I Tried a Zwift Academy 2023 Race & This Happened - Cat D Zwift Racing 

A lot of people in the other categories dismiss us Cat D riders, but we put everything we have out there just like every other category does. Glad I found you. Good Luck on AdZ.

Benji, on your Alpe du Zwift challenge, keep in mind the first two stretches are the steepest, after those it gets a tad softer. So start soft on the pedals, reach the 2nd air pin and target turn #7 , Dutch corner, where you’ll turn left and have a gorgeous sight of the top of the Alpe with the sculptures. All the best, I’m sure you can do this. 🎉👊👍

I was with you in the ZA race and I was super hyped to see you! I am quite a beginner and I also struggle a lot with estimating how much I can push for how long... Great results! Ride on!

I'm so with you as a bigger rider. The hills kill. Cheers, Benji. I'm enjoying your journey.

With the larger events (more than 75 riders), I have a target power number to ride in the beginning depending upon the length of the race and it may mean I lose the first group but I have enough left in the tank to ride with a larger chasing group. It amazing how many riders you pick off that way. It's an even better strategy when you have finishing power like you do.

I love hearing your candid assessment of your performance, and yes, this is for yourself, not others. Hope to catch you out there some day.

Huge respect for you, Benji! I got bumped up to Cat C (where I do not belong) and I'm doing ZA race #2 today or tomorrow. I think I have PTSD from the first ZA race (also my first Cat C race) haha. I only did one race in Cat D and I finished firmly mid pack, so I feel like I missed out on climbing the ranks in that category. Now I get absolutely smoked in C. We keep working!

GC KUSS! Great shirt.

Great to see another video, I like this content. Keep up the good work!

Man I just love this series! The improvement of your form can be seen for sure! As a fellow Zwifter, these are good performances. I race in category C and even if I push an average of 3,2 w/kg (maximum in this category), I'm not even in the top 10! Personally I'd recommend you to stay in D as long as possible, the switch will be hard so it's gonna be better to work a little bit more, maybe get some podiums (or even wins) and only then switch to C. I previously raced in B and everytime got dropped in the 1st half, then I found out that I can race in C and suddenly I finish the races among the 1st third of the participants. Otherwise, another banger of a video and keep up the good work both on Zwift and RU-vid!

Keep up the great work Benji! You got me onto the Virtuslo races and its been the most fun I've had so far on my bike journey. I've improved so much! See you in the Christmas races.

Did my first Zwift ride yesterday after seeing your journey on here. Hope to see you out there some time.

Great efforts Benji! It would be great of you to join us streamers over on Twitch so we can watch these races and cheer you on live!

Absolutely feel you on Richmond. Amazing course but always makes me feel like I've turned my body inside out after doing it. Complete torture.

Love this relatable content. Keep fighting brother.

Great efforts, I think Richmond is more of a climbers course than Glasgow and Crit City which are punchier so challenging your non climber self assessment. You rode Libby brilliantly, just need to increase your repeatability. Try some 3-5 minute intervals at 105% to help with your VO2 max maybe. Plenty of great training videos around to help. Have a great winter, love all the work on LR.

Great work. Consistency is key. Keep at it man👍

Hey man, you are knocking on the door of finishing in the top half! A Long way from dead last in a very short time. Good job and keep it up!

Well done mate,you’re giving it a red hot crack

bro dikke vooruitgang💪💪. keep up the grind!

the struggle is real man. stay strong brother!

Good video, keep them coming.

The crits/Tiny races have been fun this year, using them for myself to get back into some cycling shape. Cheers!

Inspiring, keep it up dude!

Don't give up Benji you will get there!

That first Libby hill was epic! I rode this in B car and got shelled big time on that climb

You have improved big since you started!!! Well done!!!

You're an inspiration for me, as I am a new Zwift rider stuggling in cat d. Trying hard to loose weight, so that I actually can compete. At the moment I feel like I have the same issue as you: not being able to follow first group long enough. Keep going, hopefully we'll meet in game some time!

Keep up the great work, even in a race you weren’t happy with you finished mid pack.

you inspired me, man! thanks!

you smashed that cobble climb!!!! dont be so hard on yourself, its 3 brutal efforts with very little recovery. weight is less of an issue on the short ones than the long climbs i think. Did you say "alpe d'zwift"...that is going to be tough mate but you can do it, just go as easy as you can from the start

In those punchy races, what works well for me is to go really hard on the punchy section. It may feel like killing yourself, but it’s like a 30sec sprint (at 80%) and if you get up with the first few, you can recover after. If you end up mid-pack, you spend the rest of the lap chasing the front.

it's great watching you Benji , just keep riding , I want to see you race in 2025 !!!

I say again you have such an impressive ability to punish yourself! Im finding my biggest challenge at themoment is sitting in the seat for more than 45 mins 😂

Nice race, i started racing because of you on zwift im on cat d but got bump to cat a i dont know why i was pulling3.5w/kg but im (93 pounds/42kg) and im 13 so i guess i cant race until i gain weight but atleast i got 4th on cat d great video!

Nice Benji, succes met Alpe du zwift!

You have some good seated power, well done.

I feel you. Same route killed me too

Accidentally got myself promoted to cat C by averaging 3.5w/kg on a 4 minute hill climb race. Now I get smoked in every cat C race lol. It's so demoralising hahah, like starting over again on cat D.

Great vid! Btw, "Lets go!" sounds way better than "3, 2, 1, lets go!"

Let’s go Benji you will make it to cat C

great effort on the first hill but for us +110kg guys they are total killers. keep on pedaling!

I just did that on Cat C and there was 2 laps...almost died..Good job in the begining...it seems that you have to focus on climbing...like i have too ...keep riding, btw, by your numbers it looks like you will be soon in the C cat

Dude ge doet dat al wreed goed! ik zou wel niet hopen op promotie naar cat C. In cat D kunde mooie resultaten rijden, in cat C is het aanklampen en proberen te overleven. :')

Exploding is pretty fun, though!

Keep at 😊

14 laps of Glasgow , respect st any level

I’ve been there on 23rd st, feel like you’re moving backwards (and sometimes are 😂).

“Learning with Benji”

The man with the hammer is known to come out of nowhere and to hit you hard.

Do you make a race plan before the start? Estimate how long the race is going to take, what your average power can be over that time... Decide how fast to start, and how long to keep that power up - it helps to know beforehand when you want to let the first group go if they start to fast. Deciding that when you hang on for dear life is difficult... Keep your power somewhat under your planned average on the flats (if possible with the groups around you), so you have something left for the climb(s). And ideally, know how long the climbs will take you, and set a maximum for the power you want to produce on each climb. As you noticed, a steady 350 will, in the end, get you there faster than a 600 at the start, and a 100 W at the second half of the climb... It feels somewhat less exciting - but often gets better results...

Great job none the less. I was bumped up to category C midway through the academy, so i had to do 2 laps on the last race :) I'm stating the obvious, but you realy need to learn to pace yourself on the climbs, and focus on recovering on the flats on a track like that. If you'd done 105-110 % of your ftp up the first climb instead of maxing out, you would have finished much higher in the rankings. But i live to folllow your progress, so keep it up :)

Keep it up Benj. How’s your weight going?

bro you are doing very great, i enjoy your videos. is it possible to ride with you a time? community rides?

Hi Benji, do you recommend any hart rate monitors for Zwift? I have the Garmin HRM Dual but it's not connecting properly when riding.

Would you be interested in sharing when you are going up Alpe du Zwift? - I am sure some of your followers would love to join you in your efforts.

I'm a Cat D. Upper Cat D I'd say and let me tell you my ZRL Division 1 Americas East is faster than half of the Cs in our Teams C group.

I have to try this at some point but the full gas starts scare the sh*t out of me. I need an hour to really get going. Will you do We Ride Flanders in 2024? If yes, let me know, I‘ll pull for you at the front as long as I can.

Seriously get out of the saddle and stand up for sprints and on climbs to use different muscles and get more power when needed

Try using your gears more effectively, target a cadence and then use the gears to maintain that cadence. This is about discipline and controlling yourself. Add some 60 - 90 minute zone 2 training, with some leg strength work, which can be found all over RU-vid if you don't like gyms. This is a 12 week block , and of course you favorite crit once a week . measure yourself today and then in 4 week intervals. Some times it hard too work out what is right for you, but work into 12 week blocks with a 1 week rest after each block. Many years ago when I was racing, it was quite common for me to structure my training for a race in 18 months time. See you at the 2024 olympics

Do you just jump into these races or do you warmup before they start?

What was your overall time?

What’s your nutrition like on rides like this, seems like you need to get a lot more carbs down you

What kind of lamp is this in the background, like a heat lamp?

Just stick to the flatter courses. I'm 97kgs and race B grade and get some wins here and there, but I just choose the courses that suit me. It's pointless for me to race a very hilly race.

Why are you wearing tights on swift? They don't incorporate aerodynamics, do they?

go on Diet man !!! and then come back...anyway just keep on with the good work !!!

You’ve got great power up those climbs benji! Not sure what your weight goals are but youre easily putting out solid cat B power just not quite the w/kg

Love it ! Hit me up if you'd like some coaching ;)

Saddle too high

@ffwdzwift4541 0 seconden geleden A tip for the second climb...make sure to speed up before you start the climb and catapult yourself onto it. Makes a lot of difference.