A ride for charity, a race up a mountain, and two long group rides. It’s your usual weekend of fun on Zwift!
Dempsey Challenge 2021: Patrick Dempsey Group Ride
The headline event of the weekend is the Dempsey Challenge ride – see Zwift Insider’s post detailing the event. The Dempsey Challenge is an annual run, walk and cycle fundraiser for the Dempsey Center, which makes life better for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
The target for the Zwift community is to collectively ride/run 50,000 miles (80,000km) over the event weekend. If we achieve this, we will unlock a $50,000 donation to the charity.
There is one main event here which is the chance to ride with Patrick himself. Additional Dempsey Challenge rides and runs happen throughout the weekend (see full list here). Complete any of these events to unlock the Dempsey Challenge kit.
Saturday, October 23 @8pm CEST/7pm BST/2pm EDT/11am PDT
First event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2350941
WKG Crampeur
Ven Top. The only climb I fear on Zwift. It’s just so long, and as a result I have only raced it once before to completion and that was in the Tour de France rides last year. That is until last weekend when I took part in the Zwift Team Greece Climbing TT race, where the climb certainly wasn’t as bad as the previous year.
So I fancy another go, and this race already has a strong turnout of riders, so it’s going to be exciting. I wonder if anyone will break the hour for the climb? My attempt last week left me 39 seconds short and unable to walk the next day!
Saturday October 23 @ 10:15am CEST/9:15am BST/4:15am EDT
Event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2344662
SAS – ULTRA 200km
Any event that comes with a warning needs to be mentioned, at least once! This caught my eye for 2 reasons: firstly, 200km in the event name and secondly, when I clicked into the event, its opening sentence was: “WARNING: This Ride is a Smashfest!”
I haven’t seen too many rides with a “Warning” attached. Not surprisingly, only 10 people had signed up at the time of writing, but hopefully a few more will join up if they read this.
Something I noticed was that in the event title it said 200km but when you look at the details in the Companion app, the event distance says 199km. I never thought of it until now, but I wonder if Zwift has a limit on how far a group ride can go, and maybe that limit is set to 199km? If anyone knows, please be sure to comment below.
Sunday, October 24 @ 6am CEST/5am BST/12am EDT/9pm Saturday PDT
Event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2358271
LEQP Provence Badge Hunter Series
I have not mentioned our friends in the LEQP Provence Badge Hunter Series in a few months, so one is long overdue. It’s reassuring to know that they are still out there every Sunday, helping people collect those route badges.
These are excellent group rides and this weekend they are tackling the Watopia Pretzel, distance 73km. I actually got this badge with them on this route last year. It’s a well-paced and inclusive group ride and no one is left behind.
Sunday, October 24 @ 8:30am CEST/7:30am BST
Event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2358291
Your Thoughts
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!
Maybe the folks at ZHR Audax can tell us something about ride length limits. They used to have 200 and 300 km rides that ran most weekends but I went to look just now and 300 km does not seem to be an option anymore. I’ve never done it with them, but did 200 km with Ascenders once (I was the only one who did the whole thing) and that ride looks to still be a regular go.
When I went to sign up for the ven top one it said group already started
The WKG race up Ven-top is on the 7th of November.
Yes, zwift limits rides to 199k
The WKG race up Ven-Top is not in October but on the 7th of November. I’m taking part in the WKG winter league and this race is part of that. You startled me there for a second saying the race is on the 23rd, I was afraid I missed it 🙂
Hi – I am not sure what happened with the Ven Top link, the event was: The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App (zwift.com)
I notice when I click the one in the article it shows the Haute event. Anyway, the times were right in the description.
Strange that one, I must say. I even went and checked my Master document and it has the right link. Anyway, I’ll have to watch that next week. Thanks for the “heads up”
Rode On!
I started the SAS Ultra 200km rides and have led 300km, 400km and 500km versions as well as 12hr and 24hr versions. There is no limit for events as long as they are organised. This has been going for 3yrs now. Hoppo
Good one with the events – that is seriously distance. Doing 500km in one hit is an awful lot of time in the saddle. Maybe it would be worth chatting to the Race3R Endurance guys as they are building to that.