“France Classic Fondo” Route Details (France)
Added in Zwift’s March 2023 minor update, this event-only route is the longest ride in France by far. And it contains more sprint/KQOM segments than any other Zwift route, with a total of 24!
This route was rolled out as part of Zwift’s 2023 #watchthefemmes campaign. Fondos will be held here on April 8th, the same day as Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift 2023.
Added in Zwift’s March 2023 minor update, this event-only route is the longest ride in France by far. And it contains more sprint/KQOM segments than any other Zwift route, with a total of 24!
This route was rolled out as part of Zwift’s 2023 #watchthefemmes campaign. Fondos will be held here on April 8th, the same day as Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift 2023.
Route Basics
Length: 145.9 km (90.7 miles)
Elevation: 1099 m (3,606‘)
Lead-In: 1 km (0.6 miles)
Map: France
Start & Finish
Begins and ends at the Marina Sprint Rev banner.
Restriction: Event Only
Strava Segments
Route Description
This ride is mostly flat as you ride around France’s countryside in different directions, covering all roads except Ventoux in both directions.
Most of the overall elevation is due to riding over the Petit KOM (105m elevation) four times, and the Aqueduc (20m elevation) five times.
It does not appear to be event only. It showed up for free rides after the 1.33.5 update on 3/15/23 when France was on the calendar, and you can ride it in workouts. No badge though.
I bet they’ll add a badge shortly after I do this route.
Only way I’m riding this route is if there’s a badge and/or Veloviewer qualifying route.
I’m seeing it as a free ride option as well. Not sure about the badge yet. Might be a good route for my first Zwift Century. Been putting it off for to long. lol
You’re right, it’s free ridable. Which is a bug on Zwift’s end, from what I understand. I took out the “Event only” portion from above, but will probably have to add it back when Zwift fixes it. 🙂
Thank goodness no badge! I just finished PRL & Uber Pretzel, and don’t want another epic slog for a while…
So instead of added new tarmac, we got another looped route on the same roads. So disappointing. Zwift has zero creativity
It’s OK. You can go back to indoor riding how we used to do it: staring at the wall with a stop watch.
I was there on rollers and the thoughts in my head.
Let’s not go back there
You had a stopwatch?😂
If you want new tarmac, try Scotland. Some excellent roads there…
I don’t want new worlds, just add to existing Watopia, Makuri, France.
Make a UCI Hub with a tunnel to the various UCI courses.
2 laps on Richmond then finish on Innsbruck KOM
Would love to see this come to fruition. So much low hanging fruit to be capitalized on.
I’d love to see monthly, but smaller, tarmac additions, but which leverage past routes.
Having said that, the recent additions have been very welcome and appreciated!
+1 for the tunnel/linking all the UCI worlds. Would be an awesome way of adding dozens of new routes with low effort.
they literally just released a new world.
And I thought the France map couldn’t get any more tedious and boring! Don’t think I’ll ever muster the enthusiasm for this one.
Why are any routes added? Well, to give us more challenges and courses to ride. I love it and it’s just in time for the long distance spring classics. Milan San Remo anyone? I think it would be great if Zwift had their own Spring classics on longer courses like this. For me, less gamification and more longer routes to challenge fitness is always welcome.
Petit KOM (105m elevation) four times, and the Aqueduc (20m elevation) five times. Total only 520M, where are the other 580M?
The rest of the course isn’t all roads at 0% gradient (though sometimes France feels like that)! I always thought it was funny that the Aqueduc even counted as a climb!
From lots and lots of little false flats and other rises, I guess!
The section with the Intestines is in total ~85 m of elevation gain per lap, the three main hills are only 10–15 m each but the “flat” section is surprisingly bumpy as well. Multiply that by 5 (if I interpret the course profile correctly) and you only have 155 m left for all the random minor rises elsewhere on the course.
This map came out 2.5 years ago and this is the best they do for it to keep it “updated” ?
Looks boring
After 145km it should then finish up Ventoux!
Feels like they made a rebel route into an official route. I like it and it looks far less boring than the London PRL Full.
That said, in the future, I hope they add some expansions to the France map that feature more cobbled sectors (Arenburg Forrest, Carrefour de L’Arbre, etc) and sharp steep climbs from the Ardennes classics (Mur de Huy, etc).
Knocked it out yesterday, figured it’s one of the few times I can graba Zwift KOM for a little while (did the same with Makuri 40).
This sounds brilliant. All signed up!
So basically 2.5 laps of petit boucle?
I assume since the event is already over, there’s no way to ride the route without doing all manual turns?