Canyon ZCC, the world's first eRacing team that competes solely via digital platforms such as Zwift, has today announced a partnership with Verve Cycling, makers of the renowned InfoCrank power meter that is also used by British Cycling.
The partnership is more than just a tool for power measurement and post-race analysis, though. The collaboration aims to set a precedent when it comes to calibration of equipment and transparency of data during digital racing.
The team is also partnered with Wahoo Fitness and has access to the American brand's ecosystem of indoor cycling equipment, including the Wahoo Kickr, Kickr Climb, and Kickr Headwind. By pairing the Verve Infocrank with the Wahoo Kickr, the team will become the first team in eRacing whereby every rider will have the same primary and secondary power source, and will upload both datasets to ZwiftPower for enhanced verification.
Whether intentional or not, digital doping - a result of poorly calibrated equipment - can vastly affect a race's outcome, and while both Zwift and ZwiftPower have means to spot and eject suspected riders, the Canyon ZCC team wants to lead the way in data accuracy.
"Unlike all other cycling disciplines where the data is secondary; often utilised only after the race, the opposite is true of eRacing where the data is the race," Explains Canyon ZCC team manager, Rhys Howell. "I had two criteria: I wanted the most accurate product I could find and I wanted the most bullet-proof product that couldn't suffer from miscalibration. I firmly believe we've found that product and are excited to be working closely with Verve both with their hardware and software to help make Canyon ZCC the most accurate team in eRacing."