Falling temperatures and falling leaves generally mean two things in the world of cycling - 1) hill-climbing season is upon us, and 2) it’s time to dust off the indoor trainer.
We’ve cannily coupled these together to create the Cycling Weekly Hill-Climb Challenge – a four-race series, taking place on Zwift, that will see competitors grind, spin, salivate and snarl their way to the top of a selection of virtual cycling’s most fearsome ascents.
To incentivise you on your arduous journey to the summit, we’re offering prizes of Zwift Play controllers to the winner of the men’s and women’s races every week.
These bar-mounted steering and braking controls complement any Zwift set-up and make it a piece of cake to give Ride Ons and use Powerups. If you have a compatible trainer, Zwift Play unlocks virtual shifting for quiet and smooth gear changes.
Starting tonight and running each Monday, here's what's in store:
Week one: 30 September 7.15pm BST You’ll take on the relatively new Oh Hill no! (1.5km) climb. With a 10% average gradient it’s a short but brutal wall of hurt - come armed with your best three-minute power and a willingness to take a deep rummage through the hurt locker.
Week two: 7 October 7.15pm BST You’ll take on Watopia’s Mountain Mash (6km). An ascent we can liken to the Lacets Montvernier in the French Alps - it’s relatively short at 6km but comprises multiple hairpins and a 5.9% average gradient.
Week three: 14 October 7.15pm BST You’ll take on a course emblematic of the Zwift time trial scene - Bologna TT (8km). The first 6km are fast and flat but the subsequent Saint Luca climb - which has featured in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia - average nearly 11% for its 2km duration. Pace this one badly and your ride could prematurely end in a portico.
Week four: 21 October 7.15pm BST The grand finale - you’ll take on the hallowed hairpins of Alpe du Zwift on the Road to the Sky(17.3km) course. A chance to leave your heart, soul and sweat on the sacred slopes of this virtual behemoth - it’s the last climb of the series, make it count!
