SISU CLIMB - JANUARY GC FINAL RESULTS

Following four thrilling stages, the January SISU Climb series wrapped up on the steep roads of the Quatch Quest, crowning new general classification (GC) winners of the Johtaja leader’s jersey.

The SISU Climb series is a monthly set of races on the roads of Zwift that takes place each weekend on a route that goes up! The winners each month are crowned following a concluding Monument Stage race on one of the most demanding, least-ridden, and most rewarding routes on Zwift. Every rider who attempts this challenge embodies the SISU spirit of extraordinary determination, courage, and resoluteness and can celebrate this incredible achievement.

In January, 472 participants from 47 countries demonstrated the SISU spirit by testing their legs and endurance on some of the best climbs. In all, 87 A Grade, 203 B Grade, 155 C Grade, and 27 D Grade riders competed in the open event, with the virtual Johtaja jersey awarded to the leader of the standings in both the Open category GC as well as the women’s GC.

At the end of the month, an overall winner for both the open and women’s categories was awarded to the rider who completed the four routes in the shortest time.

General Classification - Podium

OPEN

A GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
Justin Wheeler 🧡 SISU Racing 🇺🇸 4:38:38

B GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
Jeremy Hopkins 🧡 SISU Racing 🇺🇸 4:34:19
David Esoldi 🥈 TEAM BMTR 🇺🇸 4:39:13
Ben Brok 🥉 SISU Racing 🇩🇪 4:47:24

C GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
John Garfoot 🧡 Royal Navy Cycling 🇬🇧 5:14:31
Alex McWhinnie 🥈 SISU Racing 🇺🇸 5:17:59
Alan Floyd 🥉 SISU Racing 🇺🇸 5:23:43

D GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
Joao Cravo 🧡 TugaZ 🇵🇹 6:44:28
Simon Cooper 🥈 🇺🇸 7:17:38

WOMEN

B GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
Julia Decker 🧡 Race 3R 🇩🇪 4:48:03

C GRADE
Rider Team Country Time
Sandra Inácio 🧡 TugaZRT 🇵🇹 6:06:13

Congratulations to the 21 riders who completed all four races in the series!

In addition to the remarkable individual accomplishments, teamwork was an essential component of the SISU Climb series. Team GC standings represented the accumulated times of the top two finishers from each team every week.

The January series began on the roads of New York with the Everything Bagel route. The 34km route included two climbs with pitches more significant than 15%. It tested every rider’s climbing legs early in the month. Many riders achieved personal bests as they raced through and above the Big Apple.

The following weekend, riders hopped across the pond to London, where they took on the fast flats and the climbs of Leith Hill and Box Hill. After 41km of racing on the streets and surrounding hills of London, the GC standings began to shake out, and the competition heated up! For the final two weeks of the January series, the riders were in Watopia. Week three was the 28-kilometre-long Climber’s Gambit route, finishing atop the 6.3km KOM Reverse climb, with an elevation gain of 400 meters over this distance. This route marked the first mountaintop finish of the series and gave a small taste of what would come in week four.

The final weekend of January, the Monument Stage, was on the roads of Quatch Quest. This brutally challenging route tested the riders’ endurance over 46km with almost 1,700 meters of climbing. Nevertheless, the riders displayed plenty of SISU spirit after several hours of racing on this, the longest stage of the series.

Next up is the February SISU Climb series! The first weekend in February kicks off the new edition with a fresh slate and brand-new opportunities for personal achievements and new winners. Up first is the London Pretzel, followed by Three Sisters the next week, then Mountain 8, and concluding during the final weekend in February with the Monument Stage of the Four Horsemen.

Make sure you mark your calendar for all four races to ensure you can battle it out for the final overall standings. To sign on, join the SISU Racing Club in the Companion App, and you’ll never miss an event!