ZwiftRacing.app

Zwift Racing is a competitive feature on the virtual cycling platform Zwift. It uses a categorization system called VELO to match riders of similar skill levels. VELO analyzes race history and adjusts ratings based on performance. Rankings are determined by ranking points (RP) earned in races. Zwift Racing also offers achievements and tracks data using an automated system. Ineligible races, such as chase races and team time trials, are excluded from VELO and RP calculations to ensure fairness. The Zwift Racing League (ZRL) and Zwift Grand Prix (ZGP) races are also ineligible due to potential inaccuracies in data. Hey everyone and welcome to a deep dive that'll get those legs spinning even if you're not on the bike. Yeah. Today we're taking a look at Zwift Racing. Okay. Which adds like a whole extra layer of competition to Zwift. Right. You know Zwift, that online cycling platform, basically a video game but you actually get a workout. Yeah. We've been digging into the documentation for Zwift Racing and let me tell you, it's really changing how virtual cycling races work. Oh for sure. So if you've ever thought about taking your virtual cycling to the next level, this is the deep dive for you. Definitely. So what exactly is Zwift Racing? Well you can call it ZR for short. ZR, okay. And it's all about making virtual cycling more competitive. Okay. It's for people who like really pushing themselves even when they're riding indoors. So it's more than just like casually cycling through virtual scenery. Totally. This is serious virtual racing. Absolutely. ZR takes care of setting up races, analyzes your performance, and even helps you find the right people to race against. Cool. And it's building a real community of competitive Zwifters. That's awesome. So how does it all actually work? Why? Does it just keep track of my Zwift ride? Oh, it's much more advanced than that. Okay. The core of Zwift Racing is its unique categorization system called VELO. VELO. Okay, forget about those basic Zwift categories. Right, the ones just based on your 20 minute power weight ratio. Exactly. Right. VELO uses a special algorithm that looks at your entire race history to put you in one of 10 categories. So VELO is like a matchmaking system, making sure you race against people at your skill level. Exactly. The goal is to have fair and exciting races for everyone. I like that. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just stringing out, VELO finds you a race where you can actually compete. Makes sense. So you can have open and women's only VELO ladders to make things even fairer. That's really cool. But how does VELO figure out where to put you initially? Does it just look at how much power you put out on Zwift? Well, it starts with something called ZRCS. ZRCS. It stands for Zwift Racing Compound Score. Okay. Basically, it looks at your best five minute power effort. Five minute, okay. Which, according to the documentation, gives a better idea of your ability than just your 20 minute power. So it's focusing on those bursts of power, which is super important in a race. Exactly. Think about it in a real race. Those short, hard efforts can make all the difference. Right. So VELO looks at your five minute power, categorizes you, and then you're ready to race. Well, not quite that simple. VELO is always analyzing your performance in every race and adjusts your rating accordingly. So it's constantly changing. Yep. So if you're winning against others in your category, your VELO goes up. If you fall behind, it goes down. So it's always adapting to how you're doing. That's it. What if someone's brand new to Zwift racing and they just have an amazing first race? Yeah. Does their rating go way up? That's where things get interesting. Right. We've actually built in some safeguards to prevent those huge swings in VELO. Okay. So there are limits on how much your VELO can go up or down after a single race. That makes a lot of sense. VELO helps make sure everyone can move up gradually and it avoids big changes based on just one good or bad performance. Right. So it keeps things fair and stops people from trying to cheat the system. Exactly. So VELO makes sure you're racing against people at your level. Right. But what if you want to see who's the absolute best within a specific VELO category? That's where ranking points come in, or RP, for sure. RP answers the question, who's the top dog in, say, the silver category? So VELO groups you with similar riders and then RP ranks you within that group based on your performance. Exactly. It's a completely separate system that gives you points for how well you do in a race. Okay. But here's the catch. What's that? Only your top five performances count towards your RP ranking. Wow. So every race matters, but you really got to be consistent to climb that leaderboard. It definitely adds a layer of strategy and excitement. I bet. Before we get into how Zwift Racing keeps track of all these races, let's talk about achievements for a minute. Sure. Achievements are always a fun way to motivate people. I love getting achievements. Right. And Zwift Racing has tons of them. Cool. I think hitting certain RP milestones, conquering specific routes, even riding in all the virtual worlds. Nice. So it's not all about just winning. Nope. It's also about having fun and pushing your limits. Exactly. So with all this data, the VLO, the RPP, the achievement, how does Zwift Racing keep track of it all? That's where things get really interesting behind the scenes. Okay. Tell me more. They've got an automated system that pulls data from Zwift Power. The Zwift Power. It's basically the official record keeper for Zwift races. So it's like having a bunch of digital detectives looking for race results. Huh. I like that analogy. These little jobs run every hour. Wow. Every hour. They do events, updating results, and even using the detailed FIP file data from your bike computer. From my bike computer. Yeah. Or your smart trainer. Oh. So it was really accurate. For extra accuracy. Wow. They're serious about data. They are. But wait a minute. Doesn't Zwift have other events besides races? Like what? Like group rides? You're right. There's a whole world of events in Zwift. Right. For VELO and RP calculations, Zwift Racing mostly focuses on race events. I see. They do make exceptions for some group ride events. Okay. Specifically, the ones labeled Club Ladder or ZR App. ZR App. Okay. But mainly, they're looking at the competitive side of Zwift. Makes sense. But they still recognize that group rides are important even if you're not a hardcore racer. So it's all about building that Zwift community. Exactly. Yeah. It's a really diverse platform. Okay. So you've got ZR App. You've got RP. You've got achievements. We've even got this event processing. Mm-hmm. Sounds like Zwift Racing has thought of everything. Yeah. They put a lot of work into it. But I'm curious. Yeah. Does Zwift Racing use every single Zwift race when calculating VELO and RP? That's a great question. I thought so. And it leads us to some of the finer details of how Zwift Racing handles different race formats. Okay. I'm listening. There are actually some races that they consider ineligible for VELO and RP calculations. Ineligible races? What makes a race ineligible? Well, it's all about making sure the calculations are fair and accurate. Makes sense. But to really dive into that, we'll have to wait for part two of our deep dive. Okay. No problem. We'll be back soon to explore those ineligible races and uncover even more about Zwift Racing. Looking forward to it. Me too. All right, everyone. Thanks for tuning in. See you next time. Welcome back to our deep dive into Zwift Racing. Thanks for having me back. Before the break, we were just about to uncover the secrets of those ineligible races. Yes. The ones that don't affect a rider's VELO or ranking points. They sound mysterious. Yes. A little bit. Like they're in a hidden part of Zwift. Right. So what makes them so different? Why are they excluded from those ranking systems? Yes. Well, it comes down to how Zwift Racing keeps everything fair and accurate. Okay. Let's start with the first category on the ineligible list. Chase races. Chase races. I love those. Yes. They're exciting. They're where riders or even whole teams start at different times and try to catch each other. Exactly. Imagine some faster riders starting a few minutes behind slower riders. It's a real nail-biter. Definitely. But Zwift Racing decided these races aren't a good way to judge individual performance. Oh, I see. It's more about the chase itself. Yes. It's more about strategy and teamwork. Right. It's hard to tell who's doing the most work. Exactly. It's like trying to figure out who deserves credit for baking a cake when everyone helped. Okay. No ELO or RP for those chase races then. No. So chase races are out. What else is on this ineligible list? Next up we have team time trials or TTTs. TTTs. Oh, those are all about working together. Yes. Total teamwork. Everyone has to be in sync. If one person struggles- The whole team suffers. Exactly. You're only as strong as your weakest link in a TTT. So true. So Zwift Racing figured out that giving individual ZELO or RP in this kind of race wouldn't really be fair. Because it's the team's performance that matters. Right. It's not about individual ability. Makes sense. Okay. So no chase races, no TTTs. Right. Are there any other types of races that are ineligible? Yep. There are a couple more. And they both have to do with specific Zwift Racing series. Oh, interesting. First up is the Zwift Racing League or ZRL. ZRL, that's like the virtual Tour de France. Exactly. Teams battling it out over multiple stages. Super intense. Huge event. But wait. Yeah. Did we say that Zwift Racing uses Zwift Power for all its data? But I heard the ZRL results on Zwift Power aren't always accurate. That's right. Why is that? It seems like the ZRL organizers don't always update Zwift Power with the final finishing order. After sprint points and disqualifications and stuff. Exactly. So the Zwift Power results might not tell the whole story. And that could mess up the ELO and RP calculations. Exactly. So Zwift Racing needs accurate data to work properly. Gotcha. So no ZRL races for VELO and RP. Unfortunately not. Makes sense, though. Gotta keep it fair. So what's the last ineligible race category? The final one is another big racing series. Yeah. The Zwift Grand Prix or ZGP. The ZGP. I've heard of that. Yeah. It's like the cutting edge of Zwift Racing. Super innovative. Always pushing the boundaries. So why is it ineligible? Well, the ZGP uses a lot of unique race formats, which are super fun to watch, but sometimes those formats aren't fully supported by Zwift Power. Oh, I see. So the data might not be complete or accurate enough. And Zwift Racing needs that good data. Exactly. So no ZGP races for VELO and RP either. Right. Makes sense. The data integrity is key. So we've got chase races, TTTs, ZRL events, and ZGP races. Right. All ineligible for VELO and RP. Yep. That's the list. But what about people trying to cheat the system? Like what do you mean? Like what's stopping someone from intentionally doing badly in a race? Oh, you mean sandbagging? Sandbagging. Yeah. Trying to get a lower VELO so they can dominate in a lower category. Exactly. Don't worry. Zwift Racing has a plan for that. Oh, good. They use something called effort monitoring. Effort monitoring. Okay. It takes your power data in every race and compares it to your past performance. So if I usually put out 300 watts and suddenly I'm only doing 100, Zwift Racing is going to notice. Exactly. Those sudden drops in performance are a red flag. Like you're trying to hide your true ability. Right. So Zwift Racing stops people from getting their VELO too low. Yep. They're on top of it. But what about the opposite? Like what? Like if someone's new to Zwift Racing and they just have a crazy good first race. Oh, yeah. Does their VELO shoot way up? Good question. Thanks. They actually have something called a power floor. A power floor? To prevent those sudden jumps in VELO. So even if you have a really bad race, your VELO won't completely tank. Exactly. No wild fluctuations. That's good to know. And no matter what, your VELO can never go below 100 points. Oh, also there's a safety net. Exactly. Even if you have a rough start, you can still improve and climb that VELO ladder. That's the idea. I'm really impressed with how fair they've made this whole system. They've put a lot of thought into it. So we've talked about the ineligible races and how they stop people from cheating. But what about people who just want to ride for fun? Oh, the social riders. Yeah. Does Zwift Racing have anything for them? That's a good point. Zwift is known for its community. For sure. And those group rides are super popular. It wouldn't be Zwift without them. Right. So does Zwift Racing include those casual routes? Well, remember how we talked about those exceptions they make? For certain group ride events. Exactly. The club ladder and zr.app events. They're not part of the VELO and RP calculations, but they do get tracked and processed by Zwift Racing. Oh, I see. So even if you're not a serious racer, you can still be part of the Zwift Racing community. That's great. So it really does cater to all types of Zwifters. Exactly. So we've talked about the ineligible races. We've covered how they stop people from cheating. And we even touched on how Zwift Racing includes those social group rides. Sounds like we've covered a lot. But there's one last thing. What's that? Terrain handicaps. Oh, yes. We've mentioned them a few times, but we haven't really explained what they are or how they work. You're right. We've only scratched the surface. They sound important, though. They are. Like a big part of how VELO is calculated. Exactly. But I still don't quite get it. Well, trust me. This is where things get really interesting. Okay. I'm ready. But unfortunately... I don't know. ...that discussion will have to wait for part three of our deep dive. All right. No problem. We'll be right back to tackle those terrain handicaps and uncover the final mysteries of Zwift Racing. All right, Zwifters, we're back for the final part of our Zwift Racing deep dive. And it's time to conquer those terrain handicaps. Yes. We've been dancing around them long enough. They sound like a pretty key part of the whole system. Oh, they are. But I'm still a bit fuzzy on the details. Well, let's clear things up. Okay. Terrain handicaps acknowledge that different riders have different strengths. Some excel on flats, others in the mountains. Right. Like in real life. Exactly. But how does that work in virtual racing? Well, Zwift Racing uses these handicaps to adjust a rider's VELO based on the terrain of the race. Oh, I see. So it's like your VELO shows your general ability... Okay. ...but then the terrain handicap fine-tunes it. So it's more accurate. Exactly. It makes the playing field more level. I like that. So how many different terrain categories are there? Four. Four. Okay. Flat, rolling, hilly, and mountainous. So basically, every type of terrain you'd find in real cycling. Makes sense. Right. Yeah, totally. Now, how they calculate those handicaps... Yeah, that's what I'm curious about. It's not magic, but there's definitely some serious data analysis going on. Okay. Yeah. So Zwift uses a ton of data across all those terrain types to figure out what really makes a rider successful on each one. So they're not just looking at average power or power to weight ratio. No. It's more nuanced than that. Okay. They look at things like peak power outputs over different durations. Like sprints and stuff. Exactly. Yeah. How well a rider sustains power on climbs and their ability to recover on descent. Oh, wow. So it's really specific to the demands of each terrain? Exactly. So each terrain has unique challenges. Makes sense. And they take all that into account. So they've crunched all this data. But how does it actually become a handicap for a rider? Okay. So Zwift Racing looks at your personal power profile. Okay. My power profile. Which has all your past performance data. Right. And compares it to those ideal metrics they found for each terrain category. So it's like seeing how I compare to the average climber? Yeah. Or the typical sprinter. Gotcha. And based on that comparison, you get a terrain handicap for each category. Okay. So four handicaps. Right. One for each terrain. And those handicaps can be positive, negative, or even zero. So a positive handicap means I'm good at that terrain. Right. You'd probably do well on that type of course. And negative means I might struggle. Yeah. You might not perform as well. Okay. I'm starting to get it. Now, here's the key part. When you sign up for a race, your terrain handicap for that course is factored into what's called your event VELO. Event VELO. Mm-hmm. So my VELO actually changes from race to race. You could say that. Interesting. It's like a temporary adjustment to your overall VELO based on how well your strengths match the race you're about to do. I see. So it's more accurate to the specific race. Exactly. Let's go back to our friends Sammy Sprinter and Carly Climber. Oh, yeah. I like them. Good examples. So say Sammy has an overall VELO of 1,500. Okay. 1,500. But he's a beast on flat courses. You're right. He's Sammy Sprinter. Exactly. So he has a plus 100 handicap for flat terrain. Oh, plus 100. Okay. Now, if he enters a flat race, his event VELO gets bumped up to 1,600. So the flat course helps him out. Exactly. Makes sense. Now, Carly, she's got a higher overall VELO of 1,600. 1,600. Okay. She's good. But she's a climber. Carly Climber. Right. So she has a negative 200 handicap on flat courses. Oh, no. So if she were to enter an even flat race, her event VELO would actually drop to 1,400. Oh, wow. So even though she's generally better than Sammy, the flat course puts her at a disadvantage. Exactly. That's so interesting. It's all about those terrain handicaps. It's like a whole new level of strategy. Right. You have to think about more than just power output. Definitely. You have to pick races that match your strengths. That's the key to success in Zwift racing. Wow. This whole deep dive has been amazing. Glad you enjoyed it. We've learned so much about VELO ranking points, achievements, event processing. All those ineligible races. Right. And now these terrain handicaps. It's a complex system. It is. But it's also really well thought out. They've really considered everything. Zwift racing is taking virtual cycling to a whole new level. I'd say so. And for our listeners, if you want to add some excitement and strategy to your Zwift racing, head over to Zwift racing and check it out. It's worth exploring. You might discover a whole new side to virtual cycling. For sure. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. It's been a pleasure.