I’ve recently returned to Zwift racing and am finding it very difficult to find anything other than flat course races. I understand organisers put on what’s most popular but can more hilly races be encouraged in some way or put out by Zwift HQ?
As much as I’d love to see more old school original mountain route (Epic KOM) races and Alpe du Zwift, right now I’d actually settle for some London, Richmond or Innsbruck hilly options.
There was nothing available during my time frames last weekend and today two mildly hilly races (Richmond UCI and London Loop) overlap around lunch time UK time. At the same times I could have chosen 20 odd flat, crit races.
Like I say I understand it will always be a minority of races but a little more regular variety outside of Tour of Watopia etc. events would be good.
I agree with you. Nowadays it’s quite difficult to find any mountain race. I’d also like to have the chance to race in insbruck, alpe or epic koms… Or at least some “after fest” races, where the finnish line is in a kom. It’s quite annoying to see only flat races or almost flat races.
I think racing on Zwift in general got stale. I don’t see the hype that we had a year or two ago. Less people race, or at least in my training time.
I this is because it does not feel like a race for any rider that is not a A or A+. big bunch starts hanging on for dear life only to find you are ahead of your group but burned so many matches that you can’t be competitive. Or people entering the wrong Cat week after week sandbagging and spoil the event for the whole group.
It is sad to say but the CVR race series had the right idea. It was super competitive for every Cat (A,B,C and D)
I won’t count the L’Etape ar races. Those are race like events, there is no filtering of results thus no enforcement of Category limits.
I just picked a random L’Etape race. look at the 95% peak 20 power of the first and second C cat rider. and those are only people on Zwift Power, imaging how many more was in the race spoiling the experience.
It’s a shame that event setup is limited to certain groups. Many other games allow you to setup a race, or match or fight on demand. You set your preferences and let people join. not sure why Zwift don’t allow this.
O yes: Imagine a Battle Royale style race setup, you enter the Race lobby, Zwift find 10 other racers that are within your ability and also waiting in the lobby, zwift put you on the start pen and GO GO GO.
Thanks. It’s a good suggestion and I do indeed use both the Zwift Hacks site and the Zwift phone app to find events. Rather unusually I can ride during the day time only in the UK. Taking tomorrow as an example this means the following routes are on offer for races:
Flat
Volcano Flat
Jungle Circuit
Greater London Flat x 4
London Classique
Out and Back Again (very draftable hills but at least there are some I guess!)
Watopia Flat
Richmond Flat x 2
La Guardia Loop
Gotham Grind
Innsbruckring x 2
Total (lets call them “flatter” races) = 15
Hilly
Keith Hill After Party
Richmond UCI
Total Hilly = 2
“Mountainous” (As in Epic KOM/Innsbruck Main Climb+)
Lutscher
Total Mountainous = 1
Seems fairly typical if not slightly better than normal from my point of view!
My point is I can take my pick of crit races but really have to scratch around to find anything with a significant climb in it. I understand demand for flat races is higher, I enjoy them myself on occasion, but a few more options in the hilly+ category would be good, especially ones with the 20 minute+ climbs included. Not everyone wants a w/kg contest but then not everyone wants a drafting contest followed by a 10 second sprint - variety is the spice of life and all that
One last example from today (Sunday), so a big day for riding. A check in the now reveals 24 races over the rest of the day, not one of them has a long climb in and only two can even be considered to have significant hills! My best option would be to wait 10 hours until the Keith Hill After Party race that at least has a 10-12 minute climb as its defining feature at the end…
To be absolutely clear there are no races for the rest of the day including the Epic KOM, the Innsbruck KOM or Alpe du Zwift…you get the point
I agree and actually, there are few race organizers that vary their content or alter their race routine. I wish there were a few time slots open where we could vote for a race option for that particular time period.
For now, the only option is to contact a RO that holds hilly races and ask them to put on a Sunday race event.With six worlds, there’s plenty of room for every taste.
Good idea. I wish it were only Sunday’s that presented the problem. In my typical UK day time time slot it’s consistently difficult to get a race defined by the long climbs (see above).
I understand race organisers go for what’s popular and are wary of wkg contests but we need more balance imho.
As suggested, perhaps Zwift HQ can fill the void or encourage it to be filled in some way?
That is one more in the hilly bracket for the whole day I suppose, so that’s 3 of 24 then, but not one has any of the 20m+ climbs for the rest of the day. With regard to the Bambino route I’d also add that only the forward hilly KOM has enough of a gradient to more easily make a difference and that’s quite early in the route and very short. We all know the jungle and much of the Volcano climb are very draftable. I should know I’m used to sitting in the draft up them while stronger riders are putting out higher wkg ahead of me!
I’m reminded of the old ZHR Up and Down races (I had to scratch around for those back int he day too) - I’d kill myself on the Epic KOM, really kill myself on the Radio Tower but of course get dropped…then I could blast the two hills on the descent and make back a place or two. I miss racing up a long climb and the different variety that can offer, alongside all the wonderful, flatter races that race promoters already offer
