Zwift, the global online training and racing platform for athletes has today been confirmed as an Official Supplier to the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire, bringing Zwift and the UCI closer together. The deal will see Zwift launch the Official virtual UCI Road World Championships course, a replica of the Harrogate finishing circuit, on September 4th.

“It’s exciting news to welcome Zwift as Official Supplier.” says David Lappartient, President of the UCI. “Thanks to the know-how of our partner, people across the world will be able to live the Championships experience to the fullest in an entirely virtual way. Not only that but competing riders to the Championships will get a great opportunity to familiarise themselves with a very selective finishing circuit.”

“I’m delighted to be continuing our long-standing history with the UCI Road World Championships,” adds Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “Ours is a history that dates back to the Richmond in 2015 - a course that still produces some of the most exciting racing on Zwift. Like we have done with Richmond and Innsbruck-Tirol, we hope to bring more people closer to the action by being able to experience the Yorkshire course from the comfort of their own home. For those closer to the action, I hope to see many at our Zwift Draft House.”

Zwift will be taking over Cold Bath Brewery in the centre of Harrogate from September 22nd-29th. The Zwift Draft House is designed to be a great hangout for fans and pro cyclists alike, to grab a cup of coffee, refuel with some food, or try one of four Zwift x Cold Bath Brewery collaborative craft beers.

It wouldn’t be Zwift without some virtual riding, so visitors will be able to trial the Zwift platform and a number of different home trainers, in Zwift’s experience centre downstairs. Head to the second floor and this is where the action will happen each evening, with esports races and one-off exhibition races including a Yorkshire legends race.

For more information, including a full list of activity taking place at the Zwift Draft House, head to www.zwift.com/drafthouse

About Zwift

Zwift is the fitness company born from gaming. We’re dedicated fitness enthusiasts that also happen to be experienced software and video game developers. Combining that passion and deep understanding of the fitness world, Zwift is the first company to use massive multiplayer gaming technology to bring the outdoor experience indoors. Athletes from around the globe can train and compete with each other in rich, 3D-generated worlds simply by connecting their existing devices & hardware (e.g. cycle trainers, power meters, treadmills, heart rate monitors, etc) wirelessly via open industry standard ANT+ and BLE. From friendly competition, to racing & structured training programs, Zwift is building a community of like-minded athletes united in the pursuit of a better social fitness experience.

About the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

Founded in 1900, in Paris (France), the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms, for all people as a competitive sport, as a healthy recreational activity, as a means of transport, and also just for fun. he UCI manages and promotes the nine cycling disciplines: road, track, mountain bike, BMX – Racing and Freestyle –, paracycling, cyclo-cross, trials and indoor cycling. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was founded in 1991. Olympic cross-country and downhill competitions have since been held on several continents and across different age groups. More information on www.uci.org

About the 2019 UCI Road World Championships

The UCI Road World Championships have only been held in Great Britain on three previous occasions, the most recent of which was at Goodwood in 1982. The 2019 Championships will take place in Yorkshire between 22-29 September.

The celebrations will begin on Saturday 21 September when - for the very first time - a UCI-sanctioned, one-day international para-cycling event will take place ahead of the Championships. The Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International will welcome entries from every Paralympic road racing classification.

The Championships commence on the Sunday with the maiden Mixed Team Time Trial Relay and the programme continues through to Sunday 29 September with Individual Time Trials and Road Races for Junior (17/18 years), Under 23 and Elite male and female riders.

Approximately 1,400 riders are set to compete from 90 countries and the action will be beamed to a global TV audience of over 250 million.