An early adopter

Of course, Zwift is a relatively new training platform, but Boasson Hagen says he’s been using it since day dot, spurred on by the inability to ride his bike outside due to injury and a recommendation by Zwift’s Steve Beckett.

“I can’t remember if I started using Zwift for a broken collarbone or shoulder, but Steve contacted me and introduced me to it,” he says. “I’ve use it ever since, especially to come back from different injuries, but I use it even when I’m not injured.

“When you’re injured it can be difficult to get on the bike quickly, but it lets you train for longer when you are initially coming back.”

Pro perspective

The ways pros think about their training has changed almost beyond recognition in recent years – now it’s more quantified and more clinical, with power meters, scientific testing and ever-innovative technology coming to the fore.

As pro cyclists, Boasson Hagen and Cummings are no strangers to the turbo trainer – indoor training has always been a requirement for high-quality sessions – but both say Zwift’s realism has made the turbo a better replacement for road riding.

“You can train as normal with the feeling of the road, but indoors,” says Cummings. “It hasn’t actually changed the way I train, but it has helped in terms of getting the training done. I think I just stay on the trainer longer now with Zwift, so from that perspective it’s definitely helped my turbo sessions.”

Boasson Hagen agrees, highlighting the versatility of Zwift as one key reason why he now goes online for his indoor training sessions.

Storm Doris @gozwift #fromwhereiride #outsideisfree but no #wind inside ????

A post shared by Steve Cummings (@stevocummings) on Feb 23, 2017 at 8:07am PST

“It really makes the time go by faster when you have to do your session indoors,” he says. “You can still ride with other people, and I find that really helps with my motivation.

“On those days in the past where the weather was really bad and I would hesitate whether to ride or not, now it’s easier to just jump on Zwift and get the work done. If I need to do intervals or a recovery ride, then that’s no problem. I guess that’s evidence of how realistic and useful Zwift can be.”

Competition and interaction

We all know racers are competitive animals, so it will come as no surprise that Cummings particularly enjoys racing for Zwift’s KOM awards. In fact, he says racing for Zwift jerseys is what he finds most beneficial when riding online.

Meanwhile, Boasson Hagen is a fan of the variety of maps available, providing a visual stimulation to otherwise monotonous training sessions. “It’s the different courses and how they change that makes a more realistic and interesting ride,” he says.

“Although, I have to be honest and say that I’m not really the best at interacting on Zwift. I use it as a tool for work so I’m quite focussed,” he adds. “It’s nice to see the encouragement and read messages from fans though.”

It might not be Boasson Hagen’s thing, but Cummings likes to interact with other Zwifters. “It’s nice, I like it,” he says. “It makes it more like a group ride and personally I enjoy the banter.”

Banter or not, Zwift helped Cummings enjoy one of his best seasons to date in 2017, thanks to that national road and time trial double. One thing is for sure, whether it’s sportive riders tapping out winter miles or pro cyclists preparing for the biggest races in the world, Zwift isn’t going anywhere.