CeramicSpeed is just wrapping up a series of group rides on Zwift, but tomorrow is the first big event of their race series. With nearly 1000 riders already signed up, this is going to be a wild race!
The CeramicSpeed Race Series is a rather unique series in the world of Zwift, as the first race is a qualifier for a series of closed races which follow.
Along the way there are opportunities to unlock the CeramicSpeed kit, win prizes, and become a CeramicSpeed Ambassador. Details below!
Race Series Structure
The series begins with tomorrow’s qualifier race on the Out and Back Again route. This race “divides the pack” between those who will get to continue on into the Elite Closed Races, and those who can only race the open events.
Top 100 A-category finishers from the qualifier race will be invited to participate in the Elite Closed Race #2
Top 50 finishers from race #2 will be invited to participate in the Elite Closed Race #3
Top 25 finishers from race #3 will be invited to participate in the final race, Elite Closed Race #4
Separate closed race are being held for men and women.
If you don’t make it past the qualifier, there is an open series of races available to all which mirrors the elite closed races. These are already on the Zwift calendar.
Race Routes
Stage One: Out and Back Again, 1 Lap (39.8km/24.7 miles)
“Out and Back Again” is a route which is quite flat… until it isn’t. Released as part of Zwift’s Fuego Flats desert expansion, this oddly-named route isn’t an out and back at all, but rather two loops connected in a figure 8-style course.
This is a popular race route given its length and mostly-flat profile punctuated by two distinct climb sections.
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“Out and Back Again” is a route which is quite flat… until it isn’t. Released as part of Zwift’s Fuego Flats desert expansion, this oddly-named route isn’t an out and back at all, but rather two loops connected in a figure 8-style course.
This is a popular race route given its length and mostly-flat profile punctuated by two distinct climb sections.
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Route Basics
Length: 39.8 km (24.7 miles) Elevation: 303 m (994‘) Lead-In: 2.4 km (1.5 miles) Map: Watopia
Start & Finish
When freeriding you will spawn just before the desert start pens, giving us a lead-in of approximately 2.5km before the sprint finish line. For our Strava segment we started and ended at the sprint finish line since this is a stable point (unlike spawn points, which have some randomness to them).
We will create another segment beginning at the start pens to cover events on this route, once events begin running here.
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Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
The first half of this route is quite flat, while the second half contains its two climbs.
Beginning in Fuego Flats, we make our way across the desert then descend through the redwoods down to Ocean Boulevard. Hanging a left at the Jarvis Tree, we climb our way up the false flat to the Italian Villas, then twist through The Esses and turn left toward the Volcano.
Our Volcano KOM climb begins almost exactly at the 20km mark. Ride up the volcano, descend, then take the flat land bridge road back to the Italian Villas where the second climb, the Hilly KOM Reverse, waits just up the road.
Once you’ve completed the Hilly KOM and descended to sea level, you’ll hang a right onto Ocean Boulevard then a quick left toward the finish line at Fuego Flats. After that it’s just a long, flattish haul to the line!
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Stage Two: Beach Island Loop, 3 Laps (38.4km/24 miles)
Introduced in Zwift’s December 2020 update, Beach Island Loop is the first route to use the new Bridge/Islands Bypass – a short stretch of road connecting the JWB Bridge to the 360 Bridge.
This route is a slightly modified version of the event-only Volcano Flat Reverse route, placing riders on a more northerly segment which adds a quick trip through the Italian Villas and a chance for green glory in the forward sprint.
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Introduced in Zwift’s December 2020 update, Beach Island Loop is the first route to use the new Bridge/Islands Bypass – a short stretch of road connecting the JWB Bridge to the 360 Bridge.
This route is a slightly modified version of the event-only Volcano Flat Reverse route, placing riders on a more northerly segment which adds a quick trip through the Italian Villas and a chance for green glory in the forward sprint.
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Route Basics
Length: 12.8 km (8.0 miles) Elevation: 44 m (144‘) Lead-In: 0 km ( miles) Map: Watopia
Start & Finish
Begins and ends at downtown Watopia start/finish banner.
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
You will begin this route in downtown Watopia, traveling toward the Volcano. Make your way around the Volcano, across the land bridge, and up the dirt switchbacks to the Italian Villas where you will turn left and soon find yourself at the sprint start line. Give it a hard go, and see if you can grab the green jersey!
Just after the sprint banner it’s a quick right onto the Bridge/Islands Bypass. Wave hello to the sea lions, then wind your way over the rollers and turn left onto Ocean Boulevard to head down to the fishing village.
After riding over some docks and dirt you will take the ramp down into the ocean tube, and eventually come back up just a couple of kilometers away from downtown Watopia. Time to gear up for that finish line sprint!
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Ridealong Video
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Stage Three: Watopia Mountain Route, 1 Lap (29.5 km/18.3 miles)
This route is simply a loop up to the radio tower, then back through the Italian Villas and the Esses to the downtown finish line. This was the “main” route created to showcase the Epic KOM when it was released in March 2016 as the largest climb in Zwift.
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This route is simply a loop up to the radio tower, then back through the Italian Villas and the Esses to the downtown finish line. This was the “main” route created to showcase the Epic KOM when it was released in March 2016 as the largest climb in Zwift.
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Route Basics
Length: 29.5 km (18.3 miles) Elevation: 682 m (2,238‘) Lead-In: 0.5 km (0.3 miles) Map: Watopia
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Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
Begin in downtown Watopia and head to the Ocean Boulevard tunnel, where you’ll turn left at Sequoia Circle before climbing back into the open air and beginning your climb up the Epic KOM.
The Epic KOM is 9.5km long and averages 3.9%, but the final few kilometers feature some flats and descents, so you know the climbing section average well over 3.9%.
When you reach the KOM banner and wave hello to the ibex, don’t stop pedaling… you’ve still got some work to do! Instead of immediately descending you’ll turn left to take on the daunting Radio Tower climb. This is the steepest sustained climb in the game, and it doesn’t help that you’re climbing on snow/ice, which rolls slower than pavement!
Pro tip: once you get to the top, you can catch your breath before zipping down the steep incline. This is a great place to grab speed-related achievement badges like Speed Demon (40mph), Daredevil (50mph), or even the secret 100KPH badge!
After descending from the Radio Tower you can enjoy a long, almost coastable descent down the Epic KOM’s backside. This will take you to the docks of the Fishing Village, where the road winds up to the Italian Villas and across The Esses before dropping you back in downtown Watopia for the finish.
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Stage Four: Crit City Downtown Dolphin, 16 Laps (30.4km/19.2 miles)
Downtown Dolphin is one of two routes on the racing-focused Crit City map released in the December 6, 2019 update. Featuring dead turns, an uphill prime section, a lap counter, and sharp corners with sightlines on city streets, this route’s layout nicely replicates the visuals of a downtown crit.
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Downtown Dolphin is one of two routes on the racing-focused Crit City map released in the December 6, 2019 update. Featuring dead turns, an uphill prime section, a lap counter, and sharp corners with sightlines on city streets, this route’s layout nicely replicates the visuals of a downtown crit.
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Route Basics
Length: 1.9 km (1.2 miles) Elevation: 8 m (26‘) Lead-In: 0.1 km (0.1 miles) Map: Crit City
Start & Finish
Since this is an event-only route, riders will always begin in the start pens located just after the lap banner when riding in the Downtown Dolphin direction. This means you’ll ride nearly 2 laps before the lap counter shows 1.
Beginning at the start pens, you ride toward the city center portion of the route. Look ahead and if your race is broken up enough you may see riders coming down another section of road toward you.
In this first section, the older portion of the city, you’ll be mostly hemmed in by buildings. As the city closes in the road tilts up slightly–a false flat which will slow riders, increase resistance, and bump up power numbers.
Past the Watopia mural on your right, with the spinning Zs across the street, you’ll round the second right-hand turn and encounter a Zwift eSports stage complete with riders on trainers, spectators, and big screens showing videos of avatars in action.
Zwifting in Zwift? Zwiftception.
Hang another sharp right and you’ll pick up speed quickly as the road tilts downwards at 2% for this entire straightaway. Look ahead and notice the start/finish banner–this is another place on this well-designed route which allow you to catch sight of riders who are well ahead or behind.
(Crit racers know if you’re able to get off the front far enough that the peloton no longer sees you, you stand a better chance of staying away. It’s harder to chase what you can’t see.)
You’ll make another two lefts before things get crazy as the road turns right, pavement turns to brick, and the prime section begins! This 200-meter, 4% incline is the only timed segment on Crit City, and it’s where you’ll see attacks each and every lap.
The first of two “dead turns” is coming up, at the end of the straightaway containing the prime banner. Make this 135-degree turn and enter the more open and modern “business park” portion of the city which includes a sort of virtual Zwift HQ as its centerpiece. HQ includes more Zwifters (runners and riders) out front.
Next, we’ve got a fun little set of racetrack-like rollers where you’ll want to keep your speed high and make sure you don’t lose the wheel ahead! Look ahead and you’ll spot the lap banner–still 400 meters away, but this is another chance to see riders who are well ahead or behind.
Complete the 180-degree turn, passing the Scotty inflatables and more virtual Zwifters, and it’s ~200 meters flat and straight on to the finish.
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Points Scoring
This is a points-based series, not time-based. Points will be awarded on a category basis. For each category that finishes with a minimum of 10 participants, the following points will be awarded:
1st: 60 points
2nd: 55 points
3rd: 50 points
4th-50th: 48-2 points
All others will be awarded 1 point for participating in the race
These results will be available through ZwiftPower.
Prizes and Unlocks
Enter here for your chance to win one of three CeramicSpeed drivetrain upgrades (OSPW, bottom bracket, and chain).
Plus, when you participate in any of the races, you’ll unlock the CeramicSpeed Jersey (below).
CeramicSpeed is on the lookout for potential ambassadors in this Zwift series. They say, “we’re on the lookout for some true virtual racers that can help us explore new business opportunities within the virtual world of cycling as well as get involved in product testing of our components directed at e-cycling.”
If that sounds fun to you, be sure to participate in the race series in a way that makes CeramicSpeed recognize you! You don’t have to win the races, but you have to show how you’d be a valuable partner to CeramicSpeed on social media and within Zwift.
Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Follow on Strava