The fifth race of Zwift Racing League 2025/26 Round 3 happens Tuesday, February 3, and we’re in Richmond for a punchy points race.

Don’t understand how ZRL points races work? Read our explainer >

There’s much to discuss, including crucial course segments, powerup usage, bike decisions, and strategic options. Let’s go!

Looking at the Route

Each lap of Cobbled Climbs is 9.2 km (5.7 miles) long. A/B teams will race 4 laps (37km), while C/D will race 3 (27.8km).

The route is essentially Richmond’s 2015 UCI Worlds Course without the flat first half. What you’re left with are the pitchy parts: KOM intermediates for curvy, cobbled Libby Hill and short, steep 23rd Street, plus the third climb (Governor Street) which isn’t isn’t a points intermediate, but is draggy and painful nonetheless. Plus, it leads into the false-flat finish!

Here’s the lap profile, including the two KOM intermediates we’ll be contesting for points on each lap:

We begin at the standard Richmond start/finish banner, but make a quick left turn, and another left, onto the descent of E Main St. (This is the longest descent on the route, so enjoy it while it lasts.)

After some flats and rollers along the river the road tilts up and you know what’s coming: our first KOM of the day. Twisty, bumpy Libby Hill!

Hammer your way up this climb (most riders will finish it in 60-110s), then recover for a few seconds as you descend to the start of our next KOM: the short, straight 23rd Street KOM. This is essentially a “sprint-climb” (25-30s), which is why Peter Sagan was able to drop everyone in his famous attack here in the 2015 UCI Worlds race.

If you’re struggling, do everything you can to hold onto the wheels over the 23rd Street KOM, knowing you’ve got a bit of recovery just up the road on the Broad Street descent and the flat that follows. You can even supertuck the descent like Sagan did (but can’t anymore – thanks for ruining the fun, UCI!)

Less than a minute after the Broad Street descent, we begin the final climb of the lap: Governor Street! This is not a timed KOM, but it’s where the race-winning final moves are often made, and it feels so long in the final minutes of a race. (Expect riders to ride this conservatively until the final lap. Better to save your climbing efforts for the KOMs handing out points!)

Finish this climb as the road turns a hard left, then it’s ~600 meters of a false flat straightaway to the finish (or the start of the next lap).

Read more about the Cobbled Climbs route >

Powerups

For this race, four types of powerups are being handed out with equal probability at each arch. There are three arches per lap:

• Lap Arch
• Libby Hill KOM Arch
• 23rd St. KOM Arch

Cloaking (ghost): makes you invisible to other riders for 15 seconds. Disabled within 400m of the finish line.
Use when you want to get away from one or more riders. Deploy then hammer, in hopes that you will create enough of a gap that your opponents can’t grab your wheel once it’s visible again. Since most riders won’t be looking to attack solo, this will be the most trashed powerup in the race by far.

Burrito: turns off the draft effect for riders in a cone-shaped window behind you for 20 seconds.
Use when attacking off the front so opponents have to work harder to follow you, or in the peloton to make others work harder. A real heartbreaker, getting hit with this on a KOM segment!

Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) This will be quite handy in the long finish, if you’re with other riders.

Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.) This will give you a nice edge on the 23rd St KOM, and on the finishing straight.

Bike Recommendations

The fact that 85% of this race’s points will be earned at the top of the two KOM segments makes us steer away from pure aero setups and look at climbing bikes and all-arounders instead. Because while a more aero setup has a pure time advantage on laps of the full course, it’s the KOM times that really matter.

Here are our test times, set with our standard bot (75kg, 183cm rider) at 6 W/kg (450W) on Libby Hill and 8 W/kg (600W) on 23rd St:

Notice how the lighter setup does better on Libby (a longer, slower climb) while the more aero setup is best on 23rd St (because it’s a higher-speed climb). Which setup do you choose? That may depend on which of the two KOMs you want to be set up for.

Our recommendation, then, is to use the newish DT Swiss 65 paired with one of these bikes:

• S-Works Tarmac SL8
• Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71
• Pinarello Dogma F 2024
• Canyon Aeroad 2024
• Specialized Aethos

Of course, your frame’s upgrade status should impact your decision. A fully upgraded Aethos will outclimb the other four frames, but that’s not the case when comparing un-upgraded versions.

Related: All About Zwift’s New “Bike Upgrades” Functionality >

See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.

More Route Recons

Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

Additionally, riders in the Zwift community do a great job every week creating recon videos that preview the courses and offer tips to help you perform your best on the day. Here are the recons I’ve found (comment if you find another!)

J Dirom

John Rice

Beccah Niesen

Nathan Krake

Strategic Options

Points Distributions, Cobbled Climbs

4 Laps

3 Laps

These charts show the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in a race with 60 participants. To learn how ZRL points races work, see this post.

How will these races unfold? What strategies will teams employ? Here’s what I predict:

• Honey, I Shrunk the Peloton: The front group will get smaller on each lap, with a small pack of only 5-10 duking it out across the finish line. Some races will even see breakaway wins by just 1-3 riders.
• First Lap FTS: Fastest Through Segment top 5 times will all be set on the first lap. Why? Because the pack draft will be largest then, plus riders will simply be too tired to better their times on subsequent laps.
• Not Lonely for Long: Chase groups will catch some lone riders up the road at the start of each lap (through the flat/descent portion), but those same riders will attack again on the climbs and get away. Which begs the question: is it even worth chasing? On the other hand…
• Never Gonna Give You Up: This is a longish race with lots of punchy climbing, and riders may have a hard time pacing their efforts properly. Some will push hard to make the front selection, but blow up on subsequent laps. Chase groups shouldn’t give up hope, because that front group will keep shrinking, and there may be opportunities late in the race for intermediate and high finish points if you’re in the first chase groups.
• Spirit of Sagan: This course lends itself to breakaways, particularly on one of the final lap’s climbs. Riders who don’t fancy a pack sprint will try to get away on one of the final hills, grabbing max intermediate points in the process.

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!