A racing series that levels the playing field for everyone!

Racing
1

The way it is now, a sandbagging sprinter can hang with the lead draft the entire race and explode across the finish line and win race after race after race without affecting their racing score.

Here is one simple idea that could equalize the races and create a more accurate Racing Score.

Rather than determining the winner by who crosses the line first, this system would be based on points accumulated during the entire race, giving climbers and sprinters an equal chance at winning.

Each stage would contain Sprint and KOM segments, with points handed out at each segment based on the leaderboards. Points could be handed out to the top 10 in each segment.

At the end of the race, the person with the most points wins overall. There can also be a KOM and Sprint winner as well.

Here is an example of a race series:

Race #1

  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 1x points

Race #2

  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 4x points --BIG CLIMB!
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points

Race #3

  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 2x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 2x points

Race #4

  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 1x points
  • KOM – 2x points

Race #5

  • Sprint – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 1x points
  • Sprint – 1x points
  • KOM – 2x points

As you can see, the KOM segments can vary in size to fit any current route and still balance out the points. And there would a strategy for bike selection on each stage.

Each race would be like a mini-Tour with sprint and KOM segments.

In order to win, a racer must push hard the entire race. And if we calculate the racing score based on a 15-30 minute average, it will reflect their true ability since they can’t win with just a single burst of power.

And then the series championship would be determined by the combined points for all the races.

It would not require a lot of work from Zwift since the segments and leaderboards already exist on the routes. They would just need to convert the leaderboard into points and automatically tally them up at the finish.

I think this would equalize racing, quickly move racers up into the category they belong, and bring more people into racing!

2

We have been asking for this type of support for racing for many, many years. So it must be quite hard to do, or is so far down the priority list we will probably never see it happen :man_shrugging:

This would also require a complete restructure of how they have ZRS working today, which sounds like a lot of work also…

This is why ZRL doesn’t use ZRS, they run points races just as you describe where the winning team is who racks up the most points, not necessarily who crosses the finish line first. They still use the old w/kg category system however to group racers together.

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3

We used to do that in our F365 races, it was points based on segments and finishing position rather than overall finishing position, getting zwiftpower to do that was an uttter ballache and time consuming to setup, it’s likely that zwift hasnt set up anything like this because it is a pain to do

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Solutions should not be ignored because they are difficult to do, the outcome should be all that matters. Most things worth doing are not easy or else everyone would already be doing it.

And if ZRL and F365 has already figured out a points system, then you are almost already there!

3 Likes
5

yeah, but it is done all outside of Zwift, nothing is built inside the game to do this as you have suggested. Organizers have had to use 3rd party tools or create their own in order to run race series that use points and other formats. Zwift can only do scratch races and TTT’s at this point. In your original post you mentioned this “would not require a lot of work” and I think it will or it probably would’ve already been done. It is badly needed, I don’t disagree there, but so far the work has not been made a priority.

6

This is how it used to be before ZRS. Now if you win race after race each time your ZRS goes up until you reach a pen/category where you can’t win race after race.

IRL isn’t a sprinter supposed to sit in and do no work until the finish?

2 Likes
7

I did this for a lot (55+ weekly) Herd races. It’s not that hard.

You are welcome to organise your own races, although other organisers have done similarly.

Comments around in-game/leaderboard points are noted.

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I have seen them get hung out to dry in some local races. The chasing group let a break get away as the known sprinter preferred to sit in and let the group around him do all the work.

So the small breakaway got away and stayed away. :slight_smile:

9

This is how it used to be before ZRS. Now if you win race after race each time your ZRS goes up until you reach a pen/category where you can’t win race after race.

I thought racing score is based on 2min avg watts?

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you are thinking of the “seed” score, your baseline score if you will. It is based off some sort of calculation closely matching a 5 min effort. Any new 5 minute PR’s can increase your seed score, as well as how you do in the races. Winning races increases your score, coming in the top 50% of the field also generally increases your score, coming in the bottom half generally decreases your score.

11

Is that for all the Zwift races, or ones put on by outside leagues? I only race in the Zwift races like Tour de Zwift, I don’t belong to a club or team or race those events yet. Just started racing about 6mon ago, been on Zwift for 13 mon so I don’t know the long history of everything going on.

12

the answer is complicated… :laughing:

the monthly Zracing series that @James_Zwift organizes uses ZRS (Zwift Racing Score), other organizers can choose to use ZRS as well. Other notable races that use ZRS are the Tiny Races that @Eric_Schlange organizes at Zwiftinsider.com

some organizers choose other methods of categorizing racers, one of which is vELO which is found at zwiftracing.app and developed by @TimHanson

There is also the old w/kg based categories that WTRL uses, and they organize ZRL (not to be confused with Zracing), and the weekly TTT’s.

Bottom line, there are numerous ways to categorize races, some use ZRS and some don’t.

13

I have noticed that different racing series have different wattage ratings. But one I thing I noticed recently is that within the Z-Racing races, the time of day also has different ratings? The 12:10 race today would put my score at the bottom of the ranking, but the 1:10 race puts my score in the middle of the ranking? So at least my new strategy is to race the races in which I am higher up in the ranking. Is this how it has always been?

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yes the Zraces have two ranges, you will see in the description if it is range 1 or range 2. This gives a little variability to the races so people can find competition closer to their ability within the ranges.

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It also means you can have some variety in how you race and what you might get out of it.

Bottom line: the nearer you are to the top of the pen you’re in, the more you’ll be practicing how to win (or at least place well). The nearer you are to the bottom of the pen, the more you’ll be practicing how not to get dropped (aka working on your fitness and survival skills)

3 Likes
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David, Yeah, I’m finding that out… I was at the top ranking, but then got bumped up and now I am struggling to keep up! lol

Mike, I did notice one has a 0-650 range and the other 0-725, so I can use that as an indicator. I will race in the higher rank if there are more people signed up. It seems with more people the chances are better for a good finish sometimes.

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Part of that is that with more people, breaks are less likely to succeed. In a smaller field the chase can’t magically pull back most of the attacks due to the Zwift magic washing machine effect unless there’s a climb finish. When the pack is big enough, it becomes pointless to attack unless there’s some way to get separation that doesn’t involve a huge draft benefit in the group behind.

18

I have noticed how effective the draft can be, that is why it can be so hard to keep up with the lead pack. Single rider breaks rarely work, the pack will catch them shortly. I typically win a lot of the sprints (except the final one!) and I just coast and wait for the field to catch up again.

19

stay tuned

20

That sounds like your fitness is probably adequate to ride with the leaders even if you’re not going to be the protagonist, and that’s a good place to be. Races are more fun if you get most of the way through it without getting dropped. But take ZRacing this week, climb finish, the people with the power at the end are going to get the placings. I would not do one lick of work to help a chase or close a gap unless there’s no one else who could close it for me, and I’m willing to get dropped if that doesn’t happen because I’d get dropped regardless. Sometimes playing chicken magically works out in your favor and that is not rare.

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