How To Win A World Tour Contract On Zwift

The ultimate prize for any aspiring racer is a WorldTour contract – and that’s the irresistible award offered by Zwift Academy. But what does it take to win? Rebecca Charlton finds out

- Rebecca Charlton

In 2016 women’s WorldTour team Canyon-SR AM and Zwift came together to announce one of the biggest and boldest talent-ID initiatives we’d ever seen in cycling. This alliance saw the launch of the Zwift Academy, an indoor cycling contest that any woman anywhere – provided she had a smart trainer – could complete at home. The prize at the end? A WorldTour contract.

After making it through eight weeks of e-sports testing and real-world finals, one rider would be invited to start the next season on Canyon-SR AM’s professional roster. Still going strong, today the Zwift Academy (ZA) is bigger and more influential than ever.

“Many people raised their eyebrows,” explains Beth Duryea, sports director at Canyon-SR AM, “some with the excitement of what might eventuate, and some with hesitation.” It turned out the excitement was well-founded.

“Now in its fifth year, the results achieved by the winners in real life at the top level of UCI races are testament to the value of this program to identify talent and to provide a unique pathway to a career in professional sport.”

Not just watts

Proving that winning ZA is not just about churning out watts on the turbo, the 2018 winner Ella Harris has become a successful rider with Canyon-SR AM, while 2017 winner Tanja Erath has moved to Team Tibco Silicon Valley Bank for 2021. Leah Thovilson was the first rider to win ZA, in 2016, aged 37, after the competition was whittled down from 1,200 entrants. She spent two years racing professionally with CanyonSR AM, signing for a second season in 2017, and now works with Zwift.