In cycling, this first weekend of July is always a big weekend! Saturday, July 1st, marks the start of the 2023 Tour De France (TDF), the biggest race in cycling. This week’s first notable event kicks off a big racing tour put on by SISU that follows the TDF. We’ve also selected several more endurance rides and races.
🥇 2023 SISU Racing Tour
✅ Popular Event ✅ Innovative Format ✅ Highly Competitive
Like the pros, tackle a three-week race series! SISU Racing is hosting its 2023 Racing Tour, featuring 7 races across three weeks. To accommodate riders’ needs, there will be seven opportunities to complete each stage. Riders’ best time will be counted towards their time in the GC (general classification).
This first stage will take place on the Country to Coastal course. However, the courses will be changing at every stage. Tip: Get the full TDF experience by watching the tour as you complete the race!
Multiple time slots Saturday through Monday
Browse all SISU Racing Tour events at zwift.com/events/tag/sisu
🤝 USMES Monthly Century Ride
✅ Popular Event ✅ Endurance Ride
To celebrate the start of the Tour De France, team USMES will be hosting their monthly century ride on the virtual roads of France. USMES encourages riders to make this their own event by going to whatever distance pleases them, whether it is 50, 100, or 160 kilometers. Two leaders will lead at different paces, one at 2.5 w/kg and the other at 3 w/kg.
This endurance group ride takes place on the French Classic Fondo course, one of the longest routes on Zwift.
Saturday, July 1 @ 1 pm UTC/9 am EDT/6 am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3705223
🥇 Pack Dynamics 4.1 with VirtuSlo 4Endurance Sunday Race
✅ Test Race
After lots of hard work on Pack Dynamics 4, Zwift is back with its next iteration. Give Pack Dynamics v.4.1 a go in VirtuSlo’s Sunday race. This is a standard scratch race, so there is no need to worry about points.
Categories A and B will be racing two laps of the Greater London 8 course while categories C and D will race one lap.
Sunday, July 2 @ 8:45 am UTC/4:45 am EDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3749144
🤝 3R Endurance Steady Ride
✅ Popular Event
Start the weekend off strong with the 3R Endurance Steady Ride. Typically, 3R events are extremely well-paced and feature a nice, large blob. This is a category C-paced endurance ride with an average of 2.3-2.5 w/kg. Leaders and sweepers will be present.
This 100-kilometer (62-mile) endurance ride takes place on the Sprinter’s Playground course in the Makuri Islands. Riders will complete multiple loops of this course. Note: due to the time of this event, it will mainly suit those in Europe.
Saturday, July 1 @ 6 am UTC
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3748216
🥇 DIRT Hors Categorie Series – Race 5
✅ Popular Event ✅ Highly Competitive
Join the DIRT Categorie Hors Series for some fun and competitive racing. For the past five weeks, this series has been taking place weekly. It is also some of the most competitive racing on Zwift!
This week’s race is going to be extra tough as it takes place over one lap of the Surrey Hills course in London. Watch out for those hills!
Sunday, July 2 @ 5 pm UTC/1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3651548
How We Make Our Picks
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
- Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
- Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
- Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
- Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
- Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
- Is it for a good cause?
- Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
- Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Your Thoughts
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!
