Virtual Tour de France on custom Zwift routes planned for July

Back in April, this was the kind of thing you’d joke about – but while the real world Tour d France is still due to go ahead later in the year, it seems there will indeed be a Zwift Tour de France taking place in July.

Cycling News reports that Tour organisers ASO have been working with Zwift to put together a six-stage race on custom routes.

Nothing’s finalised yet, but the plan is to run both men’s and women’s races – a striking detail given ASO’s patchy-at-best efforts to run women’s races alongside its flagship event.

Tour de France organisers say they are looking to launch major women's race

The racing would take place on three weekends within the Tour's original dates with the first race on Saturday, July 4, and the last one on Sunday, July 19.

Zwift is reportedly putting together brand new routes for the event, including a Nice course for the opening stage to reflect this year’s Grand Départ and – as you’d imagine – one in Paris in honour of the traditional finish on the Champs Elysées.

As this is Strava, not road racing, stages will only last about an hour. 15 teams are said to have signed up so far - no details yet on which.

A lot of pros have been getting involved in online racing during the lockdown period, although the seriousness of the racing has varied.

In April, Olympic road race champion Greg Van Avermaet won a virtual Tour of Flanders that was run using the online training platform, Rouvy.

Meanwhile, on Sunday Chris Froome will take on a host of celebrities in a televised Zwift handicap race for charity.