A Special Race

Now in its eighth year, this race can be called a true Zwift December classic! Over 300 women are already registered, but organizers expect that number to more than double by race day.

Meant to test resilience and endurance with a longer distance than the average Zwift race, the AWTC is one of a kind. Even better: each category gets to crown its own champions, so this race is for all ability levels.

An advanced points system is in place this year, where riders are assigned roles on their teams so everyone can contribute to the overall team win. See “Race Format and Categories” below for details…

Date and Time

The race happens Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 PM UTC/2:30pm ET/11:30am PT).

Race Format and Categories

This race uses FRR’s innovative Team Role Racing, where teams of 5 mixed ability (female only) riders will compete in each of the four racing divisions for points on sprints, climbs, and across the finish line.

Each member of the Team will be allocated a role by their Team Manager, and there are 3 role options:

• GC Rider: 1 rider per team whose finish points are doubled for the team score
• Climber: 2 riders per team who can win climbing points plus finish points
• Sprinter: 2 riders per team who can win sprinting points plus finish points

Riders are classified based on women’s 30-day vELO max value from ZwiftRacing.app.

See roadbook for details >

Route Details

This year’s race will be held on Scotland’s The Muckle Yin route, with different route lengths based on rider category.

Cat C/D will be finishing at 39km at the Breakaway Brae arch, while A/B will finish at 45km at the Clyde Kicker:

Sign Up

This is a team event, and FRR has put together a Team Management & Rider Guide to help you get signed up.

You can email Team Fearless at teamfearlesszr@gmail.com or FRR at rcontrol@flammerougeracing.com for support.

Final Details

Go to the race homepage and click “Roadbook” for detailed rules and other info.

The Warrior Games has announced the sixth edition of Tour de Boudicca, perhaps the most popular women’s stage race held on Zwift. Registration deadline is December 27, with stage 1 kicking off January 3rd. See below for our summary of the event, and read the full race document for details.

Schedule and Route Details

Stage 1: Friday, January 3, 19:00 GMT/ 14:00 ET/ 11:00 PT/ 06:00 +1 AUS

Extra time slot for this race only, starting at 16:00 PT/19:00 ET

“We kick off the Tour de Boudicca with an exciting scratch race to get you geared up for the journey ahead! Race to the finish as fast as you can to secure an early lead in the Individual General Classification.”

• Scratch Race – BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits (1 Lap) Total distance: 20.8km
• Powerups : Feather, Aero, Ghost 🛈

Stage 2: Saturday, January 4, 19:00 GMT/ 14:00 ET/ 11:00 PT/ 06:00 +1 AUS

“In the Sprint race, teams of warriors will collaborate to earn valuable sprint points for their Team GC. Some segments will offer First Through Segment (FTS) and Fastest Across Line (FAL) points… Plus, there are bonus points waiting at the Finish line!”

• Sprint Race – Sugar Cookie (1 Lap) Total distance: 39.2km
• Powerups: Aero, Feather, and Ghost 🛈
• Intermediate points: see race doc

Stage 3: Sunday, January 5, 19:00 GMT/ 14:00 ET/ 11:00 PT/ 06:00+1 AUS

“Get ready for the ultimate thrill! The Queen’s stage is here—the grand finale of the weekend. We’re taking you to the Big Apple for an unforgettable race. Pick the perfect bike and wheels, and let’s hit the road! Good luck, everyone!”

• Queen Stage – NYC QOM After Party – (1 Lap) Total distance: 37km
• Powerups: Aero, Feather, Anvil 🛈 
• Intermediate points: see race doc

Individual and Team Competitions

Individual GC winners will be awarded in each category based on each individual’s time across all three stages.

The Team GC will be based on points earned in stages 2 and 3 by the top three riders from each team. Team GC winners will be named for each category.

More Details + How to Enter

As explained in the race doc, “Interested, established teams must submit an entry form of team roster by 27th December 2024 to The Warrior Games at thewarriorgamesvirtual@gmail.com.“

Interested riders should read the full race document, which explains full entry requirements, including the Warrior Games weigh-in protocol.

Questions or Comments?

Share below, or comment on The Warrior Games’ Facebook page or Insta profile.

About the Name

Andrasta was an Iceni war goddess invoked by Boudicca in her fight against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60. Described as “their name for Victory,” her name has been translated as meaning “indestructible” or “unconquerable”.

Schedule and Route Details

The races have just one time slot, at 11:00 PT/14:00 ET/19:00 UK/05:00 +1 AUS. Stage 1 has an extra time slot at 16:00 PT/ 19:00 ET.

Stage 1 – Friday October 25: Glasgow Crit Circuit (6 laps)

Welcome to the Tour de Andrasta! We’re kicking off with a thrilling punchy circuit that showcases sights inspired by Glasgow, the host of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships finishing circuit. It’s a scratch race, so whoever crosses the finish line first takes up the high points! Warriors, are you ready for battle?

• Format: Scratch Race
• Length: 18.2km
• Finish Line Points: 75,70,65,60,55 to 1 point depending on your finishing position in your category.
• Powerups: Burrito/Feather/Ghost

Stage 2 – Saturday October 26: Yorkshire Double Loops (1 lap)

I hope your legs have recovered from Stage 1 because Stage 2 is designed to challenge you! This route will take you to Yorkshire, covering the Queen of the Mountains (QOM) and Sprints from all directions. It’s a sprint-climb showdown! Are you ready for it, warriors? You’ve got this.

• Format: Points Race
• Length: 29.6km
• Intermediate Points (scored 25,18,15,12,10,8,6,4,2,1):
  • Yorkshire QOM Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Yorkshire Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
  • Yorkshire QOM – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
  • Yorkshire Sprint – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
• Finish Line Points: 50 to 1 depending on your finishing position in your category.
• Powerups: Anvil/Feather/Aero

Stage 3 – Sunday October 27: Itza Climb Finish (1 Lap) 

Igniting the final stage with fierce determination, our warriors are set to conquer the “Itza Climb Finish.” Tackling sprints and QOMs, they unleash every tactic in their arsenal, all for the chance to be crowned Queen of the Tour of Andrasta. Best of luck, warriors!

• Format: Points Race
• Length: 29.6km
• Intermediate Points (scored 25,18,15,12,10,8,6,4,2,1):
  • Woodland Sprint Reverse -Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Sasquatch Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
  • Acropolis Sprint Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Stoneway Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
  • Mayan Mountainside – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
• Finish Line Points: 50 to 1 depending on your finishing position in your category.
• Powerups: Anvil/Feather/Aero

Sign Up

Want to race the series? Start by signing up for the race events! Numbers attract numbers, so women are encouraged to sign up early.

See all upcoming Tour de Andrasta events at zwift.com/events/tag/andrasta >

Key Rules and More Info

• All entrants must be able to participate in all three stages to have their result stand on Tour de Andrasta league standings. 
• Participants must have a ZwiftPower account (learn how to sign up) 
• Heart Rate Monitors (HRM) are obligatory for all categories.
• Steering will be disabled.
• Smart trainers and dumb trainers with power meter only, no Zpower racers.
• Riders must match their Zwift profile name and ZwiftPower name, e.g. Jane Doe [XTeam].
• Riders should ensure power meters and smart trainers are calibrated / zeroed out prior to each stage.
• Zwift Racing Score will be enabled.     

For complete rules and other info, see the Tour de Andrasta Google doc. You may also join The Warrior Games’ Discord to ask specific questions: https://discord.gg/mjZ8ksybkv

Results

The series winners are the riders who accumulate the most points at the end of the competition in their category.

While race every day isn’t encouraged, many athletes and coaches use races as training opportunities. There are several ways that weekly races can be used to enhance your training…

Sprint Development

Any race with sprint segments can offer riders an opportunity to test and work on sprinting techniques.  The challenge of trying a seated sprint versus a standing sprint or attempting sprints across various distances are options that numerous Zwift courses offer on a regular basis.  Learning to sit in the draft before each segment and timing an attack is more easily accomplished on multi-lap races with the same segments resurfacing.  This training tool can make sprint intervals more inviting, especially in the earlier stages of a sprinter’s development.

Over/Unders or VO₂ Intervals

Individual time trials (iTT) and hill climb races can both allow riders to target working just over and just under different levels of power thresholds, depending on the intensity and duration of the interval.  Both types of races allow riders the opportunity to control the pace/effort.  Not every race win is measured by competitor placement. Sometimes the win is completing a workout effort while in the company of other women.

Riders can get creative.  Some enter events that allow them to put pain into the race group (peloton) while they work for a teammate sitting in the draft waiting for the chance to pounce at the finish.  This is the art of being a domestique rider and can be highly sought after role within teams.

VO2Max

The Zwift Insider Tiny Races (or FCC mini races) offer a fantastic opportunity for VO2Max training.  These events typically come in sets of three or four, where riders enter and complete successive, micro-distance races, with final scoring determined by performance across all the events. Since these races typically range from 5-10 minute high intensity efforts, a rider is almost guaranteed at least 16 cumulative minutes of VO2Max in one hour of racing. 

An added tactical bonus: these races can be helpful for practicing race starts. Determining when to ramp power before the banner drops, holding proper high power out of the pens, and “settling in” the pack to draft efficiently can be done three or four times in just one Tiny Racing hour. 

Increase Training Load

Sometimes athletes need additional time in their training schedule that targets mixed aerobic efforts.  Chase races (staggered start events), long scratch races, or events similar to the WOW Chaingang (ramped group workout) hosted by Full Speed Events offer this type of effort.  These events tend to build up a steady burn when raced with aerobic efforts in mind, and they are an excellent way for athletes to supplement longer training days when the schedule begins to feel monotonous. 

Extra Motivation 

At times, training gets stale.  Even some of the best athletes will skip workouts because they “just can’t face another day on the trainer.”  Hopping in with a group can be the motivation they need to reignite healthy anticipation that structure can diminish.  With the collaborative launch of the Zwift x FCC Events, opportunities for female riders are opening up. Events such as Tiny Races and short scratch races can even help you warm up for some longer aerobic intervals if you race them with a mindful, warm-up paced effort.

Helping Others

Sometimes riders sprinkle in an extra challenge, where they will ride at a targeted pace while keeping eyes on a teammate through the “fan view” option.  One athlete gets their training ride in as they fan view the race and their teammate gets a Director Sportif (DS) or a domestique for their event – a true win-win.  

Read “How to Watch Another Rider In a Zwift Race” >

A Race Experience

As much as some athletes find joy in the monotony of structured training, the training itself will only get them as far as the data instructs them or they instruct themselves.  The only way to see how they will respond to racing is to race their bike. Practice races are excellent “weak spot and strong spot identifiers.”  At some point all the training pays off, but in order to reap the most benefit, riders need to test out their strengths, identify new areas to work on, patch those to proficiency. and repeat the process. It’s similar to taste testing a soup, where you need to sprinkle in spices intermittently until it is “just right.”

Wrapping It Up

In summary, women’s races of all types and distances can be used to enhance or supplement training for all athletes at any stage of fitness, regardless of racing level.  Riders with the best success enter events with clear goals in mind, setting aside the overall goal of event placement. 

See how these tips can add a bit of spark and satisfaction to your training. To begin your search, head to “Events” in the Zwift Companion App, and with the “Women Only Event” filter applied, look for events hosted or “presented by (p/b)” Femme Cycling Collab. You can also see upcoming FCC events at zwift.com/events/tag/womensracing.

Questions or Comments?

Have you used Zwift races as a training tool? Got any tips we didn’t share above? Share below!

Technique 1: The Pace Line

Jen begins with the most basic of TTT technique tips: formation. Your default formation should be a single-file line because this gives you the fastest overall speed for the least amount of overall work.

It’s the same outdoors. Why does it work this way? Physics. Single-file formation puts only one rider in the wind, while everyone else receives the maximum possible draft benefit and thus saves the most watts possible.

In our TTT drafting tests, the single-file formation (image on the left) results in an average power of 309W, while the “hybrid” formation on the right results in an average power of 331W. That’s a power savings of 6.5%!

Technique 2: Mob the Climb

Single-file is the best formation on flats and descents because it enables maximum draft benefit. But what about climbs, where air resistance is minimal and drafting is thus less important?

Most teams choose to “mob” the climbs, with the strongest climber(s) on the front of the pack setting a pace everyone can match. Weaker climbers behind may benefit from a bit of draft, but they also benefit by keeping things simple mentally and just working to match the pace being set on the front. Precise front/back positioning isn’t very important on climbs, and the longer and steeper a climb gets, the less important it is. What’s more important is keeping the squad together.

Communication is key on climbs, as you usually don’t want stronger climbers dropping weaker riders. If gaps open up, be sure to speak up quickly so the front can make a decision about easing to keep the team together.

Technique 3: Punch Through On Descents

You may be tempted to sit up and rest on the descents, but your team will travel faster if riders take turns putting in 10-second “punches” from near the back of the pack.

This makes use of the draft “slingshot” effect which also exists outdoors. How does it work? While in the draft a few wheels back from the front, you hammer down and build momentum as you pass riders before shooting off the front. The rest of your team stays on your wheel, so the speed of the entire team is increased.

In a perfect scenario, after you’ve been on the front for a few seconds, the next rider near the back should punch their way through, giving your team another speed boost. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Technique 4: Extended Pulls (As Teammates Tire)

Teams are usually better at holding formation and keeping speeds high during the first 2/3 of the race. But it may just be the final 1/3 that makes or breaks your shot at the podium!

As riders tire, they may need to skip a pull or may even lose the wheel and allow gaps to open up. This is a problem because, as Jen so nicely illustrates, gaps are slow. When gaps get too large, the gapped rider loses their draft benefit, which just adds to their struggle. Even worse, anyone on the gapped rider’s wheel is now slowed as well, forcing the team to make a difficult decision: does the front pack slow so the gapped riders can rejoin? Does one of the gapped riders have to put in a hard effort to pull back the gap? Or do we let the gapped rider(s) fall off the back?

As the team weakens, stronger riders must resist the urge to make up for lost time by taking higher-powered monster pulls. Instead, stronger riders should take longer pulls. This gives weaker riders more time to sit in the draft and recover, without raising pack speeds and opening up gaps.

Technique 5: Finishing Effort (4th Rider=Team Time)

In ZRL team time trials, your team’s time is taken from the fourth rider across the line. This rule carries two important implications:

1. If riders are growing tired near the end of a race, it’s often better to have them take one last max-effort “suicide pull” and then drop off, rather than keeping the team speed low so they can stay in touch. Pulling a 5th or 6th rider to the line who isn’t able to put in work on the front doesn’t help your team in any way.
2. You may have 1, 2, or 3 strong riders who can push extra hard near the end, but that doesn’t do any good if it drops your fourth rider. In fact, this will give your team a slower finishing time! It’s all about that fourth rider, and they will get across the line faster if they can draft off of others to the finish.

Questions or Comments?

What do you think of Jen’s TTT Technique Tips? Which one does your team need to work on the most? Share below!

A lot of the Aeonian riders had never met in person before and this was a great opportunity to meet their teammates beyond the avatar and their paincaves.

Kindly organised by Zwift Academy finalist Katy Hill, it all started with sizing the bikes and getting used to being on the track. Naturally, this evoked nervous laughter as some were not used to riding without gears and brakes. However, after a couple of turns around the track and some excellent instruction by the Herne Hill coaches, you could begin to see the AEO racing spirit come to the surface. The ladies were split into two groups of mixed abilities to practice close riding and changing riders on the heights of the banks. And in true AEO fashion a gentle competition unfolded between the groups (not that each group would admit it).

The team celebrated a great day out with pizza and a good chat. All agreed that this fun experience brought out the team’s core value – that together we can achieve more.

Summary of Changes

Spearheaded by James Bailey – a long-time Zwifter turned key member of Zwift’s events team – changes to the women’s racing schedule can be summarized thus:

• The women-only category E has been removed from all mixed-category races
• Some women-only race events have been removed from the calendar
• A new slate of women-only races has been added to the calendar, housed under the FemmeCycle Collab (FCC) club but managed by various race organizers

The Big Picture

So why the change? Here’s what James says:

The attendances on both Women’s only events, and mixed events which have a women-only E category are as a rule, poor in attendance (sub 5 starter average). It is my belief that these are damaging to women’s only racing – turning up to your first race with no one else in your category, or a single person that drops you by some distance will not encourage you to come back.

Leading up to this change, there have been approximately 75 weekly events that were women-only races or mixed races with a women-only E category. Those E events typically saw 3-4 people show up, with a broad range of fitness levels, meaning women in these events didn’t generally get the experience of racing “together.”

Of course, low turnout in women’s races isn’t just a Zwift problem. It’s an ongoing challenge for outdoor race organizers as well! Zwift realized early on that their platform was an ideal home for both aspiring and experienced women racers, so they hosted women-only race events and group workouts. They also pioneered the Zwift Academy model just for women in its initial years, placing aspiring pros on WorldTour women’s teams. And Zwift is a multi-year sponsor of what are arguably the two biggest women’s races of the season: Paris-Roubaix and Tour de France Femmes.

Given Zwift’s investments in women’s cycling, it only makes sense that Zwift’s events team, in collaboration with the women’s racing community, would make strategic changes to the women’s race calendar with a view toward creating more compelling events. James says:

Having events created by a number of different teams increases fairness (and a lack of favoritism) as well as there being a single place where all upcoming events are easily seen. It also improves the ability to market the events.

New Schedule

The new women-only race events p/b FemmeCycle Collab are scheduled 5x daily during the week, and 4x daily on the weekends.

• Weekday times:
  • 9:30am UTC/5:30am EDT/2:30am PDT
  • 5:30pm UTC/1:30pm EDT/10:30am PDT
  • 6:30pm UTC/2:30pm EDT/11:30am PDT
  • 10:30pm UTC/6:30pm EDT/3:30pm PDT
  • 12:30am UTC/8:30pm EDT/5:30pm PDT
• Weekend times:
  • 9:30am UTC/5:30am EDT/2:30am PDT
  • 2:30pm UTC/10:30am EDT/7:30am PDT
  • 5:30pm UTC/1:30pm EDT/10:30am PDT
  • 12:30am UTC/8:30pm EDT/5:30pm PDT

So far, September’s race schedule has women on the planned Zwift Racing League courses, giving them a nice preview of the routes they’ll be racing if they’re participating in ZRL.

See upcoming races at zwift.com/events/tag/womensracing >

Note: the above schedule may change in the coming weeks, as James will be reviewing the numbers to determine if the daily event volume needs to be modified.

Want to host a women’s race?

If you’re interested in hosting a women’s race event on Zwift, James says it’s best to email events@zwift.com with your event proposal. You may also submit the event request form here.

Fair warning, though: Zwift’s events team plans to closely evaluate race schedules and participation levels before adding more women-only race events. It may be that the best way to influence women’s racing on Zwift is to join the FemmeCycle Collab (see below) and let your voice be heard in that forum!

Connect with the Collab

Women interested in racing should join the FemmeCycle Collab (FCC) club on Zwift, since that makes it easy to find upcoming FCC events via the Companion app.

If you want to get involved in race planning or just want to offer feedback to race organizers, join the FCC Discord server: https://discord.gg/u5G3wbXZ

Full Speed Ahead

Several months ago, in partnership with the FemmeCycle Collab, we launched Zwift Insider’s women’s racing portal as a central place for women to learn about racing on Zwift. The portal’s pages (including weekly racer profiles, a women’s racing calendar, and a big list of women’s teams to join) have proven quite popular. We look forward to continuing our support of more women racing more often!

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

About the Name

The Iceni tribe was ‘peacefully annexed’ by the Roman Empire at some point before 47 AD, though it was allowed some autonomy. When the king died and Boudicca I became High Queen of Iceni, the Roman Empire saw her unfit to rule and invaded the region. Iceni led a revolt against the Roman Empire and regained its independence, along with the independence of several other tribes. This led to the subsequent formation of the Comhairle, an alliance of the British tribes. Iceni had a major say in Comhairle affairs and became an important center of trade, military, and leadership.

Schedule and Route Details

There are two time slots to choose from:

• Slot 1: 8am UTC (9am UK/4am EDT/1am PDT)
• Slot 2: 2pm UTC (3pm UK/10am EDT/7am PDT)

Each time slot will have its own league on Zwiftpower. If you’re going for the overall series competition, you’ll need to finish all four races in the same timeslot.

Challenge 1 – Sept 7: Castle Crit (4 laps)

• Length 15.5km // Lead-in 1.5km
• Kick off the series with a 15.5km crit race. Get your legs ready for a spicy and fast start to the Zwift racing season!
• Intermediate: Village Sprint  – Top 5 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
• Powerups: Feather/Aero/Burrito

Challenge 2 – Sept 14: Canopies and Coastlines  (1 lap)

• Length: 27.5km // Lead-In 4.9km
• Start at the desert pens and make your way up to Titans Grove. From there, head to the coast, hitting every sprint the route has to offer.
• Intermediate Points:
  • Woodland Sprint Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Sasquatch Sprint Reverse- Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
  • Acropolis Sprint Reverse  QOM Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Stoneway Sprint Reverse- Top 10  points First Across the Line  (FAL)
• Powerups: Feather/Aero/ Draft 

Challenge 3 – Sept 21: Coastal Crown Loop  (1 lap)

• Length: 20.6km // Lead-In: 5.6km
• This route kicks off in the coastal pens, offering a long lead-in to warm up those mighty legs. Once warmed up, the climbing begins in earnest, with the Mayan Mountainside QOM followed by the Itza KOM. Then loop around do it again, finishing on the Mayan Mountainside QOM!
• Intermediate Points:
  • Mayan Mountainside QOM – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Itza QOM – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
• Powerups: Anvil/Feather/Aero

Challenge 4 – Sept 28: Loop de Loop (2 laps)

• Length: 24.9km // Lead-In: 0.1km
• The final challenge of the series is a thrilling sprint and climb race! Start in the downtown pens and head straight for the first sprint at JWB Bridge. Then loop back and tackle the Hilly QOM. Give it your all if you’re gunning for that polka-dotted glory, and get plenty of recovery after the QOM, as you’ll go back to downtown to do it all over again!
• Intermediate Points:
  • JWB Sprint Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Hilly QOM – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
• Powerups: Draft/Feather/Aero

Sign Up

Want to race the series? Start by signing up for the race events! Numbers attract numbers, so women are encouraged to sign up early.

See all upcoming Iceni events at zwift.com/events/tag/iceni >

Watch the Broadcast

ZMS Esports Studio will be live streaming the races. They’re planning some special features for these Iceni broadcasts:

• Race footage for all 4 categories A to D
• Multiple camera action
• Live Leaderboard points updates! (Points will update after every Prime for all 4 cats)
• Interviews with the Women’s Racing Community

Watch Challenge 1 Live Stream >

Key Rules and More Info

• All entrants must have a ZwiftPower account and a category assigned, since Category Enforcement is enabled.
• Heart rate monitors are required.
• zPower users (i.e. those using a classic trainer + speed sensor) and users with no heart rate data will be excluded from the ZwiftPower results.
• Riders exceeding 5w/kg will be reviewed by the organizers. 

For complete rules and other info, see the Iceni Race Series Google doc. You may also join The Warrior Games’ Discord to ask specific questions: https://discord.gg/mjZ8ksybkv

Results

The series winner is the rider who accumulates the most points at the end of the competition. Each time slot will have its own league and therefore its own winners in each category.

One rider helped run the biweekly time trial, and one week he invited me to race. I showed up on my Cannondale with down-tube shifters and clip-on aerobars. I was nervous and was glad the held start was not mandatory – I had only been clipping in for a few months and was already concerned enough. 

I bought my first road bike in 2009 and was still rocking clip-on aerobars in the time trial.

I broke the women’s course record! A few months later I joined Wild Card Cycling, the local amateur team (we’re a college town in the middle of the cornfields – there’s only the one) and immediately after that the two collegiate women racers (both of whom I had also beat in that TT) graduated and moved away. I was suddenly the only woman on the team.

Another woman moved to town for grad school. She and her partner were both expert mountain bikers, and they and some other teammates invited me to weekly cyclocross practices. I was terrible at it, but they were so encouraging. I gradually improved, and I remember the loud celebration after the first race in which she didn’t lap me. She got a tenure track position in her home state and moved. I was again the only woman on the team. I kept racing but was frequently the only woman in the field.

I was the only woman in the field at Pumpkin Hop CX. I still loved my pumpkin. 

It’s not that there weren’t other women riding bikes. It’s just that our area isn’t that large, and in East Central Illinois the pancake flat farm fields don’t offer any relief from wind that’s frequently over 30 kph with 50 kph gusts. It takes raw watts to keep up with a racing team here, and my size has given me an advantage. The local women’s rides have historically toodled along averaging 25 kph, and the racing team rides all start a good 10 kph faster. 

I did everything I could to try to help grow it. I led a bridge ride the day after the team ride that was in between, at around 30 kph, with racers showing up for a recovery ride and local women showing up for a hard ride. I rode as sweep on the women’s ride the day before the team ride, helping women at the back learn about drafting. I invited women to the long ride, offering to turn back early with them, so they didn’t have to go all the way to the turn. 

Being a college town, the average person stays here for three years, and that happened with all my efforts to build up women’s racing. A woman or two would brave it and then move away. It didn’t help either that I had no older or more experienced women helping me, and I also wasn’t sure how to become a better racer myself. I could listen to the old guys, but I just didn’t know what to do to train myself to be able to handle the hammer dropping, whether by a teammate after the turn on a training ride, or when I braved the 3-4 hour drive to a city with a women’s field. 

Not only did Mel not lap me at Furrow Euro CX the year of the whiteout, I passed her at one point.

Everything changed when I started Zwifting. The first Zwift Academy I completed included workouts that did something different than just riding with the men until I got dropped. It specifically targeted improving power at various time durations and taught me how different cadences could change my heartrate at the same power. 

That first Zwift Academy race against women at my level was so pivotal that I wrote about it here on Zwift Insider. It was such a different experience than being the only woman in my local race or being outmatched by ⅔ of the field in a city race. Zwift races gave me a chance to actually practice racing in women’s fields every week, instead of it only being a thing I could drive to a few times a year. 

The biggest breakthroughs, though came after I joined ATP so I could compete in Zwift Racing League. ZRL races are team competitions where you work together with your squad to win as a team. We talked, shared sweaty selfies, laughed, and strategized. 

Megan and I managed to break away off the front to win a Cat C ZRL race in 2021. 

I mentioned in our women’s chat that the starts of races always left me dying and some more experienced racers asked me important questions about my warmups. A nutritionist asked me about my pre-race fueling. Another woman asked me if I was “giving myself a call-up.” They solved my problem as best they could in the short term while training me for the long term.

I mentioned in the chat I was having trouble with saddle sores. They got me changing shorts every few hours during long indoor rides, using Bumalicious, a product developed by a teammate’s wife, and they eventually got me to invest in two pairs of really good shorts from Pactimo (one of which was cut off in an ER and I still mourn). My sit bones are happier.

We talk about training, racing, nutrition, and hobbies, and there are always a lot of pet pics and goofy memes. We use Discord to make the long indoor training rides less terrible (and if we can’t talk, we know we’re going too hard), and to communicate during our races (such as keeping our eyes on those Coalition women who have all as one moved suspiciously to the same place). We love each other even though most of us have never met in real life.

ATP lineup at our local Women & Nonbinary Ride, photo taken by Zwifter Whitney Patel (BettySquad)

Probably the most surprising and amazing development, though, is that it has spilled over into my hometown with women I do know in real life! I keep inviting local women to join ATP pretty much immediately if I find out they Zwift. They start Zwifting with us, and they get stronger. They’re not just relying on me to help that happen anymore – they’ve got an entire team of women helping and encouraging them. 

When I show up to the local rides there are other ATP jerseys there. And it’s not all ATP – sometimes, there are jerseys for other teams we race against, too. I’ve met nearby women who race for Revo,  Betty Squad, and the Herd. Some, like me, do the BMTR Flat 100 when they can in the winter. Zwift and specifically Zwift racing teams are helping encourage women’s training and racing at every level around the world.

My team, ATP, fields women’s teams at every level. We’re a pretty small team compared to others; most of our members are in North America, and I think all of our communications are in English. I found in ATP the women’s racing community I didn’t even know I needed. They helped fill in the gaps, and now in my forties I am a very different racer than I was when I joined them three and a half years ago. I don’t just get dropped immediately when I make the drive to a city for races. Sometimes I ride off the front and win.

I got lucky, didn’t crash, and TTd to a win ahead of a chase at Ken Woods Memorial Road Race in 2022. 

If you’re a woman who Zwifts, I highly recommend joining a team – even if just for fun and even if you feel slow. The women’s section here has a list of teams with active women’s riders and there’s also this new post just published with tips on what to look for in a team. I can’t guarantee everyone’s experiences will be as wonderful as mine have been, but if you live in the northern hemisphere, you know what they say: Winter is coming. (And if you’re in the southern hemisphere, there’s no need to wait six months. There may already be a women’s racing community waiting for you too.)

With that in mind, here’s some basic advice on how to choose a Zwift Club. Your first contact might be through a club-hosted group ride, or maybe a club member has approached you and asked if you might like to join, or you may have noticed that some riders have a club name in brackets behind their name (such as Betty Ryder [Power Pedals]). Regardless of how you noticed them, if you’re interested in joining, now’s the time to dig into what makes this club special! Some considerations might include:

Language

For organization and during races, team members often communicate via audio or text. A great first question is “What languages do your teams use for communication?” Then decide if you would be comfortable communicating with them given their response.

Time Zones

A racing series may offer many time zones, so be sure to discover which time zones the club has teams racing in and look for overlap with your preferred time zone.

Category Placement

Not every club fields teams in every category, and of those who field teams in your category, not all will field teams at your level within your category. Find out if the club you’re considering fields teams of riders similar to you.

Category Advancement

Category advancement is natural as riders progress. It may be worth inquiring about room on teams above your riding level in case you are fortunate enough to cat up.

Women’s-Only Racing

Not every race series offers women-only options, but many do. If you want to race within women’s fields you should find out if the club you are joining offers women’s team racing.

A Few Extras

If you already know what kind of racing you like, ask if the club participates in that type of racing (e.g., team time trials, points racing, distance events). If you are interested in outside racing and want to use the same team for that, find out if they also do outside racing. If you are a rider looking to advance your skills, inquire about clinics within their club or mentorship programs.

Finally, is this club friendly? Are they helpful? Would you enjoy being a part of this group?

In Summary

Finding a Zwift Club that you can belong to and race with might take some time, but with careful planning, you too can find a great group of people to spend your indoor riding with!

For women, a great place to begin your search is our extensive list of women’s teams.