Five routes: On the virtual tracks of the World Cycling Championships in the Scottish world of Zwift

The online training platform Zwift has been given a new training world in Scotland. This was developed especially for the UCI Cycling E-Sports World Championships on 18 February and initially comprises five routes. Glasgow and the Scottish landscape, where the 2023 World Cycling Championships will take place in August, served as inspiration for the world.

Video: Roller training with Zwift - the basic equipment

Try out the new Zwift world

The new map was ridden for the first time as part of the 8th stage of the Tour de Zwift from 3 to 12 February. From 6 February to 7 March, Ride Scotland and Race Scotland events were planned to explore the new world. The ZRacing series also took place there in February. Everyone who rode a ZRacing or Ride Scotland event on the new map unlocked a Zwift Tartan Cycling Kit. From the beginning of March, the Scotland world was also available for Free Ride, Club Events and Meetups.

Zwift World Scotland: The routes

These five routes are designed to provide variety and fun for indoor cycling.

Rolling Highlands - 14.1 kilometres, 105 vertical metres

The course leads around a lake with a few hills. The course should offer plenty of opportunities to attack.

City and the Sgurr - 8.6 kilometres, 161 vertical metres

Sgurr means "rocky summit" in Scottish Gaelic. It is precisely this rocky summit that is approached from both directions on this route.

Glasgow Crit Circuit - 3 kilometres, 33 vertical metres

As the name suggests, this is a criterium course in Glasgow. The course is not too demanding and is intended to give an impression of the typical characteristics of the city.

Loch Loop - 8 kilometres, 71 vertical metres

A route that is made for time trials. There are just a few gentle hills to break up the roller course. Zwift also provides an even flatter alternative route of the Loch Loop to the Rolling Highlands for classic races or training.

The Muckle Yin - 25.1 kilometres, 279 vertical metres

A very challenging route that emphasises the characteristics of the Scottish landscape. It starts in Glasgow city centre before heading to the steep cliffs on the Scottish west coast and then northwards.

Zwift & World Cycling Championships 2023 in Glasgow

Zwift is the official virtual fitness platform of the 2023 World Cycling Championships, which will take place from 3 to 23 August in Glasgow and the surrounding area. The new Zwift World is an extension of the next cycling world championships and is the first time that the venue for an e-sports race has been created specifically for it.

The virtual world is intended to emphasise that Scotland is an important destination for cyclists. This also includes the fact that cycling is a sustainable way of travelling, that it can be used for leisure activities and that it can contribute to improved mental and physical health and thus to greater well-being.