Amidst a change of seasons in the northern and southern hemisphere, Zwift is previewing some of the new product features and benefits that are on the way over the coming months. According to the indoor training specialist… ‘this season will help Zwifters reach new fitness heights with a host of new training features and climbing experiences.’
Watopia expansion: The Grade
Rolling out to Zwifters in June, The Grade is designed to be a testing climb for Zwifters. Built on the west side of Zwift’s most recent expansion, Watopia’s Southern Coast, The Grade will start among the buildings of Ciudad de La Cumbre, and connect Watopia’s southern coast with the backside of the Epic KOM.
The Grade creates a direct, very steep passage from Ciudad de La Cumbre to the top of Epic KOM. The expansion will launch with several new routes available for freeride exploration, training, and racing.
My List
Launching in April 2024, Zwifters will be able queue up routes such as The Grade, when they next log into Zwift using the new ‘My List’ feature.
Using the Zwift Companion app, Zwifters will soon be able to browse the full library of Zwift workouts and routes (perfect for badge hunters) and add them to their list. These will then be shown in For You on the Zwift Home Screen the next time they log in.
The company added… ‘We’ve all been there – you’ve found an hour window, jump onto Zwift to squeeze in a good workout, only lose a precious five minutes choosing between a new route and a structured workout. My List helps Zwifters plan their next session in advance so they can maximize every minute.’
HUD refresh
Launching in (northern hemisphere) summer 2024, Zwift’s in-game HUD is about to get a fresh new look to provide users with more information. One of the features of the updated HUD is a new ‘Climb Mode’ dynamic elevation profile display. The new display will help Zwifters better pace their climbing efforts and prepare for the road ahead by utilising the same gradient shading found in the Climb Portal.
The HUD update will also allow Zwifters to customise the data fields shown in the power tile of the HUD via the in-game settings menu. At launch, Zwifters will be able to choose from speed, average power, power-to-weight ratio (w/kg), cadence and heart rate.
With this update, the mini-map will also receive a refresh. The updated mini-map will provide greater clarity on route progression, including elevation.
Training connections
Launching in early summer 2024, for those with very specific plans in mind – whether from a coach, or another third-party training provider – Zwift’s new training API connection will give Zwifters greater flexibility with how they want to train on the platform by providing better integration with other platforms and coaching services.
Functionally, this new API will behave much like existing third-party connections on Zwift. Once the API connection is set up and approved, workouts built outside of Zwift will pull directly into the Zwift platform and show in the Custom Workouts folder.
The training API will launch later this spring with a few launch partners. Other providers will be able to sign up for this open-API later in the summer.
Celebrating Tour De France on Zwift
Zwift, the Official Training Software Provider to the Tour de France is getting ready for Tour fever to hit this July with a month of Tour-themed content.
Launched in time for the Tour de France last year, Zwift’s Climb portal is ready for a busy month with eight of the most iconic climbs from this 2024 route scheduled to bring cycling fans closer to the action.
For the first time this year, Zwift will be hosting Climb Portal events, bringing another dimension to this popular feature.
The climbs coming into the Cimb Portal this summer are:
Week 1:
Côte des Forche – Stage: 1, Elevation: 159m, Avg Grade: 6.3%, Distance: 2.5km
Col du Galibier (Lautaret) – Stage: 4, Elevation: 563 m, Avg Grade: 6.6%, Distance: 8.6km
Week 2:
Pas de Peyrol/Puy Mary – Stage: 11, Elevation: 628m, Avg Grade: 6.9%, Distance: 9.2km
Pla d’Adet – Stage: 14, Elevation: 873m, Avg Grade: 8.2%, Distance: 10.7km
Col de Peyresourde (Avajan) – Stage: 15, Elevation: 555m, Avg Grade: 7.7%, Distance: 7.2km
Week 3:
Isola 2000 – Stage: 19, Elevation: 1157m, Avg Grade: 7.1%, Distance: 16.2km
Col de la Couillole – Stage: 20, Elevation: 1145m, Avg Grade: 7.2%, Distance: 15.9km
La Turbie/Col d’Eze – Stage 21, Elevation: 616m, Avg Grade: 3.1%, Distance: 15.9km
Zwift’s France and Paris maps will dressed to celebrate the Tour de France ready to welcome Zwifters looking to join the celebrations. Those looking for a social group ride will be able to join any one of the RoboPacers leading groups 24/7 in both France and Paris throughout July and August.
For the competitively-minded, ‘Vive la France’ will be the theme for ZRacing events. Lastly, the Monthly Mission will be taking place in France with a Tour-themed twist.
Watch the Femmes campaign
The Tour de France femmes avec Zwift returns in August for its third edition. For the first time, the race will start outside France with the Grand Depart set for Rotterdam on August 12th. To celebrate the occasion, Zwift’s Watch The Femmes campaign is set to take over the month of August.
With the final stage of the race finishing on top of the famed Alpe d’Huez, Zwift’s very own Alpe du Zwift will be dressed for the occasion. Zwifters will also be able join the celebration in the France and Paris maps, helping them feel closer to the action.
From August 18th, the day the race hits Alpe d’Huez, to August 25th, Alpe Celebration RoboPacer events will be taking place every two hours on Alpe du Zwift, for anyone looking to secure a personal record.
For those seeking structured workouts, Zwift will also be releasing weekly workouts inspired by Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift contenders.
Spring Training
Taking place now, Spring Training is a six-week training series that aims to build endurance for long, outdoor rides.
Zwift adds that… ‘Whether your goal is to lead the pack, train for an upcoming event, or keep pace on your weekend ride with friends, this Spring Training Series will gear you up for the outdoors.’
There are shorter and longer versions of each workout, so Zwifters can decide if they want to jump on for 30- or 50-minute workouts.
