The Elite Pro Series has been without a doubt a big success this year, providing the rareopportunity on Zwift to test your skills by racing against the pros. And there have been some big names headlining the monthly events! I have been fortunate enough to interview many of them, including Australian GC contender Jack Haig and Italian superstar Marta Cavalli.
The events are extremely competitive and some of the fastest I have been involved with, making for a fun experience.
December’s edition continues the trend of having some of the world’s best riders attend the event with French superstar Arnaud Démare headlining this edition. He races for Team Groupama–FDJ and won the prestigious Milan–San Remo race in 2016, one of cycling’s fabled “Monuments”. In addition to this, he won the French National Road Race Championships three times (2014, 2017, and 2020).
What makes this event particularly special is Elite have sent a team to Team Groupama–FDJ’s training camp in Calpe, Spain where after a long day in the saddle, Arnaud will throw his leg over the saddle once again to race the Zwift community which Elite will capture.
This month’s race is on Thursday 15th December at 7:30pm CET/6:30pm GMT/1:30pm EST/10:30am PST and is hosted in New York on the Everything Bagel route which covers all NYC roads, including some in both directions. That means the ride is 34.4km in length and includes 525m of climbing over two testing climbs sure to split up the pack, making for an exciting event.
Zwift CEO Eric Min recently shared on LinkedIn that Kurt Beidler is coming aboard as Co-CEO. The entire text of Eric’s post can be read below:
After a long search, I’m excited to announce that Kurt Beidler has joined Zwift as Co-CEO. Kurt joins us from Amazon, where he has led large teams and built multiple successful businesses over a 17-year run. For most of the past eight years, Kurt has been leading Amazon Kids+, a hardware/software/content subscription service structurally similar to Zwift. Kurt led the Kids+ team of several hundred people to grow Kids+ into the largest kid-focused subscription service in the world. Before that, Kurt built and ran several books and Kindle-related businesses across the US, Europe, Japan, and China.
I will also be stepping into the role of Co-CEO, where I will partner closely with Kurt as he takes the reins of Zwift’s core business and ramps up in his new role. In the long term, while there are strategies where Kurt and I will partner closely together, the most significant value this new Co-CEO relationship brings to Zwift is the ability for Kurt and me to divide and conquer. There is much work to do! For me, rather than being spread thin trying to do it all myself, I will have time to go deeper into specific areas that are also critical to Zwift’s long-term success. In addition to my new role as Co-CEO, I will continue to chair the Board.
I’m excited about this. We’re better equipped than ever, and I’m excited for what’s next.
Welcome, Kurt!
We’ll talk more about the announcement and Kurt below, but let’s start by saying the LinkedIn comment of the day goes to Iain Weir:
The Co-CEO Question
To some, the idea of Co-CEOs may seem odd. But it’s not unheard of in today’s world, and is especially sensible in startups where CEO duties are more than one person can handle, or where the founder CEO is preparing for an exit.
Based on Eric Min’s post, we would say he’s simply looking to share the load. As he says, “There is much work to do!” I asked Eric for details on the precise split of duties between the two CEOs, and he said, “Kurt will be focused on the core business and the day to day operations. We’ll be working on many things together including long term strategies. My goal is to make sure he and Zwift are successful.”
My guess is, this move frees Eric up to do what he seems to do best: nurturing crucial partnerships with organizations like the UCI and IOC, making sure the company remains financially stable (courting investors), and keeping an eye on long-term vision. Of course, Eric (who relocated from London to Long Beach last past summer) remains Chair of the Board, giving him continued oversight and input into Zwift’s business.
About Kurt Beidler
Doing a bit of digging into Kurt, he’s clearly done some good work at Amazon with teams of 400+, building and running three different business units at Amazon: Amazon Kids/Kids+, Kindle China, and Print on Demand. He’s had success at Amazon, too, as Eric’s LinkedIn post says: “Kurt led the Kids+ team of several hundred people to grow Kids+ into the largest kid-focused subscription service in the world.”
His LinkedIn bio ends by saying “Passionate about all things outdoor and active, especially cycling, ultimate Frisbee, and hiking.” So he’s a cyclist. That’s a good sign.
“Full Seattle”
But what sort of cyclist is he? He’s a level 13 Zwifter, but almost all of his activity on the platform has been since October 2022. This is a bit unexpected, but perhaps admirable given he lives in Seattle, where cyclists have every excuse to ride indoors. Maybe he’s just the ultimate hard man?
He doesn’t appear to have a ZwiftPower account. He’s got 53 Strava activities saved for 2022 (110 all time), including his most recent, a 3R race on Sand and Sequoias with an average power of 183W. His Zwift profile shows him as 52 years old.
He was on a Zwift-branded Pinarello (vintage skinny Z!)
Zwift’s AWS server team is based in Rio
Quadzillas!
Concluding Thoughts
Everything’s a bit crazy right now, isn’t it? And this is especially true in the indoor fitness + cycling space that Zwift occupies. Bike shops are fighting to survive, trainer manufacturers are awash in inventory, and layoffs are happening everywhere (including Wahoo and Strava in the past month).
But this is no time to duck and cover. Businesses in this space that play it smart and survive the next few years will grab vital chunks of market share. There’s a huge swath of cyclists who are not on Zwift’s subscriber list, and a much larger cohort of non-cyclists who would get into Zwift if it was more affordable and simple.
If Zwift can focus on its core business and build out a product riders love, it could begin doubling its subscriber base year over year once again.
But that will require extreme focus, razor-sharp business acumen, and prescient market vision. Hopefully this Co-CEO role will give both Eric and Kurt the bandwidth to give Zwift the leadership it requires not only to survive, but to thrive.
Zwift’s new Urukazi map contains the game’s most eye-popping visuals yet, but we think the official routes downplay Urukazi’s coolest features: the connector roads from Neokyo and Yumezi!
From Neokyo you descend to Urukazi through the massive cavern we’ve named “Pain Cavern” when you’re riding it uphill in the other direction. This twisty road is full of unique scenery including cave excavations, flying bats, and unique lighting.
The slot canyon connecting Yumezi to Urukazi is also beautiful, but in a completely different way. From the adan fruit farm to the towering rocks, this twisty, slightly uphill road from Urukazi beaches to Yumezi’s tranquil countryside is a feast for the eyes even while it puts a sting in the legs.
Our new “Cavern to Canyon” Rebel Route takes you on the shortest loop possible covering both of these connector roads. You’ll ride in a clockwise direction, climbing up the slot canyon road and descending through the cavern.
About Rebel Routes
“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.
The reward for your rebel ride? Exploring a new route, knowing you’ve gone where few Zwifters have gone before. And a Strava segment rank in the tens or hundreds instead of the thousands! They are included as a separate category on our Veloviewer Route Hunter leaderboard.
Route Description
This loop begins and ends at the Tidepool Sprint banner in Urukazi, so you’re going to have a bit of a lead-in no matter how you get there. We recommend starting by choosing the “Turf N Surf” route, then flipping a u-turn and heading toward the cavern for a descent to Urukazi.
From the Tidepool Sprint you’ll ride along the beach for a bit, then begin climbing up the slot canyon road toward Yumezi. This road winds through adan farms and across bridges in steep canyons before delivering you onto the dirt road connecting Yumezi to Neokyo.
A right at this dirt road takes you through the tunnel to Neokyo, then you’ll stay right through Neokyo to take the shortest route around the edge of the city then across the bridge and into the connector cavern.
Descend through the cavern, turn a right at the end to stay on our loop, and you’ll be back to the Tidepool Sprint in no time. Give it another go if you don’t already have the green jersey!
Profile
A simple profile: up the slot canyon, flat around Neokyo, down through the cavern.
Getting Started + Lead-In
The easiest way to get started is to choose “Turf N Surf” from your Makuri Islands route options. Flip a quick u-turn, then turn left toward Urukazi. This will take you down through the cavern, where you’ll turn right at the end onto the beachfront to hit the Tidepool Sprint and begin the route.
Turn by Turn
Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete Canyon to Cavern once you’ve done the lead-in to the Tidepool Sprint (described above).
Straight/Right to Yumezi
Right to Neokyo
Straight/Right to Tower
Straight/Right to Tower
Right to Harbor
Right to Harbor
Right to Urukazi
Right to Hidden Reefs
Pro tip: instead of following the turn-by-turn, the easiest way to navigate this once you reach the Tidepool Sprint is – just stay right!
Anna and Nathan take on the big topic of cheating on Zwift with the recent news that Eddie Hoole has been caught and banned. Do we offer forgiveness but never forget, or do we say once a cheater always a cheater?
Anna discusses a twitch stream that captured way too much of her real life, and the subsequent decision to delete that stream.
Guest Alex Coh, esport specific cycling coach, takes the team through off-season training and what people should focus on specifically.
Fashion Awards for 2022 part 2 are showcased – Unlock Kits: Level 52 Retro Jersey, Rapha Festive 500 Kit, Challenge kits: Tour of Makuri Islands Jersey, Lederhose Kit, Special Mentions: Betty Design Jersey, Watch the Femmes Kit.
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.
This week in our Top 5 Zwift Videos, follow a Zwifter as he restarts his cycling fitness journey. You can also check out the thought process of a Zwift Racing League DS, a different race format, the new roads of Urukazi, and the beginnings of a pro cyclist’s upgrades to his Zwift setup.
I Stopped Cycling for 200 Days
Mark Lewis noticed some changes after being off the bike for several months, even though he stayed pretty active.
I Became a Pro Cycling Manager in REAL LIFE!
He’s advised pro road cycling teams on tactics, but can Benji Naesen guide a Zwift team to glory? Watch his first try as DS (directeur sportif) at a Zwift Racing League race.
This new Zwift race format is fantastic – 4 sprint races in a row!
This “four short races in a row” thing is catching on! Mostly Cycling joins OTR Snap Crackle Pop and shares his thoughts on the races, which focus on segment points.
Zwift Urukazi // Details, Thoughts, What’s Next, and More
ZRace Central shows off some of the new Urukazi routes on Makuri Islands and gives opinions on them.
Best ZWIFT Setup Ever – Part 1: The Bike
Professional cyclist Victor Campenaerts is building a pro Zwift setup. First things first – the bike!
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Yesterday, Zwift shared a fresh “This Season on Zwift” presentation with media partners, detailing what’s coming in the next few months. We’ll dig into the contents of that presentation in another post, but first let’s talk about the big news: the new Scotland map!
Zwift says, “The Scotland map is inspired by the bucolic Scottish landscape, the city of Glasgow’s distinctive architecture, and the surrounding areas. As you ride through the world, you’ll see famous landmarks and attractions from the country, including castles, mountains and cityscapes.”
For those who may not know: Scotland is hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling championships in August. It’s a unique event this year, since all cycling disciplines are being hosted in Scotland during an 11-day span in August.
Well, almost all disciplines. Cyclocross worlds are on February 4-5 in Hoogerheide (The Netherlands), and Esports worlds are on Zwift February 18.
In past years, Zwift built virtual versions of world courses for Richmond (2015), Innsbruck (2018), and Yorkshire (2019). But these courses were never used for actual UCI Esports Worlds events! So this year is a first: Zwift building a map inspired by the Worlds location, and the UCI holding their Cycling Esports World Championships on that very map. This makes Glasglow both the IRL and virtual host of this year’s UCI World Championships!
This week’s media release includes the details of the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships as well: a 3-race elimination event completely different from the single scratch races done in past Esports World Championships.
Sources within Zwift tell us that the Glasgow map has been specifically designed for hosting an incredible Esports Worlds event. This is a first as well, since past UCI Esports Worlds were held on courses designed as part of Zwift’s overall map offering.
What will be different about a map specifically designed for incredible esports events? Hard to know at this stage, but Zwift says the Scotland map includes features not seen anywhere else in game, including “a loopable hill and a dedicated time trial course that will make racing at every level fun.”
One thing we do know: the new Scotland map includes 5 routes/courses.
Release Date
Zwift is planning a specific set of events beginning late January 2023 where riders can reconnoiter the new roads of Scotland before the big race. (It is unclear whether community teams will be able to organize events in Scotland prior to Worlds, or if Zwift will wait to open the map up until the big race is finished.)
Zwifters will be able to free-ride in Scotland starting mid-March.
Concluding Thoughts
It’s always fun when Zwift releases a new map, because Zwift riders love exploring new virtual tarmac just like outdoor riders love exploring it IRL. New sights, new challenges, new racecourses where we can test ourselves. What’s not to love about a new map?
Zwift’s Scotland appears to be a small map, and our guess is it won’t see be expanded once it is released since Richmond, Innsbruck, and Yorkshire weren’t expanded after their releases. That’s not a bad thing: if the map contains a small set of courses that make for great racing, it will become popular with race organizers and get worked into the overall mix of Zwift worlds, simply adding to the list of event and free-ride options available to all.
We’re looking forward to late January. Bring on Scotland!
Zwift’s Urukazi expansion is the most visually-stunning map we’ve seen to date. We’ve got a few fun Rebel Route ideas, though, that let you see Urukazi from another perspective. Here’s our first: Urukazi Flats, a route that takes the flattest route around the Urukazi Island complex, letting you see all three sections with minimal elevation gain.
About Rebel Routes
“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.
The reward for your rebel ride? Exploring a new route, knowing you’ve gone where few Zwifters have gone before. And a Strava segment rank in the tens or hundreds instead of the thousands! They are included as a separate category on our Veloviewer Route Hunter leaderboard.
Route Description
Begin by choosing “Bridges and Boardwalks” to be routed correctly for the first few turns. This will also give you the correct virtual start/finish banner.
The route begins on Mech Isle, just after the start pens. Proceed around the Mech Isle North road (the flatter, paved portion of Mech Isle) then turn right to cross the bridge to Festival Harbor. A left turn at the end of the bridge brings you to the Festival Harbor boardwalk and the Boardwalk Sprint. Give it a go, then turn left toward Mangrove Maze.
Arriving at Mangrove Maze, we’ll turn right to stay on the flatter outside road. A right turn at the end of this twisty, mangrove-shaded road followed by a quick left brings you onto the beachfront road and the Tidepool Sprint. Grab the green jersey, take a breather, then turn left toward Mech Isle. You’re almost there!
When you arrive at Mech Isle, turn right to Mech Isle North. This dirt road will turn to tarmac and take you to the virtual start/finish banner which marks the end of the route. Well done!
Profile
Don’t let the profile scare you – total elevation for the route is only 22 meters over 7.5 of distance!
Getting Started + Lead-In
The easiest way to get started is to choose “Bridges and Boardwalks” from your Makuri Islands route options. This will properly route through the Boardwalk Sprint, but you’ll need to make your first manual turn soon after that – the left toward Mangrove Maze.
Turn by Turn
Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete Urukazi Flats once you’ve begun on Mech Isle by choosing the “Bridges and Boardwalks” route:
The Fearless Women’s Team Championship is expected to be one of the largest women-only races on Zwift. This is the sixth year for the championship, and it is quite well-known amongst the racing community. According to the race organizer, over 700 riders participated in this event last year! The race is a points race, so we suggest reading the web page for details on scoring, categories, etc.
It is important to note that riders who are looking to participate must sign up through WTRL in order to access the event. Special race passes will be sent out to registrants in order to enter the race. The race will be live-streamed on the Zwift Community Live YouTube channel, and registration closes 1 hour prior to the event start.
Every weekend, The HERD offers a longer endurance session to help encourage riders on longer rides. Ride leaders will provide their usual fun chatter throughout the ride to keep riders entertained and motivated. To assist riders who fall off the back, sweeps will be available and ready to bring riders back to the main group.
The ride will be paced at 1.5 w/kg on the flats and 2 w/kg on the climbs. Riders should expect to cover around 30-40 miles (48-64 km) on this ride. The ride will be 120 minutes on the Muir and The Mountain course in Watopia. Note: the course is quite hilly, so get ready to shift!
EZR is known to offer some of the slowest group rides, which are often perfect for riders in the 0.8-1.5 w/kg range. During this ride, the leader will maintain within the 0.9-1.3 w/kg range. Like most group rides, sweepers will be in this ride to help riders who fall off the back of the main group.
The organizers highly suggest that you join their Discord to interact with riders throughout the ride. This week’s ride takes place over 60 minutes on the Tick Tock course in Watopia.
🥇Wahoo Le Col Saturday Series 2022/23 Season – Round 2
The final race of Zwift Racing League Round 2 is imminent! Riders will want to get every last point they can in this final race over 4-5 laps of Cobbled Climbs, and one of the best ways to prepare for a race is to recon the course. Wahoo Le Col is offering this recon race with the same distances as the real race on Tuesday.
Riders should expect this to be a highly competitive race, so anticipate a fast pace and lots of attacks! Be sure to check out the Zwift Insider article about this week’s course for all the details.
The BanditZ Anti-social Social takes a pretty unique approach to group rides on Zwift. Typically, riders are “required” to stay near the leader at all times. However, in this group ride, riders are free to race, sprint, or just chill with the beacon. During this ride, a sweep team will be present to bring riders back to the main group.
The beacon will remain at a steady pace of around 1.5-1.7 w/kg. The pace will fluctuate based on the terrain. This week’s ride will be on the Quatch Quest course in Watopia, one of the toughest courses on Zwift. In just 29 miles (46 kilometers), riders will ascend over 5,000 feet (1500 meters) of elevation!
Zwifting is a very fulfilling and entertaining experience 99% of the time. However, when you have a low moment, it is a reaaaaaaally low one. One of those times when you feel so miserable that you remember it forever.
Here is the list, in no particular order, of my lowest moments while Zwifting.
#1: Day 1: All By Myself
First race on Zwift, a week after I joined. I am a D rider, signed up for a 30km race including Titans Grove. I am immediately dropped and get to race the equivalent of a 30km individual TT. All by myself. I cross the finish line 102nd out of 105 (last 3 certainly abandoned) and 8 minutes after the small pack of 5 before me. Two choices: I cancel my Zwift subscription to avoid further humiliation, or I study.
The very same day I discovered Zwift Insider and read all the existing material related to race tactics etc. I started my PhD in Zwiftinsiderism a few weeks later.
#2: Sweat Me a River, the Trilogy
During summer, it is not uncommon for Madrid to be 40 degrees celsius more. Therefore you have two alternatives:
Wake up at 4am to start pedaling at 5am and be back at 11am before you reach Death Valley temperatures (we even have vultures in Madrid’s surrounding mountains to make it even more real)
Zwift
Today it’s Zwift time. It’s the day you have your VO2 workout, which involves 2x 20-minute threshold efforts. So the workout is easier to perform indoors.
5 minutes into the first threshold interval, the first drops of sweat appear in my skull (I am awfully bald), threatening to roll in my face and ultimately soaking the rockerplate.
Variant Number 1:Without watching, I mechanically extend my arm to grab the towel I always place in the stand to my left and… my hand explores and moves but… nothing. I forgot to place the towel in the basket!!! Still one hour to go into the workout, and there is no way I will pause the workout! It goes against my most basic instinct but also against my religion!
Variant Number 2:This time the bottle of isotonic drink is missing. The difference is that without water I may die. So there is more pressure to pause the workout. Nevertheless, I prefer dying standing for my values and beliefs than living compromising them!
Variant Number 3: The fan decides to die in the middle of the workout. It happened, for real. That is the reason I have 4 now. Not joking.
#3: Update Before a Race
ZRL race day. You arrive just in time because you crossed your boss leaving the office and he had to give you this major update on the most important project in the world nobody gives a shit about.
Plus traffic jams. Arrived just in time, thank god the SSD hard drive loads in 10 seconds, click Zwift icon and BOOM. Massive 7GB update launches. In such moments, the life expectancy of my laptop dramatically decreases.
#4: No “Join Event” Button
ZRL race 4 season 2. 25 minutes before the start of the race, I log in to Zwift to be able to join the pen and… no button to join the event. No matter what I do, restarting, resetting, relogging: NO JOIN THE EVENT BUTTON!!! In normal circumstances, in an average Marvel movie, Iron Man would come to rescue me and build a Join Event button out of the blue. But nothing. There is no Avenger hero available in such a dramatic and serious situation. They are all up to save the world, but the join event button is missing and no one shows up to help.
#5: The Shadow Ban
This one not many of you have experienced I hope. Imagine you open your email and discover you have been shadowbanned as a result of a misunderstanding with Zwift HQ. That is what happened to me on February 24th with the #freeLuciano aka Lucianogate saga. A hashtag was created on my name, and many influencers and cycling magazines described me as a cross between Robin Hood and Judas following the disclosure of an exploit in the game.
I am none of them. If anything I am the closest thing to Benny Hill in this story. I felt alone and extremely supported at the same time. It was a schizophrenic low and a high moment. Being a ghost still haunts my nightmares from time to time. By the way, what happened to the bug bounty program? 🤐
#6: FTP Lower than Expected
6 weeks into FTP Builder you feel you are going to be the king of the world. Nothing less than 5 W/kg is acceptable. You have invested around 55 hours of your time to methodically complete all the workouts of the training plan. It’s scientific, your FTP is going to skyrocket.
But no. Because when the ramp test finishes you have just decreased your FTP by 5 watts.
#7: HR Monitor and/or Amanda Go “no signal”
When trying to pair Amanda (my trainer) or in the middle of a race when I get the “no signal” message, I take it personally. It is more or less like denying the existence of a member of my family. Nothing is more infuriating than struggling for 10 minutes resetting and restarting all the devices to get them recognized by Scotty.
#8: The Lag in the TTT
This happens when you enter a TTT and there is a lag between what you see on screen and what others see on screen, or between what you do with your legs and what happens on the screen. And it gives the following kind of Kafkaian dialogues:
Christian: Luciano, your time to pull in 5, 4, 3, Luciano!!! Pull!! Luciano Pull!!!!
Me: I am pulling my brains off!!!! I am first, you are all in my draft!!!
Christian: Nope, you are fourth.
Me: I am first for fuck sake, it’s in my screen, I am first!!!!!
Christian: Nope, you are fifth now. Does not matter, Luciano, leave it, Josh you pull. Luciano, too late, drop at the end of the queue. Luciano!!!!! Drop at the end, you are disrupting the entire thing!!! Luciano drop!!!!
Me: I am at the end!
Christian: Nope you are first now. Stop pulling!!!!
Me: Noooo!!! I am at the end!!!!
The team all together: You are first!!! GO TO THE BACK OF THE LINE ONCE FOR ALL!!!
#9: The Pisa Tower Effect
I slingshot on top of the Titans Grove climb to fill the gap with the small group just two seconds before me and BAM!!!!! There is the sound of a small explosion under my feet. I immediately feel something is wrong and the left side of my rocker plate is almost touching the ground. One of the inflatable suspension balls has popped, and I become like the Tower of Pisa, inclining to one side and about to fall off my bike.
#10: Rate Your Ride
True story. November 15th, 2022, and the reason why I started this post in the first place.
ZRL TTT. Nightmarish start. 4km into the race we are only 4 left because two riders had technical issues. Having to pull more than a minute at 410w every 2 minutes and 30 seconds destroyed me. I don’t even know how we managed to reach the end in one piece. Everything hurts. Even the hair I don’t have hurts. Needless to say I am not psychologically available for any jokes. But Zwift, once more, is going to stab me big time as the following pops onto my screen:
Really Zwift? What’s the need to beat my pride that way when I am the weakest?
Where is the “Go to hell, I feel like crap, I will never do this again” option?
Last week’s Tiny Races with their “Getting Steeper” theme turned out to be highly competitive and a lot of (Type 2) fun! Several timezones/categories saw tight competition where the three podium spots were separated by just 10 points – that’s a difference of just one place across the line when you’re in the top 3!
This week we’ve got a new theme on tap with some fresh (yet dirty) routes. But first, here are the winners from last Saturday…
This week’s routes each include key sections which are dirt. Will you use a gravel bike, or a road bike? You’ll want to decide that on a race-by-race basis…
Approaching Flat Route finishFlat Route finishApproaching Volcano Flat Rev finishVolcano Flat Rev finishValley to Mountaintop custom finish at Temple
Race 1: Valley to Mountaintop (3.5km, ends at Temple entrance partway up KOM) This super-attritional route’s key climbs are both dirty. The action begins with the beautiful Golden Forest which will stretch the pack out and create gaps, and the race ends partway up the Temple KOM after a bit of pavement in between.
Powerup: none
Race 2: Watopia Flat Route (5.23km, ends on bridge after Fishing Village) Our first time racing this route, riders will need to decide if they attack early on the ramp out of the ocean tunnel onto the dirt… or sit in and wait for the pack sprint finish.
Powerup: none
Race 3: Volcano Flat Reverse (5.5km, ends 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 – your only powerup of the day – to help make the full gas dash up the dirt a bit faster, but be sure to time it well!
Powerup: Steamroller
Race 4: Jungle Circuit Reverse (6.289km, ending at Jungle Circuit banner) Enjoy zipping through the dusty jungle to wrap up your Tiny Race day! This mostly downhill race covers just the lead-in of the Jungle Circuit Reverse route, which includes the rope bridge.
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:
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.
