Time flies when you’re having fun Zwifting. This October and November, Zwift celebrates 10 years of racking up virtual miles with their five-stage Tour of Watopia.
And since this is a landmark anniversary for Zwift, riders and runners will have the chance to experience an entirely new island in Watopia during the fifth stage on November 12.
The Tour of Watopia
The Tour of Watopia is an annual five-stage event that Zwift-registered riders and runners can take part in.
Each of the five stages offers three distances for cyclists (short, standard, and long) and two for runners (standard and long), with scheduled group events happening every hour, on the hour, between October 15 and November 18.
Participants will earn double XP (experience points) by participating in any of those group events, and those who conquer any of the stages via the on-demand options can earn 1.5 XP. Athletes can then use XP to purchase items from the Zwift drop shop, unlock new routes in Watopia and gain access to new kits and in-game benefits.
Zwifters can register here for the Tour of Watopia.
Stage 1 - Tuesday, October 15: Downtown to Volcano via Epic
All three cycling options start in downtown Watopia and then follow the undulating Whole Lotta Lava (short), Figure 8 (standard) and Watopia Mountain (long) routes.
Key landmarks on Figure 8 include the Hilly KOM (0.9km at 5.5%) and Hilly KOM Reverse (2.4km at 2%) which date back to April 2015, making them the oldest climbs on Zwift. The JWB sprint also features on the Figure 8 and Watopia Mountain routes. This is the oldest sprint on Watopia and is named after Julynn Washington, who was a prominent early Zwifter. Watopia Mountain also includes the Epic KOM which, at 9.5km, was the longest climb on Zwift when it was introduced back in March 2016.
The standard (5km) and long (10km) run options both feature sections of Whole Lotta Love.
Stage 2 - Tuesday, October 22: Jungle to Alpe du Zwift
The tour heads into the Mayan Jungle on the short Jungle Circuit and standard Serpentine 8 routes, which first appeared back in October 2017, meaning riders will have to swap their road bikes with MTBs to get through this one.
The long route tackles the Road to Sky and features Alpe du Zwift (12km at 8%), which made its debut five years ago and is modeled on the real-world Alpe d’Huez, complete with 21 hairpin bends.
The standard (5km) and long (10km) run options both feature sections of Road to Sky.
Stage 3 - Tuesday, October 29: Fuego to Titans
The tour travels east for stage three and the Tempus Fugit (short), Sand and Sequoias (standard) and Eastern Eight (long) cycle routes all visit the Fuego Flats Desert, which dates back to 2019. The two longest rides also head into the forest to scale the Titan’s Grove KOM (2.6km at 2.2%), while Eastern Eight incorporates the flat, underwater roads of Ocean Boulevard. Fun fact; Tempus Fugit is currently Zwift's most popular route.
The standard (5km) and long (10km) run options both feature sections of Sand and Sequoias.
Stage 4 - Tuesday, November 5: Southern Coast to The Grade
Taking on the Going Coastal (short), Mayan 8 (standard) and Itza Party (long) routes for the penultimate stage of the tour, both Going Coastal and Itza Party include the coastal road expansion that was first introduced in October last year. While Going Coastal has no climbs of note, Itza Party has four ascents, including a summit finish on the Itza KOM (3.75km at 3%).
The standard (5km) and long (10km) run options both feature sections of Mayan 8.
Stage 5 - Tuesday, November 12: To be revealed
Zwifters may have noticed something appearing from the ocean, just off Watopia’s coast, in the last few weeks… All will be revealed on Tuesday, November 12 when stage five explores this new land.
Ride On to Commemorate a Decade
But wait, there’s more… Zwifters can join in on the Big Birthday Bash Rides that take place between October 3-7. The rides will feature cycling celebrities such as Mathieu van der Poel, Sir Chris Hoy and athletes from Canyon-SRAM racing.
A Celebratory Discount
In addition to the Tour of Watopia, Zwift is offering a free set of Zwift Play controllers for free with the purchase of any trainer from Zwift.com between September 30 and October 6.
