Spring!! The long winter is over. Ask most people what they like about spring and they will say lighter nights, warmer days, flowers. Ask one cyclists what they like about spring and they will say:
- Cycling outdoors
- The Spring Classics
Ask another cyclist what they like about spring and they will say:
- The Spring Classics
- Cycling outdoors
The Spring Classics are historic cycling races that take part in northern Europe. According to Wikipedia, “The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year.” The five most revered races are often described as monuments. Together Strade Bianche, Milan–San Remo, the Cobbled classics (E3 Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix) and the Ardennes classics (Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège–Bastogne–Liège) make up the “Spring Classics”, all held in March and April.
The racing is exciting and just finishing an event is (in my opinion) an accomplishment, with Paris-Roubaix being a distance of roughly 280km or 174 miles. It takes a special kind of rider to race these events. Those who win instantly obtain “legendary” status and those who win more than once such as Tom Boonen, (Paris-Roubaix x 4) or Fabian Cancellara (Paris-Roubaix x 3), are immortalized in the sport.
The racing is fast and the courses unforgiving, causing both man and machine to breakdown. In 2006, American George Hincapie was among the favorites for Paris-Roubaix, having finished runner-up the previous year. However, while navigating a cobbled section in the front of the peloton, the vibration on the cobbles caused the handlebars of his bike to break, resulting in him crashing out of the race, in the most unusual circumstances. To this day, I have never seen anything like it. And that is what makes the Spring Classics special. They are different from any other races.
To celebrate their uniqueness and status within the cycling world, Zwift have teamed up with Zipp and launch the inaugural Zipp Classics. It’s a fitting partnership, since Zipp has been central to the recent history of these races, with many riders taking victory on Zipp wheelsets.
The Event
The Zipp Classics event lasts 4 weeks, and starts on Tuesday, March 30th with a Ride with Kasia Niewiadoma, at 7:00PM CEST.
During each week, there will be a series of group rides led by Zipp athletes and ambassadors. These will be at comfortable, steady pace (2-3 w/kg) social rides where people will be sharing their favorite Classics moments and memories. They also serve as recce rides for the weekend races, since they’re held on the same routes.
Then on the weekend, there will be a mass race!
Weekend Rides (Races)
The four Weekend Group rides will be different from the social events hosted in the week and as they are similar to the Zwift Gran Fondos, most riders will be racing the events.
The Weekend Rides are classified as races, which means they will count as races in ZwiftPower. There are no categories, though – everyone starts at the same time!
Race Routes and Schedule
Weekend Ride 1 (April 4) – Flanders
- Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop
- 2 Laps
- 38km, 292m of elevation
Weekend Ride 2 (April 11) – Roubaix
- Leith Hill After Party
- 1 Lap
- 46.1km, 411m of elevation
Weekend Ride #3 (April 18) – Ardennes
- Figure 8 Reverse
- Custom Finish at Hilly KOM, ~1.6 laps
- 50.2km, 426m of elevation
Weekend Ride #4 (April 25) – Liege
- Dust In the Wind
- 1 Lap
- 52.5km, 529m of elevation
- Note: weekday rides for week 4 are on Out and Back Again, because event planners felt that Dust in the Wind was a bit too long for a midweek social ride.
Sign up in Companion app or online at zwift.com/events/series/zipp-classics
Prizes and Unlocks
Complete one Weekend Ride to unlock the Zipp kit.
An additional unlock will be available on the final weekend’s ride… but we can’t yet tell you what it is!
And finally, one lucky Zwifter who completes all four Weekend Rides will win a new set of Zipp wheels (terms and conditions do not state the wheel model, but they do say the approximate retail value is $4,000USD). Just complete the four events, and you’ll automatically earn an entry into the drawing. Term and conditions apply.
Questions or Comments?
Post below!
Zwift’s instagram post made it seem like there would be new Zipp wheels in Zwift as well, or maybe I just misunderstood it. Still a fun challenge!
The zipp wheels were given a facelift in the last update.. maybe they were talking about that?
On Instagram it’s Say : Finish the last event to unlock Zipp 353 NSW
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2McLTnQIF/?igshid=2s7wp7psp8zg
First I’ve heard of it… but I hope it’s true!
Hmm it appears they may have deleted that post…
Shame the kit is another reused kit (from the images I have seen) from when the speed challenge to launch the 858/Super 9 were first launched on Zwift. Hopefully the wheel unlock is true (plus I can stand a slim chance of winning the wheels irl). Wish this could be a new kit.
Looking at zwifts files I saw the zipp 353s. Did a quick post with more info. https://www.zwiftforkids.com/2021/03/zipp-353-wheelsets.html
This sounds fun but I do wish that Zwift would add categories for the weekend rides (which knowing Zwifters will be races). If everyone is going to treat it like a race it’s just more fun if Zwift divides it out into categories. This is often my biggest gripe with Zwift promoted events. Otherwise, this sounds like a fun excuse to get on the bike and I have the feeling that this might be the one of the last Zwift promoted events before migratory cyclists start to move outside for the summer.
it seems like the Roubaix race would be a good opportunity to introduce some of the obvious gravel routes in the france world. instead we consistently get these zwift events that celebrate real life events , yet the course chosen has no resemblance whatsoever to the real thing. (other than last summer’s tdf obviously)
what i’m referring to : https://forums.zwift.com/t/liberate-the-french-dirt-roads-route-expansion/505834
“It’s a fitting partnership, since Zipp has been central to the recent history of these races, with many riders taking victory on Zipp wheelsets.”
Can anybody name a recent classics victory on Zipp wheels?
Neither can I…
So can you tell us what the final weekend unlock is going to be yet?? And is it just for doing the ride on the 25/4 or do you have to have done all four? Thanks.
zwift twitter now mentions the 353s https://twitter.com/GoZwift/status/1384803179158720512
Will the event allow MTB switch for the jungle section on dust in the wind route or stuck with road for that section? Wheels to replace the Enve 3.4?
Finished Event 4 (and only this event of the series), only got the kit, no wheels 🙁
Yep – Me too. Just the kit, nothing else at all – It was a great ride though.
Same for me and I promoted it. No wheels. I will ask…..
I’ve only been on Zwift for a month, so am still in that exciting phase of leveling up every few rides. I was busy racking up double XP using the TOW events, but I have always been a fan of ZIPP wheels in real life, so I thought I’d squeeze in the final classics ride so that I got the Kit and what ever the suprise was going to be.
At least it motivated me to do my longest distance ride on Zwift yet !
I completed all 4 weekend rides but didn’t get the wheels either. (Got the kit after the first ride). I guess they were just messing with us 😀
Hi, I am chasing to find out what is going on as I did all the rides. I will report my findings.
Me too, I did all the races as when writing about it I thought it would be a good event. No wheels for me either. Looks like we all got duped…..
Did all four races and no wheels either. Plus all the recon rides. Not a good impression from zipp or zwift in that regards. They should have been clear at the start of the series with us.
I received an email yesterday that said “You’ve also unlocked the in-game Zipp 353 NSW wheels” but they are not in my garage yet.
Same here. Very disappointed with Zipp and Zwift at this point… is it asking too much to just have a clear messaging??? Last email was clear but then why is not in the garage?
I actually sent a support email to Zwift and the wheels are in fact supposed to be there. They are assisting me now. I suggest anyone else who completed the entire series do the same. Shame that we have to do this, but at least they’re making it right. (FWIW, support has gotten a LOT better in the last month or so. I’m impressed and relieved.)
I opened a support case as well, and they replied on 4/29 saying that the wheels should be in my garage within a week. I still haven’t received them, so I emailed support asking if there’s an updated eta. Did anyone receive their 353 NSW’s yet?
Just gave up waiting and went through the drop shop as it was needed. Less drop cost for climbing or very hilly races/ rides wheels which will see use than the cost of gravel frames that are barley used from an another event. Maybe last ZRL race the wheels could be of use. If zwift refunds the drops I will be surprised.
Same as Jim D. E-mailed support, went through a process of “everything looks OK at this end, check your garage”, then “we’ve discovered a glitch with the e-mails”, then “we’ll add them to your garage”. Been waiting for that since 29 April, still nothing.
Good news, the 353 wheels finally hit my garage today! There was no further e-mail or in-game notification; they were just there went I went in.