The Tour de Zwift is back for 2022 with something for every type of rider

Looking for a challenge to kick-start the new year? The Tour de Zwift will return for 2022 on 10 January with more stages and routes than ever before.

The eight-stage virtual event will cover flats, mountains, tarmac and gravel in all of Zwift’s virtual worlds.

As in previous editions, there will be three variations of each stage (short, standard and long), depending on your appetite for an indoor cycling workout on any given day. Every stage will also be available to ride for a few days.

This year, however, stages will be split into shorter weekday and longer weekend rides so riders can manage work and family commitments, according to Zwift.

Weekday rides will stay closer to Zwift's virtual cities, such as the new Neokyo world, while weekend routes will explore rural landscapes, such as Makuri Islands.

Something for everyone

The 2022 Tour de Zwift will start with fast and flat routes before climbing into the mountains on stage two.

Zwifters will have the choice of Alpe du Zwift or Innsbruck’s fiendishly hard 2018 UCI World Championships road race course.

Next up, stage three – dubbed 'Round and Round' – lives up to its name by sending riders on rolling circuits of Makuri Islands or flatter laps of New York’s 6 Train.

Your avatar will need a gravel or mountain bike for stage four. All riders will be welcomed to Zwift's jungle and dirt tracks in Watopia and Makuri Islands.

Stage five rejoins the virtual tarmac in Richmond, London or Paris, depending on your chosen category. The European capitals are flat, but the 2015 UCI worlds course in Richmond is rolling.

You’ll need your best Zwift setup to pass the endurance test of stage six. The shorter ride in Douce France is still 24km, while the category A ride covers 56km of the London Pretzel.

Again, the ‘Escalator’ stage seven looks suitably named. A loop of 'Castle to Castle' in Makuri Islands packs 305m of climbing into 23km. The longer route around Yorkshire’s Royal Pump Room is even lumpier.

Last of all, ‘Big City Champs’ gives longer route riders a preview of the 2022 UCI Esports Worlds course in New York. The shorter options go around the same city’s 'Knickerbocker' route.

The Tour de Zwift is also available for runners, with each stage offering two route options.