Zwift's Watopia expands again with new climb

A new climb, 'The Grade' is set to debut on Zwift this June, as part of Watopia's recent addition, the Southern Coast.

The extension to the virtual world is just one of a slew of features announced on Tuesday: a new way of queuing up workouts, 'My List', is coming in the next update; a refresh of the heads-up display (HUD); and better integration with other training platforms and coaching services.

The Grade is "designed to be a testing climb for Zwifters", and connects the Southern Coast up with the Epic KOM climb via a "direct, very steep passage. According to Zwift, the expansion will launch with several new routes for exploration, training and racing.

My List is a new way of selecting workouts in advance. Using the Companion app, riders can browse the library of Zwift workouts and routes, and add them to their queue in advance, which will then be shown on the Zwift home screen when users log in.

The HUD update, due to launch this summer, will allow users to customise the data fields shown in the top-left of the screen. You will be able to choose from speed, average power, power-to-weight ratio, cadence and heart rate. The mini-map is also set for a refresh, with "greater clarity" on route progression promised.

A new 'climb mode' will also be present on the fresh HUD, with a dynamic profile display on screen during efforts, using the same shading as the profiles on the Climb Portal.

Better integration with third-party training platforms and coaching services comes through a new API, called training connections. Workouts built outside of Zwift will be able to be used on the platform. It will be launched with a few launch partners, which have not been announced yet, and other providers will be able to sign up later this year.

Also teased in Tuesday's update was this year's Tour de France collaboration, with the most iconic climbs from this year's men's and women's races available on the Climb Portal. With the Tour de France Femmes finishing on Alpe d'Huez this August, there will also be special events on Zwift's Alpe du Zwift during the race.

Earlier this year, Cycling Weekly revealed that Zwift might be about to release its first velodrome map.

Leaked screenshots, shared by users on Zwift’s forum page, appear to show an avatar of the company’s CEO, Eric Min, riding alone on a virtual wooden track. However, this has not yet been announced.