Zwift has announced its first-ever “Tour for All”, a massive charity event to support Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in COVID-19 response.
This post includes details on all TfA stages, scheduling, pro racing, and more.
Stage Details
This is a 5-stage event. As with past tours, each stage can be completed in a variety of ways. There are group rides and runs with both long and short distance formats, and women-only group rides. Those with a competitive streak will be able to take part in bike races during each stage, choosing from two different length options.
About Categories
Categories (A, B, C, and D) are used in different ways for different events in the TfA series:
- Group Rides and Runs: categories are used to organize these events into different distance groups, not different levels of fitness. So choose the category that matches the length you want, find a group going at your pace, and enjoy yourself! Additionally, for Group Rides, the C group is for women only.
- Race Rides: categories are used to organize the events into both distance and ability groups. A and B categories are the longer distance, C and D are shorter distance. A and C are for riders in the 3.2-5 w/kg range, B and D are for riders below that range.
Stage 1: May 4-7
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Stage 2: May 8-11
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Stage 3: May 12-15
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Stage 4: May 16-19
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Stage 5: May 20-23
For the tour’s final stage, routes were selected by some of the top ride leading teams on Zwift. Keith Hill After Party was selected by Team 3R, Watopia Pretzel was selected by AHDR, Sand and Sequoias was selected by PACK, and Surrey Hills was selected by ZZRC.
When this route was released it was the longest and most challenging on Zwift, covering all segments in Watopia at least twice. With new roads and routes added since its creation, The Pretzel is no longer the longest or toughest route. But it still packs a punch at 44.8 miles (72.1km) in length with 4,375' (1333m) of elevation gain. See upcoming events on The Pretzel route at ZwiftPower.com > The Pretzel begins at the popular downtown Watopia start/finish, and heads out Ocean Boulevard to take on the Epic KOM forward. Once you reach the top of the Epic KOM you'll hang a left onto the horribly-named "bonus climb" - a steep, icy climb to the radio tower platform! Then it's a fast descent back to Watopia proper where you'll hit the Hilly KOM reverse, loop around through the start/finish banner, onto the Esses then a loop around Ocean Boulevard to the Hilly KOM forward. Next we head past the fishing village again, but turn right at the wind turbines to head up the Epic KOM reverse. Hit the final climb hard then descend back to Ocean Boulevard for a quick trip through the fishing village, the Italian Villas, and over the Esses to the downtown start/finish. You did it! Route details:Route Description
Distance: 72.2km (44.9 miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,333m (4,375')
[button link="https://www.strava.com/segments/12118762" color="black" newwindow="yes"] Strava Forward Segment (from start banner)[/button][button link="https://www.strava.com/segments/12111783" color="silver" newwindow="yes"] Strava Reverse Segment[/button]
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
Sign up for events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Make-Up Days
Missed a stage? Make-up days are scheduled from May 24-30th.
See make-up events at the Tour for All Ride homepage >
See make-up events at the Tour for All Run homepage >
Tour For All Professional Race Series
Kicking off the Tour for All is a pro race series involving an unprecedented (on Zwift, at least) number of world tour pro teams. Races will be streamed on Eurosport and GCN! Get all the details here >
Tour for All Kit Unlock
Riders and runners will be equipped with the new TfA kit in all events. Zwift has not yet released the details for unlocking the kit permanently.
Supporting the Cause
Tour for All (TfA) is being held to raise funds for the COVID-19 Crisis Fund at MSF. Zwift is kicking things off with a massive $125,000 donation, and once 250,000 TfA rides or runs have been completed, they will donate another $125,000 – one dollar for every participant!
A Zwift x MSF donation page will be taken live before the tour kicks off, allowing Zwifters to make further donations if they desire.
About MSF
MSF is an international medical humanitarian organization delivering care to those most in need. Its team of over 43,000 doctors, nurses, and others assist people caught in crises around the world. MSF’s independent, neutral and impartial funding allows the organization access to patients in conflicts where others cannot go. It serves no agenda other than delivering quality medical care.
MSF teams are responding to COVID-19 on multiple fronts – caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world.
As MSF scales up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a key priority is to keep its more than 400 medical programs running for the tens of thousands of patients and extremely vulnerable communities they help support. This pandemic threatens the lives of people around the world, and presents even greater risks in countries with weak or fragile health systems.
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