The third race of Zwift Racing League 2025/26 Round 2 happens Tuesday, November 18, and we’re back in London for a scratch race on London Loop Reverse. Hopefully your climbing legs have recovered from the previous Tuesday, because this is a pitchy one as well, with Fox Hill featured on each lap!
There’s much to discuss, including crucial course segments, powerups, bike decisions, and strategic options. Let’s dive in!
Looking at the Route
London Loop Reverse is a 14.9km long circuit with 231m of elevation per lap. A and B teams will be racing three laps for a total of 44.6km with 694m of elevation, while C and D teams will be racing two laps for a total of 29.8km with 463m of elevation.
Clearly, Fox Hill is the big feature of this route. While this is a designated KOM segment, it’s a scratch race, so segments don’t matter. And in the case of the Fox Hill KOM, paying attention to the timed segment just confuses things, since it begins 600 meters after the climbing actually starts, and keeps going up and over the climb to end after a fair amount of flat and even downhill riding!
What you need to know about the actual climb is that it’s 2.3km long, averages 6.4%, and this is where the big selections will happen. If you’re struggling on Fox Hill, the only good news is there’s a long descent just up the road. Do what you can to hold on to those wheels!
The Box Hill descent begins 5.4km into the first lap. This is a 2.8km downhill averaging -5%, so if you’re a larger rider who is tired from the Fox Hill climb, you should be able to sit in and recover nicely for a few minutes.
From here, it’s mostly flat/rolling riding to the end of the lap. Just watch out for that upramp out of the subway, as this isn’t New York City with its fancy futuristic escalators!
Wash/rinse/repeat one time for C and D teams… twice for A and B teams.
The finish here is an interesting one, as it’s in a direction that isn’t commonly raced in London.
With 1.4km to go, the road tilts up, making this a great place to launch a long attack. Then with 500 meters left the road tilts downward, giving us a very fast run-in to the finish line. You’ll want to be well-positioned by this point, because if you’re too far back when the pack speed lifts, you’ll have to work extra-hard to move forward in the group. Keep calm, carry on, and good luck to all!
Read more about the London Loop Reverse route >
PowerUp Notes
Anvil powerups will be awarded at the KOM arch atop Fox Hill, while feathers will be awarded at the start/finish arch at the end of each lap.
Lightweight (feather) (given at start/finish banner): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on Fox Hill climb, when weight matters the most.
Anvil (given at Fox Hill KOM banner): makes you heavier for up to 15 seconds, so you can descend faster. The amount of weight added is based on a percentage of your body weight, and that percentage increases as riders get lighter. It won’t hurt you, as it only adds weight when the road is at a -1.5% decline or greater. Use it on descents, including Box Hill and the run-in to the finish line.
Bike Recommendations
This race’s key climb is long and steep enough that we’d definitely steer away from pure aero setups and look at climbing bikes and all-arounders instead. Our recommendation is to use the new ENVE SES 4.5 PRO or DT Swiss 65 wheels paired with one of these bikes:
- Specialized Aethos
- S-Works Tarmac SL8
- Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71
- Pinarello Dogma F 2024
- Canyon Aeroad 2024
Of course, your frame’s upgrade status should impact your decision. A fully upgraded Aethos will outclimb the other four frames, but that’s not the case when comparing un-upgraded versions.
Related: All About Zwift’s New “Bike Upgrades” Functionality >
See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance, and check out Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level to determine the fastest setup available to you.
More Route Recons
Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.
Additionally, riders in the Zwift community do a great job every week creating recon videos that preview the courses and offer tips to help you perform your best on the day. Here are the recons I’ve found (comment if you find another!)
J Dirom
John Rice
Strategic Options
How will the race unfold, and what strategies will riders employ on London Loop Reverse? Here’s what we predict:
- Saved anvils: expect riders to save their last anvil, using it in the finish instead of the Box Hill descent.
- Major selections on Fox Hill: expect the field to be reduced by 50-60% the first time up Fox Hill, then further reduced each successive lap. Your 5-8 minute w/kg will be crucial.
- A wild finish: with all the points waiting at the finish line, riders will be putting extra thought into how to finish strong. Expect long attacks from 1.4km out, and a very fast final 500 meters thanks to saved anvils.
- Chasing on the flats: riders who lack the W/kg may find themselves dropped on Fox Hill, but able to chase back on during the Box Hill descent or the flats that follow. But climbers will want to work on that final lap to stay away from chasing sprinters! Who will win the game of tug-o-war?
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
