Zwift have previously announced information about the inaugural Zwift Games, but the details were left deliberately vague to tease us, well the details have now been released and this looks to be an exciting event series for people to tackle, especially as there are new routes to try.
Format
For the Zwift community, there will be five stages for riders to enjoy, starting on 1st March. Registration for the event will begin on 23rd February in-game, or for those wanting to register via the online route, sign-up is available several days later on 26th February. For those that miss a stage, there will be the opportunity to catch-up during the final 2 weeks of the month (18th March – 31st March).
General Classification
To make the event even more interesting, there will be a General Classification or “GC Challenge.” You will need to complete all 5 stages and your times will be combined to give you an overall time, where you can see how you stack up again the rest of the community. You can complete a stage more than once and try and better your time. Your overall positions for the Zwift Games can be tracked using Zwift Power.
Unlocks
As you would expect, there are exclusive unlockable achievements.
Completing one stage will earn you the in-game Adidas Tempo 3-Stripes BOA Cycling Shoes. Two stages, will get you the Oakley Sphaera Glasses, three stages the Zwift Games Kit, four stages the Zwift Games Gloves and Socks. Completing all five stages gets you the Zwift Games Gold Cap.
New Courses
There is a nice blend of new courses to race as well as familiar routes to ride.
In total, there are four new courses which have been specifically designed for the Zwift Games and there will be new routes badges to collect, as you go. The new routes are stages 1, 2, 3 (A&B) and 5(C&D).
As Zwift states “Each of the new routes has been designed to deliver dynamic racing that will be as fun to ride.”
As the event has race categorisation enforced, it means that Category A & B riders will not be able to try the new “Mountain Mash” route. However, I can guarantee that once this becomes available for Event Organisers to utilise, the route will be raced.
Stage 1 (new route): Loop de Loop
This new route starts in downtown Watopia, the race will be 24.9 km with 289 m of climbing, featuring two ascents of the Zwift KOM. You can expect the race to be blown apart on the climb.
Key details
Dates: March 1–4
Makeup: March 18–22, 25–29
World: Watopia
Route: Loop de Loop
Laps: 2
Distance: 24.9km
Elevation: 289 m
Stage 2 (new route): Jurassic Coast
The second new route, starts in the Fuego Flats start pens, then winds its way through Titans Grove and to Watopia’s Southern Coast. The route totals 19.5km with a degree of undulation that totals 212 meters of climbing.
Key details
Dates: March 5–8
Makeup: March 18–22, 25–29
World: Watopia
Route: Jurassic Coast
Laps: 1
Distance: 19.5km
Elevation: 212 m
Stage 3 (new route for Category A & B) 2024 Zwift Games Epic / Three Little Sisters (Category C & D)
Categories A and B will ride this new route and contains 878 meters of elevation. The challenge is that this elevation comes in the form of shorter, harder climbs instead of one long one and at 81.6km, it means there is a few hours of riding, so expect to be battling fatigue as much as the climbs towards the end of the ride.
Key details
Dates: March 9–10
Makeup: 23, 24, 30, 31
World: Watopia
Route: Zwift Games Epic 2024
Laps: 1
Distance: 81.56km
Elevation: 878 m
Categories C and D will ride the “Three Little Sisters” route. This route involves three climbs that progress in difficulty.
Key details
Dates: March 9–10
Makeup: 23, 24, 30, 31
World: Watopia
Route: Three Little Sisters
Laps: 1
Distance: 37.7km
Elevation: 434 m
Stage 4: Glasgow Crit Circuit
Launched in 2023, the Glasgow Crit Circuit was released to celebrate the UCI Cycling World Championships that were hosted in Glasgow. This is a 5-lap race, which has an explosive, but short climb.
Key details
Dates: March 11–15
Makeup: March 18–22, 25–29
World: Scotland
Route: Glasgow Crit
Laps: 5
Distance: 15.3km
Elevation: 166 m
Stage 5 Road to Sky Laps (Category A & B) / Mountain Mash (New route, Category C & D)
Categories A and B will race up Alpe du Zwift. Success on this 1047-meter climb will largely come down to how well you can pace your effort. Go too hard on the lower slopes means you risk the chance of running out of energy midway, so ensure you adopt the right strategy to get to the top in the quickest time. It’s a deceptively long climb.
Key details
Dates: March 16–17
Makeup: 23, 24, 30, 31
World: Watopia
Route: Road to Sky
Laps: 1
Distance: 17.3km
Elevation: 1047 m
Categories C and D riders will have the first opportunity to try the brand-new climbing route in Watopia called “Mountain Mash.”
This route looks particularly good. Starting in the Jungle Pens, riders will turn immediately left and head-up would could be argued as one of the best climbs on Zwift, the Epic KOM reverse.
The route is 5.9km in length with 335 meters of climbing.
Key details
Dates: March 16–17
Makeup: 23, 24, 30, 31
World: Watopia
Route: Mountain Mash
Laps: 1
Distance: 5.9km
Elevation: 335 m
Elite racing
The Zwift Games will see for the first time money being paid out to winners of the Elite competition, of which there are over 300 Elite riders taking part and according to Zwift is “the biggest field we’ve ever had.” This is clearly a reflection in the growth of Esports Cycling as a sport and Zwift as a platform and riders had to undergo a series of verification checks to be eligible to ride.
Those that follow the Esports Cycling will notice that there are familiar names who will be racing, such as former British National Hill Climb Championship, Ed Laverack, as well as former Esports World Champion, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, so you can expect some entertaining racing.
There are three different competitions to tackle which are the:
- Sprint Championship
- Epic Championship
- Climbing Championship
Those that race in all three competitions are eligible for the “Overall Championship.”
As mentioned, for the first time, there will be prize money available for the top three riders in each of the three different competitions, $7,000, $5,000, and $3,000 respectively. With the “Overall” winner getting $10,000. So, if a rider manages to place well in each of the races, it could prove very lucrative. However, it probably is the opportunity to win an in-game golden Z1 Concept bike that is the biggest draw for competitors.
These races will be broadcast on Zwift’s YouTube channel Zwift Games 2024 – YouTube and Zwift have provided the following synopsis of each event.
SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 2nd 6pm UTC // Women March 3rd 6pm UTC
The Sprint Championship will consist of 3 back-to-back scratch races, similar to the Zwift Battle Royale format used for the 2023 World Championships. All races will be scratch races and progression will be determined by finishing position.
EPIC CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 9th 6pm UTC // Women March 10th 6pm UTC
The Epic Championship is the race for those who like to go long. This grueling one-off race will be held on a brand new course, specially designed for the Zwift Games – the Zwift Games 2024 – Epic Route.
CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 16th 6pm UTC // Women March 17th 6 pm UTC
The finale of the Zwift Games 2024 will be a memorable test on Watopia’s ‘Road to Sky’ route that finishes at the topic of the iconic Alpe du Zwift, modelled after the infamous Alpe d’Huez.
Sponsors
For this inaugural Zwift Games, there are three headline sponsors, Wahoo, Oakley and Adidas.
The winners of the “Overall Zwift Games,” (male and female) from the Elite competition will be rewarded with a gold painted Wahoo KICKR Bike, as well as the previously mentioned gold Concept Z1 bike in-game, for the year.
Adidas will be launching the Tempo 3-Stripes BOA Cycling Shoes. They will be available in-game in black and unlocked by completing one Stage of the Zwift Games.
Oakley, the renowned eyewear producers, who are intrinsically linked with cycling are showcasing their new product called the Oakley Sphaera glasses, which will be unlocked by completing two Stages.
Summing Up
The Zwift Games is going to be a fun event, the blend of new routes and unique unlockable achievements means that you will get a genuine sense of achievement at the end of each race. The racing comes at a time when people’s fitness is at their peak, a consequence of training and racing throughout the winter, so you can expect the standard to be highly competitive. The Epic Stage at 81.6km in length is going to be a challenge, a direct result of the explosive climbs. The Zwift Games certainly has it all and will deliver equal amounts of sweat and entertainment, that much you can be sure of!
