I am trying for the Ultimate Challenge on the Tour de Zwift 2025. This means you ride all three of the routes in every stage. I missed 2 in stage one. I missed 1 in stage two. I completed all three in stage 3. This left me at Stage 4 which was named "Summit Seeker".
For those that don't know, the Tour De Zwift 2025 is 6 stages around Zwift to get people checking out different routes around the worlds. I was happy to complete my 2024 version of the Zwift Base Camp. So when this one came out I was interested in trying.
Each stage has 3 levels to choose from. Short, Standard, and Long. The descriptions pretty much explain what each one is. But Stage four was a bit different. Looking at Stage 4 gave me pause. Summit seeker means climbing. While I am better at climbing, I am far from a pure climber. I am still fairly heavy and would prefer flat and downhill to those routes pointing upward. Still, I cannot shy away. In order to complete the Ultimate Challenge riders have to complete each distance in each stage.
Here were the 3 options in Stage 4.
Petite Douleur was the short route. At 16 miles the distance wasn't a concern. The 1270 feet of climbing really wasn't terrible over that distance. It was basically 2 laps of the course, with 2 climbs over the Petit KOM. Not scary by any means.
The standard distance was Lutscher. Interesting enough, a shorter distance with more climbing. The worst part of this route is that the "loop" doesn't start until the top of the Innsbruck KOM. So a long lead-in to the top, a bombing descent, and then another jaunt up the KOM. The Innsbruck KOM is a 4.6 mile climb averaging 5.4%. Not bad once, but the second time around was rough. I generally look at climbing as feet per mile. This route was 177.8 feet/mile.....which is massive. In contrast, Barry Roubiax courses are around 75-80 feet per mile. So, big challenge.
The long course was indeed La Reine. Looking at the estimated finishing times around 2 hours (for my power output) made me pause. Do I want to sit on the trainer for 2 hours? Well, that is one aspect of this route. Riding for 2 hours versus climbing for 2 hours have way different definitions.
Looking at the distance I kind of paused, then I saw the elevation and my heart sank. A massive 272.8 feet/mile. Almost 100 feet more per mile than the Lutscher route. Nearly 4 times more per mile than Barry Roubaix. What the hell?!??!
So I dug a bit deeper into why its so much climbing. Not only does this route include the Petit KOM (from the short course), but it heads up the daunting Vontoux. While it wasn't the full Vontoux, it was the lower and steeper parts. from the profile below you can see that there was a nice lead-in and then nothing but uphill.
I didn't push the flats. I found a group and we rode together at around 19mph to the base of the Petit KOM. The group always gets destroyed at the climb. Petit KOM is considered a Level 4 climb, so not easy. I just found my rhythm and settled in...knowing that I had a long way to go.
When I started the climb I believe I was under 30 minutes of ride time. So instantly my brain started to wonder how roughly 9 miles was going to take 90 more minutes. Having done the Petit KOM just a few days prior I knew it wasn't easy but I was holding basically the same pace. I hit the top only 20 seconds slower than my previous time up. I knew I was doing right by pacing myself.
Then the real climb began. Steep and brutal for miles. Just a slow grind up Vontoux. There were a few riders that would pass. And I passed a few. But in general, I was just grinding away alone. As the time ticked by I was mentally cracking. There is just so much pressure on the legs to keep turning and it feels like you are getting nowhere. The scenery moves slow. The other riders are barely in sight. once in a while someone would fly past. But, these are stronger riders that started late. Solitude found me.
I just put my head down and kept turning the pedals. Slowly my elevation was going up and my distance remaining was going down. At 4 miles to go I noticed my heart rate had dropped. I was steadily in the 130's and had dropped to the low 120's. As bad as my legs felt, my heart was just relaxing. Strange, but it makes sense. This climb was far from cardio. It was like doing 10,000 squats at a slow rate. Just squat...stand......squat....stand. For miles.
With about 2 miles to go I had to stop. I had to give my legs a break. I didn't stop for long, but holy hell my legs were screaming for mercy. I rested for a second, then started again. I couldn't give up now, I only had 2 miles to go. But the time was ticking away and was running out of gas.
With around 1.3 miles to go, I had to stop again. Legs were just not cooperating anymore. How, how can I stop now when I am this close to the finish. I took a breath and started to pedal again. The route flattened out a little, and it was amazing how 7% felt compared to the 10+% I had been struggling with.
Slowly the distance to go got under a mile. Then half a mile. When I got there I got a bit of a spark knowing the finish was close. .4 left and I was back pedaling with my head down. Just keep going. When I looked after what felt like an eternity I was a .3 miles to go. lol. This ride was just brutal. Eventually the decimals gave way to how many feet remaining. I kept turning as fast as I could until I crossed the banner and competed the route.
Done and dusted. I had just done the single hardest ride I have ever done. Pure climbing for nearly 2 hours. Awful. Had this not been part of the challenge it is likely I would never have done it. After my ride I had to climb the stairs out of the basement. Not a problem. Usually going down the stairs is more of a concern. lol.
I took a shower, got some food, and sat on the couch with my Air Relax leg system. I cranked that baby up to 20 minutes and started my recovery. This system was some of the best money I have ever spent. The next day my legs felt great. I was able to do my normal workout and not have much discomfort.
What a ride this was. Another accomplishment for me. I knew I had to get these climbs done and out of the way so I can cruise the rest of the Ultimate Challenge. Some of my friends have done this route too, and they all say the same thing. It sucked. lol. Proud of my friends for finishing. It was truly a mental battle to keep the physical side moving. I wanted to quit at least 5 different times towards the end. Knowing that if I quit I would waste the effort to this point was enough to keep me going.
What a ride.
