SISU Racing has just announced its boldest challenge yet: SISU Punainen, a Vuelta-inspired, seven-stage race series built for riders who thrive when the road tilts skyward. Set entirely in Watopia, this inaugural edition is unapologetically brutal, beautifully relentless, and designed for the mountain goats of the virtual peloton.
Riders will compete for four individual classifications, ensuring every stage offers something to race for. The coveted Punainen (red in Finnish) Jersey rewards the overall General Classification leader based on cumulative elapsed time across all seven stages. The Sprintteri Jersey recognizes the fastest riders through the designated sprint segments, while the Vuorikauris (Mountain Goat) Jersey celebrates the strongest climbers. The Johtaja (leader in Finnish) Jersey recognizes the overall leader in each age category. Whether you’re an all-rounder, a sprinter, a pure climber, or racing within your age group, there’s a jersey to chase!
Stage and Schedule Details
Stages are scheduled in multiple time slots each weekend (Saturday-Sunday) and Tuesday-Wednesday.
- Stage 1: Saturday, August 22 & Sunday, August 23
- Hilly Route, Watopia (Individual Time Trial)
- Stage 2: Tuesday, August 25 & Wednesday, August 26
- Mayan San Remo, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero
- Stage 3: Saturday, August 29 & Sunday, August 30
- Three Little Sisters, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero
- Stage 4: Tuesday, September 1 & Wednesday, September 2
- Climber’s Gambit, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero
- Stage 5: Saturday, September 5 & Sunday, September 6
- Big Loop, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero
- Stage 6: Tuesday, September 8 & Wednesday, September 9
- Mountain 8, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero
- Stage 7: Saturday, September 12 & Sunday, September 13
- Mountain Route, Watopia
- PowerUps: Draft, Feather, Aero, Anvil
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/sisu >
Open and Women-Only Options
The inaugural SISU Punainen features both an Open Punainen and a Women’s Punainen, reinforcing SISU Racing’s ongoing commitment to supporting the advancement of women in cycling esports. By providing dedicated racing opportunities for women alongside open (mixed) events, SISU hopes to keep building a more inclusive racing community where every rider has the opportunity to compete for prestigious jerseys and overall honors.
Zwift Race Score
This series uses Zwift Racing Score (ZRS) for categorization, following a format similar to the recent Zwift Tour Fever series to create tighter, more closely matched fields.
- A Grade: 701-1000
- B Grade: 551-700
- C Grade: 401-550
- D Grade: 251-400
- E Grade: 1-250
Riders who upgrade during the first six stages will be classified in their higher grade. Riders who upgrade in Stage 7 will not be re-classified.
The Jerseys
There are multiple leader jerseys up for grabs:
- The General Classification (GC) is decided by the cumulative elapsed time taken to complete all seven stages.
- The Team Classification is based on the combined time of each team’s fastest three riders on every stage.
- The Sprintteri and Vuorikauris (Mountain Goat) classifications are determined by a rider’s cumulative time through all designated Sprint and KOM/QOM segments of Stages 2 to 7. Where a stage includes the same segment multiple times, only the rider’s fastest time through that segment will count toward the classification.
- The Johtaja (leader in Finnish) classification is decided by the cumulative elapsed time taken to complete all seven stages in each age category.
More Details
Separate Open Punainen and Women’s Punainen events are offered, with each having its own General, Team, and Jersey classifications.
- Each event is a mass start with all riders visible on the course.
- TT bikes are mandatory for the iTT. Draft will be disabled.
- ZPower and riders without heart rate data will be excluded from the results.
- A rider’s best time will count if they race the same stage multiple times.
- To be included in the GC, riders must have a ZwiftPower profile.
Questions or comments?
For more information and results, visit sisu.racing/punainen.
This could be called the Epic KOM tour.
Gonna get to know that mountain way better than is prolly healthy. Looking forward to it.
I read in your text “or racing within your age group, there’s a jersey to chase!”
How is that done? Don’t see any races divided in age groups
Riders are broken out into age groups in the race results. But the actual races are mass start, with riders labeled by ZRS category.
Three Little Sisters link above goes to Three Sisters page. Which one is correct please?
Fixed. Three Little Sisters is correct.
Never will understand these Mass Starts! Why? Please do staggered starts with everyone is visible! Mass Starts are no races for Cat. lower than A, its a Fondo Ride!
“racing within your age group”
No thanks
Are Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (31) and Puck Pieterse (24) in the same “age group”?
Answer: NO, they would not be in the same “age group”
“SISU Cycling Age GroupsSISU cycling events categorize riders into specific age groups to promote fair competition. Below are the main categories used:
Age Group CategoriesCategoryAge
Range
Juniors18 years and younger
U23 19 to 22 years
Elite 23 to 29 years
Masters 30 years and older, divided into five-year increments
Masters Age DivisionsMasters categories are typically structured as follows:
30-34 years
35-39 years
40-44 years
45-49 years
50-54 years
55-59 years
60-64 years
65-69 years
70-74 years
75 years and olderThis classification system allows riders to compete against others of similar age and ability, enhancing the competitive experience in SISU events.”
Demi Vollering (29) and Kasia Niewiadoma (31) will also be in different
“age groups” if they participate in this event
7 weeks straight, twice a week. I’m gonna do this, but not sure I can make every one. Labor day weekend won’t be possible for sure 😢
It’s only just over 3 weeks, 4 weekends. 7 stages total.
You are right….over labor day weekend stinks though.
What do mixed and women only categories mean?
Does that apply to the GC ad well or only the events?
Mixed, or “open”, means men and women race together. Women only… well, that’s obvious. 😜
Separate jersey competition (including GC) for women only events. It says above: “ Separate Open Punainen and Women’s Punainen events are offered, with each having its own General, Team, and Jersey classifications.”
😳
I wish the women-only events would have more participants.
Don’t forget to check out the Pre-Race Video!
https://youtu.be/hqQSRW9TP0g?is=-jXcnoFWHGrXAvLZ
Is there a jersey to unlock? I wont be GC leader (very certain) so an unlock would be nice.
Four trips up the Epic, plus the Mayan-Itza double, including two trips to the radio tower.
yowza. But just in time for the end of Tour Fever.
Had to abandon after two stages. Stage three timing did not have a good slot for me and I hurt my left quad on Sunday.
wonder what Zwift will have for August.
Anyone else seeing the following issue: Stages lock out Menu – touch does not bring up Menu; Action Bar – not shown. Then after the Stage finishes: Menu does not unlock – touch does not bring up Menu. So I have to shut Zwift down. I got the issue on Stage 1 and Stage 2. thanks