The inaugural Haute Route Watopia in April 2020 was Haute Route’s very first virtual event, and an incredible experience for everyone involved. With almost 70,000 riders joining, Haute Route Watopia 2020 was bigger than anyone could have imagined, prompting Zwift to add more event times and categories at the last minute!
Haute Route has just announced this year’s Watopia event, and it looks like a solid challenge: 150km (93.2 miles) of riding and 3783m (12,411′) of climbing over 3 days (February 26-28th).
Registration
Visit zwift.com/hauteroute to see event details and sign up.
You can also sign up via the Companion app, the same way you’d sign up for another other Zwift event.
Stage Details
Stage 1: February 26
Distance: 51km / Elevation: 800m
This stage uses a portion of Watopia’s Mega Pretzel route, ending less than halfway through the route, atop the Volcano KOM. The route includes three key climbs:
- Epic KOM Reverse (6.2km, 5.9%)
- Hilly KOM (.9km, 5.0%)
- Volcano KOM (3.8km, 3.2%)
Stage 2: February 27
Distance: 53km / Elevation: 1300m
This stage uses most of Watopia’s The Pretzel route, ending atop the Epic KOM Reverse. It’s the longest stage in terms of distance, and includes four key climbs:
- Epic KOM (9.5km, 4.0%)
- Radio Tower Climb (1.1km, 13.7%)
- Hilly KOM Reverse (2.5km, 1.8%)
- Hilly KOM (.9km, 5.0%)
- Epic KOM Reverse (6.2km, 5.9%)
Stage 3: February 28
Distance: 45.9km / Elevation: 1683m
This stage uses the full Quatch Quest Watopia route, which finishes with a climb up Alpe du Zwift! It’s the queen stage thanks to its three climbs:
- Titans Grove Reverse KOM (0.9km, 6.6%)
- Epic KOM (9.5km, 4.0%)
- Alpe du Zwift (12.0km, 8.5%)
General Classification on Zwiftpower
While riders will be competing for stage wins, the overall win is the big prize. Be sure to register on ZwiftPower before the event so you can take part in the general classification competition across the three stages.
View General Classification Results >
New Bike Day
According to Zwift’s marketing for the event, we’ll be riding the Colnago V3Rs in game for the Haute Route Watopia stages – a new bike which isn’t yet available on Zwift! Zwift describes it as a “climbing dream machine”.
Finisher’s Kit and Other Unlock
Finish all three stages to unlock the exclusive 2021 Haute Route Watopia finisher’s kit (shown below).
Prize Drawing
Complete any stage to receive a link to enter a Haute Route prize draw for entry into an IRL 3-day European Haute Route
event! You’ll also receive a £50 Le Col discount reward.
Workout Series (and Kit Unlock)
Looking for direction as you train for Haute Route Watopia? A group workout series begins on Zwift Monday, January 11th.
See/sign up for events in the series >
Complete any one of the group workouts and unlock the Haute Route 3-day jersey.
Starter’s Guide
Download the Roadbook PDF for more details on Haute Route Watopia 2021 including fueling tips and “getting started” advice for Zwift newbies. You may also want to check out the Haute Route Watopia 2021 page >
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
I think this event will be even bigger this year and without each stage being staggered over several days, I just hope that Zwift get their act together so that we don’t see the complete shambles we’ve seen on Stage one of the TdZ.
With a good setup you dont have strugle with big participant numbers.
And how will that help me? I am not going to move my gaming pc every time I ride on Zwift. That would be 5+ times a week, you crazy?
Get your priorities straight 😆
I personally don’t have any problems with my set up but when you see videos on YouTube (Chris Prichard’s one is a good example) of hundreds of bikes with no riders and constant lag issues it hardly creates an immersive experience and shows Zwift in a bad light. I rode Stage 2 this evening (again with no issues) but the chat was constant in the opening minutes with complaints of riderless bikes and lagging issues.
For the first two stages, if you were to carry on riding = would you get the route badge do you think?
You only get the badge when the route is choosen. You can ride the PRL Full with free ride but you dont get the badge at the end.
That’s not answering the question.
Which, unfortunately I won’t be able to either but what the op is referring to is in events, if it takes place on a route you haven’t finished yet, you get the route badge on completion of the route.
If you start in the appropriate spot for the pretzels, I would imagine you might get the badge if you keep going. If you dont start at the right spot, you won’t.
If an event is on a route, and that route isn’t an event-only route, you’ll get a badge for riding it if you haven’t unlocked that route badge already.
In these Haute Route events which end before the official route ends, you would just need to keep riding to the end of the official route in order to get the badge.
All of this I can say with… 95% certainty. 😅
Oooh, I came on here to see what Eric would say about that! Maybe someone who needs Mega Pretzel would care to ride an extra 56km and double the elevation on the Friday and see if they get the route badge. Obviously for the Team!!
Going to hold you to that 95%. Thinking of trying to get the badges for the stage 1 and stage 2 rides by going the 110.7 Kilometers and 72.70. Hoping if I see the badge unlock screen for day one then will know
Good Luck!
I road the rest of the Pretzel today, all the way to the finishing banner downtown and didn’t get the badge. Is that a glitch?
You do get the route badge if you continue on after completing the stage, and go through the banner downtown
HOWEVER, you won’t complete The Pretzel segment, as the segment starts before the Start Pens. So if you’re keeping track on veloviewer.com/zwift-insider, you won’t complete this. 😡
I would think so, since it would be seen as you having picked that route to ride.
Does it actually start at the start of the mega pretzel route?
In events, the Mega Pretzel starts in the start pens.
This has worked for me previously. I did the Mega Pretzel on the Le Col New Years Century ride this way, the event stopped after 100km, and I just carried on until I got the badge.
Bit tame
There is unlikely to be a GC this year.
I hope they have a ride going off every hour like they did today so that traffic doesn’t crash it with no time for make-up rides. I also wish there were an alternative schedule for those of us in the Middle East where Sunday is a work day.
Looks like the schedule is for every hour. 👍
3 stages, 1 of them is a work day for everyone.
Stages are short at 50km, so it’s only 2 hours and can be done before or after work.
It’s unfortunate that the only route badge I need is the friday one. I’m not doing 4 hours for the mega pretzel after work.
Is it free if you have zwift sub?
Of course its free
The workout kit is the same as 2020 ? Shown in tje image ?
The link for the pretzel route takes you to the mega pretzel. Did the ventoux weekend all three stages and legs were sore some days after. Good pain ahead next month.
Fixed. Thanks!
Do you have any news on the XTERRA for us yet?
Hi Eric, do you think that the Colnago could be a faster climber than the Tarmac Pro ?
And could it be possible to unlock it in the event without spending hard earned drops ?
And are there some new rumors about the Spec. Aethos ?
By the way : thank you for lots of helpful insider information to understand the game better and better and better … !!!
Colnago without Campagnolo! The Horror!
Looks awesome, but I’m disappointed that they chose to put this on the weekend BEFORE the final race of ZRL season two.
In the same boat if my team is doing well in ZRL at the point as it is the playoffs at that point. I look forward to these events as it favors the endurance, long climb, and multi-day in row riders than the 1-2hr one day events once a week. All thou I am hoping for new frame for the garage after three days.
Good warm up
Isn’t the first stage going up the Epic KOM Reverse instead of Epic KOM or did I get it wrong?
Ah, you are correct! Haute Route has it mis-labeled on their route profile, so I made the same mistake. Fixed above!
This is more like a compact 3-days Haute Route IRL. A typical 3-days Haute Route IRL is more like day 1: Four Horsemen, day 2: Uber Pretzel and day 3: ITT reverse Epic KOM.
I did the first group workout today and didn’t get the jersey 🙁
Same here. Completed workout # 1 but didn’t get a jersey. I’m opening a support case so we’ll see what they say.
Same here too! Keep us posted.
Yeah, me too! Have you heard anything about how to get?
Zwift Support responded on Friday and said that there was a glitch that caused people to not get credited for the Haute Route workout kit. They said they’re “working on crediting this kit manually to participating Zwifters” and to allow some time for them to correct the issue. I still haven’t received it as of today, but I’m doing workout # 2 tomorrow, so we’ll see if it is fixed by then.
I’m sick of every event using the same damn routes I’ve been riding for years. FFS we need more tarmac but the ZHQ folks are too busy with their thumbs up their arse trying to build new hardware.
I don’t see them doing much in the way of building hardware with their thumbs up there.
This is just another way that Zwift mirrors RL. My county planning commission isn’t gonna go out and build more roads because I’m tired of riding the same routes.
When does registration open? Is this open to everyone?
It’s open to all. We don’t know when it’ll open.
When does Haute Route registration open?
Do you all get to ride the same bike or is that what you get for completing all three routes? Colnago V3R
I think we’ll all be riding the new Colnago.
Do I need to register in advance for the Tour De Haute (Feb 26th -> 28th) ? I’ve been doing the workouts for the past month and there is a note saying that registration should open in early February. I’m just curious if & when registration opens
Do I only need to register on Zwift/Zwift Power or do I need to register on the haute route page to? I can’t find this race on Zwift Companion …
How do I enter the Haute Route Race in Feb
How do you register for the haute route??
It’s almost half februari and registrations are still not open!
Yeah, I’m going all in for the Haute Route, it’d be nice to be able to register.
The Haute Route Facebook page says registration opens on the 20th.
Will you get the ‘ Quatch Quest’ route badge for the third stage ? Cheers
Do we have to sign in according to our zwiftpower classification (A, B, C, D) or are we allowed to choose a group?
Is there an entry cut off? Or can I join a timed start a few mins before?
Given that stage 2 is the first 50km of the pretzel if you carry on for ~20km would you get the pretzel badge? Would you have to do anything beyond just cycling (ie not having to choose route)?
Yes, if you keep riding you should unlock the Pretzel badge.
Brill thank you. Seems worthwhile given its 10km downhill & then 10km flat by the looks of things!
I did the Alpe last week on your manic Uber Pretzel ride… do I have to do it again…
Can I get extra XP points, if I finish all 3 stages?
Hi,
Anyone have an idea of the average time to complete each stage ?
I am a C crider.
Wild guess for myself (C-rider as well, but actually better in climbing than on the flats) is about 2:15 for each stage, won’t be much of a difference between them I reckon. E.g. the last stage already has Epic KOM (just under 30 minutes) and Alpe (just under the hour for me).
Thanks !
I check the segment on strava but since I am not a subscriber I cannot browse all people on the segments to see their time .
But your 2h15 time is right i think
with elevation gain for the stages of 800m/1300m/1600m I think there will be a reasonable difference between the stages.
I think I’m towards the top of C at 3.2w/kg, and I estimate 1hr 45 for stage 1, probably 2hours for stage 2 and 2hours 15 for stage 3 (65 minutes to get to the alpe, and 70 minutes to climb it). I’ve done it in an hour but at the end of the mega pretzel last week it took me 78 minutes
I’m exactly a 3.2w/kg and I was 1:46 for Stage 1 today. Your estimate was very good
Looks like we keep the bike if we buy it in the drop shop. I wonder why the E catagory is greyed out and can not be selected on the sign up page. Also how have people already done some of the event stages already when registration was opened today? Is this a monthly or quarterly event?
Looks like they are using the stupid points system for the general classification again? Why can’t they just use the aggregated time like most multistage bike races?
At Virtual Haute Route Ventoux, I finished second on stage 2 and first on stage 3 but that didn’t really matter because I finished outside the top20 in the stage 1 mass sprint. 39 points total was the same as finishing 8th 3 times, which was probably almost 10 minutes slower in aggregated time.
I don’t think that’s very fair.
sounds poor. as if the difference between being in the front or the back of one group is bigger than the difference between being in group 1 or 2
Can we change bike in the jungle?
That’s exactly what I was wondering. Since they are forcing the Colnago, I bet that you can’t.
Anyone know where the results from the first stage of haute ar eposted
All results are on ZwiftPower. If you registered.
Is double draft in affect for the event?
Nope.
Just completed all 3 stages and the finisher jersey is not showing up in my garage 🙁 now I got to chase support…
It’s in your garage, when you start the next ride.
Didn’t get my Quatch Quest badge from completing yesterday’s stage. Not looking forward to having to do it again!
I completed stage 3 yesterday and received the confirmation email that I completed all 3 stages, however Zwift is showing “Activity details could not be loaded.” and below that it is just showing the Distance, Time, Elevation, & Calories which all seem correct. I did not receive the Jersey in my garage for completing the challenge and my avatar reverted all the way back to the orange Zwift jersey and the stock Zwift bike. Did anybody else experience this issue? I rode on an Apple TV if that helps.
Same here chap, done all 3 stages, no jersey. May just be delayed, main thing is, we did it 💪🏻
The kin to the General classification show nothing, just an empty list
i mean the link to the general clissification show no result in the zwift power page
Cant pull up omnium results for the Haute Route. Stages 1 and 2 displayed great. Using the same URL that Eric posted.
Can anyone see general classification results for all three stages? I tried https://www.zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=660 but it says Loading…
Eric, any news on why the omnium results for the series aren’t posted yet?