The Haute Route events have been described as the closest you get can to being a pro without actually, well… being a pro cyclist. Renowned as much for their top organization and experience as their difficulty, Haute Route events are the ultimate test for many amateur riders. The traditional events are usually held over 3 or 7 days, although for the bravest it is possible to undertake the Alps, Pyrenees, and Dolomite tours back to back for your own Grand Tour experience.
Like many cycling companies, Haute Route saw a valuable opportunity in pairing with Zwift to promote their product and unveiled the first virtual 3-day Haute Route event on the platform. True to the real-world events, there would be plenty of climbing and it would be no stroll in the park.
Prep
Launched to much fanfare back in February, the event had fallen off my radar until a few days before. As someone always keen to push myself I signed myself up to all three stages and began a few days of prep. Due to the lockdown, my fitness wasn’t a problem, so my preparation actually meant tapering for a few days beforehand. To give my legs a little test I undertook the Tour of Watopia Stage 5 Long Ride up the volcano on Thursday, the day before Haute Route Wataopia. I felt in good shape but as I went to bed I wondered if I had overdone it.
Stage 1
The stages were being run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, over three different routes and with multiple start times per day. I opted for the first event of the day at 8am Friday. This worked well with my normal routine and would give me the maximum rest time before stage 2 the following day. I joined the event as soon as I could, due to wanting to be near the front of the pier pens – with over 4,000 signed up I didn’t want to spend 5 minutes getting to the course!
I went into the event with fairly high expectations, as a B rider I have had some good results recently and according to my race ranking on ZwiftPower I was in the top 50 entrants. This was a fool’s metric, though! Most of those ranking points had come in shorter, flatter races where my 80kg of weight is less of an issue and raw watts at the finish can make a big difference. So, bearing this in mind, I set myself a target of finishing in the top 10%.
The Friday course was Three Sisters, a punchy 47.8km route over the original three Watopian climbs; the KOM, Epic KOM, and Volcano Climb for a total of 879m of climbing. As expected, the start was fast, frenetic, and straight up the KOM! No lead-in, just boom straight up. Sure, it’s just a little bump in the scheme of things but I didn’t want to ruin my legs in the first couple of clicks so I paced myself but made sure I stayed in a small bunch for the descent to the base of the Epic KOM.
I crossed the start of the climb in around 200th position but as the route ascended, my position descended, down to 400th and outside of the top 10%. Not feeling despondent I reminded myself this was a marathon, not a sprint and we were less than 20km into a 150km event. I also didn’t know how many of the riders around me were targeting all 3 days – as a free to enter, virtual ride there would no doubt be those just doing 1 or 2 of the stages due to other commitments so I reminded myself this was about my time at the end of the event, not my position on the day.
As I descended the Epic KOM, I made it into a nice blob which worked together to keep the speed high until we reached the volcano climb. Having completed the climb, the day before I knew this would be around 8 minutes of climbing. As we went up, I lost touch with my group. With one eye on the next two days this didn’t worry me. In hindsight, I could have been better positioned going into the climb and maybe pushed over the top with the group. This would have allowed me to be in a larger, quicker group for the final run-in to the line. As it happened, I finished 30 seconds back on this group with a final time of 1:19:00. This gave me a position of 239th out of 1,624 on Zwiftpower, not quite the top 10% but I expected this to whittle down over the weekend.
On a real Haute Route, riders are presented with access to top nutrition and massages after each stage but I had to settle for a protein shake and cookie and hope that would be enough to recover me for stage 2.
Stage 2
At 27.6km, stage 2 was shorter than the previous day but featured barely any descending and plenty of climbing, with a jaunt up Alpe du Zwift on the agenda. Like the previous day I got into the pen nice and early and then got swamped by riders speeding off as the lights turned green.
The ride to the foot of the climb was very fast, essentially one long train. I have only completed the Alpe twice before and knew there would be very little respite. Prior to the stage I checked out my average power from my PB – 284W – so as we started the climb, I set this as a target. (This might have been optimistic as I was concerned it might leave me fatigued for the final stage.) Regardless, I smashed out the first few sectors at around 320W. This soon caught up with me and I found myself in the middle third doing everything I could to keep each sector’s average above 284W.
Once again, I was being passed by a stream of riders but I wasn’t racing them, I was racing myself and my time. As I neared the top, I realized that my earlier efforts meant I was on course for a PB and this buoyed my efforts, giving me the lift needed to push on for the last couple of kilometers, raising my output back up to the 300W mark.
I crossed the line in 1:15:39 for the stage but more importantly I had taken 3 minutes of my Alpe PB. I was cautious though: was this just down to the draft from all the riders on the course? Later inspection showed that my power was 14W high for this effort so it was a genuine improvement.
As I rolled back down the 10minute descent, my thoughts turned to Stage 3. At 73km, this was as long as the first two days combined and featured the Epic KOM in both directions. I had my usual protein shake and cookie before fully intending to put my feet up and rest my legs all day. Unfortunately, my wife remembered my promise to mow the lawn and assist with the garden, not what my legs needed!
Stage 3
The final day filled me with a few nerves as I got set up for the 2pm ride. I plumped for a slightly later ride, giving my legs just a few extra hours of rest – my version of marginal gains. I’ve not ridden the Pretzel before but looking at the profile I estimated it would be a 2-2:15 ride, so filled up two water bottles plus a backup pint glass and placed them with some snacks on the workbench next to me.
Whether it was adrenaline, excitement, or stupidity I set off at speed making the most of the draft and raced towards the foot of the Epic KOM. Having completed the climb a couple of days earlier, I expected this to take around 23-24 minutes and for my early position to drop like a stone. To my surprise I managed to hold steady! Perhaps there was a general feeling of fatigue in the pack or I suspect those who had gone all out on day one hadn’t lasted the distance. Regardless, this was once again a race against myself and I felt good, powered up the climb and knocked almost a minute off my PB.
Had I just blown it? Am I going to regret this very soon? Time would tell. First I had to get back down the mountain. After learning from the first stage I pushed hard to catch a decent-sized blob which I knew would make good time around the main island and two ascents of the original KOM.
Initially, I found a nice rhythm but after an hour of riding I started to struggle and as we made our way down the switchbacks on the approach to the Epic KOM reverse I was not feeling good. I attacked my snacks, some Haribo and several digestive biscuits. I was not looking forward to the next 45-60 minutes and felt like I had blown it, angry at myself for attacking too hard early on.
The first switchbacks up to the bridge were a struggle. My power was around 250W – respectable, but below the 300W marker I set myself for the climbs. But by the time I had crossed the bridge, the biscuits had started to work their magic! My legs awoke and I found the missing watts and pushed myself on. A quick water refill from the team car (aka wife) kept me going and despite my slow start I bagged another personal best.
Secretly I had hoped for sub 2 hours for this ride and that target was on a knife-edge right know. I can’t remember the exact numbers but I had around 16km to ride and 19 minutes to do it. It was time to find some eager riders and blob up. We started well, the descent giving us a fantastic speed boost and the riders around me got on board with the idea of sub-2. Time and distance checks were announced, this was going well but it was all downhill!
Soon we were on the flats and the switchbacks. The slight incline felt like the Alpe again but we pushed on – this was going to be touch and go. The kilometers ticked down, I nearly lost contact on the cobbles in the Italian village – mentally I hate those cobbles but amazing through it all we stayed together. One final climb out from the sprint bridge and through the Esses before the descent to the line. Unlike Stage 1, the finish was at the banner but those extra 250m didn’t matter as we crossed the line with 19 seconds to spare. A fantastic effort from Team Sub-2 as we had named ourselves.
Closing Thoughts
What a great three days of racing this was. Highs and lows, determination, stubbornness, and personal bests. In the end, I finished 895th out of 7,506 finishers. A little outside my top 10% target but as I discovered on the Alpe this wasn’t really about everyone else, it was about me. With personal bests on the three biggest climbs in Watopia I had plenty to be happy about.
A few days later my legs were still feeling the effort I had put in, and I was still feeling pleased with my performance. There were lots of positives to take-away and where there were a few issues Zwift acted quickly to address them, including staggered starts and more start times. It would have been nice to see the results broken down by category so I could see how I did against other Cat B’s but that’s my only real (small) complaint. (I’m sure there will be more multi-day events, so hopefully this is something that could be included in the future.) All in all, a great event that pushed me mentally and physically.
What About You?
Did you complete the Haute Route series? Share your experience below!
The Haute Route Watopia was a lot of fun. It’s actually a brilliant idea, as it encourages you to complete each stage and make a weekend of it. I am working through saddle soreness issues but making progress on perfecting my indoor setup. Look forward to an event that spans Innsbruck, London, New York, etc. Might be a bit crowded for some courses.
I planned my weekend around this event, each stage short enough to not get in the way but long enough combined to be a good test. I like the idea of a multi-venue event – Innsbruck climb in both directions could easily feature. The Haute Route events are more mountain based but a flatter, more rolling stage for the heavyweights would add a nice mix to a multi-stage event too. Apart from the few people who had some tech issues almost everyone I’ve spoken to who took part enjoyed it.
Absolutely loved this event. Nowhere to hide. 3 stages over 3 consecutive days. Bloody tough but a great atmosphere in the pens and on the course. Zwift should definitely do more of these back to back stage events.
Lots of people and lots of camaraderie. I hope there are some more of these events too and considering how many people entered I would be surprised if there wasn’t.
Is there really any need for this response? I genuinely feel sorry for people who write responses like this.
Great write-up, Mike! I greatly enjoyed reading it, and I congratulate you on such a good performance.
Thank you Renzo. This is my first article for Zwift Insider so I’m glad people are enjoying reading it. Did you do any of the stages? How did you find it?
Hi, Mike.
I didn’t participate in the event, though I might participate in some others at some point.
I’ve come back to Zwift to do some races, and I started reading ZI to understand how the races work. I’ve greatly enjoyed many of the articles, so I started reading more of them.
Cheers!
I entered all 3, but stage 2 didn’t work for me, zwift was lagging badly and it was impossible to ride. In the end I did the same route on my own, as did quite a few others judging by the messages I was seeing. To zwifts credit by stage 3 they had added more start times so I started at 1005 rather than 1000,this was a lot better, only 1700 riders as opposed to over 4000. I joined very early as well for this stage. Overall I enjoyed it all,just think zwift were taken by surprise by the numbers entering which spoiled stage 2 for me
Turn down your laptop settings, their is far more demand on it with so many riders, zwift servers where running fine. Having said that, I got kicked out prior to turn 5 after I inadvertently pressed the mic button on my apple tv remote, what was a faulty good experience on stipple TV suddenly became a stalled system…. Restarted and rejoined, but was no longer in the event. I climbed the last 5 turns in Hooe that I’d get a finishing time. But no dice.
I immediately joined the next wave, and checked if pressing the mic button would do the same thing. Yep, same result.
Gave myself 3 hours rest and then climbed the alp for a 2nd time to get my stage 2 result. My legs definitely felt it after finishing stage 3, then kept pedalling to get the 100km ride in.
Yes, I’m not sure Zwift I’d imagined this level of participation when the event was announced before the lockdown period. As you say, Zwift HQ did seem to jump on things fairly quickly though by adding staggered start times and more event starts which was good to see.
Participated last year in the real HR in the Pyrenees and Dolomites, finishing #16 and #17. Wanted to see how this translates to Zwift: final result was #67 in the overall GC. Quite satisfied. Efforts are harder, but way shorter, and recovery isn’t really a big problem. Loads of fun though, gave me some goals in this quarantine!
That’s some cracking results! I would love to do the real event one day but probably need to lose a few more kilos to help me get up the mountains a bit easier.
Mike, I think I was in a group with you for most of the 2nd hour, but I cracked at the ‘Italian Village’ and ended just outside 2hrs. Good fun
Oh! That’s a shame, I thought we all made it but by that point I must admit I had tunnel vision for the finish line and it’s all a bit of the blur. Glad you enjoyed it though.
How do you know you finished 895th out of 7,506 finishers?
Hey Ron, I was wondering the same thing – I managed all 3 stages but I don’t know where the results are kept. Anyone?
Hi, thanks for commenting. These results are shown on the ZwiftPower website. You have to connect your Zwift account but it’s great for showing extra stats and leagues like this.
if you’re not registered I guess you could add your times up and scroll through the list to find your rank.
https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=289
Hi the results can be found in the Companion app for each race you entered.
Here to ask the same. I would be interested in knowing a general ranking but I’m still confused with the zwiftpower results. I assume I can only see the results of the precise group I rode with?
Loved it! It would be awesome if zwift had more of these stage events that don’t have makeup days, just replice the haute route experience as much as possible. A 7 day stage next would be awesome! Sign me up!
A 7 day event would be awesome but require some good forward planning. I’m sure it’ll be something that appears in the future.
Loved the event, but clearly my approach of just turning up with a bottle of water and an energy bar was seriously flawed.
I totally underestimated Stage 3. Those digestive biscuits and some Haribo really helped power me back up the Epic KOM though.
Hi Mike, I didn’t get the unlock message after finishing stage 3. Do you get an additional finisher jersey? Or is it the same jersey that was given for the workouts? If there is an additional kit can you post a picture? Thanks.
Hi Bernd – this is the jersey I received for completing stage 3.
Thanks
I rode the same time each day and it was remarkable that despite each stage having 4000-6000 starters, I ended up seeing the same names around me on the long climbs
Great write up and glad you were able to enjoy all 3 stages. Unfortunately, my experience was finishing stage 1 (very tough 8am central time on a Friday for those of us that had to work the rest of the day) and not having it saved correctly. Tried again on Stage 2 and got kicked out of the game 1 minute prior to the start (over 6,000 riders) and then finally starting stage 3 and getting kicked after the first 15k. I’ve seen other comments about turning down settings, etc. but I was on Apple TV and just cranking away without touching anything. Super frustrating and hoping to participate next year. Ride on.
The good part about longer events on zwift is that cheaters get culled as fitness can’t be faked at that point. It was pretty amusing watching people who were doing 5wkg crack like an egg at 1.5+ hours and quit.
Francis Cade completes a Double Everest….
Still smiling, I am amazed it is “only” 47 slices of pizza.
Took just over 17 trips up AdZ.
I went to bed woke up and he was still at it. Hope he gets some well needed rest.
It sucked that they didn’t have a time option outside of work hours in the US, a major oversight in the planning. Left out all of the America’s that could n’t take vacations hours. I would have loved to participate. Stupid planning on Zwift’s part.
Hopefully this is something Zwift have picked up on, as it has cropped up in the feedback across many platforms.
I did all 3 stages and think it was a great concept. Zwift got caught out a bit by the level of participation but recovered decently. I do wish Haute Route had captured the zwiftpower results and posted them on their website broken down by stage, general classification, gender and age category as they do for IRL HR events.
In the end over the 3 days, I finished low in the middle 3rd and 6th of 19 in the 70+ category. It’s a little lower than I’ve finished in the 5 IRL Haute Route events I’ve done (the last being Pyrenees in 2018) but then I am hunkered down and was zwifting in Breckenridge, CO at 9,700ft (3,000m) while most were at sea level.
What this event did illustrate to me is that I have a looong way to go to be ready for this year’s IRL Haute Route Alps late August, which I’m registered to do. Here’s to hoping we are all past the current situation by then. Stay healthy.
I’m sure a more detailed results breakdown is something that will hopefully be picked up in future events. Whilst it’s not strictly a race, people always like to see how they do and it’s that extra bit of motivation.
That’s impressive riding up at 3,000m, I’m down at sea level myself. Good luck taking on the Alps!
It was a really good event. I hope there will be more. It was less insane than the usual Zwift racing experience and a true test of fitness. Keep it coming!
I made sure I didn’t get sucked into the carnage at the beginning of each event and paced myself. It was great to think about the long game and participate in a different type of event.
A great article, I thoroughly enjoyed it, a pity I missed the event.
Thanks Harry. I’m sure Zwift will run similar style events in the future and no doubt I’ll try to cover them too!
Where do you find the Final Results of all 3 stages?
Final ZwiftPower results are at https://www.zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=289
Very nice event. Not as hard as I thought it would be tbh. Will do it again 🙂
When looking at results (https://www.zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=289), Zwift Power has a “Rank” column. Can someone tell me what that number is? It doesn’t seem to be percentile ranking.
Got booted off the start in all but 1 of the stages due to all the Zwift techy glitches with so many riders on concurrently so I rode the stages independently anyway. Not as motivating but feeling personally accomplished non the less.