All About the Olympic Virtual Series Events on Zwift

May 27, 2021

LAST UPDATED June 2, 2021

Nearly five weeks ago, the IOC announced the Olympic Virtual Series, with cycling events to be held on Zwift. Today Zwift and the UCI released the details of the many events which make up the series.

Details can be found on Zwift’s website at zwift.com/olympic-virtual-series

The series is anchored by three different types of events happening throughout the month of June: podcast rides, group workouts, and chase races. Along the way two special events will also happen: the Celebrity Chase Event on June 18th, and the Olympic Day 24 hour series on June 23. Here are the details…

These group rides are 60 minutes long and held on a different route for each featured athlete. During the ride, a podcast episode will play from within Zwift interviewing with the featured athlete. Here’s the list of athletes, along with their event route and dates:

Georgia Simmerling (Watopia’s Waistband): June 1-3
The first Canadian to compete in three different sports in three different Olympic Games (cycling, alpine skiing and skicross).
Nino Schurter (Tick Tock): June 4-6
3x Olympic Medalist and 8x UCI World Champion, this Swiss rider is arguably one of the greatest male cross-country mountain bikers of all time.
Chris Hoy (Flat Route): June 7-10
The second-most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time, with six Gold Medals and 11 UCI World Championship titles.
Anna van der Breggen (Sand and Sequoias): June 11-13
The Dutch pro racer is a dominant force on the tarmac. She’s racked up huge number of wins over the course of her career, including a Gold Medal in Rio 2016 and 3x UCI World Champion.
Nelson Vails (Beach Island Loop): June 14-16
“The Cheetah” is a next-level athlete known for going from zero to 40+ mph in the blink of an eye. In the 1984 Olympics, he took home the silver in the track sprint event, becoming the first African American to win an Olympic medal in cycling.
Sarah Storey (Tempus Fugit): June 17-19
A 14x Gold Medalist, Sarah is the most decorated and successful British Paralympian of all time. Oh, that’s not enough? She also holds 23 UCI World Championship titles and 75 world records across both cycling and swimming, making her a veritable multisport legend.
Anna Meares (Two Village Loop): June 20-22
With six Olympic medals, this Australian is the most decorated woman track cyclist of all time. Her credentials also extend to being the most successful woman at UCI World Championships with 11 gold medals (a distinction shared with Germany’s Kristina Vogel).
Mariana Pajon (Two Village Loop): June 24-27
Won her first national title at the age of five and her first world title at nine. To this day, she has won 14 UCI World Championships, 9 Latin American championships, and 10 Pan American championships. Oh yeah, she’s also a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist in BMX, the first-ever Colombian to do so.

Schedule and signup at zwift.com/olympic-virtual-series

Each Olympic Virtual Series Group Workout was designed by a specific Olympian to help take participants to the next level in their training. See the Companion App for details on each workout’s intervals!

Workout 1: Team Pursuit Inspired by Georgia Simmerling: June 1-3
Georgia is a bona fide expert in Team Pursuit, scoring herself a Bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics.
Workout 2: Punchy Climbs Inspired by Nino Schurter: June 4-6
Arguably one of the greatest mountain bikers of all time, Nino shares tips and tricks on how to overcome punchy climbs.
Workout 3: Keirin Inspired by Sir Chris Hoy: June 7-10
One of the most visually striking track events, keirin is one of Sir Hoy’s specialties.
Workout 4: Road Race Inspired by Anna van der Breggen: June 11-13
A top Dutch cyclist, Anna is a versatile force on the tarmac with plenty of tips to help get you race-ready in no time.
Workout 5: Sprint Inspired by Nelson Vails: June 14-16
The first African-American to win an Olympic medal in cycling, Nelson is well-known for unleashing top sprinting efforts.
Workout 6: Individual Pursuit Inspired by Dame Sarah Storey: June 17-19
When she’s on the track, Dame Sarah Storey often chases down the competition so she’s the perfect person to impart her fitness wisdom.
Workout 7: Team Sprint Inspired by Anna Meares: June 20-22
A highly decorated track cyclist who’s fine-tuned her sprinting skills for years, who else could help you up your game?
Workout 8: Force Development Inspired by Mariana Pajon: June 24-27
Mariana has long called on what she’s learned with force development to earn her unofficial title as the Queen of BMX.

Schedule and signup at zwift.com/olympic-virtual-series

These are handicap-style race events where Zwifters of all abilities can take part and work together. Group D takes off first, followed by C, then B, then A. The challenge? Try to stay ahead of the category behind you while catching the category in front of you! Time gaps are set with the intention of all categories coming together at the end of the race for a final push to the line.

Multiple Chase Events happen each day, with the routes changing each week:

Week One (June 1-7): Watopia’s Tick Tock (2 Laps)
Lap Distance: 10.4 mi // 16.8 km, Lap Elevation Gain: 144 ft // 44 m, Lead-in: 1.5 mi // 2.4 km
Week Two (June 8-14): Watopia’s Volcano Flat (2 Laps)
Lap Distance: 7.6 mi // 12.3 km, Lap Elevation Gain: 151 ft // 46 m
Week Three (June 15-21): Watopia’s Tempus Fugit (2 Laps)
Lap Distance: 10.7 mi // 17.3 km, Lap Elevation Gain: 52 ft // 16 m, Lead-in: 1.5 mi // 2.4 km
Week Four: Makuri Islands Flatland Loop (2 Laps)
Lap Distance: 8.1 mi // 13.0 km, Lap Elevation Gain: 325 ft // 99 m

Be sure to enter the correct category, to help ensure a fair and fun race for everyone.

Schedule and signup at zwift.com/olympic-virtual-series/chase-races/

Celebrity Chase Event

The celebrity chase is an exciting and unique broadcast event on June 18. Olympians and a few lucky Zwift community members will get seeded and take off at certain intervals across Zwift’s roads with the goal of finishing the event before being chased down by whoever’s behind them.

This event can be watched at olympics.com/en/sport-events/olympic-virtual-cycling-event

On June 23rd, a series of 24 50-minute group rides is scheduled. Rides will be hosted by a rotating roster of Olympians and other special guests, and each ride is held on one of the new Makuri Islands routes. Join for just one ride, or see how many you can knock out!

See Olympic Day events at zwift.com/events/tag/ovs2021olympicday

Unlocks

Finish any event in the Olympic Virtual Series to unlock the slick Olympic Virtual Series-inspired kit as well as the official bicycle of the Olympics, the Bridgestone Anchor RS9s.

Complimentary Access for New Zwifters

The IOC and the UCI are offering new Zwifters complimentary access to the Zwift platform throughout the Olympic Virtual Series (1st – 27th June). Codes can be obtained by registering on the UCI Website.