‘La Vuelta Virtual’ Racing Series #1 – Fight for the Red and Green starts Aug 15th on ROUVY
August 12, 2021
Madrid, Spain / Starting this Sunday, the global cycling community is invited to compete virtually on the official, real-life race courses of the 2021’ Vuelta a España, just like the pros. Following the announcement of its official, multi-year partnership with La Vuelta and presenting “La Vuelta Virtual”, ROUVY is now releasing an immersive 5-stage digital version of the 2021 edition of the Spanish Grand Tour, for everyone to join from home. Available in 3 different time zones, the series provide the exciting chases alongside the pros, as well as general classification and great prizes from series sponsors: ELITE Cycling, Santini and ŠKODA We Love Cycling.
August 12th, 2021 – Starting this Sunday, the global cycling community is invited to compete virtually on the official, real-life race courses of the 2021’ Vuelta a España, just like the pros. Following the announcement of its official, multi-year partnership with La Vuelta and presenting “La Vuelta Virtual”, ROUVY is now releasing an immersive 5-stage digital version of the 2021 edition of the Spanish Grand Tour, for everyone to join from home. Available in 3 different time zones, the series provide the exciting chases alongside the pros, as well as general classification and great prizes from series sponsors: ELITE Cycling, Santini and ŠKODA We Love Cycling.
Cyclists and fans of all levels can test their abilities and compare themselves to the pros from the World Tour Teams! Athletes have the opportunity to ride in some of the most impressive places of Spain in 1:1 ROUVY’s precise and immersive augmented reality.
Together with Unipublic, ROUVY is introducing a new event concept. A continuous series of events (and unprecedented access to both real and virtual experiences) on the most exciting routes of La Vuelta will be introduced year-round to the cycling community. These events of different formats will run between August 2021 and April 2022. Routes from 2021 and all future routes that are part of the Spanish Grand Tour will be continuously released here.
The virtual racing starts in the province of Burgos/Castile and León on the 30km central segment of the Stage 2 between Torresandno to Tordomar, via Villafruela. (Stage 2 is a fast and flat stage that will cover 167km for the pros.) This flat route covers the middle of the stage, where sprinters will have the opportunity to show who is in form, go for the win and grab points for the green jersey. This stage will assist in predicting which teams, in the duration of the race, will be in control of the peloton in the following stages. The course will make its way through a scenic municipality called Villafruela, a rural area nestled in the north of Spain. Riders will enjoy riding over the classic Spanish, gently rolling grasslands and finally over the small Arlanza river to the finish in Tordómar, an area dominated by cultivated fields of cereal and ochre-colored meadows set against an azure sky.
‘La Vuelta Virtual’ Challenge
The warm up and celebration of the Spanish Grand Tour on ROUVY started with a 2-week Challenge. Riders who complete Laguna Negra and Comillas locations on ROUVY will be eligible to win VIP Tickets to go ‘behind the scenes’ of one of the La Vuelta stages to watch the race from the mechanics’ car or even a helicopter!
Registration for the Challenge is here.
Race virtually and feel like a pro!
Every day at 17:00 UTC, the international cycling community can compare themselves to the crème de la crème of cycling professionals on the same stage sections in the La Vuelta Virtual Race series. To get a feel for what it is to be a pro just for one day, let alone 5 days, is certainly a new experience for anyone that is up for the challenge.
DATES OF DIGITAL RACES AND PARCOURS:
Aug 15th | Race 1 | STAGE 2 | La Vuelta Virtual 2021 | Villafruela | 30km, 197m elevation
Aug 17th | Race 2 | STAGE 4 | La Vuelta Virtual 2021 | Anquela del Ducado | 35km, 343m el.
Aug 19th | Race 3 | STAGE 6 | La Vuelta Virtual 2021 | Cullera | 20km, 85m el.
Aug 25th | Race 4 | STAGE 11 | La Vuelta Virtual 2021 | Las Lagunillas | 43km, 970m el.
Aug 26th | Race 5 | STAGE 12 | La Vuelta Virtual 2021 | Cordoba | 31km, 997m el.
The stages are running the same day as the pros riding it in the morning. Three different time zones, Asia, Europe and USA, are available with their respective races starting at 20:00 JST / 19:00 CEST / 18:00 PST.
RACE FORMAT
The competition is open to anyone. Athletes of all levels are welcome to join. Mass start for all riders. Each day is an individual stand-alone single race with the overall series general classification and individual standings based on points. Bike selection and drafting are available and always “ON”.
PRIZES
Prizes will be presented by ELITE Cycling, Santini and ŠKODA WeLoveCycling. Prize winners for some valuable prizes from the sponsors will be selected in the random draws; so every participant of the virtual tour races has a chance to win.
Cyclists wishing to participate in the La Vuelta series must have a smart trainer, a bike, and a device capable of using ROUVY, such as a phone, tablet, computer or AppleTV, connected to the Internet. A valid ROUVY account is also required and new riders are offered an additional 14-day free trial to be part of the action.
Registration is free of charge and NOW OPEN.
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About Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is an annual, multi-stage cycling road race in Spain, which also occasionally passes through nearby countries. First organized in 1935, the UCI WorldTour event has been staged and managed by Unipublic and Amaury Sport Organisation. Along with the French and Italian tours, the La Vuelta makes up cycling’s most prestigious, three-week-long Grand Tours. In 2021, the Spanish “La Roja” celebrates its 76th appearance in the World Tour calendar along with a global TV coverage and a success story to be proud of.
About ROUVY
ROUVY is a digital racing platform that brings the experience of real-life cycling competitions to your home. ROUVY offers thousands of exciting virtual roads to join the pro peloton online or compete with friends. Overlaying augmenting avatars over the geo-synced video footage, ROUVY makes home training both realistic and fun. Cycling enthusiasts and the most demanding athletes are welcome to cycle the world from home to stay fit or get ready for the next race!
PRESS CONTACT
Yuriy Ryashko
press@rouvy.com
+420 778 488 077
Laura Cueto
Icueto@unipublic.es
+34 638 95 95 20
Company Info
VirtualTraining s.r.o.
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