Originally Posted by
Dan333SP
This is a weird thing to be disgusted by, tbh. No one is claiming that Zwift is 1 for 1 directly comparable to real world racing, but the people who are at the top of the Zwift racing ladders are there because they're really extremely fit and most or all of them also race in non-virtual events. It's a perfectly legitimate e-sport, and I think it's smart marketing when they link with the UCI and teams like Canyon-SRAM, who actually just signed a Zwift competition winner to a contract for 2020 on their women's team.
Formula 1 has an e-series that is officially sanctioned by the FIA now as well, and none of the F1 fans or drivers think that it's disgusting that people are racing virtual cars and comparing lap times and braking points on their computer sim rather than in real life. Is the eF1 champion just as good a driver as Lewis Hamilton? Of course not, in fact he would probably be way off the pace in a real car because the physical demands of driving a racing car can't be simulated. However, I'd bet the fastest Zwifter in the world would do just fine in a real time trial against the best pros, because the exertion is the same indoors or outdoors.
I got into a discussion about the esports one and someone brought up the F1 thing. It's interesting.
the Zwift to real racing one hasn't panned out, from what I have heard, as well as they would have liked it to. I was told there have been something like 2 women's contracts given and one is long gone from the sport due to crashing a lot (can't make that up ... unless it's made up) and the other dwindled away with sub-par results. Just like any other discipline - just because something works in one place doesn't mean it translates. Maybe it does to an extent - but it most likely doesn't. As for Time Trials.... I believe I heard there is some sort of comp where the winner was going to be put onto the same course but after actual competition at some event. *shrug* Interesting from afar but TT's aren't really a discipline I enjoy watching outside of a stage race context. Sure the exertion is the same but there's factors like still having to brake and control your speed and turn when you're going so hard you can't see straight.