“R.G.V.” Route Details (France)
Released with Zwift’s France map for the first-ever Virtual Tour de France, the R.G.V. route covers the upper, larger loop of the map in a clockwise direction. The first 12km is pan-flat, while the back half includes a timed KOM and some rollers along the river.
“R.G.V” stands for route grand vitesse, or “high speed road”. A fitting name, since this route is definitely one for the sprinters. Though only 24km in length, it includes three timed sprint segments!
Released with Zwift’s France map for the first-ever Virtual Tour de France, the R.G.V. route covers the upper, larger loop of the map in a clockwise direction. The first 12km is pan-flat, while the back half includes a timed KOM and some rollers along the river.
“R.G.V” stands for route grand vitesse, or “high speed road”. A fitting name, since this route is definitely one for the sprinters. Though only 24km in length, it includes three timed sprint segments!
Route Basics
Length: 24 km (14.9 miles)
Elevation: 133m (436′)
+0.9km (0.6 miles) lead-in
Map: France
ZIMetrics
Rating: 11.5/100 🛈
Time Estimates 🛈
lead-in + first lap
4 W/kg: 34 minutes
3 W/kg: 38 minutes
2 W/kg: 46 minutes
Start & Finish
Begins and ends at the Marina Sprint banner.
Format: Loop
Ride Achievement Badge: 480 XP
Run Achievement Badge: none
Strava Segments
Bike Selection
This loop is flat and fast. Your fastest times will come from an aero setup!
Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
The first 16km of this route match Casse-Pattes. Beginning with a short lead-in from the start pens, we travel east into the marina where we get a chance to hit the Marina Reverse Sprint. (This sprint banner is the official start/finish line for this loop.)
Enjoy the sites as you spin through the flattest portion of the France map. You’ll spot Mont Saint-Michel to your left, as well as a familiar Arch and Needle as you ride near the sea. Just past a field of sunflowers, you’ll enter a town that includes the Pavé sprint segment. Go for the green, then prep your legs for the short Aqueduc KOM.
Next we turn right toward the “Balloon fields” where we’ll hit the Ballon Reverse Sprint, then enjoy a twisty, rolling ride along the river (we call this section “Les Intestins”) before wrapping up our lap with another Marina Reverse Sprint.
Anyone knows what RGV stands for ?
Maybe a play on TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse or “high-speed train”) but instead of train it’s “Route à Grande Vitesse”? Just a guess.
Rouleur à Grande Vitesse?
route grand vitesse means high speed road
Great work, give this guy a raise! Keep up the great work! Zwift is the Greatest!
What happened to the Strava Routes and Maps, these Suck!
Strava segments are linked above.
PS: Your positivity is infectious, Walter. 😄
Strange that you get a view of Mont Saint-Michel but the route ends up being in the middle of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean! (as per Strava and the Veloview map on this page)
Thanks Eric! Your tips, maps and explanations are always so detailed and informative. I always know I can find good, reliable info when I go to Zwift Insider.
Thanks for all your work Eric. Love the route descriptions you provide. Have a super week! Zwift on🚴🚴
The links under the “BANNERS AND LEADERBOARDS” heading on the left-hand of the page all seem to point back to this page. I think they’re meant to link to the Strava segments?
Is there a ‘Race Recon’ for this route coming up? Curious what to expect fron those rollers in the end.
R.G.V” stands for route grand vitesse
As a Zwift Returner I love this course. For a chubbier like me it’s flat and my first time out cracked it in under an hour. I assume speed demons will do it half that time.
Speed is not everything. What counts is that you ride.
I reckon just under the hour is perfectly reasonable. I’m no speed demon but managed 44 minutes. However that was in a race ride in a group of 7 riders each taken our turn at the front and in the draft too. On my own I’d be 55-60 minutes I reckon.
Ride On.
A and B races typically finish this in around 35 minutes, FYI. I just raced it yesterday and finished in 35:13!
Curious why the Marina Sprint never records on Strava? I looked it up as it is a Strava segment, but it states the route deviates by 23% from the segment. Perhaps this segment needs a do over?🤓
It would be very nice with a strava segment for marina sprint reverse!
But has pave sections been added? I ride today after a while and saw some stretches of pave that I didn’t remember were there.
bumps at the end way worse than they look – just done this on stage 4 get rolling. Dropped like a stone at the end
how do you register
It looks like they changed it to 24.9km, and 133m. Even if that includes the lead-in, it’s still off by .2km and 26 meters. Not huge by any measure, but how often do the courses change? Or how often does Zwift change a course. Doesn’t matter, I am a lab rat, and am required to ride the route to get my food pellet. 🐀
I continually fail to understand the validity of the proliferation of W/kg in the first place. However on a “flat and fast, use you most aero setup” route, when you put completion times, is that the literal 40kg Bikelicious yellow beacon I had yesterday or is that me at 82kg?
if Route_Type = Flat then WATTS and if you want help conveying webpage content I am free$ and you may email me