Home Blog Page 216

This Season on Zwift: Adding Levels 51-60

Eric Schlange
-
66
This Season on Zwift: Adding Levels 51-60

This Season on Zwift: Adding Levels 51-60

UPDATE: levels 51-60 were released in Zwift’s September update.

Zwift recently published their “This Season On Zwift” (TSOZ) press release summarizing plans for new Zwift features through the end of 2022. And while that press release gives some high-level details of upcoming features, we like to dig a little deeper here at Zwift Insider.

This is one in a series of individual posts discussing specific upcoming features in more depth.

It’s finally happening, veteran Zwifters: level 51 is arriving! Buried in Zwift’s TSOZ FAQ are multiple references to new levels. We even did a bit of digging and found out what sort of XP we’ll have to earn in order to level up! Here’s the chart:

XP RequiredItem Unlock
Level 50500,000Level 50 kit + Fire Socks
Level 51520,000Junk Food Kit Pack
Level 52540,000April Fools 80’s Kit
Level 53560,000Fun Shaped Glasses
Level 54580,000April Fools 80s Paint Job
Level 55600,000Rear View Mirror Glasses
Level 56630,000Animal Print Pack
Level 57660,000Cute Socks
Level 58690,000April Fools 80s Socks
Level 59720,000Backwards Hat
Level 60750,000Level 60 Kit

Note: at levels 50 and 60 you will receive 100,000 Drops. You’ll also receive a 25,000 Drops bonus at level 55.

What Took So Long?

Many long-time Zwifters have been stuck on level 50 for months (or even years). And even though repeated requests were made to add more levels, Zwift seemed stuck between two excuses:

  1. “There are so few level 50 Zwifters and we need to put our time into updates that benefit everyone”
  2. We want to do something better than simple levels. Perhaps dividing the year into seasons (like many video games do) where you level resets and you see how high you can get before the next season begins…

It felt like ZwiftHQ wanted the perfect solution (fancy seasonal levels), and that got in the way of implementing a simple and acceptable interim solution (just adding more levels). Consequentially we’ve been stuck at level 50 since December 2018. Thankfully they’re finally throwing us a bone with 10 more levels. That should keep us busy for a while!

How Long to Level Up?

Based on our calculations, Zwifters can expect to earn 500-700XP per hour of riding. Moving from level 50 to 60 requires a total of 250,000XP. If we assume 600XP per hour, that works out to 250000/600=416.67 hours of riding. That’s 42 10-hour riding weeks, or 1 year of 8-hour weeks.

But that doesn’t include XP you’ve banked, if you’re already at level 50.

Accelerated Level-Ups

You never stop accumulating XP in Zwift, even if you reach the top level. It takes 500,000 XP to reach level 50, but I’ve banked over 1.3 million XP!

So how does Zwift handle this situation when they release new levels?

They could just grant me all the new levels as soon as I log in. Unlocks, unlocks, and more unlocks! But that’s not much fun, since I don’t get the pleasure of working to achieve a level.

Instead, Zwift will use “accelerated leveling”. This is a bit tough to wrap one’s head around, but the big idea is your banked XP is combined with new XP to help you level up more quickly than if you had to earn all the required XP from scratch.

When Zwift released levels 26-50 they allowed us to opt into 8x accelerated leveling (read this post for details about how that worked). That meant that as long as you still had banked XP, effectively every 1XP you earned unlocked 7XP from your bank, and those 8XP were then applied to your leveling up total.

It’s a bit confusing, admittedly. But it’s a good solution that rewards Zwifters who have banked XP, while also giving them the leveling up experience.

For levels 51-60, Zwift will automatically apply accelerated leveling to everyone who is already at level 50, but the acceleration will be at a rate of just 2x. That means each 1XP you earn will unlock 1XP from your bank, so you’ll level up 2x faster than a “typical” Zwifter. This extra fast leveling up works out to approximately 21 10-hour weeks, or half a year of 8-hour weeks, to reach level 60. (Or maybe a week if you’re Tim Searle).

Release Date

Zwift hasn’t given a release date for levels 51-60, but we know it’s coming in 2022. Since the levels are already all worked out, we’re guessing they will be released in September or October.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Strava vs Zwift’s New Legsnapper KQOM: the Minimum Segment Length Fiasco

Eric Schlange
-
20
Strava vs Zwift’s New Legsnapper KQOM: the Minimum Segment Length Fiasco

Strava vs Zwift’s New Legsnapper KQOM: the Minimum Segment Length Fiasco

UPDATE November 14, 2024: Strava gave Zwift Insider permission to create short segments for Zwifters! We’ve created all the “missing” short segments for various sprints, and also the Leg Snapper.

Zwift’s August 2022 update included the welcome addition of a Legsnapper KQOM segment to the Innsbruck map. As any Zwift racer will tell you, the ‘Snapper is a crucial climb that has broken the will and legs of many, so it only seems fitting to make it an official segment.

Start of the segment
Almost to the top!

As keepers of the official set of Zwift Strava segments, we’ve had several inquiries from observant riders who have noticed that the new in-game KQOM doesn’t perfectly match the Legsnapper segment we created years ago when Innsbruck launched.

To be precise: the in-game segment starts a bit later than our Strava segment, and ends a bit earlier.

To be honest, we weren’t at all surprised to learn the segments don’t match perfectly. While Zwift had reached out to us for details on the start and finish of our Strava segment so they could make the in-game segment match, our original segment was simply our best guess as to where the official climb should stop and start, and we figured Zwift might see things slightly differently.

When the update dropped, we went in and recorded a ride so we could make a new Strava segment matching the in-game KQOM. And that’s when we ran into a roadblock.

Minimum Segment Length on Strava

When we clicked the button to create the new Legsnapper segment we were greeted with an error message: “Please make your segment longer. It’s currently too short to be accurately timed.”

Strava error screen, with a bit of an addition from us.

For the past few years, Strava’s minimum segment length has been 300 meters. This was a big change from the early days of Zwift when the limit was 100 meters, which explains why short segments exist for older sprints like the 180-meter Watopia Reverse.

We were surprised to see this error pop up, since the Legsnapper segment is well over 300 meters long (430 meters according to Zwift’s leaderboard).

So we did a bit of digging, and it turns out Strava recently increased their minimum segment length to 500 meters. Which is a bad move, in our opinion. Here’s why…

Reason #1: This is Zwift

In Strava’s support post about Very Short Segments they explain that one key factor forcing the need for a minimum segment length is GPS accuracy – specifically, the sampling rates of GPS devices. “Some devices only record a GPS point every 5 to 10 seconds,” Strava says, so having a segment that only takes 30 seconds to complete could lead to lots of inaccuracies.

Fair enough. But this is Zwift. Strava knows the difference between a virtual ride and an outdoor one. Virtual platforms record GPS coordinates very consistently (Zwift does it every second) and can therefore accurately and consistently measure times on shorter segments.

Reason #2: Roads Go Uphill

Strava’s simple length limit is a bit of a bodge if you think about it, because it doesn’t bring gradient into the question.

If the real issue is how long it takes to complete a segment (and that is the real issue), Strava needs to do more than look at segment length. They need to look at segment gradient and compute an estimate of how long it would take a rider to complete the segment. That 500-meter downhill section? Maybe it’s too short for a segment. That 300-meter turn-to-turn section of the Alpe d’Huez climb? Probably plenty long.

Incidentally, this is why we were able to create turn-to-turn segments for most of the Alpe du Zwift, but not for the shortest segments (bends 16-17, 18-19, and 19-20). We all know those segments take significant time to complete because they are ridden at slow speeds. But Strava doesn’t care.

Mountain bikers are particularly up in arms about the new 500-meter limit, because as any MTBer will tell you, a 500-meter uphill segment is no joke. Especially on difficult terrain!

Reason #3: It’s Just Us

Zwift Insider’s Strava account is the only one allowed to create public segments for Zwift activities. Strava doesn’t need to let the entire world create shorter segments. But if they trust us enough to maintain the official segments for Zwift, they should be willing to flag our account and let us create shorter segments.

We’ve repeatedly reached out to our contacts at Strava, though, and have heard no reply.

Wrapping It Up

While we understand Strava’s reasons for limiting the creation of short segments, any implementation of segment length limits that does not take gradient into account is simplistic and over restrictive.

Additionally, the key reason for those limits (GPS accuracy) simply does not apply in the virtual land of Zwift!

We would really like to see Strava roll back the virtual segment minimum to 100 meters so we can create segments for Zwift’s new Legsnapper KQOM as well as the various sprints and Alpe sections. What do you say, Strava?

(A link to this article has been posted on Strava’s support forum. Please visit, comment, and Kudos the post to help get Strava’s attention.)

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Pace Partners Graduate Out of FutureWorks

Eric Schlange
-
33
Pace Partners Graduate Out of FutureWorks

Pace Partners Graduate Out of FutureWorks

Zwift has been tweaking and testing Pace Partners for the past few months, and this Monday they officially graduate out of the FutureWorks program.

The graduation includes some special events, plus a completely fresh set of Pace Partners. Let’s dive into the details!

Graduation Events

Zwift is hosting two different types of events to celebrate the Pace Partners’ graduation.

  • Trivia Rides (ending today): 45-minute events on Wandering Flats in which the Pace Partners ask cycling trivia questions, then answer them after a bit of a wait
  • Graduation Ceremony Rides (Saturday and Sunday): these 45-minute events on Tick Tock will include several Pace Partners, each riding at their own pace. Find a group going your speed and enjoy the ride!

See upcoming Pace Partner events at zwift.com/events/tag/pacepartners

Cycling Pace Partners

A new set of Pace Partners is being launched now that the feature is moving out of FutureWorks. These Pace Partners will be live from Monday, September 6 onwards.

All of the Pace Partners will now weigh 75kg and be 175cm tall. They will use dynamic pacing, increasing power by up to 10% uphill and decreasing up to 20% when descending.

Pace Partners only have first names now, and only “Coco” remains from the original set of Pace Partners. Here’s the new list of Pace Partners, sorted by pace:

  • Taylor – 1.1 W/kg
  • Bernie – 1.5 W/kg
  • Miguel – 1.8 W/kg
  • Maria – 2.2 W/kg
  • Coco – 2.6 W/kg
  • Yumi – 2.9 W/kg
  • Jacques – 3.2 W/kg
  • Genie – 3.7 W/kg
  • Constance – 4.2 W/kg

Routes

Pace Partners will ride the following routes, changing every Monday at 0700 UTC.

Watopia Routes:

Makuri Islands Routes:

Running Pace Partners

A new set of 11 Running Pace Partners will also be spun up for graduation:

  • Billy – 6.0 kph
  • Louis – 6.7 kph
  • Maggie – 7.5 kph
  • Dean – 8.0 kph
  • Lizzy – 8.6 kph
  • Roger – 9.2 kph
  • Audrey – 10.0 kph
  • Jesse – 10.9 kph
  • Kat – 12.0 kph
  • Carl – 13.3 kph
  • Joan – 15 kph

They will run on the following routes, rotating weekly:

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of September 3-4

Tim Perkin
-
0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of September 3-4

September has arrived, and indoor season is beginning! Check out some longer events, as well as a few special picks.


The Mountain Massif

To mark what now feels like the end of summer here in the northern hemisphere and the start of autumn and what many consider to be the start of the indoor cycling season, I decided to launch a new event on Sunday.  This new race will see an alternating course between a 60.1km “Four Horsemen” route, that finishes on top of the Alpe du Zwift and the “Quatch Quest” route, which also finishes on top of the Alpe. 

This is the longest race offering by Mountain Massif, I hope you join me to race this new offering.     

Sunday September 4 @ 7:30am UTC/3:30am EDT/12:30am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3120214


Endure IQ Training Squad Session

I am highlighting this event as this is quite possibly the longest structured training session I have seen on Zwift, lasting 227 minutes.

The event description states “The focus of this indoor, basic endurance ride, is to complete an extended duration steady-state bout at a low intensity but with focussed blocks of riding in Z2 including cadence work to help improve your cycling efficiency and build muscular endurance.”

The structure of the training is as follows:

  • WARM-UP: Progressive for 20min
  • MAIN SET: 8x increasing duration progressive L2 builds 62/66/70/74%, Recovery 25% interval at L1
  • COOLDOWN: 5 min

Saturday September 3 @ 12pm UTC/8am EDT/5am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3115653


PACK SUB2 Saturday + KOM After Party

This ride is paced at 1.6-1.9 w/kg and is designed as an “easy beginner friendly ride aimed at Zwifters looking for a relaxed group experience.” 

As the Pack notes, it’s “a great introduction to group riding with full pace instructions via text and voice chat using discord.”

Saturday September 3 @ 2:55pm UTC/10:55am EDT/7:55am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3115708


Orientation Ride | ZA Road 2022

Zwift Academy Road 2022 is commencing on 12th September.  This gives everyone the opportunity to improve their riding and a select few the opportunity to win a cycling contract with a Pro Tour team.  Jay Vine, last year’s Zwift Academy men’s winner, secured a professional contract via this route with Alpecin-Fenix, and recently won multiple stages at la Vuelta a España… on top of becoming the UCI World Indoor Cycling Champion in February! 

Multiple timeslots and dates
See upcoming Orientation Rides


Pace Partner Graduation Ceremony

Pace Partners are finally graduating out of FutureWorks, and you’re invited to the graduation ceremony! These are 45-minute rides on Watopia’s Tick Tock route. “There will be several Pace Partners available in this ride. Settle in to your preferred pace with your favorite Pace Partner and Ride On!”

Multiple timeslots on Saturday and Sunday
See a list of upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/pacepartners

Your Thoughts

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

This Season on Zwift: Race Your Past Efforts with FutureWorks Holographic Replays

Eric Schlange
-
28
This Season on Zwift: Race Your Past Efforts with FutureWorks Holographic Replays

This Season on Zwift: Race Your Past Efforts with FutureWorks Holographic Replays

Zwift recently published their “This Season On Zwift” (TSOZ) press release summarizing plans for new Zwift features through the end of 2022. And while that press release gives some high-level details of upcoming features, we like to dig a little deeper here at Zwift Insider.

This is one in a series of individual posts discussing specific upcoming features in more depth.

Race Your Past Efforts

This may be the most exciting feature in Zwift’s TSOZ announcement, so it’s where we’ll begin.

Launching as a FutureWorks feature, Holographic Replays are the first iteration of a feature Zwifters have long requested: the ability to ride against your past efforts.

The main settings window will give you the option of showing:

  • a hologram of your most recent effort on a segment
  • a hologram of your best effort (90 day PR) on that segment
  • no hologram replay at all

This is how it looks in game:

Notice how your hologram shows as an entry in the rider list and includes your PR time and the segment name.

Replayable Segments

At launch this feature will only be available on segments that include a leaderboard: all timed KQOMs (including Alpe du Zwift!), sprints, and these full routes:

Your hologram is not draftable, and it is only visible to you. Holographic replays will only be available during free rides, including Pace Partner groups.

Actual Replays

If you’ve ever tried to chase a Strava PR outdoors using data from your head unit, you may have experienced the annoyance of time tracking that isn’t based on the actual GPS data from your previous activity.

Zwift’s Holographic Replays avoids this by actually replaying your previous activity based on saved activity data which even includes your left-right location on the road. (That’s right: if you had steering enabled, your hologram will even replay your steering movements.) So when you’re chasing your PR on Watopia’s Hilly Route, your hologram will reflect the precise speeds you hit when going hard up the Hilly KOM and supertucking down the backside.

If you blew up at turn 4 on your previous Alpe du Zwift attempt, your hologram will do the same. Knowing this, you can pace yourself a bit behind your hologram until turn 4, where you will (hopefully) have the legs to overtake your previous self and set a new personal best.

Here’s another video showing a FutureWorks Holographic Replays on Richmond’s 2015 UCI Worlds Course:

Note: this was made during internal testing and may not show the final look of Holographic Replays.

This ability to race yourself sets up fun training scenarios. Two examples:

  • Hill repeats on a particular KQOM, trying for negative splits (going faster on each subsequent attempt)
  • Sprint training on a particular sprint segment, figuring out how to optimize your entry speed and powerup usage for the fastest possible time.

Release Date

Zwift isn’t giving any official release date for FutureWorks Holographic Replays, but we know it’s slated for release by the end of the year since it was included in TSOZ.

Based on what we’re hearing from inside ZwiftHQ (employees have been testing and raving about the new feature for weeks), we’re guessing this will be released in September or October.

Just The Beginning

FutureWorks Holographic Replays are launching with solid functionality that will be welcomed by all Zwifters. But what else could be done with Holographic Replays? We have a few ideas:

  • Include the ability to race your lifetime PR, not just 90-day
  • Be able to race against some else’s hologram. What if a pro rode a particular route solo, then Zwifters as a group could race that pro’s hologram in an event? What if you could race your friend’s hologram?
  • Have personal holograms available for all routes, not just those tracked on a leaderboard

We’re confident that Zwift will build out the feature set of FutureWorks Holographic Replays as time goes on like they’ve done with Pace Partners.

More Details

There are lots of nuances to this feature, so if you have further questions we recommend reading Zwift’s Holographic Replay FAQ.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

What’s Coming Next? Read “This Season On Zwift” Fall 2022 Press Release

Eric Schlange
-
63
What’s Coming Next? Read “This Season On Zwift” Fall 2022 Press Release

What’s Coming Next? Read “This Season On Zwift” Fall 2022 Press Release

Today Zwift announced their “This Season on Zwift” plans: an exciting list of new features they intend to roll out by the end of 2022.

There is a lot to talk about here, so we’re going to begin by simply publishing Zwift’s full press release. Some of the content in the PR has already been covered in detailed posts here on Zwift Insider, including:

There are other new features mentioned below (and in fact, some new features not mentioned below!) that we haven’t yet covered due to Zwift’s September 1st embargo. Our plan is to release more in-depth posts focused on these topics in the coming hours and days, digging into the details you won’t find in a press release. Watch this space.

Without further ado: here’s Zwift’s full “This Season on Zwift” press release.

Long Beach, California – Zwift, the global online fitness platform for cyclists, is constantly evolving to deliver on its mission to make more people, more active, more often. Today, the platform announces a leap forward with a number of additions to Zwift that will make the platform more engaging and fun for both existing and new users. 

To celebrate the start of Zwift season, Zwift’s product design team shared its product roadmap leading up to the end of 2022. Improvements to in-game content discovery, new training features, more routes, improved event capabilities, and increased on-demand services are some of the highlights that will help cyclists Zwift their own way this indoor cycling season. 

“Making Zwift more simple is one of the biggest opportunities for our expanding audience. We’re continually looking at new ways to make Zwift more accessible, easier to use, and more fun – whether you’re new to the platform or have been here for years,” said Zwift Vice President of Content, Mark Cote. “With so many different ways to Zwift, this year we’ve focused on building out the tools that empower our community to create their own Zwift experience. We have  improved in-game discovery, enhanced the toolsets of Zwift Clubs and also adding to our library of 24-7 on-demand content. We believe our experiences this season will help make Zwift a more engaging and personalized experience for members around the world.”

Training has been a particular area of focus this season. Improvements to the homescreen UI will make it easier to discover and learn more about Zwift’s extensive library of workouts and training plans. Zwifters will be able to search by workout duration and perceived effort, and will be able to learn more about each individual workout through improved graphic detail.

One of Zwift’s most successful recent additions, PacePartners is set to graduate from the FutureWorks test program. PacePartners are prominently featured on the home screen, and give Zwifters the ability to join a group ride for a social workout at a variety of paces. Now evolving from the success of PacePartners are Zwift’s all-new Holographic Replay. This feature will launch under the FutureWorks test program and will allow Zwifters to compete against a ghost of their previous personal records, providing a personalized competitive element to their training. FutureWorks Holographic Replays will precisely replicate your previous personal meaning Zwifters will also gain a better understanding of correct pacing for any given segment in the game. 

Another exciting innovation is Route Based Workouts. Route Based Workouts provide an alternative to FTP-based training, providing a more accessible pathway into structured training on the platform. Living up to their name, Route Based Workouts use Zwift’s terrain and marked segments to create a structured workout plan, allowing for a mix of different efforts. This new feature will appear in the Zwift Academy Road program this year before expanding with more workout plans later this season. Zwifters taking advantage of Route Based Workouts will not need to know their FTP but will be able to learn more about their strengths upon creation. By testing various different systems, Route Based Workouts will not only be able to accurately calculate FTP, providing a pathway into ‘traditional’ structured workouts, but will also provide Zwifters with their cycling phenotype, helping them better understand their cycling strengths and weaknesses. 

Racing on Zwift has always been a popular way to train, and this year’s calendar, and other details can be found on a new dedicated racing website. On-demand racing is a fun way to scratch that competitive itch, and could even lead to a shot at winning a UCI Esports World Championship. Zwift Racing League is back and open for registrations. Zwift Racing League is Zwift’s biggest competition league with more than 1,800 teams and 15,000 riders taking part last season. Zwift Racing League offers racing for all abilities.

New for this season is ZRacing, a thematic race series for each month of the year. ZRacing delivers always-on, easy-to-access competition. A new stage will run each week, and those taking part will be able to earn a monthly badge. ZRacing is designed to fit with your schedule, allowing you to warm up, race and then cool down in under one hour.

For those with an eye on Elite competition, Zwift will once again be the host platform for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Maintaining the same accessible pathway as in 2022, Zwift will open a qualification pathway to the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Qualification events, followed by Continental Championships will provide an opportunity for any Zwifter to represent their country, and follow the pathway of 2022 UCI Cycling Esports World Champion, Loes Adegeest who qualified via this open pathway.

For those who regularly take part in Zwift racing, there have been a number of developments, making Zwift Racing more fun and also fairer. One of the most popular event series is the WTRL Team Time Trial League, a race format also run in the Zwift Racing League. New TTT race functionality helps improve the most social form of competition on the platform.

In addition, Zwift has also been rolling out auto-categorization to make Zwift racing fairer. Auto categorization ensures Zwifters are matched against riders of similar abilities, based on their most recent ride data captured in the platform.

And finally, the thing that all Zwifters love – more new roads! Zwift’s roads are ever-expanding and Makuri Islands will expand in November with roads, gravel, and dirt surfaces winding through the lush Urukazi (woo-roo-kah-zi) map. “Urukazi” is the combination of two Okinawan words — “uru” means “shore,” and “kazi” means “breeze.” The combination of the two words is meant to evoke the serene, untouched character of the Southern Japanese archipelago. On the terrain of Urukazi, you’ll find a Zwifty interpretation of those islands’ scenery, as you ride pavement, gravel, and a new type of surface not yet found anywhere else on Zwift.

Zwift is excited to share the best-ever season on Zwift with you, please look for all the updates in the coming months. Zwifters can learn more here zwift.com/this-season-on-zwift

All About the Continental Qualifiers for 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships

Eric Schlange
-
14
All About the Continental Qualifiers for 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships

All About the Continental Qualifiers for 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships

Up to 100 men and 100 women will be selected to race in the biggest Zwift race of the year: the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in February 2023. So how do you get selected?

75% of the selections will be made by National Federations. As determined by the UCI, each federation will be allowed to select a certain number of Worlds riders based on whatever selection criteria each federation determines is best. This post doesn’t cover the selection process of National Federations – you will need to contact your country’s federation for those details.

The remaining 25% of the field will be made up of riders who qualify via the Continental Qualifier events held on Zwift November 12-13, 2022.

Qualification Spots by Gender & Continent

AmericasEurope & Africa Rest of WorldTotal
Women813425
Men613625

So how do you get into the Continental Qualifiers event? It’s no small task, but it is open to everyone regardless of fitness level. In fact, if you’re an experienced Zwift racer on good hardware with dual recording capabilities, it’s just a matter of paperwork.

Here’s how to get into the Continental Qualifiers for the 2023 UCI Esports Worlds, along with everything we know about the Continental Qualifiers races themselves.

Getting Into the Continental Qualifiers

  1. Register your interest (online form here) between September 1-October 23
  2. Participate in Qualification Pathway Races October 7-21: during stages 1, 2, and 3 of October’s “Race Like a Champ” ZRacing series. (You don’t need to win these races or place Xth or higher – you just need to finish them and meet the additional requirements below.)
  3. Submit pre-verification information by October 28 (see “Pre-Verification Information” below). This information does NOT need to be submitted prior to Qualification Pathway Race participation. It simply needs to be submitted by October 28.
  4. Prepare to race! Once your information has been submitted and verified you will be sent a confirmation email with a race guide and event joining instructions for your Continental Qualifier. This confirmation email will not be sent until after October 28.

Note: if a rider registers their interest but does not pass any of the eligibility criteria, Zwift will inform them of this outcome via email.

Riders who have raced in Zwift Racing League Premier Division 2021/22, Zwift Knockouts, or are taking part in the upcoming Zwift Grand Prix will automatically receive an invitation from Zwift in early October to the Continental Qualifiers. These riders will still need to complete steps 1, 3, and 4 above.

Pre-Verification Information

To get into the Continental Qualifiers all riders must submit the following pre-verification information by October 28 via this online form.

  1. Rider Information
    Zwift ID, Name, Athletic Profile
  2. Smart Trainer Information
    Including manufacturer, type, model, version, serial number, firmware, calibration factor, pictures of the smart trainer (or smart bike) with your bike set up and of the serial number.

    For the Continental Qualifiers you must be riding on specific hardware with a manufacturer claimed accuracy of  +/- 1% or better (see specific list below).
  3. Power Meter and Head Unit Information
    Including type, model, version, serial number, firmware, calibration factor, slope, pictures of the power meter on the bike and a picture of the serial number.
  4. ZADA Power Test
    The ZADA Power Test workout is available in the Zwift game. You can find it in the workout library; workouts/60-90-minutes-to-burn/zada-power-test

    You may re-submit the same file as for other races e.g. ZRL Premier Division, if it is still valid (must be within 6 months of the race date for ZADA Power Test and best efforts on Zwift, and 12 months for outdoor efforts), provided this is on the same equipment you will be using for the Continental Qualifiers.
  5. Evidence of Real Life or Zwift Efforts
    Including files and Strava links to your BEST efforts for 5-15 seconds, 1 minute, 3-5 minutes, 10-20 minutes.

Continental Qualifiers Schedule

DateAmericasEurope & Africa Rest of World
WomenNov 12, 20228pm UTC2pm UTC8am UTC
MenNov 13, 20228pm UTC2pm UTC8am UTC

Continental Qualifiers Race Format

The Continental Qualifiers will be formatted similarly to the 2023 Esports Worlds, with three individual races each taking place on a separate route. Race fields will shrink as riders are eliminated based on finishing position in races 1 and 2, and while there are a few qualification spots available for top finishers in races 1 and 2, most qualification spots will be won in the final race.

See below for race details. Keep in mind that rider numbers below are indicative of a race putting 13 qualifiers through (Europe). Numbers will be different for Americas and Rest of World races.

Race 1 (Unknown number of starters)

Race 2 (36 Starters)

  • Hill climb scratch race on a new Innsbruck route, ~25 minutes long
    (Route will leave the pens, turn right, go to the sprint, over the reverse of the Legsnapper, towards the main climb, and then up the reverse side)
  • 18 riders eliminated, top 15 through, with top 3 automatically qualifying

Race 3 (15 Starters)

  • Reverse elimination race Crit City’s Downtown Dolphin, ~15 minutes long
  • First rider across the line each lap qualifies and is removed from the race for the first 6 laps
  • Last 9 riders have a showdown in the final lap, with first place finisher qualifying
  • 7 qualifiers through

Rules for the Continental Qualifiers

Broadcasts/Where to Watch

All of the Continental Qualifiers will be broadcast live on Zwift’s YouTube Channel.

Questions or Comments?

Check out Zwift’s blog post about qualifying for Worlds. Zwift is also managing a forum topic to field any additional topics not already covered.

All About 2023 UCI Esports Worlds on Zwift

Eric Schlange
-
11
All About 2023 UCI Esports Worlds on Zwift

All About 2023 UCI Esports Worlds on Zwift

Today Zwift and the UCI announced plans for a third edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships on Zwift. Taking place on February 18, 2023, the event “will build on the successes of the first two editions in 2020 and 2022” while moving more toward making the race a uniquely esports proposition.

2023 Worlds: Open, Innovative, Zwifty

Zwift has been working with the UCI to plan a Worlds event that is uniquely esports. Or to put it another way, both Zwift and the UCI agree that Esports Worlds shouldn’t try to replication an outdoor road race. Instead, it should utilize the strengths of virtual racing to create a race that is both highly competitive for riders and super entertaining for audiences.

To that end, this year’s race is characterized by three key features:

  1. Open pathway: anyone around the world has a shot at qualifying to race Worlds
  2. New Race format: a fresh, “entertainment first” 3-race format (see below) will whittle down the field and provide varied race action for viewers
  3. Custom-designed course: the races will take place on a not-yet-released Zwift course, custom-designed for the event

Race Format

While the first two Esports Worlds were simple single scratch races, this year’s race format is actually a set of three races. Each race will take place on a separate route, and race fields will shrink as riders are eliminated based on finishing position in races 1 and 2.

Race 1 (100 Starters)

  • Rolling route scratch race, ~25 minutes long
  • 70 riders eliminated, top 30 through

Race 2 (30 Starters)

  • Hill climb scratch race, ~25 minutes long
  • 17 riders eliminated, top 13 through

Race 3 (13 Starters)

  • Elimination race on a punchy circuit, ~15 minutes long
  • 2 riders eliminated per lap, ending in a showdown of the final 3 riders

How to Qualify for UCI ESports Worlds

Up to 100 men and 100 women will be selected to race in the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in February 2023.

75% of the selections will be made by National Federations. As determined by the UCI, each federation will be allowed to select a certain number of Worlds riders based on whatever selection criteria each federation determines is best.

The remaining 25% of the field will be made up of riders who qualify via the Continental Qualifier events held on Zwift November 12-13, 2022. Riders must jump through some significant hoops in order to race in the Continental Qualifiers, so we’ve put together a detailed post all about these events.

Learn all about the 2022 Continental Qualifiers including schedule, pre-verification requirements, and more >

Fairness

The UCI and Zwift are structuring their rules to create fair races for all participants. Riders will be furnished with a complete set of rules upon qualification, but here are some key things riders and fans may like to know:

  • All UCI Esports Worlds riders will use the same trainer for the big race (make/model has not yet been announced).
  • Zwift’s Esports Rules and Regulations will apply to the Esports Worlds events, as well as UCI’s Regulations. The UCI will assume overall responsibility for the governance of the events.
  • Riders will have to hold a racing license valid in the relevant country
  • Riders will be required to comply with the UCI’s anti-doping program.

Prizes

Rainbow Jersey

The winner of the men’s and women’s events will be awarded the UCI Cycling Esports World Champions Jersey which includes the famous rainbow stripes:

UCI Cycling Esports Rainbow Jersey

Like other cycling disciplines, winners will earn the right to wear a physical rainbow jersey during the sanctioned esports races and activities they take part in throughout the following year. Winners will also be able to wear a digital version of the UCI Cycling Esports World Champions Jersey while on the Zwift platform. 

Prize Money

Prize money will be awarded as follows in both the men’s and women’s races:

1st place: 8,000 euros
2nd place: 4,000 euros
3rd place: 2,000 euros

Where to Watch

We assume the Worlds races will be broadcast on Zwift’s YouTube channel as in past years, along with broadcasts from other traditional sports television networks.

These broadcast deals have yet to be finalized, though, so we’ll update this section with more information once it becomes available.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

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

Eric Schlange
-
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
-
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! 

1...215216217...535Page 216 of 535