Events: WTRL - World Tactical Racing League

(2021) There I was studying the Zwift split screen while looking for any sign of the- virtual - racer in front of me. Gnashing my teeth, fighting the feeling of dinner coming up, and willing my wattage north, I had one kilometer to catch the leading rider who was in tenth. Catching and riding around the avatar, the response was an attack to regain the position. The course doesn’t matter, all that matters is the inspiring scenario motivated me. Zwift’s World Tactical Racing League, in its second season, provided the opportunity to hammer.

Growing from their humble beginnings in 2018, World Tactical Racing League has moved from the Canadian Thursday night time trials to a global team road racing league, among others. On the surface the organized races may appear like any other Zwift event, but pushing aside the facade, WTRL offers more. While Tour de Zwift is a show-and-go sort, WTRL is rigid in tactics, equipment, and priority. Tour de Zwift is a crapshoot of participant ability while, WTRL is an organized group of teams squaring off each Tuesday for spirited racing. It’s a long way away from the League’s start of Thursday Night Time Trials. For perspective there are nearly 1500 teams for the 2021 WTRL series.

There are several requirements - and optional upgrades - necessary to participate. While a smart trainer is not absolute, it helps in terms of direct power output and slope resistance. Regardless of trainer type, the ability to transmit information to the Zwift app is required. From a software standpoint participants must be registered with Zwiftpower.com, Zwift’s anti-sandbagging regulator and numbers guardian. This allows Zwift to verify all metrics as your own (and not some ridiculous power output). Once complete, take nearly the same information and enter into an account at wtrl.com. This account talks to Zwift and Zwiftpower to verify results and points. This step also deciphers which time zone league the participant will be in as there is one event per time zone.

Somewhere in between registering on Zwiftpower and wtrl.com, each participant must be associated with a team. Want to make a team? Create one on Zwiftpower and register it on wtrl.com. To create a snazzy kit, one has to go through Zwift’s digital directors and is labor intensive. In the WTRL, each team is allowed six riders per race per category. For example, each team can have six category A riders, six B, and so on. Having fewer riders dings the team in points (each finisher gathers one point for the team).

Once all the registration is complete, the team directors are given a one-week’s notice regarding the course and discipline. Week two was a team time trial through France, week three was a road race around Innsbruck, and week four was the UCI hammerfest in Yorkshire. Race distances vary but have yet to exceed thirty miles. The whole thing is usually over in less than an hour. 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there are some optional upgrades to make the series flow easier. Some teams use Google Sheets to keep track of participants. The most notable upgrade is using the Discord app to talk to teammates throughout the race. While Yorkshire was fairly peaceful on team radio, communication was heavy for the team time trial. It is nice to let teammates in breaks know if a group is coming back or at what mile a climb starts. Not an upgrade but we use the ‘Ride On’ feature at opportune times to see where our teammates are at any given time.

By now I’m sure questions arise regarding the end result. Teams are competing to collect the most points over the eight-week series. There are individual riders scores: each rider gets points for his/her team based on finish placement. There are bonus points as well: leading a lap and points for the fastest sprint/ KOM segment. Then there are team points: points to the team with the highest combined points and one point for each rider who finishes each race. There are numerous places to win or lose a race or championship each Tuesday night.

Last night, while piling on the effort, I sprinted to hold off the rider in tenth looking to retake his place. No wonder. It may have been the same time at the finish line, but the difference was three team points. It was a glorious bonus to such a hard effort. Up the road a teammate scored more points finishing in the top five. 

Last winter saw droning miles and mild excitement when another Zwift Tour series was accompanied by a race option. This winter has seen the case of the Mondays turn into strong optimism for a midweek thrashing on the bike and heavy breathing into the Discord app. Some of the races have been broadcasted on YouTube to add a bit of avatar vanity. Unfortunately we have yet to grace the virtual reality landscape nor the mouths of the sportscasters narrating the WTRL experience. If you are offered a place on a team for the remaining four races, take it. If you use Facebook, there is a page devoted to guest riders. Come next year the WTRL will certainly have more teams and more competition. A case of the Mondays into Tuesday WTRL will lead to Wednesday group texts flying around about results and points. Not a bad way to get over the hump day.