UPDATE Nov 6th 2021 : Document now update with revised Weight and Height calculations and revised Draft percentage savings due to release of Pack Dynamics 3.0. Testing data taken from https://zwiftinsider.com/speed-tests-ttt-pd3/
UPDATE May 20th 2021 : A mistake in the calculations was spotted that means Riders 4-8 may have not had quite the right figures in position 1, by about 5-10 watts. This is now corrected in the latest download.
UPDATE April 2021: The sheet mentioned in the video has now been updated. Now you need to enter W/KG, Watts and HEIGHT, rather than WEIGHT to get a detailed breakdown of each rider’s power requirements.
Decide a Power number for the flat. the default of 125% of the bulk of the team, based on raw FTP is a good starting point
This number can be flexible based on the length of the race, for a sub 40min effort you might push for 135%, over an hour perhaps only 120% – This is a figure you need to decide and agree with the team.
The sheet can then help you decide if you
- Rotate the whole group and who can hold the front for longer periods, perhaps 60s plus, vs others in the team who might only do short turns of 20-30s, OR
- Use a single strong rider or two, with others ‘making up the numbers’, by staying in the draft at a set % of FTP
- In some cases you might tell the whole team to ride a set percentage if the numbers align, effectively all riding an individual Time Trial, but in a group
The sheet also shows the w/kg and raw power required to stay in certain positions in the line for each rider. This can be reassuring for a team to know they can be at well below FTP for periods of the event, when not on the front.