indieVelo's Drome to Dome Direct route is 7.1-km (4.4-mi.) with 210 m (684 ft) of elev.-the fastest route from the velodrome to the mountain.
Route Description
You have three options for getting from the Drome (Velodrome) to the Dome (main island mountain top). This 7.1-kilometer (4.4-mile) route with 210 meters (684 feet) of elevation is aptly named Drome to Dome Direct, and it is a description of the GPS fastest route if one existed.
For North American NASCAR racing fans, this will feel very natural. There will be nothing but left turns for you. You start your event on the velodrome with half a lap, then plunge down the hill through three switchback turns. Stay in the draft here, saving your matches. Only the third switchback applies strong corner braking. Be ready to push from the apex there to stay in your group.
Your first left turn at 1.4 km will take you to the Southern Coastal Route, which is flat and fast. There are no heroics on offer here. Stay in the draft, keep gaps small, and save your energy for the climb to come. Your next left turn at 2.5km takes you away from the coast and turns inland toward South Lake. That means you will start going up—slowly at first, but you will notice.
Your next left turn at 3.1 km takes you around the west coast of South Lake and your last stretch of flat road before the mountain climb. You depart South Lake after just 500 meters with your final left turn and the beginning of your climb to the Dome. The good news is that you are halfway to the finish with only 3.5 km left. The bad news is that you have only climbed 33 meters of the 210 meters you’ll have climbed by the finish.
You will start making elevation gain progress quickly with a ramp of 12 degrees, where true climbers will attack to press their advantage. Some relief comes after 300 meters, where the slope eases to 2% briefly. It is a climb where fighting to stay in a group will pay benefits on the short stretches that are flat enough to be fast enough to generate some draft for recovery. Close any gap here.
Another pitch of 10-11% greets you next for another 500 meters, the longest stretch above 10% on this course. The slope eases slowly to a flat at 4.5 km, but only for 150 m. Here is your last opportunity to quickly recover or close a gap to the next rider before the final push.
Route Profile
The last 2.4 kilometers to the top of the mountain are a NASCAR-like sweeping left turn with an unrelenting 6-8% slope until you reach the last critical feature on this course. With just 900 meters left, the gradient eases considerably to just 2% for 200 meters. The fireworks are about to begin with the final sprint. There is a risk of beginning your sprint too early here. At 600 meters, the gradient increases again to 6-7%.
By the time you reach 220 meters left in your race, your instinct is to begin your full sprint. You might be concerned because you haven’t yet caught sight of the finish banner, and that slope ahead looks quite steep with a sharp left turn. Your concern evolves into mild desperation when you sprint. Then, the slope suddenly jumps to 12%, and with only 175 meters left, you still can’t see the finish banner.
Only when you have only 100 meters remaining and the gradient has ticked up to 17% do you catch the first sight of the finish banner and total despair. Just as you capitulate to the mountain, the gradient eases quickly, but there is no time left to sprint to catch ahead before you pass under the finish banner.
Punchy racers who know this course are very effective, learning to attack the steepest part of the climb with just a couple hundred meters left. Non-punchy racers who know this course know they have to build a comfortable gap one way or another by that point. Course knowledge here is a plus for any style of racer.
Special thank you to Beta-tester Rob Miller!
Check out the indieVelo-Route Descriptions page for more useful recon information.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
