The Richmond refresh of February 6, 2020 added the ability to u-turn on Richmond, while also adding the reverse version of the 2015 UCI Worlds course as an event-only route. This became an open route in the December 2022 update.
This route makes for exciting racing, as punchy riders can get away on the three climbs of the first half of the circuit followed by wattage workhorses attempting to pull them back on the back half.
The Richmond refresh of February 6, 2020 added the ability to u-turn on Richmond, while also adding the reverse version of the 2015 UCI Worlds course as an event-only route. This became an open route in the December 2022 update.
This route makes for exciting racing, as punchy riders can get away on the three climbs of the first half of the circuit followed by wattage workhorses attempting to pull them back on the back half.
Route Basics
Length: 16.2 km (10.1 miles)
Elevation: 130 m (427‘)
Lead-In: 0.0 km (0.0 miles)
Map: Richmond
Start & Finish
Free rides and events begin just after the finish line, which is the main Richmond start/finish banner.
Achievement Badge: 325 XP
Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
We begin with a descent of Governor Street, followed by a climb up Broad Street to the KOM banner. Keep pushing over the crest, descending 23rd Street quickly, then try to keep your momentum up as you hit the quick kicker on 25th-Franklin Street. The first part of this timed KOM is the steepest bit of the course, topping out at 22% as you turn the corner onto Franklin Street! Then it’s a twisty descent of Libby Hill followed by a bit of flat before we hit the third and final climb of the route: E Main Street. This is the longest climb, but isn’t terribly steep, so settle in, use the draft, and keep your effort steady.
Once the road flattens out it takes a sharp right, then a sharp left. Just after the sharp left is the finish line of Zwift’s shortest sprint ever, the Broad Street Reverse! Now we’re on the flat second half of this route, which includes another sprint (Monument Avenue Reverse) before we make our way back through the start/finish banner.
PS. That VeloViewer profile is from a completely different route (in Innsbruck).
Recon note after a race this morning…the downhill between the 23rd Street hill and the KOM is just steep enough to allow for ~5 seconds of supertuck, but if you’re relying on that after an extremely hard 23rd Street effort you’re likely going to be in trouble. The two hills are so close together that the best approach appears to be taking it easy on the first so you have plenty in the tank for the second. I managed to get dropped on the KOM both laps despite being up near the front at the 23rd Street banner!