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The 2022 British Cycling Esports World Championship Team

Tim Perkin
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2
The 2022 British Cycling Esports World Championship Team

The 2022 British Cycling Esports World Championship Team

On 26th February, Zwift is hosting the second UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.  Both men’s and women’s races will take place on a specially-designed route which consists of 2.5 laps of Zwift’s New York Knickerbocker course. The race totals 54.9km and includes 944m of climbing, including gradients which reach 17%!

British Cycling Team

British Cycling has recently released their team roster and it includes many familiar names on the Zwift racing scene.  There is a blend of elite pros and amateurs, with the team consisting of ten women and five men.

The full team line-up:

Women

  1. Zoe Langham (Age: 23, 2nd BUCS hill climb, 2021 and 7th national hill climb, 2021)
  2. Mary Wilkinson (Age: 41, British Cycling National Masters Road Race Champion 2021)
  3. Illi Gardner (Age: 21, 1st Ryedale GP 2021, 3rd Ilkley Crit, 2021)
  4. Alice Lethbridge (Age: 37, CTT Women’s BAR winner, 2017 and 2018)
  5. Lou Bates (Age: 40, National hill climb champion, 2016)
  6. Harriet Gilson (Age: 32, 1st Zwift London International Women’s Race, 2020)
  7. Charlotte Colclough (Age: 37, Winner of Cycling Weekly Lockdown Series, 2021)
  8. Natalie Stevenson (Age: 37, 1st CTT Scottish Hill Climb Championships, 2021)
  9. Helen McKay (Age: 44, Silver World Masters TT, 2015)
  10. Hayley Simmonds (Age: 33, 2x British Elite National TT Champion, 2018, Commonwealth Games TT Bronze medallist)

Men

  1. Gavin Dempster (Age: 33, 1st place at the 2018 Zwift KISS eCrit Series Live Final, 1st place overall Zwift Virtual Tour of Gila, 2020)
  2. Ed Laverack (Age: 27, 1st British National Hill Climb Championship 2019, U23 British RR Champion 2014)
  3. Joseph Rees (Age: 21, Experienced Zwift rider with Wahoo Le Col in the Zwift racing league)
  4. Mark Bruce (Age: 37, Member of the NeXT eSports pb Enshored Team – Premier League 2021/22 season 1 Winners)
  5. Andy Nichols (Age: 32, 2nd in the Masters Road Race National Championships 2021, 3rd in the National Hill Climb Championships 2021)

Qualification and the GB Team

I caught up with three of the selected riders (Ed Laverack, Illi Gardener, and Lou Bates) to talk about their achievement and thoughts on the upcoming race.

All explained that they qualified via the Continental qualifying events which were hosted on Zwift on 27-28 November 2021. The qualifiers hosted riders who met predetermined qualifying criteria, then a selection was made by British Cycling from there. 

The qualification process was explained in greater detail by British Cycling who said, “We, as a nation were automatically given 5 men’s and 5 women’s spots, in addition to this, riders could qualify additional places through the continental qualifiers by / if placing themselves in the top 10. We had 5 women that finished in the top 10 of the European qualifier event but no men, therefore we gained an additional 5 women’s places.”

This qualification process differed from the previous year where to compete in the World Championships, “all riders selected for the World Championships were required to be part of the National or UCI testing programme, this meant we could only select from a very small pool of riders, primarily professional road riders and also GBCT riders. We had no way of adding riders to these programmes as UKAD controls who is on them and does not take requests to add new people”, British Cycling noted.

Every rider on the start list will be part of a UCI anti-doping pool and subject to no notice anti-doping testing. But there is flexibility this time around, as the UCI have agreed on a new and innovative approach with the ITA in order to make the event more accessible to top Esports riders.

This new process provided the opportunity for Zwifters at a certain level to compete to qualify. Ed, Illi, and Lou took that opportunity and now represent British Cycling.

Ed stated that he is “very proud to be representing British Cycling and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”  This sentiment was shared by Illi and Lou who said “I’m proud to race in the British Cycling kit and appreciate wearing the colours.”  Illi went further to explain that “I am really excited to race for British Cycling.”  And given Illi’s age and talent, I suspect this won’t be the last time she will be wearing the British Cycling colours. 

The team is made up of a range of ages, and Lou noted that, “Age is not a barrier any longer to continue racing because Zwift is a platform that enables you to race at a competitive level without the need to travel, which is what impacts life.”

The Course

Ed spoke enthusiastically about the course because “there are so many hypothetical situations that can arise during the race due to the nature of the course.”  Having recently rode the course during the Tour de Zwift, I can say the three ascents up the NYC KOM, which reaches 17% in its steepest part, will be decisive. Ed explained that this was a “real road man’s course because the route has it all, and there are multiple places where anything can happen, including the descent from the climb, which isn’t safe.” 

Anyone who races on Zwift can certainly identify with that. If you are not in a group on the descent, the disadvantage is large and it can be race-ending.  Ed noted that there are “vast possibilities within the race” including a winning attack on the final climb, which is roughly 3 minutes in duration.  Illi called the route “attritional” and noted that it is “a reasonably long race compared to Zwift Racing League.”  Lou thinks that the “course will be a good one and it will take strong riders to be at the end.  It’s rolling all the time and with 100% trainer difficulty, it’s leg-sapping.”

Fair Racing

To ensure racing is fair across all competitors, Official Trainer Partner Wahoo will supply Wahoo KICKR V5 Smart Trainers to all competitors. The trainers must be returned to Wahoo where they will be inspected to ensure no tampering or interference has taken place, ensuring fair play. In addition riders must use the trainers with “100% difficulty” which is a setting in game which means the trainer mirrors the gradients in game, like in real life. This adds to the challenge for some, but as Lou commented “It won’t make a difference to our team as we ride outside.”

The use of standardized equipment for all competitors is both good and bad. On one hand it ensures racing is fair, but on the other, it can be bad for racers who don’t use a KICKR as there are differences in feel between trainers. Swapping trainers is rather equivalent to driving a different car. 

As we can all imagine, shipping 200 trainers all over the world isn’t a straightforward task. While it took a while for some riders to get their trainers, I spoke to Zwift about this and they explained “every rider received their trainer in time to meet any preparation deadlines. Wahoo and Zwift’s logistics team have been hard at work over the past four weeks making sure that the fulfillment process has been as smooth as possible. Where there have been any issues, these have been quickly addressed.”

All racers must adhere to the code of conduct which is operated by the Zwift Accuracy and Data Analysis Group (ZADA) who provide expert technical analysis of the performances of riders.  But as Ed mentioned “this is nothing new because we all race in the Premier League so we are familiar with this.”

Ed Laverack

PowerUps and the Team

There is an added complexity within the race which is the use of PowerUps. This is a contentious issue amongst some Zwift racers.   

For those who are new to Zwift, PowerUps are in-game features that are awarded when you pass certain segments and can be deployed any time.  Such PowerUps include the feather, which reduces your avatar weight by 10% for 15 seconds and is primarily used on climbs, when weight is a determining factor. 

All agreed that PowerUps are not well-liked, however, Lou conceded that it is “exciting for spectators and gives us riders something to think about.”

The use of PowerUps is a skill in itself and requires understanding of the course and a degree of tactical intelligence, so it significantly impacts racing.  As a consequence, Ed explained that “everyone has been invited to a series of test events where we will get to familiarise ourselves with the PowerUps that will be available.” 

In addition, these events provide an opportunity for the team to connect and race together and get used to each other’s racing style.  Ed said “Racing with the Team brings a different dynamic and gives you that psychological lift, particularly if you are going to commit to an action, it’s an art and all need to be on the same hymn sheet.” 

The challenge for the Women’s Team is that due to their numbers, it is difficult for everyone to coordinate their schedules to attend a practice event.

The British Team, like many others, will be having a Race Director or ‘Directeur sportif’ whose job is to guide the team around the course.  Ed explained that they are invaluable, especially “when things get fuzzy.”  Those who have raced can certainly relate to that phrase! It can be difficult to make the correct decision when racing at maximum effort, and the margins between winning and losing on Zwift can be very fine.

Summing Up

The event is going to be fascinating, and what I like about it is that it is accessible to all. Even I was invited to participate in the qualification rounds! The course, the PowerUps, and team dynamics will ensure that this event will be as unpredictable as they come and literally anyone has a chance of winning.  I will certainly be tuning in to watch. 

The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be broadcast live across Eurosport, Discovery+, GCN+ and Zwift’s YouTube channel from 6pm on Saturday 26th February 2022.   

All About UCI Cycling Esports Worlds Week on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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14
All About UCI Cycling Esports Worlds Week on Zwift

All About UCI Cycling Esports Worlds Week on Zwift

The second edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships is coming up soon, and there’s a whole pile of events leading up to the big day.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 UCI Cycling Esports Worlds on Zwift, including start sheets, broadcasts, community events, and more.

All About the Big Race

The 2022 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships happens Saturday, February 26 at 6pm GMT/1pm EST/10am PST. The women will race first, followed by the men. Field size, broadcast exposure, race distance, and prize money will be equal for both Men’s and Women’s races.

The winners will be awarded the UCI Cycling Esports World Champions jersey with its famous rainbow stripes. Winners will earn the right to wear a physical jersey during the sanctioned esports races and activities they take part in throughout the following year, and these athletes will also be able to wear a digital version of the jersey on the Zwift platform.

UCI Cycling Esports World Champions jersey

Where to Watch

Races will be livestreamed on Zwift’s Youtube channel (here’s the stream link). They will also be broadcast live across Eurosport and GCN+.

PowerUps

Three PowerUps will be given out during the race. For the first time, specific PowerUps are being given at specific arches, presumably so all competitors receive the same advantages instead of leaving it to chance:

  • Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing by 50% for 30 seconds. In a double draft event, this powerup will give you 3x the standard draft effect.
    Best used at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) This PowerUp will appear three times during the race at the Sprint Arch at 7.3 km, 29.7 km & 52 km.
  • Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds.
    Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.) This PowerUp will appear twice during the race at the K/QOM Arch at 9.7 km & 32.1 km.
  • Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 15 seconds.
    Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. This PowerUp will be available twice during the race at the Lap Arch at 22.5 km & 44.6 km.

Race Route

Riders will tackle a special version of New York’s Knickerbocker route. The race route is essentially 2.5 laps of the Knickerbocker, with a finish atop the KOM. Three difficult climbs and constantly rolling terrain will make for a very selective race. Watch for a reduced field to reach the final climb, where winning attacks will be launched!

See route details >

Start Lists

180 of the world’s top riders will be taking to the start across the two races. The full start lists for both fields can be found here.

Riders to Watch

Here are the riders Zwift has chosen as the 10 to watch on the big day:

Women:

  • Sarah Gigante (Australia) –  Runner-up in 2020, Gigante is a consistent Zwift racer and one of the best climbers out there. Gigante rides professionally on the road with Movistar Team and has an explosive kick that many of her competitors will fear.
  • Illi Gardner (Great Britain) – One of the most important riders in the Great Britain team, Illi has a huge amount of Zwift racing experience and excels when the climbing starts. 
  • Zoe Langham (Great Britain) – Zoe qualified for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in the European Qualifying event. She has impressed this year in the Zwift Racing League Premier Divison. 
  • Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa) – The defending UCI World Champion. Ashleigh is one of the best climbers in the world, both on the road and in Zwift. She will want to retain those rainbow stripes!
  • Jacquie Godbe (USA) – One of the strongest esports specialists in the field, Jacquie is rarely beaten in an uphill race. 

Men:

  • Freddy Ovett (Australia) – Freddy shot to Zwift prominence during the Virtual Tour de France in 2020 and has consistently placed high in all the Zwift races he’s participated in since. One of the best sprinters in esports racing, but is also able to get over some of the harder climbs.
  • Chris McGlinchey (Ireland) – Chris is incredibly experienced as an esports competitor and one of the strongest climbers in the field. The NYC KOM Climb will suit him well. 
  • James Barnes (South Africa) – James is the man in form in 2022. He has been instrumental in helping his team, NeXT Esport, make it to the top of the Zwift Racing League Premier Division.
  • Takato Ikeda (Japan) – A pure climber and always aggressive. Takato will be riding with a strong Japanese team and will be looking to take advantage of the NYC KOM climb.
  • Matthias Deroose (Belgium) – Matthias is another strong climber, one of the top-ranked riders on ZwiftPower. He has been a consistent points scorer for his team, BZR, in the Zwift Racing League Premier Division and has a lot of cycling esports experience.  

Community Events

Shimano Recon Rides

Join brand ambassadors and racers who are lining up for this year’s World Championship for a pre-ride of the 2022 Cycling Esports World Championships route!

See events and sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/ucipartnerrides

PowerUp Podcast Recon Rides

These are podcast rides featuring episodes with race predictions and insights from three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong, Grand Tour stage winner Nico Roche, and pro cyclist turned coach Matt Rowe. There’s also a special episode with UCI’s head of Innovation, Mick Rogers. 

See events and sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/ucipodcastrides

Watch Party Rides

Ride with a group on February 26 while you tune in to watch the race on Zwift’s YouTube Channel (here’s the link).

See events and sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/uciwatchparty

Questions or Comments

Share below!

UCI Cycling Esports World Championships – Nico Roche (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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0
UCI Cycling Esports World Championships – Nico Roche (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast)

Retired pro Nico Roche will be taking on the 2022 Cycling Esports World Championships, so Matt Rowe and Greg Henderson sat down with him to see how his participation on Dancing With The Stars Ireland is helping his training…

About the Podcast

The Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast features training tips from host Matt Rowe (Rowe & King), with regular co-hosts Greg Henderson, Rahsaan Bahati, Dani Rowe, and Kristin Armstrong.

Zwift Premier League, Week 5: So Close, Yet So Far Away

Kevin Bouchard-Hall
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3
Zwift Premier League, Week 5: So Close, Yet So Far Away

Zwift Premier League, Week 5: So Close, Yet So Far Away

Season 2 of the 2021/22 Zwift Premier League runs from January 10th to February 14th.  As a quasi-contributor to Zwift Insider and a rider/director of a newly promoted Premier League team, I wanted to give an unfiltered behind-the-scenes look at the action. Look for a recap each week here on Zwift Insider.

Calm before the storm

After last week’s disappointing result, Velocio needed a strong performance to stay in the game. Sitting in 14th, but only 1 point out of 12th, we were still in it to avoid relegation.

When the team first set its eyes on the Premier Division, we never expected to actually stay. Getting a kit was always the goal, and the accidental white shorts have not disappointed. But there are far more important things than the Premier Division. A death in the family of one of our racers, and a serious health scare from another meant starting the race with only three racers. Scoring points has been exceptionally hard this season, but with fewer cards to play it was going to be even more difficult.

This week’s course was on Temples and Towers and it had three KOMs. They each increase in difficulty with the final being the notorious gravel climb from last season. The race didn’t end on a climb though but had a nice downhill run into the city. The race was likely going to explode then turn into small group racing. This is my favorite type of racing and I was looking forward to the challenge.

Rooftop KOM

Saying No to Gravel

The week leading in, I wanted to double-check if there was any world in which a gravel bike would be worth it. I did two laps of the course in erg mode using each bike choice to see how they differed. The road bike was about a minute faster overall but the gravel bike was 25 seconds faster on the climb. Gravel bike was 15 sec slower over the Castle KOM. Pretty nerdy to test, but I came to the conclusion that if I needed the gravel bike to make it over the Temple KOM I wasn’t strong enough to stay in the pack to get there. After seven years of University I vowed to never learn anything ever again, but I decided to learn from last week and “don’t overthink it, don’t get cute, do the normal thing”. Race plan was simple. Conserve energy and try to make it over the Temple KOM in the front group, don’t use the gravel bike.

The break up the Castle KOM

The Early Bits

The race started fast and the first Rooftop KOM strung things out but nothing broke. As we worked our way out of the city some attacks went and a nice break split off the front. We didn’t have anyone in it. In bike racing more riders or more watts can buy teams additional opportunities, and since we had neither, we had to hope it would come back. They got a good gap and took the Castle KOM, but the sprint and the difficulty of the sections afterward killed the spirit of the break. Groupo compacto going into the gravel climb.

Temple KOM

I have raced the Temple climb quite a bit. It is pitchy and hard, but many of the sections are draftable. It’s very hard to make up ground but if you can hold the wheel when the going gets tough, you have a chance to finish better than you are. This was my plan. When you sort by 20 min w/kg on ZwiftPower signups, I am barely mid-pack. On the final climb I expected the front group to be less than 10 over the top with maybe 10 more catching on the descent. This is well beyond my predicted placing. I was going to have to punch above my weight to make it. I concentrated on staying as close to the front as I could without being on the front. I broke the pitchy sections up in my head. I focused on not losing the wheel. 

When you race outside with others and can feel the draft of the rider in front of you you can really push yourself to a place you can’t go on your own. Fixating on the rear hub or calves of the rider in front of you, desperate to not lose the draft. There are some races where my memory of the race isn’t the finish, the course, or the town it was in, but the pair of calves I stared at trying not to lose contact. With Zwift racing I can go to that place just like I can outside, and I think that is an advantage.

800m from the top of Temple KOM

The last 400m of the climb is flat. But the 400m before that is the final pitch. I made it to that point right at the front but then the powerup game came into effect. I saw about 10 steamroller powerups get dropped. This is the powerup that makes dirt ride like pavement. I had a burrito. Those with the steamroller started to fly away. I jumped as hard as I could to stay on, averaging almost 600w for 45 seconds. But the steamroller was too strong. I came off over the top. The front group was about 9 guys. Behind me were many other very strong guys who also didn’t have the steamroller and I felt confident we would catch back on. We started the descent 7 seconds back from the front group of 9.

Ouch

As expected, we came back on the descent. We were a group of 19 with a 25-second gap over the next chasing group. From the bottom of the descent was a flat 5km run back into the city. At worst, I would get 19th, but there was still a chance to win. I figured if I hung around and sprinted I could maybe get 10th. If the group looked a little lethargic I would attack to play for the win.

The group did slow, and I jumped.

I got a small gap and then Restart’s Jamrozik jumped across. I had to work hard to stick his wheel and watching the leaderboard behind I could see Tuegals was also coming across. This meant one of two things would happen. Either he was going to take us to the promised land, or the pack would panic and bring us back. It ended up being the latter. But Jamrozik was desperate to get me to pull through. He made his avatar flick his elbow. He started waving on his zoom camera. I heard he was even on the Restart Discord yelling for me to pull through! He looked like a wounded chicken riding a bike, flapping a broken wing.

Chicken Wing Man

We were caught but I still had legs. Again, my powerup options were awful. I had the steamroller now that it was useless. But, there was one small dirt section before the city. So I went again with 2km to go. I got a good gap and hit the gravel with my powerup rolling. With 1km to go I had about 6 seconds. I went all in and 500m later, I was caught. Sad trombone. My attack was 30sec too short. I rolled in for 19th…

So close but so far away

The team finished 14th and fell further behind the other teams. Relegation seems inevitable now. Thankfully, our community team is doing great and is in with a chance to requalify the team!  If they have another good playoff run, we could get promoted again! Honestly, this would be a pretty hilarious end to the season. We can be the whack-a-mole community team.

We won’t give up yet, however, and are prepared for an exceptionally hard race up the Epic KOM for the 6th and final race of the season.

Watch the Race Broadcast

Top 20

Team Standings after week 5

All About Zwift’s New Specialized Crux Bike

Eric Schlange
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25
All About Zwift’s New Specialized Crux Bike

Zwift’s February update included the 19th frame in game from US-based Specialized. Named the “Crux”, this is the first gravel bike from Specialized in Zwift’s Drop Shop.

Here’s how the Crux is described in Zwift’s Drop Shop:

“The Crux is the lightest gravel bike in the world, with the exceptional capability of massive tire clearance and performance gravel geometry. It’s not just the ultimate expression of gravel performance, it’s your one-way ticket to gravel enlightenment.”

The Specialized Crux in real life

This frame is priced at 869,800 Drops, making it by far the most expensive gravel bike in the Drop Shop. (To be fair, it costs a pretty penny IRL). It’s level-locked at 17 and rated 2 stars for aero, and 3 for weight. But Zwift’s star ratings aren’t precise enough to communicate actual performance in game in a useful way, so we ran the Crux through our standard battery of tests.

Here’s everything you need to know about the performance of the new Specialized Crux frame in Zwift.

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

The Specialized Crux turns in a mid-pack poor aero performance, faster than the Canyon Inflite, Lauf True Grit, and Zwift Gravel, but slower than the Cervelo Aspero and Canyon Grail.

Its test time of 53:50.5 is 3.5 seconds faster than the default Zwift Gravel frame. By comparison, the current fastest gravel frame in Zwift (Cervelo Aspero) turns in a time of 53:47 on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit, totaling 34.6km.

Climb Performance

Since the Crux is billed as the world’s lightest gravel bike, we expected its climb performance to be best-in-class. And we weren’t disappointed! The Crux out climbs all other gravel bikes in game on our test course.

The Specialized Crux turns in an Alpe climb time of 51:18. The next fastest gravel bike is the Canyon Grail at 51:24. (By comparison, the fastest bike in game (Specialized Aethos) completes the test is 48:50.)

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Gravel wheelset.

Conclusions

With more bikes in Zwift than any other manufacturer, it makes sense for Specialized to have a gravel offering available. The Crux fits into a nice niche in the Drop Shop, too, as the first sort of “climber gravel” bike. It could prove quite useful in gaining valuable seconds up Yumezi’s Temple KOM!

The Specialized Crux has been added to the following posts, and it can also be found on our Master Zwift Frames List:

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.

Black Celebration Series – Damon Turner, Los Angeles Bicycle Academy (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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0
Black Celebration Series – Damon Turner, Los Angeles Bicycle Academy (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast)

Rahsaan Bahati sits down with long-time friend Damon Turner, founder of the Los Angeles Bicycle Academy, to talk about the work he is doing to help young people get into the cycling industry. His program intends to provide young people with entrepreneurial skills by teaching them about every aspect of the cycling industry, and the many avenues it can take them down.

About the Podcast

The Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast features training tips from host Matt Rowe (Rowe & King), with regular co-hosts Greg Henderson, Rahsaan Bahati, Dani Rowe, and Kristin Armstrong.

Category Enforcement Test Races Announced

Eric Schlange
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72
Category Enforcement Test Races Announced

Category Enforcement Test Races Announced

Zwift has just posted a slate of races happening between February 21-28 which will test a new category enforcement system. Races will happen multiple times each day, with each day featuring a different popular race course.

See upcoming Category Enforcement Races on ZwiftHacks >

The big news here isn’t the test events themselves, though. Rather, it’s that we’re seeing Zwift test some much-requested category enforcement features! So let’s dig into what this means and how it works.

The Why and How (Big Picture)

In Zwift’s current racing ecosystem, any rider can join any category of any public race event. That means a super-strong A-level rider could join the D category, win the race, save their activity, and never be alerted to or warned about any issues. This lack of in-game messaging/enforcement has logically led to races being negatively affected by sandbaggers as well as ignorant n00bs who simply haven’t taken the time to understand how Zwift race categories work.

Category enforcement aims to stop riders from racing in categories below their ability level. It does this by looking at their historic power numbers and disallowing them from entering these lower categories. Or to put it another way: category enforcement assigns you a minimum category for the race, based on your historic power data.

How Category Enforcement Works (the Details)

Before we discuss any details, it’s important to mention that Zwift Category Enforcement is a FutureWorks project and therefore a system in flux. Next week’s events are the very first events of their kind, and will surely lead to feedback and modifications of the system.

With that said, here’s more information on how it currently works…

Category Enforcement assigns you a minimum race category based on the last two months of power data from your Zwift rides. (If you have no ride data, you will be placed in the A category. Ouch!)

Categorization is based on your estimated VO2 Max, MAP, and FTP.

Signup options for categories below your ability level will be disabled. As an example, here’s what the signup screen looked like when I visited today. I’m a B according to ZwiftPower, but with the current Category Enforcement parameters, I’ll be racing in the A’s!

Riders are free to “race up” and join higher categories than their minimum. Category Enforcement simply removes your ability to sandbag in a lower category.

Good News x2

I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Zwifter with something negative to say about this Category Enforcement announcement. Why? Because it’s a development that should make Zwift racing better in two ways:

  • First: it will obviously reduce the number of sandbaggers, which makes races feel more realistic and lets legit riders compete for the win.
  • Second: it will make categories more competitive by fine-tuning the parameters used to categories riders. ZwiftPower’s current FTP-based categorization is better than nothing, but it could be much better. For example – it doesn’t account for riders with huge VO2 power but relatively weak FTP, thereby allowing those riders to excel in races which are more VO2-focused, like courses with punchy climbs or shorter “sprint” races.

Looking Ahead

We could be seeing the start of a paradigm shift in how Zwift races are categorized. Think about it: in theory, categorization could be based on an entirely different set of parameters – sprint power, weight, age, 1-minute power.

Parameters could be tuned to fit the course. A race up Epic KOM? Make 20-minute w/kg the deciding factor. Crit City? Sprint and 1-minute power are key factors. 40km TT? That’s all about your FTP.

Eventually, Zwift could put these Category Enforcement options in the hands of event organizers who could break riders into categories based on whatever parameters they prefer. And that will open up a fresh variety of Zwift races to our community.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s finish some test races first!

Feedback Requested

Zwift has asked that riders fill out this feedback form after their Category Enforcement race(s), so the team working on these features can quickly iterate and improve on this initial offering.

This is a vital step, so don’t miss it. Give them your feedback, even if it’s to simply say, “It worked well!”

More Information

For more information on these events, including a comprehensive FAQ and an opportunity to discc, see this post on Zwift’s forum.

See upcoming Category Enforcement Races on ZwiftHacks >

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

The Zwift Racing Landscape, Part 1b: Racing Population Demographics

Joe Kiernan
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10
The Zwift Racing Landscape, Part 1b: Racing Population Demographics

The Zwift Racing Landscape, Part 1b: Racing Population Demographics

Before we dive deeper into the ranking algorithm and look at how well the ZwiftPower Race Ranking numbers can be used to stack rank the entire racing population, there were a lot of questions around additional demographic stats of Zwift riders.  In the below charts, I break down the ranked racing population by gender, age, and weight class – split out by race ranking (which is roughly tied to categories).

As quick context, I wanted to further illustrate that we actually only have good data for a small portion of all Zwifters – those that both compete in races, have registered a ZwiftPower account, and scored points in at least one race in the last 90 days.  These riders are naturally going to be biased toward stronger riders – those who care more about race outcomes and are interested in weeding out cheaters/sandbaggers.  

We can use the below demographics (and stats from the initial article) as rough approximations for the overall Zwift population (especially for things likely not impacted by rider strength, like country), but most stats related to power output will likely change significantly as the scope expands.  In the above bubbles, I estimated the total population and average power output via some random sampling just to get a sense of how much it varies vs. the population we have good data on.

With that said, let’s take a look at the data we do have:

Gender gets less male-dominated as you move through the categories, but overall the population of ranked women is just quite small: ~6.5k total women who have a ranked result on ZwiftPower in the last 90 days (out of ~80k total riders).

When looking at these next charts with Age & Weight data, it’s worth remembering that most (65%) ranked racers have a ranking between 500-600 (the last bar).

Interestingly, in a situation that might be unique in competitive sports, and definitely in esports, most ranked racers on Zwift are solidly middle-aged (40-49) (34%) with another 28% aged 30-39 (especially as you move toward the higher categories).  50-59-year-olds make up the 3rd largest segment with 22% of the total population.  There is a chunk of 20-29-year-olds at the top end of the ranked population. while the overall population of U23s and 60+ riders is fairly small (~5k total).

Weight classes are fairly stable across ranks, except for the most competitive ranks where lighter riders (60-69kg) are overrepresented.

As a frequent Zwift racer, I’m always curious about who the humans are on the other side of the avatars, in as much pain as I am.  Based on the above stats, it’s probably no surprise that the team with the most riders on ZwiftPower is DIRT (e.g. Dads Inside Riding Trainers).

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Zwift Update Version 1.22.1 (100427) Released

Eric Schlange
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Zwift Update Version 1.22.1 (100427) Released

The latest Zwift update is now available on all platforms: Mac, PC, Android, iOS, and AppleTV.

Not sure if your Zwift install is up-to-date? Here’s how to check >

This update includes new routes and badges, frames and wheels, some significant training plan/workout changes, and of course a pile of bug fixes. Here are the details…

New Frames and Wheels

Two new bike frames have been added to the Drop Shop:

  • Specialized Crux (Level 17+, 869,800 Drops): 2 stars for aero, 3 for weight
  • Trek Speed Concept SLR 9 (Level 32+, 958,500 Drops): 4 stars for aero, 1 for weight

The Crux looks like it may be the lightest gravel bike in game, which will make things interesting when racing in places like the Makuri Islands Temple KOM and Watopia’s Jungle Circuit. We’ll run tests and publish results ASAP.

Two new gravel wheelsets have been added as well.

  • ENVE G23 (no level requirement, 17,800 Drops): 3 stars for aero, 1 for weight
  • Roval Terra CLX (no level requirement, 17,800 Drops): 3 stars for aero, 1 for weight

This is a notable development, actually, because until now, all the gravel bikes in game used the Zwift Gravel wheelset. (Similarly, all of the mountain bikes use the Zwift Mountain wheelset.) So this is Zwift’s first expansion into offering wheelset options for gravel bikes.

Both wheelsets are low-priced with no level requirement, so they are very attainable by all Zwifters. Presumably, they perform at least slightly better than the stock Zwift wheelset. But we’ll run tests and find out!

Groupset Bugs Fixed?

Zwift’s list of bug fixes in this update includes this line: Fixed an issue with the SRAM RED 2021 rear derailleur being slightly underpriced, and a tad bit too light.

Our tests are indicating they’ve fixed the groupset issue that slowed the Cervelo S5 2020 – it seems to have returned to its original speediness. (We’re not just why the text says it was a “tad too light” though, because that wouldn’t make the frame slower…)

We’re hoping this means Zwift has also turned their attention to the longer-standing Dura-Ace 9200 bug. Our tests so far seem to confirm this, but we’ll publish hard numbers ASAP.

New Makuri Islands (and Other!) Routes

Two routes (and badges!) have been added to the Makuri Islands world. Not fresh tarmac, just fresh routes on existing roads:

  • Chasing the Sun: the longest and climbiest Makuri Islands route yet, this one takes you on two KOMs and four sprints.
    Total distance/elevation: 35.1km/278m
  • Electric Loop: a flat, short circuit, this route is similar to Twilight Harbor, but in the opposite direction.
    Total distance/elevation: 8.9km/30m
Fresh route badges… for event-only routes!

In addition to these free-ridable routes, several event-only Watopia routes arrived with this update… with names that may be familiar to Zwift Insider readers. While Zwift hasn’t confirmed this, we wonder if they plan to use these new routes for the upcoming Tour of Watopia, whose homepage was just refreshed. Double XP, new route badges… registration opens February 22. More on this soon, we suspect!

New Workouts of the Week

Workouts have been added to the on-demand list for the month of February and March. You can also see the current week’s workout, which you can do on your own or in a Wednesday Group Workout.

  • Feb 14-20: Bahati Foundation Workout
  • Feb 21-27: Maize Wimbush’s Windup
  • Feb 28-Mar 6: The Bernal
  • Mar 7-13: Kristin Armstrong – A Gentle Reminder

Workout FTP Bias Change

-25% bias
+25% bias

You can now adjust your workout’s FTP bias down to -25% and up to +25%. Formerly, the limit was -10% to +10%. You can do this via the Companion app, or by clicking the bias arrows on screen, or using Page Up/Page Down on your PC keyboard.

Training Plans Now On-Demand

Zwift’s three most popular training plans (Build Me Up, Pebble Pounder, and Gran Fondo) are now available as on-demand workouts. This lets Zwifters do the workouts with zero schedule constraints.

It’s worth noting that signing up for the actual training plan may still be the smart move. Zwift says, “We continue to encourage you to commit to our full training plans as they are developed by professional coaches to achieve specific goals, provide structure, and follow suggested workout progressions. Plus, who can forget about those sweet sock unlocks!”

See forum discussion on this topic >

In the forum topic above, Zwift says, “In our next phase of work, we are continuing to fuel flexibility within our training plans, including unlocking workouts for longer periods and extending time in which workouts can be completed. These updates are under development and expected to roll out in the coming months.” That’s good news, as Zwifter have complained about the inflexibility of Zwift’s “flexible” training plans since the day they rolled out.

Bug Fixes and Misc Improvements

Here’s Zwift’s list of fixes and improvements included in this update, with notes in italic from us:

  • Flexible Training Plan Workouts now unlock at 12:01am on Monday. We’re not sure when they unlocked previously, but this seems like the right time to unlock stuff for the week.
  • Connectivity alerts will immediately disappear when the issue is resolved and will only remain on screen for 60 seconds if the issue remains unresolved.
  • Added a label above the Challenges UI in the pause menu to help Zwifters find their Challenges. Hopefully this means we’ll get fewer emails asking “How do I sign up for the Tron challenge?”
  • Fixed an issue where an invalid day would be selected in the date of birth UI in certain situations.
  • Fixed an issue where the date of birth change would not be saved if unit of measure is changed before saving.
  • Fixed an issue where the save button would not work when updating run paces in the Zwifter profile.
  • Fixed an issue where suggested run paces would be saved even if the Zwifter cancels the change.
  • Fixed an issue causing XP to be awarded for certain skipped workout blocks. Take that, cheaters!
  • Fixed an issue causing certain workout blocks to appear invisible in the Workout Editor.
  • Fixed an issue with the gradient display in London when riding in the countryside. Is this the fix to the long-running London gradient bug? We sure hope so.
  • Fixed an issue causing activity title changes to not properly sync with 3rd party partner sites.
  • Fixed an issue with some segment times not being displayed correctly.
  • Fixed an issue where Pace Partner pace would be truncated.
  • Fixed an issue causing all running Pace Partners to show Category A.
  • Fixed an issue causing bikes to spawn at a strange angle. All bikes will now spawn parallel to the road.
  • Fixed an issue causing riders to swerve in some situations on the Railways and Rooftops and Sprinters Playground routes in Neokyo.
  • Fixed an issue that allowed some runners to make a U-turn in an event.
  • Fixed an issue where some Zwifters would be stuck at “Finding Riders” when late joining an event. Seemed like a fair consequence for showing up late, but if Zwift wants to be nice…
  • Fixed an issue causing a dead end to appear in the Neokyo mini-map.
  • Fixed an issue causing flickering in certain parts of the Rooftop Rendezvous route.
  • Fixed an issue where the whale in Watopia was flickering between timelines. We’ve ensured they will now remain in the best timeline. More evidence of Zwift’s parallel universes.
  • Updated the name of our famous pizza socks to actually be called Pizza Socks in the garage. Who says Zwift’s dev team isn’t doing big things? Take that, haters!

See Wes Salmon’s notes on this update release in the Zwift forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

Zwift Ladies Only Facebook Group Now 10,000 Strong

Monica Schlange
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Zwift Ladies Only Facebook Group Now 10,000 Strong

Zwift Ladies Only Facebook Group Now 10,000 Strong

Cassie Baldi originally started the “Zwift Ladies Only” Facebook group in November 2015 in an effort to chat with and provide a safe space for women who Zwift. And recently, that group hit 10,000 members!

Cycling and Zwift have a greater number of male participants so to have a space to talk about women-specific issues with only women is very empowering.

I took over admin in 2020 and am the only moderator/admin in the group of 10,000. That’s not a testament to my amazing admin abilities, rather to how kind and generous the ladies in the group are. There are few issues that arise. In fact, in the last 18 months we’ve had less than 20 issues I’ve had to moderate. That’s over 5000 posts and 81,000 comments, and only 20 of those needed to be moderated. THAT is how supportive this community is! 

What the Women Are Saying

I love this group so much! There is nothing like finding a group of like-minded people who celebrate victories big or small that other people in your life really don’t understand. It makes my heart happy to rub virtual elbows with all of these ladies, whether on Facebook or Zwift.

Crystal Miles

“No question is too daft.” -Hollie Burgin

“Zwift was fun already…then I found the Zwift Ladies Only group & feel deeply connected.” -Renee Robinson

“This is a supportive non-judgmental group that welcomes every woman, regardless of skill level or experience, into the Zwift sisterhood.” -Susan Otcenas

“Your community is here. You belong here. And there’s nothing like 10,000 other women telling you that yes, you CAN.” -Michele Axt

Rules

We’re always open for more members! Here’s what you need to know:

First, you have to be a woman or identify as one. Secondly, you have to submit a membership request, which includes answering the Membership Questions and agreeing to abide by the rules. It’s as simple as that!

But don’t overlook the rules toggle: some women answer the 3 easy questions to get in and then they don’t click the “I agree to the group rules” and we have to deny their request. 

Cassie

I recently caught up with Cassie and asked her what she thought of her group hitting 10,000 women. She was amazed. “I couldn’t have imagined the ladies group would ever have that many members. A few of us on Zwift just wanted to get together and chat about Zwift stuff.” And that “few” turned into 10,000! Thanks for starting a great group, Cassie!

What I’m Seeing

My favorite posts are the ones where someone will say, “Hey, I just did this thing on Zwift that probably isn’t that big of a deal for you to do, but I didn’t think I was going to be able to complete it.” And in the comments of that post you’ll see strong, seasoned riders congratulate right alongside newer riders. Everyone is genuinely encouraging in the group, no matter the level of rider.

If you’re a lonely rider that needs some company, this is the group you need. If you’re a new rider that doesn’t know what to do, this is the group you need. If you’re a social rider that just wants to share the Zwift love, this is the group you need. In fact, if you’re any rider, this is the group you need.

Cathy Hunt

I also laugh each time I see a post about saddles, chamois, and lady parts as the comments are always so sincere, jovial, and matter-of-fact. You can’t ask those questions in a mixed group without getting at least one silly or off-color comment.

The posts are about all sorts of things: bike fit, Zwift setup, women looking for a racing team, frustrations with cycling in general, achievements, fuel, and more! It’s a great group of Zwift Ladies Only that I’m happy to be a part of. If you’re a Lady Zwifter we’d love to have you join us!

This group has helped me get back into fitness and conquer my goals. A very supportive group of women who helped me find my forever team.

Shannan Nichole Lee

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

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