Sandbagging by higher category riders is can negatively effect a Zwift race. This race mode, will allow riders in a higher category rider to take part in a lower category race, without effecting the race. This can be done by making the higher category riders invisible and not draftable to the in category riders. Moreover the higher category riders will not be part of the race results, nor will have their race position counted in any calculation of their category. The in category riders will be unaware and not effected by the higher category riders, while the higher category riders will be able to enjoy a fun ride at less than a grueling pace.
I assume you have just listened to the latest zwiftcast… If not it seems like you and the zwift team are on the same page!
I did not listen to it yet.
I think you will be happy with what Eric discusses (and sounds to be coming soon)! I’m not going to try and paraphrase here but their solution involves ghosting riders too.
This may be very interesting.
How will this change racing, lets assume Zwift will use the same parameters as Zwift Power (i.e 95% of your best 20 min power need to be less than the Cat)
So will the race be fast for the first 20 min then all the Sandbaggers ghost then the real tactics will start.
Lets say you stay with the sandbag group until they ghost then you will find your self off the front all alone being chased by the pack, that save there energy and they have the draft effect working for them, so the race is over for you.
I am exited to test this and see how it play out.
The sandbaggers would all be ghosted and burritoed from the start.
– Jeff
Min said that this would be a short term fix and that the long term would be more akin to how it is in the real world with a point system.
Yes, I am exited for the long term fix.
But it is fun thinking how the ghost option will work.
Me: “I can’t believe I’m keeping up with these folks! This is awesome!!”
Sandbaggers:
Me: “Oh crap…”
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This was my first thought as well.
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Interesting podcast. Sounds like they plan on introducing ghosting sandbaggers either this month or next.
At 32:00 they talk about sandbaggers. At 37:50 Eric explains when we could expect the change.
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This can become an interesting game of *lets see how many riders we can ghost in the first 20 min *. LOL
I listened to the podcast and what I am proposing is different. Riders of a higher category who enter a lower category race would be ghosted from the start. This could either be done by the rider choosing to be ghosted, or Zwift looking at past performance and automatically ghosting them. Moreover, the riders would know they are being ghosted. In the podcast, Eric says they will let the riders finish the race and then tell them they were ghosted.
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