The selections for this week include a tough route badge, a segment record attempt, and several social group rides. Ride on!
🤝ZTO Power Push Challenge
Earlier in the week, team ZTO attempted to break 8 minutes on the Fuego Flats Reverse segment in Watopia. Using the best equipment in the game, including the use of drafting on TT bikes. However, the fastest group fell ~5 seconds short. Now, ZTO is back to have another crack at a record-setting time on this segment!
The event takes place over 2 laps of Tempus Fugit where riders will chill and chat until the ride back on the second lap. This is the perfect chance to have a shot at a record on a segment that has been completed by hundreds of thousands of riders.
Special settings: double draft, draft-enabled TT bikes,
Saturday, Jan 7 @ 1pm UTC/8am EST/5am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3288881
🤝 Uber Pretzel Draft Badge Hunt with DZR
Join DZR for an epic badge hunt ride! The Uber Pretzel is definitely a bucket list route, and this is the perfect opportunity to complete it. Riding with company helps pass the time as you crest some of the largest climbs in Zwift. Double draft will also be enabled on this ride, and if this doesn’t tempt you enough, completing this route for the first time will give a 2560 XP bonus.
The Uber Pretzel is arguably the second hardest route on Zwift, falling shortly behind the PRL Full. However, the Uber Pretzel is no doubt an extremely tough route that often takes riders 5+ hours to complete.
Special settings: double draft
Saturday, Jan 7 @ 6am UTC/10pm PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3384242
🥇 The NeXT Cup
NeXT p/b Enshored, the top e-sport cycling team on Zwift, is hosting a race series inspired by the new UCI Esports Worlds format. The series consists of three back-to-back races. The first race is a traditional scratch race, with the top 30 finishers scoring points. Also a scratch race, the second race will allow the top 15 finishers to score points. To finish off the series, riders will battle it out with a points race. For the final race, points will be awarded to the top 10 riders on each prime, in addition to the top 10 finishers receiving points.
To increase the competition, prizes are on offer from the sponsors of NeXT p/b Enshored. Prizes will be awarded to the weekly winners, with a grand prize given to the series winner (top 5 of 6 results count towards the series GC).
Special settings: points race
Sunday, Jan 8 @ 1pm UTC/8am PST/5am PST
See upcoming NeXT events at zwift.com/events/tag/next
🤝The HERD Thundering Turtles
Join the HERD on their weekly endurance ride. The goal of this ride is to help riders build their endurance through a well-paced social ride throughout the roads of Zwift. Late join is enabled, so riders can join up to 30 minutes after the event begins.
Leaders and sweepers will be present, and HERD suggests that stronger riders drop back to help assist the sweeps in helping riders rejoin the group. The ride takes place over 90 minutes on the Makuri 40 course in the Makuri Islands – a great course to sit up and take in the scenery.
Special settings: kit unlock, double draft
Saturday, Jan 7 @ 2:30pm UTC/9:30am EST/6:30am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3387209
🤝 Rave – Con
Start the Zwift Racing League round strong by joining team Rave for a recon ride of this week’s course. Knowing the course is always extremely helpful when it comes down to racing, and this is especially true for this week’s race. In this ride, there will be two options for pacing: the yellow beacon will hold a steady 2-2.5 w/kg, while the red beacon will hold a steady 1.8-2 w/kg.
This group ride takes place over the ZRL course for the first race of round 3 of the series, Chain Chomper. The group ride is set to last 60 minutes, so riders will likely complete ~2.5 laps of the course.
Check out the Zwift Insider guide to this race
Sunday, Jan 8 @ 5pm UTC/12pm EST/9am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3389641
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!