Richmond’s “Cobbled Climbs” route, renamed from “Prefer Hilly Roads” in the Richmond refresh of 2020, is one of the punchier routes on Zwift, with 126m (413′) of elevation gain per 9.2km (5.7 miles) lap.
The route is essentially Richmond’s 2015 UCI Worlds Course without the flat lead-in. What you’re left with are the pitchy parts: timed KOM segments for curvy, cobbled Libby Hill and short, steep, straight 23rd Street, plus the third climb (Governor Street) which isn’t timed, but is perhaps the longest and most painful. Plus it leads into the false-flat finish!
Richmond’s “Cobbled Climbs” route, renamed from “Prefer Hilly Roads” in the Richmond refresh of 2020, is one of the punchier routes on Zwift, with 126m (413′) of elevation gain per 9.2km (5.7 miles) lap.
The route is essentially Richmond’s 2015 UCI Worlds Course without the flat lead-in. What you’re left with are the pitchy parts: timed KOM segments for curvy, cobbled Libby Hill and short, steep, straight 23rd Street, plus the third climb (Governor Street) which isn’t timed, but is perhaps the longest and most painful. Plus it leads into the false-flat finish!
Route Basics
Length: 9.2 km (5.7 miles)
Elevation: 126 m (413‘)
Lead-In: 0.3 km (0.2 miles)
Map: Richmond
Achievement Badge: 180 XP
Sprint & KQOM Segments |
| Libby Hill (0.64 km, 6%) |
| 23rd St. KOM (0.26 km, 9.3%) |
Strava Segments
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Route Description
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We begin at the standard Richmond start/finish banner, but make two quick left turns 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, then recover for a few seconds as you descend to the start of our next KOM: the short, straight 23rd Street.
This is essentially a “sprint-climb”, which is why Peter Sagan was able to drop everyone in his famous attack here in the 2015 UCI Worlds race.
Do everything you can to maintain good pack position up and over the 23rd Street KOM, knowing you’ve got a few seconds of recovery just up the road on the Broad Street descent. You can even supertuck the descent like Sagan did but can’t anymore – thanks for ruining the fun, UCI!
You’ll need every bit of recovery you can get, because just a few seconds after the descent we begin the final climb of the lap: Governor Street. This is not a timed KOM, but it’s where the race-winning moves are usually made, and it feels so long in the final minutes of a race.
Finish this climb then empty the tank on the false flat straightaway to the finish. Be wary of going too early – that strategy rarely pays off!
I just did this ride in about twenty minutes and a gold star popped up on the board. Why?
It’s a good course.