Fleeman wins Zwift Classics Richmond Challenge
Former pro road racer wins on replica Richmond World Championships course
![Racing on Zwift](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zTwQCPdwkzAqmJHtS6fk59-320-80.jpg)
Dan Fleeman took top honours Friday at the Zwift Classics Richmond Challenge, attacking up the final climb on areplica of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships Road Race course in Richmond, Virginia, to win ahead of Joey Walker and D. Graasvold.
Fleeman's devastating counter to Walker's initial attack brought him home three seconds ahead of Walker and nearly seven seconds ahead of Glaasvold.
Team Vitus collected the team prize in the points ranking based on KOMs and intermediate sprints, earning 121 points to the the Indoor Specialists team of Fleeman, which garnered 117. Canyon ZCC was third at 97 points.
The riders raced two laps of the virtual Richmond course that featured two sprints and two KOMs per lap, making a total of eight intermediate scoring opportunities and even more points available for crossing the finish line first.
Alistair Brownlee initially blew the race apart with a climb on Box Hill that whittled the lead group down to about 25 riders. Sprints on the course started putting pressure on, but the group remained together.
The first trips up Libby Hill and 23rd Street further broke things up, with Tom Pidcock losing touch with the leaders and falling into one of the groups that tailed off the back.
In the end it was, Walker who launched the decisive attack on the final climb up 23rd Street to the finish, but Fleeman was able to track him down as he sailed away from the select final group, holding off a chase from Walker and Graasvold.
The Zwift Classics series started April 5 with the Yorkshire Grand Prix and continued with the London International on April 9, followed by the Trofeo Bologna on April 13. The events take place every four days. Pro/Am women’s teams and Pro/Am men’s teams alternate racing the six different events.
Pro/Am women’s teams raced the Yorkshire Grand Prix (April 5) and the the Trofeo Bologna (April 13), and will take the lead again for the Watopia Cup (April 21).
The Pro/Am men’s teams race the London International (April 9), Richmond Challenge (April 17) and Crit City Slam (April 25).
Zwift Classics
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/j0riqebpsw1715769462.png)
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/j0riqebpsw1715769462.png)
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Cycling Olympic and World records
The track times to beat in Paris -
Matteo Moschetti hospitalised with multiple fractures after being hit by truck driver
Italian suffers fractured collarbone, two neck vertebrae fractures, and cuts and nerve damage in his face after incident on Tuesday -
Stock shortages, equipment registration and the latest marginal gains - Talking Olympic Games track tech with the Dutch head mechanic
Chatting 200 psi tubulars, track air pressure sensors and the need to win ahead of the Paris Olympic games next month -
Van Rysel RCR review: It cements the brand amongst the big players, but is it actually that good value?
A true performance machine from the budget brand, but the bike doesn't offer the value the brand name suggests