Season ΣI · Prologue

DIRT Racing Series Season ΣI Prologue: London 8 Reverse

Tuesday 22 September 2026

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Season ΣI starts on Tuesday 22 September in London with a points race. The one big climb comes early and pays 25 points at most. The finish pays 120, and after the climb there are 15 km of fast road where dropped riders can get back on.

The course

One lap of London 8 Reverse. The stage page says 20.5 km and 219 m of climbing, but the finish line sits about half a kilometre before the start pens, so expect your HUD to read about 19.9 km at the line.

The first 2.4 km carry no points, but they decide where you start the climb. At race pace you reach the foot of Fox Hill in about two minutes, so fight for position from the gun.

Fox Hill

Fox Hill is 2.4 km at 6%, but it is not steady. It starts at 4 to 6%, then hits 250 m at 11% about 750 m in. It eases to 5 or 6%, kicks to 7 or 8% for the last 500 m, and only flattens in the final 200 m. Expect 7 to 10 minutes of climbing.

The two scores reward different things. FTS times you from the bottom to the top, so you can lose a few seconds early and win them back. FAL scores the order at the top, and the top comes right after the last kick, so it goes to whoever is still at the front there. Sitting on a wheel barely helps on a climb this steep: Zwift Insider measured about a 3% saving, against 27% on the flat.

After the climb

The race usually comes back together here. After a kilometre of flat across the top, the Box Hill descent drops for 2.5 km at -5%, at 60 kph or more. A rider alone off the front gets no draft, while the group behind saves 27 to 37%, so gaps close fast. Watch for the 70 m ramp at 14% coming out of the Underground, and hit it hard so you don't lose the wheel in front.

The Mall Sprint is 200 m, flat to slightly downhill, and it is scored on your time through those 200 m, not on who crosses first. Carry speed into it and hold it to the line. The arch is visible from about 500 m and pulls riders into going too early, so wait until about 300 m to go.

The last 7 km are flat, and the final 300 m drop at -2.5%. Expect a bunch sprint for the 120 points unless the climb has already broken the group up.

Power-up and equipment

The only power-up is the Draft Boost, which increases your draft for 40 seconds. Use it in a group at speed, never alone and never below 30 kph. The best place for it is the flat and the descent after Fox Hill. DIRT hasn't said whether you get one in the pen or one at each arch, so check at the start.

There is no feather and no aero helmet. Everyone climbs at their real W/kg, and the sprint comes down to speed and position.

For a course with one hard climb and fast roads after it, Zwift Insider recommends an all-rounder: S-Works Tarmac SL8, Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71, Pinarello Dogma F 2024, Canyon Aeroad 2024, or an upgraded Specialized Aethos. Pair it with ENVE SES 4.5 PRO or DT Swiss 65 wheels. Skip the disc: you lose more on the climb than you gain afterwards.

Where the points are

The finish pays three times as much as all the segments put together. The most one rider can take from the segments is 40 points, and the gap between 1st and 10th at the line is 25 (DRS rules and scoring).

Miss the time cut, 135% of the winner's time, and you lose your segment points but keep your finish points. Four riders score for each team. For individuals, your best four of the six points and time trial stages count, so one bad day won't sink your season.

How it will be raced

• The climb splits the field early. Two minutes of fighting for position, then 7 to 10 minutes uphill, all before 5 km.
• Only the top 10 score on segments. In ZRL every rider across a banner scores something, so riders sprint for every place. In DIRT, 11th gets nothing. If ten riders are clear on Fox Hill, stop chasing FAL.
• You can still score FTS from a chasing group. It goes to the ten fastest times, wherever you are on the road, and it is worth more than FAL.
• The finish decides the day. A dropped rider has 15 km of fast road and a draft to get back on with. Don't blow up chasing 5 points on the climb.

Before the race

Start times in UTC: Atlantic 09:45, Central US 11:00, EMEA C 17:15, EMEA W 18:30, US E 23:30, US W 01:30 (Wednesday in UTC). Your slot and pen show on Teams, then Rider Dashboard, once the race pass arrives.

• Heart rate monitor on and sending to Zwift. No HRM means an automatic DQ, though your team captain can ask for a review.
• Power sending to Zwift, or it is a DQ.
• Don't change height, weight or other settings between the pen and the finish, or it is a DQ.
• ZwiftPower registered with data sharing on, and your DIRT account showing your full name and Zwift ID.
• Keep your Zwift FIT file. Race Control can ask for it within 24 hours, and not supplying it is a DQ.
• Save the ride as public.

Sources

• DIRT Racing Series Season ΣI Prologue stage page
• DRS rules and scoring
• Zwift Insider: London 8 Reverse, plus its draft testing, power-up guide and frame and wheel speed tests