I started racing for the first time in the last week or so. Been in about 3 races and I’m noticing that my w/kg would often put me in a top position but my actual results are somewhere in the middle of the pack. I guess I was naively thinking in most cases highest w/kg would be the race winner but I’m clearly missing something.
I’m not sure if the type of bike makes a huge difference? Again I’m pretty new so I don’t have access to anything impressive yet. Does this put me at an extreme disadvantage? Does anyone have any recommendations on a good noobie bike for typical racing?
Do race tactics make a huge difference here? I mean obviously they must but I guess I was thinking riding in a group would mean I use less energy (and maybe I lose a sprint or can’t continue) but not necessarily that I’d go faster.
Three races is hardly enough to fully understand the nuances of Zwift racing which are completely different than IRL. Do two or three races for three to four weeks. By then, you should have figured it out.
A few quick tips:
Typically, the first 2-5min, in rare cases longer, are going to be a big VO2 effort to make the selection before settling down a bit.
Knowing the courses is huge!
There are no easy climbs in Zwift, short or long. Expect to push hard if you want to place well!
Learn the draft dynamics of Zwift. Def diff than IRL.