MyWhoosh Chase: can you stay away?

This Thursday 27 August, we’re starting the first community tests of MyWhoosh Chase, a new staggered-start race format that puts riders from different categories into one connected race.

Lower categories get the road first. Faster groups are released behind them at different intervals and have to make up the gap.

From there, everyone is racing towards the same finish line.

Can the riders out front work together and stay away, or will the chase reach them before the line?

How MyWhoosh Chase works

You can enter the Chase race event in the events page in the MyWhoosh app now.

Instead of every category starting at the same time, each group is released from the start pen at a different point.

The groups starting ahead have an advantage to defend. The faster categories start further back and have to organise the chase.

Once your category is released, everyone is racing on the same course towards the same finish.

First rider across the line wins, regardless of starting group.

The gaps are different for every group

The time between category starts is not fixed.

Each gap is calculated specifically for the categories involved and the route being raced. We’ve developed the Chase system to account for a range of factors and create a race where the different groups have a realistic opportunity to come together before the finish.

That means the gaps may change between categories, routes and future Chase events.

The aim is to create a race where all groups have something to fight for. If you start ahead, you have a gap worth protecting and if you start behind, the riders up the road should remain within reach.

Teamwork will make the difference

Chase rewards groups that race together.

For riders starting ahead, sharing the workload could be the best way to make the head start last. A group that settles into a strong rhythm can make itself difficult to catch.

For the chasing categories, the same applies. Working together, drafting and keeping the group moving efficiently will give the best chance of closing the gap.

Your Community Category matters

Riders must enter the event using an accurate Community Category. These categories help create the start gaps and are an important part of making the format competitive across the field.

You can see categories explained in more detail HERE.

Why we’re testing Chase

These first events are community tests. We want to put the format into more widely publicized races soon, but we want to see how the groups behave and use your feedback and race data to refine it and make this new Chase format as exciting as possible

We’ll be looking at:

How the staggered start gaps perform
When and where groups begin to come together
How well groups work together
How different categories approach the chase
How the route affects the balance between escaping and chasing
How competitive the race remains as the groups converge
What riders think of the format

The gaps may change as testing continues. That is part of the process as we work towards the right balance between giving riders ahead something to defend and giving the chasing groups a genuine chance to make the catch.