2021 El Giro de Rigo

El Giro de Rigo is Back for its Third Year!

Back for its third year in a row, the virtual El Giro de Rigo is on! Get ready to test your climbing skills (and your fitness) alongside legendary Colombian road cyclist, Rigoberto Urán! 

Kicking off October 26, hop in the saddle for a four-week training block to build up your fitness before an exciting weekend of riding November 20–21. 

Oh, by the way, Zwifters will be among the first to take a spin on the latest in-game bicycle from Rigo's recently unveiled brand: URANIUM.

Want more good news? As soon as you finish the virtual El Giro de Rigo event, you’ll automatically be entered to win an IRL URANIUM bike. 

Workout #1: Mitochondria 
This first session includes ten short but controlled intervals of 1-minute bursts above your current FTP. With minimal recovery, this workout provides the perfect stimulus to increase mitochondrial density and therefore, your sustainable power. 

Keep a water bottle and towel handy, this one is tough! You’ll finish off the session with a 10-minute sub-threshold effort. You ready?

In this session, we’ll focus on 4 x 6-minute sub-threshold intervals with an easy 3-minute recovery between each. This workout is an integral part of building up your aerobic endurance. Training at an intensity slightly lower than FTP will result in higher oxygen consumption which will provide a boost to your aerobic system. 

This workout’s focus is on increasing intensity. You’ll begin with 4 x 3-minute climbs. By ramping up the pace toward the top of each climb, this type of training features a high level of specificity and is perfect for learning how to pace yourself over the course of a long climb. We’re also going to focus on the repeatability of these climbs, so take your 1-minute recovery periods easy! 

Get your towel ready! This session is an opportunity to learn how to attack climbs and improve your lactate tolerance. By performing high-powered efforts at the base of each climb, you will build up lactate before completing a threshold interval. These low-cadence 5-minute surges at high training zones will challenge your mental toughness as much as they improve your muscular endurance. 

It’s time to focus on simulating the demands of extended climbs. This is where the magic happens! We’ll begin each interval at the lower end of your current tempo pace and finish at threshold. These 4 x 8-minute climbs should be done at a low cadence and you should position yourself on the bike as you would when climbing seated.

VO2max training is one the key elements to improving fitness. It’s also the key to unlocking big gains. In this session, we'll have you briefly tap into your VO2max power. This is the highest amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise. With 8 x 30 seconds all out, you’ll need to keep a water bottle and towel within reach—it’s about to get steamy!

Not every session has to involve high-intensity efforts. Arguably, active recovery days are even more important than hard workout days. This low-intensity session focuses on recovery while maintaining your aerobic fitness. Because, as we like to say, stress plus rest equals growth. Get ready to soak up all the adaptations you’ve gained over the last four weeks with 5 x 2-minutes at zone 2 effort! Once you finish this, you’ll be ready for anything! 

Join founder of the iconic El Giro de Rigo event, Rigoberto Urán, on Saturday November 20 for an easy social ride. Then come back Sunday November 21 to join the community during the main event. Keep your eyes peeled for a few surprise guests! 

Today is the day you’ve been training for! It’s time to surprise yourself with the fitness gained over the last four weeks. Choose from one of two course lengths available as you get ready to climb your way through some of Watopia’s most scenic routes. 

When you complete any event throughout the series, you’ll unlock the updated 2021 El Giro de Rigo kit.

Only if you want it to be. Sure, some folks will want to see where they stack up after the Sportive. But everyone is invited to pedal at their own pace. Find a pack, draft your buddies (or drop them), and keep your eyes on the screen. There’s plenty to see during this event! 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Zwift El Giro de Rigo Promotion begins at 12:01 a.m. PT on November 20, 2021 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on November 21, 2021. Open to individuals, who are 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Zwift, Inc. For Rules, visit https://www.zwift.com/p/el-giro-de-rigo-tcs?__znl=en-gb. 