Zwift UCI e-sports World Championship Preview
The second ‘Zwift worlds’ on February 26 will be aired on GCN and YouTube globally, and on Eurosport in Europe, beginning at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST to race on a 55km virtual course in the Zwift platform with 944m/3,097ft of climbing.
Defending UCI esports champions Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio of South Africa and Olympic rower Jason Osborne of Germany are back to race on a 55km virtual course in the Zwift platform.
This World Championship will be held on the climb-heavy New York Knickerbocker course. Both men’s and women’s fields will cover 54.9km with 944m/3,097ft of climbing. The primary course feature is the concluding 1.4km New York KOM/QOM climb, which averages 6.1 percent and tops out at 17 percent.
To standardize measurement, all competitors will be racing on a Wahoo Kickr 5 smart trainer, and weigh-in videos will be required to accurately capture weight for the all-important power-to-weight ratio. 4The Zwift game uses an algorithm that replicates the physics of outdoor racing by taking body height and weight into account along with power output and the dynamics of the virtual course and the other riders on it.
As with all smart trainers used with Zwift, the Wahoo Kickrs will add resistance on each rise and climb in the virtual course. The Kickrs also measure power output, and riders will also have to record power on a second meter as back-up verification.
While most of the contestants are not well-known names, there are a few pro racers like Australians Freddy Ovett of Legion of Los Angeles, Sarah Gigante of Movistar, and Jay Vine of Alpecin-Fenix. Gigante was second at the first Zwift worlds, and Vine — who just won the mountains classification at Étoille de Bessèges — earned his pro contract through the Zwift Academy.
Anyone who has ridden Zwift’s New York City virtual roads will testify that the course is anything but flat.
The real-life roads of Central Park have been replicated in Zwift, with a constant flow of twists and turns, ups and downs around the entire park. However, Zwift then added a series of fictional roads above the city, which you can climb up to on either the north side or south side of the virtual Central Park. The Knickerbocker route includes climbs which top out at 16 percent, The NYC KOM Forward is very much a stair-stepping climb, with pitches of 15 per cent immediately followed by flat sections, and repeated five times before the crest of the climb.
For this and other big races, Zwift has its Cycling Esports Rules & Regulations, many of which are refreshingly succinct. For example, the code of conduct consists of two bullets points: “Be nice to others” and “Don’t cheat.” There is also a fair amount of detail on exactly how riders must be able to verify their power output, height, and weight.
The Power Up Power Ups are a feature of Zwift riding and racing that offer a benefit for a short amount of time. They are activated by pressing the space bar on a laptop, or via a button on the Zwift companion app. Riders can have one Power Up at a time, which they get by riding under a banner. There are Power Ups to reduce aero drag, increase the benefit of the draft, and even disappear for a few seconds.
In the 2022 worlds, there will be three types of Power Ups available:
The Van Power Up increases the draft effect by 50 percent for 30 seconds. It will appear three times during the race at the Sprint Arch at 7.3km, 29.7km and 52 km.
The Aero Power Up reduces a rider’s aero drag by 25 percent for 15 seconds. Just like when riding outside, the faster a rider goes, the more impact a reduction in drag has. The Aero Power Up will at the K/QOM Arch at 9.7km and 32.1km.
The Feather Power Up Reduces a rider’s weight by 10 percent for 15 seconds. This one could be key for the course that finishes on a steep climb. It will be available at the Lap Arch at 22.5km and 44.6km.
When looking at the course for the 2022 UCI eSports World Championships, there are three possible scenarios to decide the winner: a long-range breakaway, a solo attack on the final climb, or a reduced bunch sprint. Riders who specialize in three-minute efforts will be the favorites should the race come down to the final climb, especially those with a strong 20-second punch which will be required to get over the final bump with a couple hundred meters to go.
Women:
Sarah Gigante (Australia) Runner-up in 2020, Gigante is consistent and one of the best climbers. Gigante rides professionally on the road with Movistar Team and has an explosive kick.
Illi Gardner (Great Britain) A top rider on the Great Britain team, Illi has a huge amount of Zwift racing experience and excels in climbing.
Zoe Langham (Great Britain) Zoe 4excelled this year this year in the Zwift Racing League Premier Division.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa) The defending UCI World Champion. Ashleigh is one of the best climbers both on the road and in Zwift.
Jacquie Godbe (USA) One of the strongest e-sports specialists in the field, Jacquie excels in the uphill sections.
Dark Horse: Faye Goldie (Singapore) Is a long shot to win the women’s event.
Men:
Freddy Ovett (Australia) Ovett is one of the best sprinters and climbers in the Zwift circuit Zwift and came to prominence in the Virtual Tour de France in 2020.
Chris McGlinchey (Ireland) Chris is one of the strongest climbers in the field. The NYC KOM Climb will suit him well.
James Barnes (South Africa) This year, Barnes led his team, NeXT E-sport, to the top of the Zwift Racing League Premier Division.
Takato Ikeda (Japan) An aggressive pure climber and Ikeda will be riding with a strong Japanese team.
Matthias Deroose (Belgium) Another strong climber and one of the top-ranked riders on ZwiftPower. He has been a consistent points scorer for his team, BZR, in the Zwift Racing League Premier Division.
Other rider to watch: Ed Laverack (Great Britain – Will be lethal on the climbs
Other contenders
Zwift number one ranked rider Lennert Teugels of Belgium will not be racing, but his professional teammate Mathias DeRoose has won a stage of the Zwift Premier League and is a strong climber.
Brian Duffy of the U.S. has many top-10 finishes on the Zwift Premier League.
Lionel Vujasin (Croatia) Won the European Continental Qualifiers.
Thom Thrall (Canada) Won the only Zwift Premier League stage to finish atop the NYC KOM Forward, so he knows how to win on this climb.
James Barnes (South Africa) is on an incredible run, having finished 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 6th, 1st, 2nd, and 1st in his last seven Zwift Premier League races.
Ollie Jones (New Zealand) Loves late attacks – usually in the final 1-2km – so the final climb will suit him.
Course Tips
The summit finish atop the NYC KOM Forward is brutal. It’s somewhere between a three-minute power test and a set of 20-second sprint intervals. The climb’s nature – constantly alternating between 0 and 15 per cent – makes it difficult to master.
The flat sections of the climb keep the speed high and allow the peloton to string together in one long line rather than shattering into a million pieces. Thus, it’s difficult to break away on this climb, especially since the longest flat section comes just before the finish.
Starting from the roads of Central Park, the climb is actually 1.7km long rather than 1.36km, with that extra ramp bringing you from the valley floor to the start of the official KOM. The first uphill section is around six per cent for 250m, before flattening off as the KOM begins. Then, there are two short ramps of 15 per cent before a 200m flat section – this allows many riders to catch up from the first minute of climbing.
Next up is the toughest part of the entire climb – the middle section of the NYC KOM Forward is 10.6 per cent for 400m, with the final 100m at 15.7 per cent. This is certainly where the race will be lost. Legs will shatter, but there is still 500m to go.
With half a kilometer remaining in the 2022 UCI eSports World Championships, there could be an intriguing stall as the road flattens out. Like the peloton regrouping over the top of the Cauberg, we will see the front group come together before the final sprint atop the NYC KOM Forward.
The final 200m is broken up into two sections: first, a steep climb of 100m at 10.8 per cent, and second, the flat sprint to the finish. In all of the Zwift races that I’ve seen finish atop the NYC KOM Forward, there have only been a few riders left sprinting in those final few hundred meters and rarely was it a solo rider.
