Zipp Spring Classics Announced

Spring!! The long winter is over.  Ask most people what they like about spring and they will say lighter nights, warmer days, flowers.  Ask one cyclists what they like about spring and they will say:

1. Cycling outdoors
2. The Spring Classics

Ask another cyclist what they like about spring and they will say:

1. The Spring Classics
2. Cycling outdoors

The Spring Classics are historic cycling races that take part in northern Europe.  According to Wikipedia, “The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year.” The five most revered races are often described as monuments.  Together Strade Bianche, Milan–San Remo, the Cobbled classics (E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix) and the Ardennes classics (Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège–Bastogne–Liège) make up the “Spring Classics”, all held in March and April.

The racing is exciting and just finishing an event is (in my opinion) an accomplishment, with Paris-Roubaix being a distance of roughly 280km or 174 miles.  It takes a special kind of rider to race these events. Those who win instantly obtain “legendary” status and those who win more than once such as Tom Boonen, (Paris-Roubaix x 4) or Fabian Cancellara (Paris-Roubaix x 3), are immortalized in the sport.

The racing is fast and the courses unforgiving, causing both man and machine to breakdown.  In 2006, American George Hincapie was among the favorites for Paris-Roubaix, having finished runner-up the previous year. However, while navigating a cobbled section in the front of the peloton, the vibration on the cobbles caused the handlebars of his bike to break, resulting in him crashing out of the race, in the most unusual circumstances.  To this day, I have never seen anything like it. And that is what makes the Spring Classics special.  They are different from any other races.

To celebrate their uniqueness and status within the cycling world, Zwift have teamed up with Zipp and launch the inaugural Zipp Classics. It’s a fitting partnership, since Zipp has been central to the recent history of these races, with many riders taking victory on Zipp wheelsets.

The Event

The Zipp Classics event lasts 4 weeks, and starts on Tuesday, March 30th with a Ride with Kasia Niewiadoma, at 7:00PM CEST.

During each week, there will be a series of group rides led by Zipp athletes and ambassadors.  These will be at comfortable, steady pace (2-3 w/kg) social rides where people will be sharing their favorite Classics moments and memories. They also serve as recce rides for the weekend races, since they’re held on the same routes.

Then on the weekend, there will be a mass race!

Weekend Rides (Races)

The four Weekend Group rides will be different from the social events hosted in the week and as they are similar to the Zwift Gran Fondos, most riders will be racing the events.

The Weekend Rides are classified as races, which means they will count as races in ZwiftPower. There are no categories, though – everyone starts at the same time!

Weekend Ride 1 (April 4) – Flanders

• Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop
• 2 Laps
• 38km, 292m of elevation

Weekend Ride 2 (April 11) – Roubaix

• Leith Hill After Party
• 1 Lap
• 46.1km, 411m of elevation

Weekend Ride #3 (April 18) – Ardennes

• Figure 8 Reverse
• Custom Finish at Hilly KOM, ~1.6 laps
• 50.2km, 426m of elevation

Weekend Ride #4 (April 25) – Liege

• Dust In the Wind
• 1 Lap
• 52.5km, 529m of elevation
• Note: weekday rides for week 4 are on Out and Back Again, because event planners felt that Dust in the Wind was a bit too long for a midweek social ride.

Sign up in Companion app or online at zwift.com/events/series/zipp-classics

Prizes and Unlocks

Complete one Weekend Ride to unlock the Zipp kit.

An additional unlock will be available on the final weekend’s ride… but we can’t yet tell you what it is!

And finally, one lucky Zwifter who completes all four Weekend Rides will win a new set of Zipp wheels (terms and conditions do not state the wheel model, but they do say the approximate retail value is $4,000USD). Just complete the four events, and you’ll automatically earn an entry into the drawing. Term and conditions apply.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!