The L39ION of LA Crit Series has seen crazy numbers of racers. Some are just there to grab the Neokyo Crit Course route badge, but most are in it to win it, resulting in field sizes of 300+ in some categories and time slots. Lunacy!
I couldn’t make it to every race in the series, but I wanted to make it to at least one so I could experience the new course and see what it was like racing 300+ B riders. I wasn’t disappointed! Here’s how it all unfolded from my point of view…
Warmup
My race was at 11am, so around 10am I started the pre-race ritual. Two pieces of caffeine gum. Slap some PR lotion on the legs and kit up. Then I went to Neokyo for a warmup, knocking out the “Sleepless City” route badge while I spun the legs up from resting to race mode.
I pulled up the signup list in ZwiftPower while I was warming up (see it here). It was slightly frightening to see the firepower signed up in the B race! When I sorted the signup list by rank, I didn’t even make the first screen. No, I had to scroll down to 41st place to see my name listed.
It’s been a long time since I entered a B race against that many higher-ranked riders. Winning today was clearly a long shot at best.
A few hard efforts got the heart rate up to 160bpm, then it was time to join the pens for a second time (because of course I joined the pens 30 minutes before the race began, to hold my spot near the front. This isn’t my first rodeo!)
The Start
The clock hit zero and we jumped out of the pens, quickly ramping up to 48-50 kph. We soon settled into a steady pace, eating through the kilometers as we made our way through the Shopping District and into Castle Park.
I modulated my power to hold a position at least a few bike lengths from the front, but not so far back that I couldn’t see the front of the race. (Or what I hoped was the front of the race…)
Big Group Wackiness
There were 361 riders in the B peloton, but Zwift only renders the 100 nearest riders on your screen – which can really screw you up in a big race!
It can lead to very strange situations, two of which are:
- Incorrectly thinking you’re in the lead pack because you see no riders up the road – even though a pack of riders has broken off the front and ridden away from your group.
- Not knowing there are hundreds of riders just behind, or even a small group dropping off the back. This is because in large, tightly-packed groups, the game seems to have a bias for rendering riders ahead of you rather than behind.
I found myself looking at my ranking in the rider list, which was bouncing between ~50 and ~150. Then I would look at the mass of riders ahead of me and think, “That looks like around 50 riders. I must be in the front group.”
I hoped I was right.
Settling In
The group quickly settled into a rhythm: ramp it up a bit when the incline hit 2-3% for short stretches. Ease a bit on slight downhills. Chug along at 47-48kph, finishing each of the six laps in under 5 minutes.
The pack speed was so high that nobody attacked. Or if they did, I didn’t see it! I know for myself, I can hold 47-48kph for maybe 30-60 seconds solo, having done so in some race breakaways and TTT efforts. So I knew there was no way I could attack this pack and stay away. And I think plenty of others were thinking the same thing.
This was, in fact, very much like IRL pro crits against the L39ION of LA team. L39ION’s very effective strategy is to put their workhorses on the front to chase back attacks and keep the speed high while their sprinters sit in and wait for the final leadout.
With two powerups given per lap, there were always powerups flying. (Happily, there weren’t any burritos being handed out. Because they’re the worst.)
The Finish
We didn’t have a lap counter in the HUD, because ZwiftHQ had changed these events over the weekend to be distance-based, since the lap-based method had resulted in an invisible finish line in the first races. (That’s fun!)
But it was easy to figure out which lap of six we were on. And as we started our final lap, the pack definitely got a little nervous.
The pace ramped up as we hit the false flat after the Castle Sprint arch. I was holding an aero powerup, just trying to figure out the best time to use it.
The pack began to stretch out with 1.5km to go, as riders started attacking off the front. It all came down to this final 90 seconds! Who could hold high power to hang with the stretching front, then put in a big sprint to finish?
The front of the pack was slipping away from me, so I activated my aero powerup probably 30s before the finish line, hammering my way past anyone I could catch.
Things start getting hectic 
So many powerups! 
Approaching the virtual finish line
The downside of making this a distance-based race was that nobody knew where the finish line was. Sure, we knew approximately where it would be. But the virtual finish line didn’t show up until we were actually approaching it for the final time! So I was looking at the distance to go number in my HUD. At 400 meters riders began really sprinting, and I did my best to follow them.
But I was clearly outgunned. I gave it all I had, crossing the line in 19th according to the game… which somehow became 20th on ZwiftPower. (The first time I’ve ever had my finishing position get worse in ZwiftPower’s results!)
See activity on Strava >
See ride on Zwift.com >
See results on ZwiftPower >
No Video
I didn’t record my race video this time around, as I was concerned that doing so would impact my framerate too much. Neokyo is very CPU-intensive, and adding in a mass of nearby riders makes it even more so.
In hindsight, it looks like I made the right call. My framerates during the race were around ~25 fps, which is not ideal but acceptable to my eye. Recording the race would have dropped it to ~15 fps, which isn’t fun at all.
Takeaways
Finishing 20th resulted in a ranking points improvement of -11.35, which is a big jump for me. That’s the beauty of facing off against stronger riders!
This race reinforced my growing belief that your ability to deliver strong 1-2 minute power is probably the #1 determiner of Zwift race success. The first 28.5 minutes of the race were actually quite easy, as evidenced by the fact that some 120 riders finished in the front group.
But it was that final 90 seconds where the important work happened. Those who could hold high 1-minute power moved to the front of the pack as it stretched out. And those who could sprint on top of that 1-minute effort put themselves into contention for the win.
What did it take to win? I don’t know precise power numbers in those final seconds, but I can tell you that all of the top 5 finishers have 15-second power above 1000 watts and 13 w/kg according to ZwiftPower. Most over 1100 watts and 14 w/kg.
Me? My much weaker sprint was never going to beat the big boys. But an aero powerup, decent 1-minute power, and a good sense of timing landed me a much higher finish than predicted. And in those final meters, I set a new 6-week PR for 90-second power. So I’m happy with that, and happy with a points upgrade.
Making It Interesting
This race effort was remarkably steady. The exact opposite of what an IRL crit would be like on this course! Check out my power graph:
It was essentially a steady TT-style effort just below threshold, with a 90-second attack/sprint at the end. And that’s fine, if that’s what you’re looking for.
But what I’d really like to see (and I’ve mentioned this in the context of Crit City races in the past) is auto-braking on certain corners, which would force riders to attack out of the corners like an outdoor crit.
Couple that with next-level intelligent features like allowing a small group or single rider to go through corners faster than a large group and you’ve got all the ingredients for a much more animated race.
Your Thoughts
Have you raced any of the L39ION series? How did the race unfold for you? Share below!
Haven’t raced this Crit course yet, but any race it’s likely I can do maybe up to 2.6x FTP, no way over 3x. Especially after than last 1 minute ramp up. That final 90 seconds is hell regardless. Chapeau to any B rider smashing out 1000w finish line sprints!
I’m about the same. It’s the riders who can smash out bigger sprint power at the end of the race who are able to win over and over again in this style of event.
Did they move the finish line or just put one of those virtual tapes across the spot? I did race one and the invisible finish line screwed things up for a lot of people (part of the reason I didn’t bother with race 2 – that and the only slot I was free was late enough that I got lazy and decided I didn’t want a hard race right before bed).
Both- there was a virtual tape way beyond where the invisible finish line was in race 1. Not only that, but it was just past the static lap banner where you couldn’t really see it coming until after you’d passed through the green arch. And my distance countdown remained rounded to 0.2km, 0.1km, 0.0km…so that I didn’t have the usual precision where I know exactly when I’m going to be done. Perhaps by race 4 it will all be square!
They moved the line in order to fix the issues from the first race. See the finish line in this pic:
It’s just over the sidewalk, as you turn left into the Shopping District.
One thing I’ve noticed riding around Neokyo, the lap banners don’t line up too the lap finish in the HUD. Some are better then others.
I was thinking of doing the next legion crit Friday or Tuesday. I think we have similar power profiles but I am not very race experienced. Around how many meters to go do you use the aero power up? My guess would be 500m but is that too soon, too late?
Too early. You should use it when you start being at full speed and will get in front, with no wind protection.
That’s true in most races, but with this one bit Eric and I had to use our aero pretty early to keep the big guns from just riding away at the end.
It really depends on how the race shakes out in those final 2 minutes. If you’re up in the front with only a few riders ahead (or you’re in the very front!) I wouldn’t use it until maybe 200m to go. But I used it early that I typically would, as Doug already noted, in order to stay in the mix.
It’s really something you learn by doing. Jump in and give it a go!
That’s a very good finish position! Congratulations !
i was in the same race, in the front pack but finished way behind, 64th I think (should check).
This race was really strange, having to be in the first 50 to be able to see what happened in front (I didn’t want to be dropped if the peloton split). There was one real attack, I saw it, and the guy stayed outside for what? 10 seconds ?
😱😂
at the end, I was able to accelerate but didn’t have the legs to go as fast as the other and no power up (got no power up in the last lap, I expected at least one). My 1 minute power is ok, but didn’t have the legs to sprint on top of that, and at least 30 riders flied by me in the last meters… 🤦♂️😭
my power was not time trial like : as i am light, it really follows the inclines, having to put down much power when the road goes down to stay with the front pack!
My dog is lending me his Zwift account and supervising my rehab.
He directed my race strategy to avoid the holiday rush.
He said there’d be better sight seeing that way.
Interesting thoughts on the attempts to make it more like a real life Crit. Thought that the Pace Partners were kinda the same thing, just a TT effort. Are there enough bike racers who are tired of crashing IRL but love the effort for Zwift to accommodate them with those features? I hope so Eric, cause it would make for an additional dynamic to the Zwift races beside TT then sprint.
Any idea when the series leaderboard will emerge in ZP? Race has been “live” since the first of the series. Congrats on getting into the points! Completely agree re auto breaking – the rises in crit city etc serve a bit of that function, but last night’s course just too flat
I came 5th in the same race as you Eric. Annoyingly the finish had moved from the last left corner to just after the second banner which I slowed for all of 1/2 second before realising. Not sure it made much difference in the end. Felt a much harder race than Friday night but gave myself a chance with being near the front. Your massively improve just from knowing the course now as my numbers were not much different from Friday and I came 60ish
Practice makes perfect! Congrats on a top 5, Ryan!
100% agreed on autobraking at least in Crit races. Level the playing field between bigger and smaller riders within the same Cat. Otherwise Zwift racing will continue to be an absolute watts wins all game…
Having such a big group on a flat course meant that everyone stayed together. My power chart was very much like yours- flat with a spike at the end (I came 34th in my B race).
I did wonder however whether the course might prove to be fun for a crit with fewer people, the couple of small hills could be enough to encourage riders to animate the race? A break-away might be even be able to stay clear…
I think all crits are more animated with smaller groups. Same for Crit City! But this course is quite flat, so it’ll always be less animated than Crit City. Unless you’re contending for sprint points!
Thanks for your thoughts about the race and course. I raced with you yesterday. Really surprised that the finish line had moved :). A good 1 minute is vital at this course, and ramping up power during that minute makes the difference. Plus hoovering in the front part without actually be in the front… suits me 🙂
I was in that race and as a lighter weight B (65kg) the start was ferocious and found it hard to get beyond 200 to 250 despite pushing above 330w + off the grid. Couldn’t make the jump to the front group but the second pack was a good size and rolled along well. No attacks and a mad dash for the virtual line. Finished 144 in the B’s about 90 sec back! Will go harder off the line next time and hope to hold in the pack.
For me it was my first crit race so didn’t know what to expect. I started in the lowest D category and finished 87th. What I did see was despite the 1-2,5w/kg category I had to push above 3w/kg to achieve this place. But I did loved it!
Congrats on your promotion to C category, Ken!
The finish line moving thing is really frustrating me. This week the finish line was after the banner!
Whoah! nice! Different race dynamics for crit courses! That could be really interesting! Or if there were different race modes that the organizers could select when creating a race (no HUD, no powerups, steering required…Crit mode…tricycle only…ok maybe not that one🤣)
Well done on the race!
A bit punchier in the A race.
I think they have missed a trick with putting a flat ‘crit’ course in. With the corners not doing anything then it is just an even power race. What works well in crit city, which makes it ‘a bit’ like a crit is the repeated small climb feature. If they are going for another crit source they should have put in a small repeated climb or 2, similar to crit city but either slightly shorter and steeper or slightly longer so that it is different, but you get the surges/interval session a bit like a real crit.
I did the first race last Friday and was slightly undone by thinking the finish was at the blue banner, so was slightly surprised to see I’d finished halfway through my final sprint. I definitely don’t have the power to be fighting out for the win, but was able to stay with the front group purely as no one had the power to launch and hold an attack with such a huge pack. It definitely helped improved my race ranking though, although only 36th, I still managed to get a race ranking of 211 compared to my normal 260-300.
100% agree that 1-2 min power is the dealbreaker (or maker) in Zwift racing. My FTP is OK, sprint just barely tolerable, 1 and 5 min power are weak, so I see it from the other side than Eric but it’s unmistakable how important it is.
Seeing small groups/single riders get though tight turns faster than big groups would be such an exciting new addition and so realistic.
Great write up!
I did one last week too. Did the race 24 km in 33:43, ended up 35/62 in cat C
C Peloton finished in 33:22, group 1: 33:33, group 2: 33:43
The first 26 minutes or 19 km, the speed was pretty consistent: min 35km/h; avg 43; max 50, power avg: 235w with a range of: 125-350w, and HR was steady 90% of max
But from minutes 26-31 or km 19-22.5, I started overheating. HR was climbing to as much as 94%, while power and speed were steady as before.
With 1.6 km, one rider messaged “1 mile to go” and the pace started increasing. I decided I didn’t want to increase power and kill myself as it was my first race in a while. I
maintained an FTP level, let a gap open with 1.2 km to go but caught 1 other rider with 800 metres to go. With 300 metres to go, the other rider’s power started increasing. I used a aero power up and started sprint and the other rider shut down their sprint. I did a PB in watts anyway. I’ll have to work on my 1 & 5 minute powers, especially after 25+ minutes at threshold.
The finish was a bit confusing, I stopped pedaling as went under lap banner, and then realized finish line was maybe 2 seconds up ahead.
With practice, one would be able to do a pretty steady effort and stay in the peloton without ending on the front or falling off the back. I found myself on the front a couple of times when the peloton started slowing while I maintained the average power.
IRL, going into turns slows and narrows the peloton and getting out of turns there is acceleration and extra power to not let gaps open.
In zwift, turns don’t require reducing speed or finding the best line or narrowing pace lines which enable the required power to stay with the group to be at consistent levels, the only things that currently do that are hills. perhaps more hills would make it somewhat more like IRL.
I like this course much more than Crit City.