00:00If you want to test yourself against other riders without the risk of absolutely decking it,
00:05then you'll probably be interested in cycling eSports. There's even an eSports World Championships
00:11that's held on MyWooch. Whatever your level, we reckon that there's a few easy ways to make
00:16yourself more competitive and claw your way up those leaderboards. So, let's get into it.
00:23In preparation for making this video, I've been racing on MyWooch. It's a free platform
00:28and it has come on absolutely leaps and bounds since I last tried it. There's a new UI,
00:33there's loads of new functionality including an offline mode for if your internet drops out,
00:39but some things are very much still the same. For example, there's still real prize money to be won
00:45in some of the race leagues. Now, I don't think I'm quite at that level yet, but there is a wide range
00:50of racing for all abilities and so I've entered myself into a few events to see how I get on.
00:57It goes without saying that for most of us, racing of any kind is going to be rather hard work.
01:02And it might sound obvious, but staying cool will not only be more comfortable,
01:06but you'll also be able to push yourself harder.
01:08Did you know that cycling is one of the most efficient forms of transportation?
01:13And yet even so, only around 20-25% of your energy is put into propulsion.
01:19The rest, yep, you guessed it, is lost as heat. In a hotter environment,
01:24it's harder to get rid of that excess heat, leading to your body being even less efficient
01:28than usual, as well as your perceived exertion skyrocketing as your core body temperature increases.
01:35That's not ideal whilst racing.
01:38Luckily, there are some really easy ways to stay cool. Invest in a decent fan,
01:42turn off the heating before jumping on the turbo, maybe crack open a window,
01:47and you could even stick your water bottles in the freezer.
01:50You do often see pro riders sipping on a slushy when things get really hot.
01:55Now that's something I can get behind.
01:57With race routes ranging from Arabia and Belgium to Colombia and Australia,
02:02it's safe to say that the terrain of the routes you're racing are going to have quite a bit of
02:06variety. Now, variety is great, but surprises in races are rarely a good thing, and that's why it's
02:14worth looking up the route before you start.
02:16So, some key things to look for. How much elevation is there? Are there any sharp climbs that are
02:23likely to break things up or good to launch and attack on? Are there any long climbs that you're
02:29going to need to pace yourself on? And when is the best time to launch your sprint?
02:34You could take this one step further and even pre-ride the route before the race. This way you can look
02:41out for points of interest and really get a feel of what's to come, for better or for worse.
02:47Just like in the real world, e-sport races on platforms such as Mywoosh come down to tactics
02:53as well as raw power, which is probably a good thing because I don't have much raw power,
02:57or any power for that matter. Thanks to advanced algorithms taking things into account such as
03:02aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and drafting, you get a realistic simulation of real life conditions.
03:09What this means is that drafting is going to be a key element in most races. On steeper climbs,
03:15just like in the real world, there will be a reduced drafting effect, and so it's here that's
03:20usually your best place to try and get away, or at least be ready to follow a move. On the flats,
03:25it's always worth keeping an eye on that head up display and your power number to double check that
03:30you're in a draft. That's indicated by the number being green.
03:34I once read on the side of a vending machine that a 2% drop in hydration equals a 20% drop in
03:44performance. Now, the exact numbers are obviously up for debate, but I think nearly everyone agrees
03:51that being hydrated is a good thing as far as your exhaustion, your perceived exertion,
03:57and your cognitive function is concerned. Some e-sport races can be short, others are really
04:03quite long. If you're competing in the latter, then hydration is going to play a serious part.
04:09That doesn't just mean that you should be downing a load of water. Hydration is made up of three main
04:14components. The fluid itself, electrolytes, in particular sodium, and finally glucose or carbohydrates,
04:22which is going to transport all those electrolytes to where you actually need them. Before a hard
04:29race, I'd recommend making sure you're fully hydrated before getting going so that you're not
04:34putting yourself at a disadvantage before the countdown's even got to zero.
04:39If you really want to up your indoor training game, then there's going to be no substitute for
04:45dedicated training to eke out all of your hidden potential. Now, indoor training is a really efficient
04:51way of training, no matter your goals, but especially so for indoor racing.
04:57Therefore, before my next indoor race, I'm going to have a browse through the huge selection of
05:01indoor training plans on my Woosh to try and give my VO2 Max a bit of a kick up the backside.
05:07There's actually over 20 pre-made race-specific training plans, as well as other science-backed
05:13sessions designed by UAE Team Emirates World Tour coaches, and if they can make Pogaccia that fast,
05:20then just think about what they can do for you.
05:24As with anything, practice is going to make perfect, and that doesn't mean that you have to race every
05:29other night of the week to be good at it, but it does mean that the more you ride, the better the
05:34understanding you'll get of how the drafting works, how to measure your effort, and what it's like
05:39riding with others on an indoor training platform. For this, I'd recommend joining some group rides,
05:45of which there are many on my Woosh. They can be a really sociable way of getting the kilometers in,
05:51and improve your race craft without even realizing it.
05:55Just like with real life races, many e-sports cycling events will finish with a sprint.
06:01Now, if you know that this is a weakness of yours, then it's well worth practicing, because
06:06very often, it can be the difference between finishing first, or 15th, 14th.
06:16Sprinting on an indoor trainer can feel a bit different to outside, because, well,
06:22obviously your bike just doesn't swing around the same. Make sure your bike and turbo are secure,
06:27comfortable, and on a flat and preferably grippy surface, and then just practice giving it some
06:32beans, really. I've found that it's more important than outside to make sure you're in the right gear
06:39as well. So, timing and momentum is everything. Let us know any of your indoor bike racing tips down
06:45in the comments section below, and if you fancy trying out some races, then why not head over to
06:50MyWish. The platform is completely free, and we'll pop a link down in the description below. We'll see you next time.
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