World’s First Certified Virtual Race Cycling Event Comes to Roanoke

Cheer on riders and get a first-hand taste of virtual racing on March 9 when the Haute Route & Cycligent brings the world’s first certified live virtual race cycling event to Soaring Ridge.

World- and national champion cycling superstars will compete in Zwift’s online course environment. Watch and cheer on incredible cycling talent, like current Master World Road and TT Champion Scottie Weiss – of Roanoke – Olympian and Repeat National Champion Jeremiah Bishop, and National Champion Gordon Wadsworth – he’s also from Roanoke – and others as they compete for the win.

There will be prizes for attendees as well and more than 30,000 people are expected to watch online.

Virtual cycling using Zwift.com has been gaining fandom across the world, with tens of thousands of participants of all levels racing and riding daily on a real-life bike set up on an indoor trainer with power metrics designed to simulate riding through elaborate 3D courses. For this inaugural virtual race the racers will have their bikes set up (in front of the big screen) at Soaring Ridge Craft Brewery.

Soaring Ridge’s event will include plenty of opportunities to cheer on cyclists, including our Roanoke favorites, enjoy free food from renowned 2Dye4Que, and be entered to win raffle prizes. The event begins at 4:30 p.m.

The event will be broadcast live in HD through Zwift Community Live to an expected 30,000 viewers across the world. Zwift Racers are invited to join in a pre-race hosted by Team Experimental before the live races, which will be broadcast on-site at Soaring Ridge. A ladies race will begin live at 5:30 p.m., with a men’s race of 10 racers beginning at 6:15 p.m. Following the race, both virtual and real life spectators are invited to join the racers during cool down for some cycling chat.

The event will also serve to benefit World Bicycle Relief Fund, a non-profit organization that serves to address the great need for reliable, affordable transportation in rural areas of developing countries, and is sponsored by Haute Route and Cycligent.