Zwift race isnt like a real race….why?

Training
1

So on the last podcast it was mentioned that the power in a zwift race is nothing like any IRL race. I totally agree, but my question is, why is it different?

Is it because there a deeper talent in the races, so less strong riders and just hanging on at SST?

Because people dont care about the races as much, so the just go all in and pedal hard the whole time?

The zwift dynamics make it hard to get away but easier to hold a wheel, so moto pacing off stromg guys is the default?

Any ideas?

2

I haven’t listened to the latest podcast yet, but I find that zwift racing is a decent proxy for the power requirements and many of the dynamics of gravel racing. Not perfect, but lots of similarities (hard start and lots of heavy pedaling, often turns into a race of attrition, draft is not as dramatic as IRL road racing, etc.). And whether Zwift or IRL racing, it’s totally dependent on course and who you are racing against (ie - you can’t compare a hilly 1 hour zwift race to a 5 hour flat IRL gravel race). Probably the most dramatic difference I can think of is that Zwift races often start hard and surgy, but calm down much quicker than gravel races (where it often takes 30-60 minutes to settle down and sort out.

3

Yeah, from what I’ve heard (second hand- I’ve never done a zwift race) they’re a lot like gravel races. They don’t seem like any road race I’ve been in though. Those usually don’t start as fast- everyone is together until either a selection point where stronger riders can get away from weaker riders, or until a few riders can break away. One of these days I suppose I’ll try a zwift race, but they don’t seem like the style of racing I prefer

4

It’s because actual roads and race courses limit the ability for the entire group to hammer at the same time. With Zwift, you don’t have that limitation and you can get dropped from a big churning blob if you’re not constantly on the gas. IRL, you can often freewheel or pedal very easily in a group where only a couple of riders are able to hammer on the front.

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5

it’s pretty hard to weight dope IRL and miscalibrated equipment makes no difference either.

They are different disciplines in my opinion.

6

There’s probably a lot coming together for this observation.

  • Zwift races are comparatively short, so you can ride with way more intensity than outside. Also because you don’t have to worry about your way home after going beyond all-out during the race
  • You don’t have to mind the environment, allowing for a way different power usage. No breaking and speeding up after corners, no slowing down due to bad roads or lack of traction on the road
  • You can’t crash, go off road, etc. So you can do things you wouldn’t do in real life, also potentially affecting how you use power
  • Despite all the work of Zwift on this, real world draft still works different and allows for more efficiency in power management
  • In Zwift you can ride bikes you wouldn’t fit IRL - and how you sit on your trainer isn’t reflected during a race. You can sit way less aerodynamically efficient inside, which should affect the power you can do, while being fully aero in-game
  • …
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