By Nile Battey
Nile Battey recalls his month-long introduction to racing MyWhoosh’s premium elite cycling esports event, Sunday Race Club (SRC).
Editor’s Note:
Experience the perspective of a competitive A-Category esports racer as he ventures outside his “Zwift comfort zone.” Discover the highly competitive yet somewhat secretive world of MyWhoosh’s SRC as Nile takes us step-by-step through the highs and lows, including the Power Passport test, his first “free ride,” all three qualifier races, and the monthly finals.
Hi, my name is Nile. I want to provide some essential context about myself as a cycling esports athlete so that you can better understand my MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club (SRC) experience.
I am a seasoned Zwift racer, always choosing to race in the A category. On paper, my ability can often be misrepresented by my small stature. Although I am capable of very high watts per kilo numbers, my raw watts are low.
It is important to understand the impact of raw watts, watts per kilo, and body mass on the dynamics across different cycling esports platforms. As I learned, this is just one of many things that differ between racing on Zwift and MyWhoosh.
Please read this interview to learn more about me and my journey into the world of cycling esports.
The MyWhoosh Power Passport Test
For my first ride on MyWhoosh, I performed the Power Passport test (PPT), a mandatory requirement for racers to compete in the SRC.
MyWhoosh describes, “The Power Passport test forms part of an intelligent verification system that combines the test results with race results to ensure fair racing for all. One of the standout features of MyWhoosh’s Sunday Race Club is its Dynamic Categorization of riders.
The Power Passport can also be utilized for post-race verification, by comparing riders’ race data with their Power Passport data. That’s why it is crucial to perform to the best of your ability during the Power Passport.”
So, What is the MyWhoosh Power Passport Test?
Many elite Zwift racers are familiar with Zwift’s Critical Power pre-verification, formerly known as the ZADA (Zwift Anti-Doping Agency) test. The Power Passport Test (PPT) follows a similar framework, consisting of four maximum effort intervals within an hour-long workout session.
- 2x Sprint (6-second intervals)
- 1x VO2max (3-min interval)
- 1x FTP (12-minute interval)
The entire process must be filmed, including a height measurement taken before the test and verification of the athlete’s weight shown directly after the test. Although the test is unpleasant, I am extremely glad that processes like this are mandatory for all racers who want to compete in SRC, regardless of category.
By performing the PPT, MyWhoosh can monitor equipment, heart rate patterns, and maximal power outputs across all individuals’ metrics and identify anomalies or inconsistencies when competing in SRC. Upon completing my test, I sent the data off to MyWhoosh.
Forty-eight hours later, the MyWhoosh competition team informed me that the results of my PPT (https://www.strava.com/activities/11297949829) placed me in Category 2 for the upcoming SRC event.
Trying to Understand the Category Comparison
There are no clear, publicly documented “guidelines” for how MyWhoosh’s dynamic system categorizes athletes. However, I will offer my opinion based on my knowledge of the athletes and how their performances on Zwift correlate to MyWhoosh.
- Category 1 is equivalent to the elite riders on Zwift (who compete in Zwift Games or Grand Prix, etc.) or even real-world professional cyclists.
- Category 2 is equivalent to a high-level A rider on Zwift (a racer that has a 5+ watts per kg FTP)
- Category 3 is equivalent to a low-level A or a high-B on Zwift, typically sustaining around 4 watts per kg for a 60-90 minute race.
- Category 4 is equivalent to a B-level racer who could be new to racing on MyWhoosh or has extremely high raw watts but low watts per kg. In contrast, riders in this category may also have very low raw watts but high watts per kg.
MyWhoosh First Ride Impressions
Everyone will have their own opinions and preferences regarding how the graphics look, the layout of the HUD, etc. However, I will only comment on three key areas I noticed that may impact performance while racing.
- The perception of gradient: When trainer difficulty is set between 50% and 100% (the min/max requirements for SRC), the slightest changes in gradient appear far more noticeable than in my Zwift experience. I would come to realize these seemingly insignificant bumps in the road would be exploited constantly as launch pads for attacks during the race.
- The power lag: The unrelenting changes in gradient are worse when combined with the slight yet significant time difference between power delivery from your legs to your avatar in-game.
- Drafting: I observed that the zone in which your avatar receives a drafting benefit is far less than Zwift. Your power values only turn green (indicating that you are drafting) within five meters of another rider. Maintaining a constant position behind a rider or within a group was extremely difficult. The drafting dynamics on MyWhoosh constantly have your avatar lurching forward or sinking backward, “yo-yo-ing.” As the below article reveals, the MyWhoosh team is addressing the draft physics as the platform evolves.
Sunday Race Club Qualifier Race One—How Long Can I Hang On?
MyWhoosh organizes the SRC each month into three qualifier races and one final. May’s first qualifier race took place on the Australia Outer Loop route.
As expected, and just like a Zwift race, it started hard! The first couple of kilometers were a VO2 capacity effort for me. Unfortunately, that was the last I saw of the front of the race.
Prior to the race, I had doubts and concerns about my laptop’s capabilities to support MyWhoosh. I decided to use the lower-spec MyWhoosh Go to relieve some of the strain on my laptop. However, as soon as the race started, the screen began freezing and glitching instantly.
I will stress that this is entirely down to trying to operate on an old, clunky laptop. MyWhoosh has recently released several updates to make their game as accessible as possible to all.
So now I was solo off the back of the group, and all I could do was ride hard and hope for the best. It was an eye-opening experience and certainly a lot tougher than most cycling esports races I had done before.
SRC Qualifier Race Two—From Category 2 to Category 4!
Seemingly, the folks over at MyWhoosh Race Control took pity on me, as when I logged in to enter the pens in readiness for May’s qualifiers race two, I found myself in category 4.
This week’s 45 km route finished atop the infamous Jabel Hafeet climb. On paper, I stood an excellent chance of getting a decent result. However, the challenge would be whether or not I could arrive at the base of the final climb with the leaders. This is easier said than done. Even the slightest lapse in concentration could result in catastrophe as my avatar slips out of the draft.
Unfortunately, this is precisely what happened. About 20 km into the race, a gap began to open between myself and the lead group. It quickly grew, as it is virtually impossible to regain draft due to the noticeable weight disadvantage I have on the downhills. On Zwift, I am usually capable of staying in a group when descending. However, MyWhoosh’s drafting dynamics are far more “sensitive,” and the consequences of gravity and body mass seem more realistic and consistent with real-world riding.
My emotions got the better of me—and I quit the race, resulting in a DNF!
You Should Always Finish SRC!
To qualify for the SRC monthly finals (the last Sunday of each month), you must complete a minimum of two SRC qualifier races. That’s all good, you might think, but with the strict performance verification and the ever-lingering possibility of an annulment due to technical glitches and equipment malfunction—nothing can be taken for granted.
Observing other riders, it became clear that some were simply entering SRC with the intention of riding in Zone 2/Endurance for a couple of hours. Merely finishing the race allows them the opportunity to compete in the monthly finals, where team prize money offers extra incentives.
SRC Qualifier Race Three—More Technical Issues and Performance Verification Reassurance!
This week, the route consisted of three laps of Wollongong City, featuring and finishing on the Wollongong Climb (1.9km at a 5.1% average gradient).
I felt strong and considered myself one of the better climbers in Category 4. To reduce the field to as few riders as possible, I decided to push the pace on the first accent of the Wollongong climb.
As we crested the climb, I surged, encouraging my avatar to gain momentum and speed in readiness for the downhill.
However, despite my greatly improved understanding of the game’s unique drafting dynamics, this did not aid my laptop’s capacity to run MyWhoosh smoothly and consistently. Sudden glitching and freezing of the screen cost me my spot in that front group, and I eventually crossed the line in ninth place.
Robust rider verification is one of SRC’s main draws for the elite cycling esports community who want assurance that they are racing on a level playing field. As a result, SRC verification can take a few days until MyWhoosh Race Control finalizes the finishing positions and distributes any annulments.
On Wednesday morning, I awoke to an influx of messages—firstly informing me that I had not been annulled and therefore had qualified for the monthly finals—sigh of relief.
In addition to the formal emails from MyWhoosh, I received plenty of private messages from my fellow competitors in Category 4. “Hi Nile, would you like to join our team?”
The Team Game on MyWhoosh
The current situation regarding teams during MyWhoosh’s SRC is intriguing.
In addition to awarding individual prize money to the top five from each category, MyWhoosh also pays out to the top five teams from each category for the final SRC race of the month.
A team must consist of 3-5 riders, with a team’s overall finishing time calculated from the three best scorers in the SRC monthly finals.
During the final SRC of the month, team prize money is up for grabs. If you haven’t joined a team by then, you’re missing out on a chance to win “easy money.” The field sizes in SRC are still relatively small, making the odds of cashing in pretty good. So, while riders often compete as individuals during the qualifier races, joining a team for the finals could significantly increase your chances of winning.
After a few messages back and forth—I registered for the SRC May finals as a member of the Mighty Ducks.
SRC May Finals—Practice Pays Off
For the May finals, we traveled to the virtual roads of Columbia and the infamous Paso De Alto climb. With almost one thousand meters of elevation gain over the 45km course and a brutally long summit finish, the profile could not have been better suited to me.
The race started well, and any pre-race anxieties about technical issues or software faults were soon relieved—everything ran smoothly.
Before I knew it, we had hit the lower slopes of the Paso De Alto. The immense amount of focus and concentration it had taken me not to get gapped by the leaders had finally paid off, and now it was time to execute the climbing performance that I had been waiting to show for the last month.
I attacked hard at the base to force immediate separation, thus eliminating my draft from my competitors. Then, it was just a case of holding my highest watts to the finish line.
With MyWhoosh’s unique time gap system, where the gap is “live” and calculated on current speed and not the distance between avatars—there were a few occasions when I was extremely worried the chasers would catch me. Luckily, as I approached the finish line, I had amassed a lead of nearly three minutes, which gave me enough confidence to risk an early in-game celebration as my avatar crossed the line.
My result and some excellent placings by the rest of my team also gave the Mighty Ducks the overall team win.
Closing Thoughts On Racing MyWhoosh’s SRC
After a month of competing on MyWhoosh, I am convinced that SRC is currently the most prestigious and competitive event in cycling esports. The substantial prize purse certainly acts as a significant incentive for racers.
However, the primary reason for its growing popularity is the opportunity to compete against the highest level of competition in our sport under strict performance verification standards.
In my view, the true measure of your results comes from the caliber of your competitors, whether you’re vying for a UCI rainbow jersey, a Golden Tron, or even an Olympic medal.
It will be fascinating to follow how SRC adapts as we near the UCI World Championships in October. A completely different racing format will be introduced at the Championships, which contrasts sharply with what we’ve become accustomed to in MyWhoosh races, as seen in SRC.
Read the report below to gain a deeper understanding of the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship format and structure.
Maybe I’ll see you there. You will definitely find me in the start pens of more MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club qualifiers and monthly final races in the future.
Nile is a dedicated athlete who competes indoors for the elite Restart Racing p/b Alex Coh squad. As an enthusiastic member of the cycling esports community, he dreams of one day representing Great Britain at the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Nile’s keen eye for the intricacies of cycling esports is undeniable.
Welcoming him onto The Zommunique’ team promises outstanding insights, analysis, and opinions. Nile’s perspective offers a valuable look into the evolving sport from an elite racer who represents the next generation of aspiring esports competitors.
