Zwift’s annual fondo series is a popular tradition where thousands of riders push themselves to finish long rides. The series kicks off this weekend, and Zwift has made some fun changes this year:
- A progressive route schedule which gets slightly longer each month, using new routes each month
- An expanded event schedule for more availability
- A fresh kit to unlock each month
Here are all the details about this year’s fondo series…
Zwift Fondo Schedule
Fondo weekends will happen once a month for three months, beginning this weekend and ending the last weekend of January 2024:
- November 30, 2023 – December 3, 2023 (Feast Fondos)
- December 29, 2023 – December 31, 2023 (Holiday Fondos)
- January 26, 2024 – January 28, 2024 (Gourmet Fondos)
Each weekend’s fondos kick off Thursday morning at 5am UTC (12am EST, Wednesday 9pm PST) and are scheduled every three hours until Monday 5am UTC/12am EST/Sunday 9pm PST).
Fondo Routes: “The Feast”
Each month will feature different routes, most not used in Zwift fondos of years past. Riders can choose between a short, medium, and long route (traditionally called the Bambino, Medio, and Gran Fondo, respectively). As the series progresses each month, the short, medium, and long options get slightly longer.
Here are the routes for this weekend (Nov 30-Dec 3):
- Gourmet Fondo: France Classic Fondo
- Custom Length: 91.5km/56.9 miles, 686m/2,250′ elevation (this appears to end at the Ballon Sprint)
- Savory Fondo: Tire-Bouchon
- 1 lap (63.7km/39.6 miles, 589m/1,932′ elevation)
- Feast Fondo: Casse Pattes
- 2 laps (46.5km/28.9 miles, 310m/1,017′ elevation)
Fondo Routes: “The Holidays”
Here are the routes for the weekend of Dec 29-31:
- Jolly Fondo: Gran Fondo 2022
- 1 lap: 92.8km/57.7 miles, 1116m/3,661′ elevation
- Spark Fondo: Big Foot Hills
- 1 lap (69.7km/43.3 miles, 713m/2,339′ elevation)
- Festive Fondo: The Big Ring
- 1 laps (51.1km/31.8 miles, 273m/895′ elevation)
Fondo Routes: “New Year’s”
We don’t yet know the routes for the weekend of Jan 26-28 since they haven’t been added to the calendar, but we know their lengths:
- Triumph: Gran Fondo
- 1 lap: 97.7km/60.7 miles, 1148m/3,766′ elevation
- Rise: The Pretzel
- 1 lap: 72.7km/45.2 miles, 1333m/4,373′ elevation
- Elevate: Eastern Eight
- 54.1km/33.6 miles, 413m/1,355′ elevation
Kit Unlocks
This year, you can unlock a different fondo kit each month by completing any of the three fondo distances. Here’s a shot of all three kits:
These kits are exclusive, meaning they will never be available anywhere else. A true badge of honor!
Is this a race?
Officially, no. But hundreds (possibly thousands) of riders will turn out for each of these popular “fun race” events, and the front of each category will certainly be filled with strong riders going all out.
With so many riders taking part, everyone should be able to find a group going at their desired pace. You do you!
How the Categories Work
Unlike other Zwift events, the A, B, and C groups don’t refer to rider strength or fitness. Instead, they correspond to route and distance options:
- A Group (~90 km Gran Fondo)
- B Group (~70 km Medio fondo)
- C Group (~50 km Bambino fondo)
Questions or Comments?
Post below!
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