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The grand celebration of virtual racing is back. Zwift, the global online fitness platform for cyclists and a benchmark for community competitions, announces the 2026 edition of the Zwift Games, taking place from February 16 to March 29. On the program: five main stages, enhanced by two bonus stages open to the entire community. The stated objective: to make the thrilling experience of Zwift competition accessible to an ever-wider audience, from novices to seasoned racers.
Seven new routes in seven worlds
For this 2026 edition, Zwift is making a strong impression with seven brand new routes spread across seven different worlds. Each course has been designed to test various rider profiles: climbers, punchers, rouleurs, or sprinters.
The five main stages will be accessible for one week each. All races will be ranked according to Zwift’s Racing Score system, with open, advanced, and women’s categories. The difficulty will progressively increase over the weeks, with increasingly demanding courses.
The 2026 courses:
Stage 1 – Kaze Kicker (Makuri): 16.8 km – 134 m elevation gain
Stage 2 – Hudson Hustle (New York): 20.3 km – 216 m elevation gain
Stage 3 – Cobbled Crown (Richmond): 24 km – 288 m elevation gain
Stage 4 – Peaky Pavé (France): 30.6 km – 368 m elevation gain
Stage 5 – Three Step Sisters (Watopia): 37.8 km – 587 m elevation gain
The bonus stages:
6a – Epiloch TT (Scotland): 11.1 km – 94 m elevation gain
6b – Crit Cade (Crit City): 15.7 km – 136 m elevation gain
The official Zwift Games website will allow participants to track their progress through a general classification (stages 1 to 5), detailed results for each race — including bonuses — as well as Zwift Games Power Metrics. These indicators compare performances with the best efforts of the last 90 days.
What’s new in 2026
A major new feature this year: the courses will be available on demand starting February 13. Zwifters will thus be able to recon the routes, unlock exclusive badges, earn bonuses, and accumulate extra XP even before the official start.
Another innovation: the Zwift Games Road to Glory program, a guided group ride dedicated to new participants, organized from February 9 to 20. Through practical exercises, cyclists will learn the basics of Zwift competition: understanding how events work, choosing the right moment to use PowerUps, or launching a sprint. An ideal preparation before lining up at the start.
Two formats for the bonus stage
From March 23 to 29, the bonus stage will offer two radically different experiences:
Crit Cade: a fast and fun format incorporating PowerUps, boosts, danger zones, and real-time steering to trigger strategic attacks.
Epiloch TT: a pure time trial, focused on power, with no steering required.
These two formats will have their own online rankings, without impacting the main general classification.
A catch-up week is also scheduled from March 30 to April 5. Stages 1 to 5 will be offered in rotation, providing the opportunity to participate in missed races or improve one’s performance.
Prestigious partners
The 2026 edition will benefit from the support of Shimano, Oakley, and Wahoo, official partners of the Zwift Games.
In terms of rewards, participants can unlock:
Oakley Sphaera™ Strike glasses after completing one stage
The official Zwift Games 2026 jersey after three stages
The Oakley Velo Stelvio™ helmet after all five stages
And for the most dedicated: finishing six stages will grant a massive 6,000 XP bonus, ideal for leveling up and reaching the next tier.
With more courses, more challenges, and even more interactivity, the Zwift Games 2026 promise to be the most ambitious edition to date.
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