Canyon-SRAM and Zwift launch talent competition to recruit professional female rider

According to a post today on CyclingTips.com:

UCI Women’s World Tour team Canyon-SRAM is taking a novel approach to talent identification, on Thursday announcing it will partner with Zwift and use the social fitness platform to help pick a member of its squad in 2017.

 

The search for a rider, labelled ‘The Canyon-SRAM Racing and Zwift Academy Project’, is set to start in March 2016 with riders who enter completing a series of tasks on Zwift to identify their physical attributes and potential. The field will be reduced through 2016 until only three riders are left. The final remaining female amateur athletes will then compete on virtual and real roads for the chance to become a professional.

This is a wonderful bit of news, and just the beginning of a trend we’ll see a lot of in coming years I believe. And it only makes sense to start with female riders because, as Canyon-SRAM rider Tiffany Cromwell so astutely puts it, “Unfortunately the development pathways for female riders don’t compare to the men’s side of the sport. But rather than swim against the tide, we’re taking the bull by the horns and shaking things up with Zwift. Cycling’s stars possess extraordinary physical attributes and we’re confident one or two of those rough diamonds are out there to be unearthed on the Zwift platform.”

Kudos to Canyon-SRAM and Zwift for leading the pack and making it happen.

Read the full post here >

Take January’s 1000′ hill rep Zwift challenge

UPDATE: this challenge is now completed. The winner of the bidon drawing is Vince Jewlal of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Technically called the “The Banner to Banner 1000′ Hill Rep Challenge”, this is a different sort of race/challenge for the month of January. Everyone who enters qualifies for a drawing to win a much coveted Zwift water bottle (kindly donated by Zwift).

Rules

• The hill rep goes from start/finish banner to the KOM banner and back to the start/finish banner.
• The banner line must be crossed at each end before initiating the turn around.
• Snapshot a selfie passing 1000 feet (305m) along with a minimum mileage of 12.6 miles, and post in the Facebook thread.
• Qualifying times are less than 1 hr for men and 1 hr 15mins for women.
• Qualifying entries must be posted by 31st Jan.

Notes:

• The reason for going all the way back to the start/finish banner each time is that it gets you the chance of the XP bonus at both ends (points mean prizes!)
• Remember to keep your eye on the Ocean route turn and select the “straight on” each time so you don’t veer off onto the flat route.
• Use up the “power ups” as you get them then hit the turn around button as the “power up” cycles on crossing the Banner line.
• 1000 feet will be attained during the 6th hill climb at around 12.6 miles, depending on how tight your turns are at each banner.
• Anything under 45 minutes is deemed “Excellent”!
• All trainer types welcome
• The Strava segment “Banner to Banner Hill Rep” will show your best effort for each rep. 

See the thread on the Facebook Zwift Riders group >