Zwift: the fall program

More reasons than ever to Zwift this fall, with new features and content. Reaching your goals and improving your fitness has never been this much fun.

Source: press release

Zwift, the global online fitness platform, today unveiled a number of new features that will be launching in the coming months. Because the most effective training tool is the one that makes you want to come back, these new features are designed to encourage engagement and give Zwifters ever more opportunities to improve. There will be something for everyone: exploration, new training programs and races!

New routes in Watopia

Coming in October

This fall, Watopia, Zwifters’ favorite virtual playground, will see its roads extended by 19 kilometers. It will be Watopia’s first expansion since 2019. While over the years Zwifters have enjoyed the launch of new worlds – including France, Yorkshire, Scotland and the Makuri Islands – Watopia remains Zwift’s most popular world.

The new roads are flat and built for speed. They create several key connections on the map, allowing Zwifters to easily reach the longest routes available in Watopia. There will now be eight new possible combinations involving routes 48km long. Among the roads added to this world is the new coastal expressway that takes riders from Fuego Flats to the Mayan Jungle, bypassing the Epic KOM.

Tour of Watopia

Kicking off October 2

Taking part in the Tour of Watopia is a motivating reason to ride on Zwift: it is the only event that lets you double your experience points, and therefore level up faster to unlock exclusive rewards. In 2023, the must-ride Tour of Watopia will take place earlier than usual. In addition, this new edition will feature five stages, all of which will be available on demand. Zwifters will be able to tackle each stage their own way, whether solo, by joining a club ride, at a meet-up with friends, or via a group ride or workout. The Tour of Watopia is the one to bet on to double your rewards.

As a bonus, Stage 5 will give Zwifters the chance to discover the brand-new Watopia expansion!

Registration opens on September 25, 2023.

Climb Portal updates

Teleporting in this fall

When Zwift unveiled Climb Portal last July, it quickly became one of the Zwift community’s favorite options.

– One in five Zwifters has already tackled the in-game version of real-world climbs located around the globe

– 88% of those who set out reached the summit. A remarkable statistic, especially considering that iconic climbs from the 2023 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – such as the Col du Tourmalet and the Col d’Aspin – were among the routes added at the launch of Climb Portal.

Starting this fall, Zwifters will be able to adjust the difficulty of the climbs they take on. When entering the Climb Portal, Zwifters will have the choice of tackling a realistic replica of the climb, as they do today, or of reducing the gradient by 50% or 75% compared with the original. It is an option that lets riders choose a difficulty that matches their ambitions and the time they have for their session. Of course, those looking for a challenge will be able to climb all three versions!

Also starting this fall, the Climb Portal entrances will gain new features. The portal in Watopia will teleport Zwifters to a selection of climbs, different every week. The portal in France will offer a “climb of the month”, giving the Zwift community the chance to tackle legendary climbs together.

Zwift Ride Series: Pretzelfest

Available since September 4

The Pretzelfest ride series will give Zwifters a good reason to ride every month, with a new theme and a new opportunity to have a great deal of fun!

In September, joining Pretzelfest means enjoying routes that put you in the Oktoberfest spirit. The series will consist of four stages to be completed between September 4 and October 1. You will need to complete each of these stages to unlock the Lederhosen kit in Zwift. Just in time to dress your avatar in the colors of Oktoberfest, a German festival whose origins date back to 1887.

Train: Zwift Companion app update: Workout Discovery

Coming in November

The Zwift Companion app update is designed to make exploring Zwift’s entire library of workouts easier. Even before starting a ride in the Zwift app, it will now be possible to browse all the available workouts and choose those that match your fitness goals and your schedule.

A good way to plan ahead and make the most of your training.

Zwift Academy

Starting November 6

Zwift Academy is back and ready to challenge cyclists from all walks of life to improve their fitness. As every year, Zwift Academy doubles as a talent-spotting program for a handful of chosen riders who will try to land a place on a professional cycling team. Starting in November this year, the program launches at the ideal time to kick off the winter season on Zwift.

To complete the 2023 program, Zwifters will need to do the six workouts created by Dig Deep Coaching, as well as two races. The prize: a virtual Zwift Academy kit, a special ZA 2023 edition of the Canyon Aeroad in the game and a chance to win a pro contract with CANYON//SRAM or Alpecin-Deceuninck for the top women and men competitors.

Women’s Training Club

Available now!

To help women stay motivated and get the most out of every ride, Zwift has created the Women’s Training Club! Women are invited to train as a community, and to take part in regularly scheduled group workouts and rides to improve and recover, all under the guidance of the best female coaches.

The club will offer structured workouts designed by world-class coaches such as three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong. A regular weekly schedule alternating group workouts and recovery rides will encourage greater commitment, while the chat provided for the club will connect participants with a community of women cyclists to get the most out of every ride, with tips and tricks from cycling experts.

Events and rides are already planned in this stimulating and fun new women’s group.

Challenge yourself: Racing Score

Available late November

As is well known, Zwift is the ideal tool for cyclists who want to improve their fitness. The new Racing Score gives Zwifters a new benchmark scale to measure their progress while encouraging them to hone their racing skills on Zwift throughout their season.

This new metric takes several factors into account: power, race results and skills on Zwift. These elements are combined to rank Zwifters by level and help them find competitors of a similar level. Racing Score encourages you to race more and refine your technique; the more your race count grows, the more accurate the score becomes.

The Zwift Racing Score will be updated after every race and is determined by your finishing position and the quality of the field.

The Racing Score ranking will make it easier to choose which event or group to race with. This new scale will not replace the pace group categories (A-D), but will help you refine your choices so you can progress ever faster.

Zwift Racing

All fall long!

Zwift is the ideal place for challenging races that help improve your fitness while fitting into busy schedules. This season, Zwift is delighted to offer two ways to compete against one another:

– This fall, Zwift Racing League will offer fun, fast and challenging team races on Tuesdays.

– With a new type of race every month, ZRacing will give Zwifters new ways to experience racing, while using the excitement of a competitive environment to motivate them to ride every week.

Play Beta: Crit City gamification

Available this fall

The Play Beta experience continues to evolve this fall with new handling experiences on Zwift. In the coming months, the platform will unveil new ways to enjoy racing on Zwift, using the steering and braking controls of the Zwift Play controllers. This fall, Play Beta will arrive in Crit City, where Zwift has added boost zones and obstacles in certain events. In races with steering enabled, all Zwifters will need to master their handling skills not only to pick the best line as they navigate the full width of the road, but also to guide their avatar through a maze of obstacles and take advantage of every bonus they can find to win.

Crit City is a map optimized to take advantage of the opportunities opened up by the Zwift Play controllers or any other compatible steering device.

Play Beta: Repack Rush multiplayer mode

Available this fall

Repack Rush is also an important part of Play Beta – a feature that relies on the Zwift Play controllers. It is a racing experience launched this summer modeled on an individual time trial. The Repack Rush event mode is now available to test your downhill speed and handling skills (steering and braking) against other riders in a multiplayer environment. In addition to boost zones and obstacles, Zwifters can collect seconds to be deducted from their final time.

With other riders to avoid, you will have to think harder about the line to take.

This new Zwift experience is a clever blend of skills and tactics. In multiplayer mode, the Zwifter with the fastest time – after bonuses and penalties are deducted – wins the race.

To enjoy the Repack Rush multiplayer mode you will need Zwift Play controllers or any other compatible steering device.

The Zwift Hub now comes with one year of Zwift membership

Available since September 13

Last year, Zwift launched the Zwift Hub, a smart trainer designed to make access to Zwift more affordable. The Zwift Hub now comes with a one-year Zwift membership. This new bundle simplifies access to the platform so that cyclists can enjoy its benefits all year round.

The bundle is available in France, the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom on Zwift.com for €599, including one year of Zwift membership and a choice of cassette

(8, 9, 10, 11 or 12-speed).