style, with a margin of almost 2 minutes. What was more satisfying was that the time was quicker than the previous night’s winner, the one who’d caught and dropped me so comprehensively. 

How much of that could be attributed to taking the edge off the ‘pull’ of the trainer? Hard to say, but it’s definitely on my list of things to work on now that the Classics are done. I’ll need everything working well if I hope to be anywhere near the front in the next ZRL season, where I’ve taken the plunge and elected to race in A. 

Thanks to everyone who tuned in, left comments, and participated in the Classics series. I missed the 2021 format of fewer races and racing in a consistent timezone, and WTRL’s autocat system, but really enjoyed the variety of courses even if the interest levels seemed to wane in the final few weeks (particularly up in A Grade). 

With this series done it’s time to get back to some training, embrace the official upgrade, and find ways to achieve goals and derive enjoyment in not winning for a while!

The Wrap, Episode 6

Anna Russell
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0
The Wrap, Episode 6

The Wrap, Episode 6

Episode 6 of The Wrap has just landed across all podcast platforms, and this week Nathan and Anna talk racing etiquette and questionable tactics, the upcoming Zwift “Get Rolling” series, and the wonderful win by Jay Vine (prolific Zwifter) at the Vuelta. 

Jenn Real, OG Zwift racer and doctor, visits the show to talk through Zwift Racing from a health perspective.  A must-listen for anyone who wants to optimise their performance over the racing season and minimise burn-out risk.  Jenn specifically chats on optimal recovery between races, devices for measuring recovery and their pitfalls, Zwift racing and heart health, and how to use nutrition for longevity in the sport. 

Fashion spotlight was on the new BL13 Sunshine Kit and the garage pick of the week was gravel wheelsets (and how much they impact speed).

BL13 Sunshine Kit
Gravel wheels

The Wrap is all about showcasing the awesome Zwift community, from upcoming events to must-have tech to community guests to the all-important avatar fashion segment.  The live nature of the show means that hosts Nathan Guerra and Anna Russell can interact directly with those watching, gaining valuable insights and opinions across a wide range of topics.

The podcast is available on all podcast platforms.  Subscribe to Zwift Community Live on YouTube to see the latest episode or tune in live 2pm CDT | 8pm UTC every Thursday.

Roll with Castelli August Epic This Tuesday

Tim Perkin
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0
Roll with Castelli August Epic This Tuesday

Roll with Castelli August Epic This Tuesday

As summer in the northern hemisphere comes racing to an end, it feels appropriate that the Castelli Team chose to host their Epic ride on the “Chasing the Sun” route.  I, like many I am sure, don’t want the end of the summer to come, but the inevitable dark nights are drawing nigh.  Thankfully, we have Zwift and rides like this to look forward to and enjoy!

The August Castelli Epic is at its usual time of 7:25pm CEST/6:25pm BST/2:25pm EDT/11:25am PDT and you can join the event by clicking here.

As customary on this monthly Epic ride with Castelli, they will be giving away a premium bit of cycling clothing.  In addition, given that currently the Vuelta a España is taking part around Spain, there will be stories from this historic race, to keep you entertained!  

Giveaways

This month, the men will get a chance to win the Aero Race 6.0 Jersey whilst women get the Aero Pro W Jersey. 

As customary, to win the jersey stay close to the yellow beacon and at a certain point on the ride, a snapshot will be taken and a winner selected.  To be in with a chance to win, make sure that you visit and join Castelli’s Strava club.

About the Jerseys

Aero Race 6.0 Jersey

Both of these jerseys are premium items. I know my Aero Race 6.0 jersey only comes out of my wardrobe on special occasions!  As Castelli notes, they have been “engineered for all-day comfort with excellent moisture management and comfortable fit.”

These jerseys fit snugly because they’ve been “engineered for aero efficiency at 30 to 55 km/h.”  Key design features include:

  • 3 pockets with drop tail, allowing perfect pocket placement while keeping jersey fitting well at waist
  • Airflow shoulder construction
  • Velocity Rev2 fabric on front and sleeve
  • 3D mesh back for breathability
  • Elbow-length stretch sleeves with raw-cut edge
  • YKK® Vislon® zipper

Summing up

Sign up and join an established and well-organised group ride, led by some of the best in the business, and be in with a chance to win some premium cycling gear.

Category Enforcement – Long-Term Review and Next Steps

James Eastwood
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37
Category Enforcement – Long-Term Review and Next Steps

Category Enforcement – Long-Term Review and Next Steps

Earlier this year Zwift introduced Category Enforcement. In races with category enforcement turned on, you can only enter your own category or higher – and this category is determined by your Critical Power, which is calculated by looking at any efforts you have done in the last 60 days between 2-50 minutes long.

Learn all about Category Enforcement here >

Category Enforcement has generally been a huge success. The majority of Zwift races now have it enabled, and the historical problems of sandbagging are now really a thing of the past. However, of course there is always scope for improvement! Here are the key problems with Zwift racing prior to the CE rollout, to have a look at what areas still need some work.

The ProblemSolved by CESolved by suggestions below
Riders can enter lower categories than they should✔️ 
ZwiftPower only looks at 20-minute efforts, so avoiding 20-minute efforts can keep your category lower than your ability✔️ 
ZwiftPower needs 3 x 20m efforts, so only doing 2 can keep your category low✔️ 
Strong short duration power is a key Zwift asset, so certain rider types can benefit from high 3-5 minute power✔️ 
Only efforts in races are considered✔️ 
Races are normally won by sprints, but sprint ability is not factored in––
Categories are determined by w/kg, when raw watts is often a better predictor of success ✔️
By splitting on w/kg, the heaviest riders at the top of each category (below A) will be the strongest ✔️
There is a need to introduce a ‘minimum wattage’ so super lightweight riders are not overly penalised ✔️
Typically riders have very consistent race experiences – always at the front, always in the middle, always at the back ✔️
The only real predictor of success is success itself – results should ultimately determine ranking and therefore race pen––
Riders need to understand why they are placed in a certain pen ✔️

As you can see, Category Enforcement has delivered some real improvements. By taking a range of efforts in across different durations, and considering all Zwift activities, it is now very difficult to fool the system – either deliberately or simply due to a lack of races.

However, there are many issues still to overcome. Long term we know that Zwift are working on a results-based system, but I understand that is still in the design phase so could be some time away. Hopefully that is a ranking system that updates based on how you perform against those around you.

In the meantime, there are some quick wins that could elevate the Category Enforcement system to the next level.

Zwift Racer Score

I recently came across this research paper which uses a formula to create a ‘compound score’ for a rider’s capability. This score is, in effect, a combination of w/kg and raw watts, to better predict performance versus either w/kg or raw watts alone.

Zwift could use the same formula to create a ‘Racer Score’ which would then be used to determine your category. This removes a number of issues related to communicating w/kg, and better groups riders on ability as demonstrated by the paper. The Critical Power calculation introduced by Category Enforcement would still be the key input to this formula, which is actually very simple:

Example calculation for a rider with a CP of 310w and a weight of 73kg:

Zwift Racer Score = 310 x (310/73) = 1316

Customisable Pen Boundaries

The Racer Score approach certainly improves matters, but ultimately with a fixed category system, race experiences will be very consistent. That’s great if you are always at the front of the field, but for a bottom B or bottom C the experience is really not enjoyable or motivating.

By allowing race organisers to determine how the pens are split (choosing upper Racer Scores for each pen) sometime riders will be at the front of a field and sometimes at the back. This approach is also critical for a future ranking system to ensure variety to keep rankings fair and accurate.

Communicate Racer Score

The calculated Racer Score should be communicated on both ZwiftPower and your Zwift profile. A rider needs to know the result of the calculation so they can understand why they are placed in a certain pen. Simply show the racer their Score! If a racer is inclined to work out their calculated Critical Power, of course they can do this by reversing the formula using their weight in kg.

This will also avoid any confusion with the existing ZwiftPower categories, which still use w/kg boundaries. Medium-term there would be no real reason to keep the Zwift Power categories.

That’s it! 3 simple (in my mind at least!) changes that would massively improve category enforcement.

Questions or Comments?

Share your thoughts below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of August 27-28

Tim Perkin
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0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of August 27-28

This weekend is one full of variety, with many different events to cater to your fancy.


DIRT Badge Hunts

Not every Zwift event needs to be tackled at breakneck speed, so if you fancy a nicely paced 35.1km ride on the “Chasing the Sun” route, this is the ride for you.  It will be paced between 1.5-2 w/kg and is probably the ideal ride if you have had a busy week or are recovering from a hard ride.

Saturday August 27 @ 10am UTC/6am EDT/3am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3108536


The BMTR Fundo

A repeat feature on this list, the BMTR Fundo is aimed at those looking to undertake a longer ride, with options of 100 miles or 100km available, hosted on the “Douce France”  route.  This is a personal challenge, with the goal to complete the distance.

Saturday August 27 @ 12:10pm UTC/8:10am EDT/5:10am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3108563


Chasing Red – Stage 6

Following the very successful “Chasing Yellow” event that saw participants ride at the same time as the Tour de France, often mirroring the stages, the event returns to mirror stages from the Vuelta a España. 

This 36.7km race sees riders tackling the challenging “Keith Hill After Party” route in London.  Having ridden this route recently, I was surprised at how I had forgotten how testing “Keith Hill” is! If you want to test yourself, this is one for you.

Sunday August 28 @ 12:15pm UTC/8:15am EDT/5:15am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3095018


Zwift Classics – Trofeo Bologna

This is the last event in the “Zwift Classics” for 2022, and it has turned out to be a very popular series over the last 2 months.  It’s a TT race on the Bologna Time Trial course: only 8km, but it’s one of the toughest routes out there when raced, as the climb feels never-ending.  If you don’t collapse on your handlebars at the end, you haven’t raced hard enough! 😉 

Need pacing tips? Read “How to Pace Your Best Zwift Bologna TT Race” >

Multiple timeslots Saturday and Sunday
See upcoming events: Open Races | Women-Only Races


Zwift Insider Tiny Races

Zwift Insider’s Tiny Race series has been a big hit, with hundreds of racers turning out to each event, making for a highly-competitive set of four short back-to-back race events. It’s happening again this Saturday on four fresh routes!

The point of these events is to “earn ZwiftPower ranking points, get a solid VO2 workout, and just have fun going all-out in a different sort of Zwift race!”

See this post for details of this week’s routes.

Saturday August 27, 3 timeslots
See a list of upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces

Your Thoughts

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

DBR SufferDay League VII Announced

Eric Schlange
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DBR SufferDay League VII Announced

DBR SufferDay League VII Announced

The DBR team has just announced their seventh SufferDay League race series, described as “A series of 10 long and really hard races made to test your fitness, endurance, and mental well-being on the bike and trainer. Can you endure the suffering and master yourself to come out on top?!”

Flat, hilly, and mountain stages will all be featured. Each stage will take approximately 2.5 hours for the fastest to reach the finish line. All categories race the same course because, as DBR says, “There is no mercy, just suffering.”

The series begins September 3rd and runs each Saturday for 10 weeks through November 5th.

There is just one event time slot each Saturday: 8:30am UTC. Events are not yet on the Zwift calendar, but the first race should show up on Sunday, August 28.

Route Schedule

#DateRouteLapsLength (km)Elevation (m)
13-SepDowntown Titans (Watopia)498.11015
210-Sep2018 UCI Worlds Short Lap (Innsbruck)496.91980
317-SepLondon Pretzel2111.91062
424-SepNeokyo All-Nighter5121.3835
51-OctKnickerbocker Reverse (NYC)490.11456
68-OctThree Little Sisters (Watopia)3113.01205
715-Oct2019 UCI Harrogate Circuit797.01718
822-OctR2015 UCI Worlds Course (Richmond)697.7810
929-OctR.G.V. (France)5121.0540
105-NovFour Horsemen (Watopia)189.02100

Scoring

SufferDay is a points-based competition. Each race’s winners are determined by points, then your race result earns you points that go toward your league ranking across the 10 races.

Racing Scoring

The winner of each race will be the one scoring the most points. Each race will have two point giving segments (primes) plus points for crossing the finish line. Prime points will only count for those who finish.

  • Fastest Through Segment (FTS): 20, 15, 12, 9, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
  • First Across Line (FAL): 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
  • Finish line points: 60, 57, 55, 53, 52, 51, down to 2.  Everyone else will get 1 point.

League Scoring

The winner of each race will receive 60 points in the league table.

Point values are 60, 57, 55, 53, 52, 51, down to 1 point. Results from all 10 races will count toward the league, so if you miss a single race, you’re probably out of the overall running!

Team Scoring

The 6 best-placed riders per team will score points for the Team League Standings.

Other Rules

  • Category Enforcement will be used to enforce a minimum category for all races. Read more about Category Enforcement >
  • All categories will start at the same time
  • No powerups will be given out during the races
  • Registration with ZwiftPower is required to score points in the league. zPower will be removed from results.
  • TT bikes are not allowed, unless otherwise stated.
  • Heart rate monitors are mandatory for all categories.
  • Dual recording is mandatory for top 5 finishers in A category, plus for all riders ranked in the top 50 on the individual rider rankings on Zwiftpower, regardless of category. A public dual recording analysis must be uploaded to ZwiftPower within 3 hours of completing the race.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

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