GCN Host Simon Richardson has taken up a new challenge: can he get fitter despite this new reality of working from home and social distancing? And will he come out ahead of the competition, as other GCN presenters are throwing down to see who makes the biggest quarantine leap?
Zwifters are invited to train with Si and other GCN hosts on group workouts for the next four weeks. Join in to build overall fitness, or target improving your Epic KOM time like the GCN hosts. Here’s Simon’s intro video:
The series was assembled by Zwift Performance Consultant Kev Poulton and involves a mix of workouts grabbed from various Zwift training plans, with a Wednesday race to test our limits and a free ride to get in some climbing.
Two different group workouts will be offered each week (Tuesdays and Fridays), and the rides will be led in different timezones by GCN presenters from the UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, and France.
Last Sunday we hit a new high of 28,305, then yesterday (Saturday) we broke the 30k mark for the first time in Zwift’s history.
But this morning (Sunday) we blew away our record again – hitting a peak of ~34,940 at precisely 2am California time, or 9am GMT.
Zwift isn’t confirming peak numbers during this time, so we don’t know the precise number. Astute Zwifter Kevin Wild sent us a screenshot showing 34,945, and one Garry Stevens posted a shot showing 34,954!
I woke up at 2am on March 26th with a Zwifty idea: what if I could easily filter the list of upcoming events based on how many people are signed up?
(Let’s not talk about me having too much Zwift on the brain. It’s been crazy in Zwiftlandia for the last few weeks!)
Big events are something cyclists rarely get to enjoy outdoors, but they happen regularly on Zwift. The problem is: there’s no easy way to find them! Sometimes Zwift announces the big events – other times (especially in the last few crazy weeks) no announcement is made, yet people still sign up in droves because they found it through some other channel.
When I got into the office that morning I sent a quick message to Jesper over at ZwiftHacks. He liked my idea.
The next day, it was live. That’s agility, folks. Three cheers for Jesper!
To filter events by size, click “More filters and search” then select an option next to “Size”. Jesper set it up so you can filter for events with 100+, 200+, 300+, or 500+ signups.
What do you think?
Is this a useful tool for you? And how great is Jesper’s ZwiftHacks events tool? Share your thoughts below!
Covid-19 Host Check-Ins With Kev Poulton and Greg Henderson (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast)
Matt catches up with Kev to discuss how pro cyclists are coping amidst COVID-19, plus a new power profiling protocol and peak Zwift. Matt and Kev even share their best jokes!
In a separate episode, Matt catches up with Greg who talks about how COVID-19 is impacting his daily life in isolation. Plus, what it means for a World Tour pro cycling team to have no IRL racing to train for!
Interview with Buddy the Elf, Sweeper Extraordinaire
Group ride sweeping is a challenging, sacrificial job. If you do it right, your ride will be dictated in large part by the actions of weaker riders as you drop away from the main pack to pull riders back, or just give them a friendly wheel so they don’t ride alone.
We often focus on ride leaders (the yellow beacon), but the most successful group rides on Zwift also have dedicated sweepers (the red beacon). Perhaps the most well-known sweeper on Zwift today goes by “Buddy the Elf” in game, and after watching him work on a recent ride, I reached out to see if Buddy was up for an interview.
He was happy to oblige, and included many tips for sweepers and group rides. I know you’ll enjoy hearing from this big-hearted guy as much as I did!!
ZI: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, how old are you, what do you do for work, etc?
Bill and his family
Buddy: Well, first off, my real name is Bill and I have always been a midwesterner (U.S.). Born in Illinois, lived the majority of my 55 years in Wisconsin, with a brief stint in Michigan. My wife Tracy and I will celebrate 28 years of marriage this year and have three adult children.
My employment history has consisted of being an entrepreneur (food delivery service in the mid-1980’s – wish I could have predicted the technology that brought us apps like Uber Eats, etc today), a chemical and equipment salesperson, a stay at home dad, and a property manager/handyman for my wife’s business.
What is your level of cycling experience, and how long have you been on Zwift?
I am a recreational cyclist. Group rides, charity/fundraising rides do provide summer miles but most cycling IRL are impromptu solo rides. Cycling is a way to keep in shape and a great way to mentally unwind for me. I was a runner from the age of 14 up until about the age of 45 when both knees needed to be “tuned up” and cycling became the primary form of exercise.
Zwift was brought to my attention by my local bike shop. It started as a great way to stay engaged in cycling during the winter months but has become much more than that. It is a great community and I have really enjoyed riding with people from all over the world. A funny thing is that my wife likes Zwift as much, if not more, than I do and she doesn’t Zwift… yet.
Too many close calls with those we share the roads with makes my wife nervous when I head outside. She is much happier knowing I’m safely Zwifting in the basement. Cycling miles for me in 2019 were about 9,300 on Zwift and about 2,500 outdoors. My 3rd anniversary on Zwift occurred last month.
Buddy’s Zwift station
When did you first start sweeping for group rides, and what motivated you to do that?
It took a little time getting the hang of Zwift but I soon began joining group rides. The PACK was the first group ride I joined and still ride with them today. After getting somewhat comfortable hanging around the back of the group and not getting dropped, I began assisting riders who needed a little help getting back into the group draft. I reached out to PACK admins Steve and Tony and expressed interest in being placed on their official sweeper list.
Family and work scheduling forced me to bounce around to different group rides and I have had the pleasure of helping sweep with other groups such as DIRT, HERD, Ascenders, World Social Riders, TBR, AHDR and anyone else who will have me.
My motivation for sweeping is to help riders go a little further, faster, and harder than they thought they could. People join a Zwift group ride to be part of the group. Motivation to sweep may also come from my running days. I would often try to plan a running route to accomplish a task or an errand – I used to refer to it as “running with a purpose”. Have some letters to mail? Sure, you could put them in the mailbox… but you know a 5-7 mile loop would take me right near the post office. That has translated to cycling outside with a purpose and also Zwifting with a purpose – helping other riders. My goal is to keep riders in the group or give them someone to ride with to the end of the event.
I think we like to ride around the same time each day (early morning Pacific time) because you seem to be online sweeping whenever I’m riding! How many rides do you sweep for in a typical week? What percentage of your riding would you say is done while wearing Buddy’s sweeping hat?
My current Zwift riding has me taking part in two group rides per day and when I am Zwifting, I am usually sweeping. My guess would be that I sweep or assist sweeping on 10-12 rides per week.
I have joined rides with the intention of just blending in with the group and that all goes off the rails when someone asks for help back to the group or the ride leader says riders need help. It is kind of like trying not to sprint when you know a sprint is ahead.
Speaking of Buddy: why that name? Are you just a big fan of the movie? I know I am!
Yes, the Buddy name is from the movie Elf – a family favorite for us. I started out with it to provide a bit of anonymity and never got around to changing it. It can be very entertaining when riders begin to throw out Elf movie quotes. Please note: I do try to avoid acting like a cotton-headed ninny muggins at all costs!
Describe what it’s like to sweep a typical group ride. What are you watching for, what do you actually do when you “sweep”, and is your job ever done?
When sweeping a group ride with the official Red Beacon, I believe the role is to act as a marker at or off the rear of the main group. The distance, usually in time/seconds, depends on the pace of the ride. The faster the pace, the closer you want to be to the group as they can pull away very quickly.
There is a lot of fellow rider checking happening when sweeping. Through the Zwift Companion app, I click on riders’ profiles to look at things such as: what Zwift level are they, heart rate (if available), speed, and watts. It can also help to look at a rider’s w/kg on the main screen rider list to see how they are doing relative to the rest of the group. It is useful to use the Fan View feature on the Companion app when someone calls for help. This allows you to jump to their view, find out where they are on the course relative to the group, and how far back.
My sweeping technique involves identifying riders that may need help, sending a message asking if they need help, and if so, attempting to get in front of them so they can draft on me. For me, this means that about 75% of my Zwift riding is done using the rearview camera angle in order to properly gauge the pace and gap of the riders that are behind me.
The most difficult part of sweeping for me is leaving a rider who is working really hard but below the required pace and will not make it back to the group. Hopefully those riders understand, keep joining, and get stronger so they are able to stay with the group in the future.
For me, the role of sweeping is done when the ride ends.
Buddy and Buddy (Bill)
Sweeping seems to involve both pulling people back to the group, and just riding with others who are off the back and don’t want to ride alone. Is that accurate? If so, which thing do you do more of?
Yes, I believe sweeping does involve both pulling riders back as well as keeping riders company to the end of an event, and I would say I do both equally. Sometimes riders just lose contact and fall out of the group draft and need a little pull to get back on. Without assistance, they find themselves maintaining the group pace but the group is pulling away – we have all experienced that helpless feeling.
Other times, riders discover they are not able to continue at the group pace and just want to finish the ride. This can be a time to message the group and let them know you’re joining a rider or a small group off the back to cruise to the finish. It can be very rewarding when a rider, or riders, inform you post-ride that they were going to quit, it was their furthest ride, they blew up and just wanted to finish, but they stuck with it because they had someone to ride with.
It should also be mentioned that sweep helpers are great assets on group rides. While the Red Beacon is maintaining control of the back of the group, sweep helpers can go a little further back to help riders and/or create a subgroup of lower-paced riders. As a sweep helper, it is always a good rule to let the ride leader and sweeper know if and how you are helping.
Is there anything Zwift could change about the game to make your job easier? If so, what?
I would really enjoy having a dual camera view feature when sweeping. The ability to have a normal front view and rear view simultaneously would really be a game-changer for me.
It would also be helpful to burst out of the “100 riders closest to you” restriction. When sweeping, you can have a rider or a group of riders somewhat close behind but cannot see them. Riders will randomly populate on your screen and then disappear due to this restriction. It is difficult to sweep/assist riders when you cannot see them.
What advice would you give to folks who are struggling to hang with the group on a social ride?
Number 1 rule on group rides: find the Yellow Beacon and pace with them. If you cannot see the Yellow Beacon on your screen, you are likely in front of them.
While in the pen before the start of a group ride, look for the location of the Yellow Beacon on your main screen and mini-map. Be sure you are pedaling before the countdown timer hits zero and the ride begins. When the ride begins, again look for the Yellow Beacon and pace with them. If the leader is ahead of you, pedal harder/faster to catch them and then settle in. If you fly out of the pen and do not see the leader, SLOW DOWN, they are behind you. Stay in the main group draft and do not dangle off the back. Sometimes it does not take much of a gap to lose the group.
Sometimes you’ll do everything correctly out of the pen but still lose contact with the group. Communication is key! A simple message saying HELP lets the sweep team know you need assistance. Never be too shy to ask for help. Many fellow riders have been there and are happy to help you.
If you have tech issues or something else occurs that puts you well back from the main group, I recommend using the Late Join feature (join or rejoin a group ride within the first 30 minutes). This feature will drop you into the group allowing you to avoid franticly chasing to get back on. Note: if you use the Late Join feature, check your location relative to the ride leader – remember the Number 1 rule above.
Bill in action
There are hundreds of group rides on Zwift, and probably never enough sweepers. What tips would you give to someone who is interested in helping out as a sweeper?
I would recommend you ride with a certain group numerous times to get the “feel” of how things go. Then reach out during a ride to the leader and/or sweeper and offer to help during that ride. It helped me to “shadow” a sweeper during rides to see how and what they did. If all feels good after assisting a few times, reach out to the group’s admin and ask if they need help. Sweeping on rides is a great way to stay mentally engaged and get a workout.
What About You?
Have you ever been on a ride with Buddy, or been helped by a sweeper? Or perhaps you’re a sweeper yourself? Chime in with your thoughts and experiences below!
Zwift has just announced the third annual SRAM women’s tour – a two-stage event bringing women together from all around the world. Community and fun competition are the name of the game in this series, so ride at whatever pace you want.
Nearly every event includes a special guest rider a pro women’s team. Find your favorite rider and finish the stage with them!
Unlock the stylish SRAM jersey by completing just one stage of the tour.
Prizes
Those who finish both stages will have their names put into a drawing to win one of two of SRAM’s latest innovation: a SRAM FORCE eTap AXS™ groupset. Two lucky winners will be chosen!
Plus, five additional riders will win $50 gift cards to SRAMNATION, SRAM’s soft goods ecomm site. Complete the tour for entry.
Zwift Game News: 2nd Guest World Option, Delayed UI Update
Zwift has just rolled out a major change to the game. They’ve also announced a major change in plans! Clearly both bits of news are driven by the unprecedented level of users on the platform. Here are the details…
Three World Options
A game update is now rolling out which enables a third world option, giving Zwifters easy access to Watopia plus two scheduled guest maps each day.
Previously we only had access to Watopia and one guest map, but with traffic levels so high, it makes good sense to open up another world so maps don’t feel crowded.
This is great news. And it’s a positive signal that Zwift is hearing what the community is saying, and trying to act on it quickly. In fact, Zwift says this new feature was “Implemented as a direct result of feedback from the ever-growing community,” That’s nice to see!
The guest worlds will rotate in pairs, which can be seen on the in-game calendar. London + Yorkshire, NYC + Richmond, Richmond + London, Innsbruck + Richmond, and Yorkshire + Innsbruck.
Note: the 2 guest worlds update will be available on all platforms in the coming days. IOS and AppleTV will probably take the longest to get the update, as app updates must be approved by Apple before release.
UI Refresh Delayed
Zwift also sent out this bit of news:
First, the good news is that the new UI for AppleTV is finished. However, we have made the tough decision to hold the launch until later in the year.
With the increase in usage we’ve seen on the platform in recent weeks, we know that Zwifters are relying on us more than ever. Our priority is ensuring the platform remains stable and our teams are able to best support the community. Postponing our update ensures we can better manage and help all members enjoy their Zwift experience through WFH and quarantine measures.
The teams are continuing to work as normal on new game features, new roads and of course, more event experiences.
A bit disappointing? Yes. Understandable? Also yes.
We’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Zwift’s refreshed user interface. But we don’t want it at the cost of a degraded experience for Zwifters during a time when the world needs Zwift more than ever. So it sounds like ZwiftHQ is making a wise choice. And it’s good to hear that things are still moving ahead with new game features and new roads. We all love new roads!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of these two bits of news? Chime in below!
Interview with Tour of Watopia Pro-Am Series Winner Jonathon Levie
After some hard-fought battles the Tour of Watopia 2020 Pro-Am invitational series is all wrapped up. This was a points-based race series organized by Zwift, featuring a mix of the world’s top pro and community indoor teams.
While many expected the men’s winner to come from one of the more heavily-stacked teams, Zwift community fixture Jonathon Levie of ZwiftHype fame pulled off the victory. Let’s hear from our yellow jersey winner and get more insight into what it takes to come out on top in a race series of this caliber.
ZI: First question: you just won the big Tour of Watopia Pro-Am series! Congratulations. What does it feel like?
JL: Unbelievable! There’s such a strong lineup of riders invited to these events that I wasn’t expecting this!
Are you a celebrity in game now?
After I won Stage 1, I had a flood of notifications from new followers on the Companion app!
Tell me about your background in cycling and Zwift. How did you get to where you are today?
Before Zwift, I had a pretty regimented training schedule, with some weeks up to 25 hours. When we found Zwift early 2017, my wife Katie and I were both instantly hooked. We actually bought AC so we could stay inside when the weather was nice!
This was an invitational race series. When did you get the invite, and did you begin training specifically for the series after that? What did your preparation look like?
The invitations are always a surprise, and so training for these events is very different than a typical race schedule. We need to maintain top fitness throughout the year to be successful.
You ride for KISS Racing Team (KRT). I think it’s fair to say that most people didn’t expect the winner to come from KRT when you were going up against “pro” teams like Canyon ZCC and Indoor Specialist. Was that intimidating at all? How did you approach that strategically?
We’ve had success in the past through Tim Cartwright, so I’m trying to live up to those past achievements he set for our team.
What’s convenient with Zwift racing is we have the ability to see data history for other riders, know where we stand performance-wise, and plan around that. However, it’s not all about putting out big numbers. As you can see through watching the pro riders that join our events, there’s a certain Zwift craft that needs to be learned to succeed here.
Absolutely. There’s a lot more to Zwift racing than pure power! What sort of skills/knowledge (outside of pure fitness) did you find most useful in these races?
Learning to draft is key! I’d recommend hopping into an event the uses #doubledraft to see how important this is. There’s a weekly series I’ve been doing that combines all categories together and utilizes this double-draft setting. In that race, the B’s, and some C’s, can make it all the way to the sprint finish with our front A group. The double draft is so strong, they can even work together to pull A+ riders back that are trying to break away!
Most Zwift races use normal drafting settings, but what you learn through doing double-draft events can be applied. It’s interesting to see these pro riders work their way to the front of the pack and take monster pulls, as they’re just providing draft to the resting pack. At best, their pulls will shed a few weaker riders that were already on the edge of dropping.
When it comes to drafting at the front, if you’re overlapping wheels with the person who’s pulling the pack, then you’re also putting your nose in the wind. The best time to push is when the road tilts up, but even uphill there’s a draft, and you’re also a carrot to chase. Learning how to surf the pack is key to making to the sprint, and double draft events emphasize this.
This was a points-based series, not just a series of scratch races. Points were available mid-race at sprint and KOM markers, as well as at the finish line. How did this change your approach to each event?
With the points structure, it’s a very animated race. Normally we don’t see breakaways, so this format expands a single race into a handful of back-to-back mini-races. Saving everything for the end doesn’t pay off, you have to dig deep and recover quickly to come out on top.
Jonathon riding away from the field in the final sprint of the men’s first ToW race
Because of your high placings in this series, I’m sure you got to work with ZADA to verify that your power numbers were accurate. What was that experience like?
With ZADA, it’s exciting to get confirmation that you’re doing everything correctly, but we actually don’t find out their results until they are posted for everyone. I assume if something was off, they’d continue to work with you to solve the issue, as they want riders to continue to race.
As I don’t have much outdoor data from the past 12 months, just some social rides with the wife, I did a series of tests for ZADA between stage 1 and 2 for verification. Actually, I ended up injured from it, so stage 2 and 3 I tried my best to hang on to my lead. In the future I’ll briefly head outdoors for some prominent KOMs, so I won’t need to do last-minute verification testing.
That’s a good lesson for anyone racing in these top-tier races, and one I’ve heard from ZADA themselves. Have your power numbers on file and ready to provide to ZADA before they ask for them!
You got to wear the yellow jersey for the last two races, as series leader. Do you get to keep it? Were there any other prizes (cash, smart trainers, in-game kits) associated with the series?
From what I heard on the broadcast it’s mine to wear around, so keep your eyes out for some happy yellow pixels riding around Watopia.
Shoot, I actually had to repeat all of our Men’s Pro-Am stages to unlock the sweet Tour de Watopia jersey, since our races don’t count towards completion, and that’s really what I was aiming for. But yeah, there was also money, which I found out after Stage 1.
A congratulatory hug from wife Katie after his race 1 win
What do you have planned next in terms of bike racing?
Actually, the month before our Tour de Watopia race I did my first vEverest. It was 11 hours and 2 minutes. TWO minutes. It could have been 10 hours 2 minutes, or 12 hours and 2 minutes, but either way I want to chip those two minutes off.
The payoff is the ability to eat non-stop throughout the whole day, and I’d like to fit that in before the next invitational race announcement.
Anything else you’d like to add or share?
My team was very supportive, and we worked together to make it happen. We needed a minimum number of riders capable of committing to the time slots, so we brought in B riders who put themselves out there live. Their goal was to hang on as long as possible out of the pens, which was about a minute.
For the jungle event, one of our B riders had a goal of making it to the front of our MTB pack on the paved section, so he chose a road bike and sprinted through the group, barely making it up there and actually nabbing some camera time. As soon as we hit the dirt though, the rolling resistance difference made it appear as though he pulled a parachute, but he had his own victory.
Congrats on your win, Jonathon. See you out on course!
Cyclists. We sure like our kits. Sometimes we wear the same kit as a group, to show unity. Other times we wear a unique kit to stand out from the crowd and show a little personality.
Due to this wardrobe fixation, one common question asked by Zwifters is, “How do I get my club’s kit into Zwift?” This question is being asked even more lately, with so many cycling clubs hopping on Zwift to hold club events. It’s only logical that these groups would want to wear the same in-game kit as they do outdoors.
Unfortunately, that’s probably not going to happen for your club. At least, not anytime soon. And not in the way you may envision.
How Zwift Kits Work Now
Currently, the only way to get an in-game custom kit is to convince ZwiftHQ to devote an artist’s time to making it happen. According to Wes Salmon in this week’s Zwiftcast, creating the kit artwork is a painstaking process. Artists receive the artwork in standard format such as PDF, then have to re-create it in-game, “pixel by pixel” as Salmon put it. The process takes hours.
Obviously, this isn’t a scalable model. As Wes said, Zwift could dedicate 5 artists full-time to the task and keep up with demand… or those artists could be working on new roads and features.
We see several new kits show up each month, and these are almost all created to support a major event (Tour of Watopia, for example) or pro teams who are participating in official events. Some kits are created to support ongoing group rides such as AHDR, but those rides have to have a proven track record of high attendance and quality leadership before HQ will put the resources into creating a kit.
How will this work exactly? Again, listening to Salmon’s recent interview, it sounds like Zwift’s intention is to build some sort of “Kit Creator” for club admins.
This would need to be a simple, template-driven tool similar to the web apps used by custom kit manufacturers like Voler. These tools have you start by selecting from a group of templates for each piece of clothing. Then you select color options for particular sections of each piece, then you upload and place your logos. Here’s a screenshot of Voler’s tool:
Screenshot from Voler’s online 3D kit designer
When will we see this tool? Zwift isn’t stating any timelines, and I’m sure their much bigger priority with Clubs is getting some sort of event editing and creation tools in place. But once event editing is done, I’d bet good money that the “Kit Creator” will be the next big Clubs feature.
One thing is certain: when it rolls out we’ll see an explosion of new and unique kits. Teams are going to love it!
Wrapping It Up
Unless you’re a World Tour or Conti pro team officially participating in key Zwift events or an established cycling brand partnering with Zwift, I wouldn’t even waste my time contacting Zwift to inquire about getting my kit in-game. It’s just not going to happen right now, because their priorities are (rightly) elsewhere.
If you’re a local cycling club who wants everyone to dress alike, your best bet is to pick from the big list of available kits and encourage your members to wear that kit.
Eventually, Zwift will provide a pathway to creating a custom Club kit. And when that happens, we’ll all have a blast rocking our clubs’ custom looks!
UPDATE: Zwift sent out the following email on April 3rd:
Haute Route Watopia is underway and it’s seen a stacked field taking to the start line. To improve your experience we’re in the process of making immediate changes to create an even better Haute Route Watopia for you!
With the events proving so popular, a small number of you might be running into technical limitations/difficulties on your device. If your ride didn’t upload, we recommend following these steps.
Didn’t complete Stage 1 and still want the kit? You’re in luck, as the only stage required to unlock the kit is Stage 3.
We don’t want anyone to miss out on the chance to win the epic prize of entry to an in-real-life Haute Route, so we’re happy to announce that we have another prize draw which we will send you an email to enter on Monday!
We’ve responded to the high demand for more event times by adding several more for every stage. We’ve also added a second category to all events. These D and E categories are identical but will help us stagger rider start times and smooth the load on the servers. Check out all the upcoming events!
Zwift has announced an event in partnership with Haute Route which is being billed as “the world’s most challenging virtual 3-day stage event.” It’s Haute Route Watopia, and it’s going to push riders to the limit as they take on tough routes three days in a row, culminating in The Pretzel!
Open to all Zwifters worldwide, this free event will be the most accessible Haute Route to date. And in terms of participation numbers, it will certainly be the largest Haute Route ever! Haute Route Director Julie Royer says, “The virtual world opens up entirely new possibilities never seen before. Haute Route Watopia will allow more people from around the world to experience the thrill of an Haute Route event.”
Haute Route has made a name for itself by creating challenging three and seven-day events in some of the world’s most iconic cycling destinations. Their events are essentially fully-supported stage races for passionate yet amateur cyclists. Some riders race the events, others seek to only challenge themselves, while others just want to enjoy the scenery. Some do all three!
Velo News says, “Haute Route events are at, or near, the pinnacle—for every pedal stroke on every stage—at offering the pro experience, both on and off the bike.”
Test Yourself
In true Haute Route style, this is designed to be a challenging stage event. Zwift CEO Eric Min says, “I’ve looked at the route, and it’s certainly going to be a huge challenge. However, I always like to test myself, and I certainly look forward to taking part.”
There will be no make-up days – stages must be completed back to back.
Event Support
Haute Route events are reputed to be the best-supported amateur cycling events in the world, and according to Zwift’s press release, “Haute Route Watopia will be no exception.” Event participants can expect the following:
A rider’s handbook
A complete training program to help you perform at your peak for the event itself
An exclusive in-game Haute Route kit for all entrants
During the event itself, a general classification allowing all entrants to track their performance across all three stages (see it here on ZwiftPower)
Additional prizes and unlocks for all finishers (see below)
Stage Details
Over the course of three stages, participants will ride a total of 145km (90.2 miles) with 3,373m (11,070′) of climbing. These are double draft events.
Here are the routes for each stage (click for details):
Stage 1: Three Sisters (47.8km/29.7 miles, 879m/2883')
Stage 2: Tour of Fire and Ice (25km/15.6 miles, 1161m/3812') + lead-in
Stage 3: The Pretzel (72.2km/44.9 miles, 1333m/4375')
Prizes and Unlocks
Zwifters who complete all three stages will unlock the exclusive virtual Haute Route finishers kit by Le Col to wear with pride in the game. In addition, finishers of all three stages will be entered into a prize drawing to win either entry to a 3-day Haute Route event or a Le Col Haute Route cycling kit!
Leading up to the big weekend, a group workout series has been put in place to help us train for the race.
The Haute Route Workout Series includes eight workouts that take place over six weeks. Join any event to wear and unlock the official Haute Route kit. See the event page for a workout series schedule >
Ride with Pros Events
Zwift + Haute Route are also hosting a handful of Ride with Pro events, where the group will be joined by a pro rider. Complete any Ride With Pro event to unlock the official Haute Route socks and cap to complete your look.
