Your guide to AusCycling’s club esports series

First run in 2020, the AusCycling National Club Cycling Esports Series returns in 2023 with some serious changes to spice up the racing.

After Waratah Masters CC took the title last year, the clubs of Australia return to Zwift to vie for virtual racing supremacy.

Here’s what you should know about the series.

Events and routes

The six-round series will run on Thursday evenings from April to August, with a break in June.

Zwift and AusCycling have opted for a mix of new and old maps, selecting routes from Scotland and Urukazi alongside more familiar roads.

All the races are around 25 kilometres in length, keeping them comfortably within one hour for busy riders.

There’s a solid mix of terrain that should encourage aggressive racing. With punchy climbs to medium hills on most of the routes, there will be no easy gifts for sprinters.

Round 1 – Thursday, April 20, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: The Muckle Yin, Scotland (25.14km)

There’s no gentle warm-up to this series. It begins with an up-and-down course that includes both sides of the Sgurr Summit climb, a punchy 3- to 5-minute effort that will sting the legs.

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Round 2 – Thursday, May 4, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: Island Outskirts, Makuri Islands (22.75km – 2 laps)

Of all six rounds, this is the most sprinter-friendly. But it still includes the highest point of Urukazi atop a steady drag, where you’ll need to pay close attention to splits in the bunch.

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Round 3 – Thursday, May 18, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: Downtown Titans, Watopia (25.4km)

There are enough kilometres after Titans Grove to allow for a regrouping, but after cresting Hilly KOM, expect a frantic chase to return to the front group before the downtown finish.

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Round 4 – Thursday, July 6, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: Glasgow Crit Circuit, Scotland (24km – 8 laps)

The new criterium course where the world champions were crowned. Each of the 8 laps features a sharp pinch climb and a sprint. This will be non-stop action.

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Round 5 – Thursday, July 20, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: Innsbruckring, Innsbruck (26.6km – 3 laps)

Three laps of this familiar circuit, a mainstay of Zwift racing. The main obstacle is the ‘Leg Snapper’ climb, which always creates a selection when legs are tired.

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Round 6 – Thursday, August 3, 6:30pm AEST

• Route: Legends and Lava, Watopia (24.5km)

The series ends with a hilltop finish on the Volcano KOM: a real sting in the tail. Empty the tank from bottom to top!

Source: zwiftinsider.com

Race format and tactics

The race format has taken an exciting turn. Bonus sprints were first introduced last year, but Zwift and AusCycling have dialled up the volume for 2023.

The series will now feature First Across the Line (FAL) sprints and Fastest Timed Segment (FTS) climbs, which will no doubt lead to huge changes to tactics.

Points for the top 10 riders will be awarded at each intermediate segment (from 20 points down to 2 points).

In addition, the top 30 riders will score FAL points at the finish (from 30 points down to 1).

Make no mistake, this is a dramatic shake-up to the race format, swinging the balance away from bunch sprints and creating action well before the finale (brace yourself for round 4, which will have 16 intermediate segments!)

FAL sprints will incentivise breaking away to get up the road. FTS climbs offer something for lighter riders, on flatter courses. It’s a format that all but guarantees aggressive racing.

Club rankings

As always, the AusCycling National Club Cycling Esports Series is a competition between clubs, not individuals.

Your placing in each round gets converted to series points for your club – from 30 points for the winner, down to 1 point for finishing 30th.

In addition, every rider earns 1 point for finishing a race.

Points across the men’s and women’s grades are tallied together to determine your club’s overall position on the leaderboard.

How you can participate

AusCycling club members aged 17 and above can participate in the series.

Your club needs to register beforehand by submitting a Club Team Roster form to AusCycling. Only registered riders will receive the event link to enter a race.

Make sure you’ve linked your Zwift account to ZwiftPower and have set your club as the Primary Team.

There are four grades: A, B, C and D for men and women, which will be administered through ZwiftPower.

All riders will need a power source (a smart trainer or power meter), and A and B grade riders will also need a heart rate monitor. If you’re good enough to finish in the top three, you may be asked to complete a weigh-in, so keep your phone within reach.

For the registration form, rules and details, visit the 2023 AusCycling National Club Cycling Esports Series page.