Matteo Cigala represented Italy in his younger days and has since enjoyed a number of very strong seasons in the Irish amateur peloton; winning big races before moving into coaching.
Cigala now coaches some of the best riders in Ireland through his 'Cigala Cycling' business. In recent weeks he has also won a number of Gran Fondos, including Il Lombardia,
He's also big into eRacing and has enjoyed success in that discipline. In this piece he sets out his 20 tips for cyclists who are getting into racing on Zwift.
By Matteo Cigala
1 Be prepared
This is fast. If you need to pick up your towel, grab some water or turn your fan you have lost already. Make sure you are ready before the start. Have a towel, full water bottles, windows open and fan turned on. Have a checklist.
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2 Double check devices
Make sure you are paired up successfully and you have enough time to re-calibrate. Also, make sure your laptop or phone is plugged in. You don’t want your battery to run out with a few kilometers to go.
3 Have a good starting position
Zwift races start hard and fast. Being there at the front of the start line is key. To do that, you need to join the event at least 15 minutes before the start.
4 Have a good warm-up
As the pace is so hard from the start, if not warmed up, you will be at the back in no time. Try to warm up for at least 15-20 minutes with some sharp efforts to get the heart rate up. If the race is not a criterium, like in real-world racing, the pace will slow down, so don’t worry, you are not the only one that finds the start difficult.
5 Accelerate at about 3 to 5 seconds before the start
You don’t want to start by a standing position. If you start acceleration before the official start, as soon as the flag drops, your avatar will start moving fast.
6 Don’t go too hard at the start
You must start fast and be ready for a strong start, however, try not to burn all your matches early. If you attack too early, it is possible that you won’t recover quickly enough and you run the risk of getting dropped. In Zwift racing, it is much more difficult to ‘rest’ in the bunch.
7 Maintain a good position
Splits in the group happen quickly. If someone let the wheel go when the bunch is lining up, and you are halfway of the peloton, there is a risk that you miss that split and see the riders in front of you riding away. To try to close that gap, you will lose a lot more energy than someone who was at the front for that split. So look beyond the rider in front of you.
8 Use drafting
The draft effect in Zwift works. Stay out of the wind and try to take advantage of the draft as much as you can. Like in the real world, drafting lets you save your energy so that you have something left in the tank when it’s time to hit hard. If you are going at 33kmh or more and your avatar is sitting up, you are in the draft. If you’re down in the drops, you are out of the draft and probably spending more energy than you want to be.
9 Move towards the front when the bunch is ‘resting up’
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If you are falling off the back, a good moment to come back near the front, like in real life races, is when the bunch is ‘resting up’.
10 Watch for signs and be ready
Unlike real life,
in Zwift racing there is no body language and you have no idea who is behind
that avatar. However, there are a few things you see and could be useful.
- If a rider’s watts per kilogram goes over 8w/kg the number in the right-hand section of the screen will go orange.
- Check the watts per kilogram of the people around you. If you start to see a big difference between your watts and the competitors around you, then you must hurry as it might break up.
- If a rider’s watts per kilogram goes over their FTP, their avatar will stand up.
- When in a draft, the avatar will position their hands on the hoods, otherwise it will be in the drops.
- If a rider is pushing below 10 watts on a -3% or greater descent at more than 58 km/h will go into an aero position. Result: you get to rest while maintaining your position in the bunch.
11 Know your capabilities
Like in real-life races, you must know your strengths and weaknesses. If you are a sprinter, why would you try to go in a breakaway solo, making a risky move and burn all your matches?
12 Know the courses
Here, like in real life races, knowledge is power. By knowing when a climb is approaching, how long it will be, or how the last kilometer looks like, then you can be smarter with your moves.
13 Starting your sprints at the right time
In Zwift, you start winding it up earlier than in the real world. You will almost never get an easy ride for your position and kick with 200mt to go. Normally, in Zwift races, you must accelerate a bit earlier than that and by the time you are with 200m to go, you are probably already over 400-500 watts.
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14 Choose the right equipment
This is a crucial point. If the race is flat, you want to select an aero bike and aero wheels. If is a climbing event, you want to select a lightweight bike. For gravel, a gravel bike will make a big difference. The helmet choices also make a marginal difference too. Also remember that TT bikes cannot take advantage of the draft. So don’t use them in road races on Zwift.
15 Use the map
The map is a useful tool in Zwift racing. The map allows you to see how many riders are around, how big the group is, and how many are in the same category. Additionally, if you have an idea of the course, the map will also give you an indication of what’s coming up.
16 Eat something before the race and don’t forget to drink
Races in Zwift are mostly short and intense, you, therefore, need some fuel. Eat something before the race, at least 2 hours before. You should aim to eat high glycemic index (quickly digestible) food sources such as white bread with some honey and a banana, or some white rice or pasta for example. Don’t forget to drink. This is an important rule for indoor training. In Zwift racing, I recommend drinking intra-workout carb drinks to keep our glycogen reserve topped up. Also, make sure before you start the event you are already hydrated.
17 Pay attention at riders working together
Like in real life, teamwork can make a difference. Teammates can work together to bridge across gaps, work in the breakaway etc. In real life this can be understood quite easy, however, in Zwift, it is difficult to spot as teammates might even use a different kit.
18 Have your Zwift Companion App easy to reach
Make sure your Zwift Companion App is easy to reach while racing. Having a phone holder while racing with the App open is probably the best set up. The Zwift Companion App is essential in order to use your PowerUps (see below).
19 Understand your PowerUps and use them at the right time
Some races
include PowerUps, so you must understand what they are and when to use them.
However, check if your race organiser allows power-ups.
- Some race organisers prohibit the use of power-ups (usage may result in a time penalty or disqualification).
- Draft Boost (truck icon): Gives you a 50% increase on the draft effect for 30 seconds. Use at high speeds when you are already in the slipstream of another rider (this PowerUp only helps when you are drafting.)
- Aero Boost (aero helmet icon): Makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting).
- Featherweight (feather icon): Reduces your weight by 9.5 kg for 15 seconds. Use on climbs, or to help when you need a quick acceleration.
- Burrito (blue burrito in rear pocket): Makes you undraftable for 10 seconds. This one is great when you want to back off a lazy wheel sucker from the breakaway. Pay also attention if someone is using this in front of you. Tip: use the Burrito when attacking off the front so it is more difficult to follow you.
- Cloaking (ghost icon): Makes you invisible to other riders for 10 seconds. This is good when you want to get away without being noticed.
20 Analyse your race
Last but not the
least, analyse your race. With the help of your coach (if you have one),
discuss what happened in the race to go through some tactics improvement. Also,
together with the race data, your coach will be able to construct specific
training sessions and understand your areas of strength and weakness, to better
your performance next time.
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