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 MyWoosh. 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 MyWoosh. 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
00:50wide range
00:50of racing for all abilities and so I've entered myself into a few events to see how I get on.
00:56It 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.
01:09Did 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, it's lost as heat. In a hotter environment, it's harder to get rid of
01:25that excess heat, leading to your body being even less efficient than usual, as well as your perceived
01:30exertion skyrocketing as your core body temperature increases. Now, that's not ideal whilst racing.
01:38Luckily, there are some really easy ways to stay cool. Invest in a decent fan, turn off the heating
01:43before jumping on the turbo, maybe crack open a window, and you could even stick your water bottles
01:49in the freezer. You 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.
02:07Now, variety is great, but surprises in races are rarely a good thing, and that's why it's worth
02:14looking up the route before you start. So, some key things to look for. How much elevation is there?
02:21Are there any sharp climbs that are likely to break things up or good to launch and attack on?
02:27Are there any long climbs that you're going to need to pace yourself on? And when is the best time
02:32to launch your sprint? You could take this one step further and even pre-ride the route before the
02:39race. This way, you can look out for points of interest and really get a feel of what's to come,
02:44for better or for worse. Just like in the real world,
02:49eSport races on platforms such as Mywoosh come down to tactics as well as raw power,
02:54which is probably a good thing because I don't have much raw power, or any power for that matter.
02:58Thanks to advanced algorithms taking things into account such as aerodynamics, rolling resistance
03:04and 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 usually
03:20your best place to try and get away, or at least be ready to follow a move. On the flats,
03:25it's always
03:26worth keeping an eye on that head up display and your power number to double check that you're in a
03:31draft. That's indicated by the number being green. I once read on the side of a vending machine that
03:39a 2% drop in hydration equals a 20% drop in performance. Now, the exact numbers are obviously up
03:48for debate, but I think nearly everyone agrees that being hydrated is a good thing as far as your
03:55exhaustion, your perceived exertion, and your cognitive function is concerned. Some eSports races
04:01can be short, others are really quite long. If you're competing in the latter, then hydration is going
04:07to play a serious part. Now, that doesn't just mean that you should be downing a load of water. Hydration
04:13is
04:13made up of three main components. The fluid itself, electrolytes, in particular sodium, and finally
04:20glucose or carbohydrates, which is going to transport all those electrolytes to where you actually need them.
04:28Before a hard race, I'd recommend making sure you're fully hydrated before getting going so that
04:33you're not putting 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 eek out all of your hidden potential. Indoor training is a really efficient
04:51way of training, no matter your goals, but especially so for indoor racing. Therefore,
04:57before my next indoor race, I'm going to have a browse through the huge selection of indoor training
05:02plans on my woosh to try and give my VO2 max a bit of a kick up the backside. There's
05:07actually over
05:0820 pre-made race-specific training plans, as well as other science-backed sessions designed by UAE Team
05:15Emirates World Tour Coaches, and if they can make Pogaccia that fast, then just think about what they can do
05:21for you.
05:23As with anything, practice is going to make perfect, and that doesn't mean that you have to race every other
05:30night of the week to be good at it, but it does mean that the more you ride, the better
05:34the
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,
05:50and improve your race craft without even realizing it. Just like with real life races, many eSports cycling
05:58events will finish with a sprint. Now, if you know that this is a weakness of yours, then it's well
06:05worth
06:05practicing, because very often it can be the difference between finishing 1st or 15th, 14th.
06:16Sprinting on an indoor trainer can feel a bit different to outside, because, well, obviously your
06:22bike just doesn't swing around the same. Make sure your bike and turbo are secure, and on a flat and
06:29preferably grippy surface, and then just practice giving it some beans, really. I've found that it's
06:35more important than outside to make sure you're in the right gear as well, so timing and momentum is
06:41everything. Let us know any of your indoor bike racing tips down in the comments section below,
06:46and if you fancy trying out some races, then why not head over to my woosh? The platform is
06:51completely free, and we'll pop a link down in the description below. We'll see you next time.
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