Zwift Camp: Baseline Follow-Up Challenges Now Available – Sprinting, Attacking, Endurance

Table of Contents

Zwift Camp: Baseline events end this week, and many riders have already wrapped up all six stages. So what comes next?

Three new challenges have been released today, each targeting one of the areas of fitness which Zwift Camp: Baseline was evaluating (Sprinting, Attacking, and Endurance). You may take on whatever challenge(s) you’d like, but the performance report email sent at the end of Zwift Camp: Baseline points you to a particular challenge to help strengthen your limiter.

Each of the challenges contains 4-5 workouts which you must complete in order to finish the challenge and get the 1000XP bonus. You can see a list of each challenge’s workouts by clicking the challenge in your “Challenges” carousel on the homescreen:

Below, you’ll find the details of each challenge’s workouts. But first, let’s talk about the new route-based workouts!

Route-Based Workouts

For years now, Zwift has talked about bringing route-based workouts into the game. What exactly is a route-based workout, you ask? Think of it like this: have you ever ridden outdoors and used the physical layout of your route to determine/inspire your workout? Maybe you did hill repeats on a short loop that contained a climb, or put in a steady endurance effort on a long, flat road.

Route-based workouts in Zwift are meant to provide a somewhat looser, more organic alternative to structured ERG sessions. Instead of specific timed intervals at precise wattages, Zwift places you on a particular route and gives you on-screen instructions so you know what sort of effort level to target on particular locations on the course:

For these route-based workouts, the goal is to turn in a maximal effort on each timed segment (KQOM or sprint). So you can expect the workouts to feature:

Longer endurance intervals on flat or rolling sections
Sweet spot to threshold-level intervals on longer climbs
VO2-level intervals on short climbs
Sprint intervals on in-game sprint segments

Looking for Feedback

While the benchmarking events Zwift used in Zwift Academy Road 2021-2022 were basic route-based workouts, today’s release is Zwift’s most ambitious route-based workouts rollout to date. It’s still early days for this concept, but internal contacts within Zwift tell me they’re hoping the community will embrace the idea and deliver feedback to help direct the continued development of the route-based workout idea. (Share your feedback on this post – Zwift says they’ll be watching it!)

I’m stoked about the route-based workout concept, as I think it could be a “Zwifty” feature that creates a new kind of training experience. One that sort of mirrors what you can do outside, but with some improvements to the experience.

While I received early access to these challenges so I could publish this post when they went live, I haven’t had a chance to complete any of the workouts quite yet. My plan is to complete some or all of the route-based workouts so I can write a follow-up post detailing my experience, recommendations for improvements, etc. As you complete these workouts, please share your experience in the comments below for other Zwifters and Zwift HQ to see!

Endurance Challenge

Route-Based Workout: The Big Ring

“Challenge your speed and endurance with a long flat route and a few short sprint segments to turn up your heart rate and boost your endurance.”

51.2km, 275m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
Acropolis Sprint Reverse (0.45km, -1.1%)
Stoneway Sprint Reverse (0.4km, 0.75%)
Fuego Flats Sprint (0.5km, 0.2%)

Animated “The Big Ring” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Aerobic Sustainability

This 50-minute basic endurance workout consists of 3 identical blocks, each containing 3x repeats of 30 seconds at 95% followed by 3:30 at 80% of FTP.

Route-Based Workout: Itza Climb Finish

“Challenge your muscular strength and endurance with 4 powerful sprints and 2 consecutive endurance-building climbs for the climb finish.”

30km, 294m elevation – read more about this route >

Animated “Itza Climb Finish” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Structured Workout: Long Climbs

This 57-minute workout focuses on strength endurance work by having you complete steady, low-cadence intervals like you would encounter on long climbs.

Route-Based Workout: Peak Performance

“The most challenging workout of this Challenge with a mix of long, steady climbs (including The Grade) and short intense sprints to boost your muscular strength and endurance. You might even get a new FTP at the top of The Grade!”

46.6km, 729m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Titans Grove KOM Reverse (0.89km, 4.4%)
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
The Grade KOM (3.52km, 8.6%)

Animated “Peak Performance” Route Details (Watopia) Map

Attacking Challenge

Route-Based Workout: The Muckle Yin

“Challenge your attacking power with 3 punchy climbs, 2 slightly longer climbs, and one sprint finish. Your goal is to attack each segment with maximum effort, while recovering smartly between segments.”

23.6km, 282m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Breakaway Brae Reverse (0.4km, 2%)
Sgurr Summit North (1.6km, 3.7%)
Breakaway Brae (0.62km, 2.4%)
Sgurr Summit South (1km, 3.3%)
The Clyde Kicker (0.3km, 3.6%)
Champion’s Sprint (0.2km, -0.4%)

Structured Workout: Hill Attacks

This 45-minute workout has you complete 8x 1-minute intervals at 140% of FTP, simulating repeated attacks up a short hill in a race.

Route-Based Workout: Figure 8

“Challenge your strength and attacking power with a mix of 2 short sprints and 2 climbs. Focus on giving a strong and controlled effort in each segment.”

29.7km, 254m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprint & KQOM Segments
Hilly KOM Reverse (2.4km, 2%)
JWB Sprint Reverse (0.2km, 0%)
Hilly KOM (0.9km, 5.5%)
JWB Sprint (0.36km, -0.1%)

Structured Workout: Surge to the Max

This 46-minute workout contains 4x ramp repeats to train your ability to put in a big effort even when you’re already tired. Each ramp builds from 70%-105% of FTP over 3 minutes, then finishes with a 1-minute max effort. (Be sure to catch your breath during the 3 minutes of recovery between each ramp… you’re gonna need it!)

Sprinting Challenge

Route-Based Workout: Neokyo All-Nighter

“The shorter route of these Challenges with 4 short intense sprints and one short climb to challenge your sprinting power.”

24.5km, 168m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Castle Park Sprint Reverse (0.21km, 0.3%)
Alley Sprint Reverse (0.38km, -1.2%)
Castle Park Sprint (0.22km, -0.7%)
Tower Sprint (0.32km, 0.4%)
Rooftop KOM (1.9km, 2.7%)

Structured Workout: Fun is Going Full Gas

Inspired by Mathieu van der Poel, this 45-minute workout trains your explosive power. The key intervals here are 8x 30-second efforts at 165% of FTP.

Route-Based Workout: Coast Crusher

“Challenge your sprinting power with a longer flat route with 8 short sprint segments spread out over the entirety of the route. Focus on maximum effort in each sprint and recover smartly in between segment. This one is going to challenge your mental and physical strength. Try to finish with a max effort for the finishing sprint!”

42.8km, 211m elevation – read more about this route >

Sprints and KQOM Segments
Stoneway Sprint (0.4km, 0.75%)
Acropolis Sprint (0.45km, 0.67%)
Sasquatch Sprint (0.35km, 0.2%)
Woodland Sprint (0.5km, -2%)
Woodland Sprint Reverse (0.5km, -1.6%)
Sasquatch Sprint Reverse (0.35km, 0.1%)
Acropolis Sprint Reverse (0.45km, -1.1%)
Stoneway Sprint Reverse (0.4km, 0.75%)

Structured Workout: Nelson Vails – Sprint

Nelson Vails, the first and only African American cyclist to win an Olympic medal, was known for going from zero to 40mph+ in the blink of an eye. this 38-minute work begins with 3x 15-second sprints at 150% of FTP, then you’ll complete 3s 2.5-minute ramp sections where the final 30 seconds is an all-out sprint effort.

Questions or Comments?

Let me know if you have questions about these three new challenges. And I’m especially interested in you sharing your experience as you take on the route-based workouts above. As mentioned above, Zwift HQ is watching the comments on this post as they look to iterate on the route-based workout concept, so please do share your thoughts below!