HOW TO WIN A WORLDTOUR CONTRACT ON ZWIFT
Rebecca Charlton finds out
In 2016 women’s WorldTour team Canyon-SRAM 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-SRAM’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-SRAM, “some with 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
