From Zwift To The Pro Ranks

Steve Shrubsall investigates what it takes to make it to the finals of the Zwift Academy and whether he has the talent to get there .

- Steve Shrubsall

FTP. What does it mean to you? To some cyclists it defines their very existence; to others it’s a seemingly random number bandied about by people with very expensive bicycles. Whether you buy into it or not, your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) — the wattage you can theoretically hold for an hour (during which you are able to flush lactic acid build-up from your muscles as quickly as it accumulates) — might not define you as a human being, but it is an extremely good indicator of how strong a cyclist you are.

Therefore, if you intend to take your riding to the next level, this baseline barometer of fitness is well worth establishing. Most of the time, however, it’s difficult to perform formal tests out on the open road, it’s a far easier proposition to exert yourself to the point of passing out in the comfort of your own pain cave.

That’s how the Zwift Academy has chosen to unearth a new wave of cycling talent in its annual competition — with the ultimate prize for competitors being a pro contract at Dimension Data’s development squad for the men, or Canyon-SR AM for the women.

Top 20

Having started in early August this year, the Academy is now in its semi-final phase with 20 riders, 10 men and 10 women, having made the cut from over 60,000 participants — myself included in that number. But I’ve not made the semi-finals. Have they missed a trick or am I past it?

I learn from Elliot Lipski, head coach of the Dimension Data Development Team and the man tasked to crunch the numbers of this year’s Academy riders, that the all-important FTP is just one of several components that comprise a professional cyclist’s make-up.