Zwift, has made a not so surprising decision to disable the new KICKR Race Mode feature for the UCI Esports World Championships, which is happening this Saturday (February 18). The KICKR 6, which is the official smart trainer for the championship, recently was updated with Race Mode feature (more about Race Mode here). This new feature is designed specifically for virtual racing and provides faster power updates.
According to ZwiftInsider who reported this, the short time frame between the release of Race Mode and the UCI Esports World Championship has led Zwift to disallow the use of this feature. The reason behind this decision is that Race Mode requires the KICKR to be connected by WiFi or Direct Connect, and not all racers have setups that support these methods of connection.
In my previous video, I discussed the new Race Mode feature and speculated on Zwift’s response. Zwift has previously disabled features that could give racers an advantage, such as steering, to maintain a level playing field. While Zwift’s decision to disable Race Mode for this specific event is understandable, it raises the question if Zwift will also disable Race Mode in other races.
What do you think about Zwift’s decision to disable Race Mode for the UCI Esports World Championship? Are you disappointed or do you think it was the right move to ensure a level playing field for all participants?
