Edvald Boasson-Hagen racks up brutal six-hour training ride on Zwift

Not all pros have the luxury of unlimited sunny days and ideal conditions for winter training.

While the likes of Chris Froome or the Yates brothers have relocated to warmer, and more mountainous, regions of Europe to aid their off-season preparation, some stay at home and are forced to battle the elements.

One rider who has been dodging some of the most hostile winter conditions is Norweigan Edvald Boasson-Hagen.

>>> Zwift: Everything you need to know

The Dimension Data rider recently put in a staggering effort on the indoor training app Zwift.

Boasson-Hagen spent much of January 3 on the smart trainer, racking up 212km in more than six hours during one session.

The epic indoor effort saw him climb 2,369 metres and burn 4500 calories on the Watopia map.

Zwift is a turbo trainer game that enables you to link you turbo trainer up your computer, iPad, iPhone or Apple TV, letting you ride with other cyclists in a virtual environment, therefore helping to alleviate some of the boredom associated with indoor riding.

As well as competing against others riders in Zwift racers, those seeking specific training sessions can access workouts designed by professional coaches, and these can be completed in groups with riders completing efforts at the same intensity based on a percentage of their FTP.

>>> British Cycling to hold first ‘eRacing Championships’ with training platform Zwift

Boasson-Hagen has notched 75 wins during his 13-year pro career, including three stages of the Tour de France, three general classification wins at the Tour of Norway and two at the Tour of Britain.

The former Team Sky rider is one of the most prominent pros using Zwift, reaching level 36 and totting up more than 8,000 miles and 16 days of indoor riding.

Attention for indoor cycling is growing, with Zwift hosting a race series, British Cycling launching a national e-racing championships and even the UCI hosting an indoor Worlds.