When you're short, go to Riders. This page lists everyone who's marked themselves available for the selected race — including riders at other clubs.
Two kinds of row — read the sub-label
| Row | Sub-label | Button | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Agent | A Zwift ID | Claim | They have no club. Claiming adds them to your team permanently — no approval needed |
| Available | Their club's name | Request | They ride for someone else. You're asking to borrow them for this race |
⚠️ These are not the same thing
Claim is permanent recruitment. Request is a one-race loan. They sit side by side in the same table.
Who you're allowed to ask for
Your own category or below — never above. An A team can ask for anyone down to D; a C team can ask for C and D only.
✅ It's a fair-play rule
It stops a weaker team borrowing its way to a stacked line-up. A rider you can't request won't offer you the button.
After you click Request
The button turns orange and reads Requested. Nothing else happens until that rider's captain responds — and there's no notification when they do. You read the outcome off the screen:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| The rider appears in your Starters, tagged Active and on loan from their club | Approved |
| The button goes back from Requested to Request | Denied |
| The rider disappears from the list | Another club got there first |
Approved loans land in your line-up, not your bench
If you go looking on the bench you'll think it failed.
Worth knowing
- No cap on how many riders you can borrow for one race.
- Several clubs can request the same rider — first come, first served, unless the race times don't clash.
- Ask early if you need someone in particular.