The Zwift Academy Experience with Anabelle Thomas
Posted by Andrew Davidson on March 19, 2025
If you tuned in to any of the recently aired episodes of Zwift Academy, the talent-scouting YouTube series collaboratively produced by GCN, Zwift and Canyon, you may be familiar with the name, Anabelle Thomas. The 19-year-old Calgarian, former junior Canadian national road race champion, and 4iiii athlete was one of four riders selected from thousands of international applicants, to partake in the Academy. Riders spent a week with the team’s principle directors and coaches, as well as a few of the Canyon-SRAM WorldTour riders, performing a series of challenges, designed to test the various skillsets required to succeed in the pro peloton. The efforts included uphill time trials, Zwift racing, go-kart track hot laps, and 2-up sprints against Canyon-SRAM powerhouse pro, Zoe Backstedt. Anabelle performed incredibly well, often leading the way results wise, with the Zwift race being the one blip in an otherwise highly consistent showing. Australia’s Emily Dixon, Thomas’s closest competition throughout the series, was announced the winner and ultimately earned a roster spot with the Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation women’s team. While it wasn’t the outcome she had her sights on, there were countless positive takeaways from the experience that will bode well for Anabelle’s longterm cycling ambitions. Read what our local legend had to say about the unique and entertaining experience that was the 2025 Zwift Academy.
When did your application and testing start, to get into the Zwift Academy, and what did the qualifying stages look like?
The process was actually quite extensive and took place over 3 months. The first race I actually did was in Girona, on a friend’s trainer in their apartment. The tests/races were all quite different and the workouts consisted of a lot of fatigued efforts so I didn’t really think my power was anything special - it was a 30min hill climb, and I did around 285W. I got an email from Canyon/Zwift organizers after I did my first race, asking if I would continue the program and that I was on their radar!
You were already planning to live in Europe for the season, racing with your team before the Zwift Academy opportunity, correct? Has this experience given you more skills/insight/confidence going into your race season now? Do you feel like you have a better idea of what teams might be looking for in a rider at the WorldTour level as a result of the Academy?
Yes, I was already planning on living in Europe prior to the Zwift Academy. I definitely have more confidence going into the race season partly due to the exposure I have gotten. Cycling and sports in general are such an entertainment industry, so the more good talk you can get around your name the better. I think teams however are really looking for all sorts of riders and it really just depends how you fit in. I think it’s also dangerous to “profile” myself as one type of rider when I’m still so young. I happened to be quite good at sprinting and less so climbing in December because it was coming up on track season and I had done lower volume since I was riding the trainer. I think with teams, it is more important that you are a major team player and always have a thankful attitude.
Anabelle (right) logging some winter base miles in Spain, with fellow Canadian pro, Reid Kinniburgh.
As we saw in the episodes of Zwift Academy, power data is a crucial reference point for the team when evaluating riders. Max power, W/kg, average power over a course… were you already pretty familiar with all your “numbers” in that regard? Did the fierce competition help you set new PB’s in any of those categories?
I was quite familiar with my power profiles before Zwift Academy, but at the finals we weren’t necessarily testing the same points. In my personal training I test more 5sec, 1min, 3min, 5min, 12 min power. The power points were different so it’s a bit hard to compare the PB’s. However, in the 1-minute test I did set a new power PB! The pressure of the camera always on you definitely helps you to push yourself!
Anabelle (right) holding her own in a 2-up sprint with multi-discipline World Champion, Zoe Backstedt (left)
Can you describe one of your biggest highlights and one of the biggest challenges of your experience?
I think the biggest highlight for me was doing well in the sprints and showing that I am a capable rider. Yet, off the bike the biggest highlight was for sure getting to know the other girls. It might sound fake, but we really bonded through the shared stressful and exciting process, and they were the only ones who really understood the feeling throughout the whole experience. The biggest challenge for me was definitely the Zwift race. I wasn’t feeling great at the start, and I missed the gap when the peloton surged. I watched my avatar get dropped while I tried to sprint back on. It was definitely harder on the mental side. I personally felt it was quite embarrassing to get dropped during the race while the WorldTour and development team watched our race. It was hard because it’s not like in a road race when you are alone, you can see all your friends, competition, colleagues around you, watching you suffer and there is nothing really to do about it… but that’s racing and cycling is often very hard mentally.
Anabelle (far left), with her KDM-Pack teammates at the Altitude Tour Féminin team presentation.
The viewers get to witness all the on-bike happenings from the Zwift Academy, can you describe a bit of the behind-the-scenes or downtime? Are you getting the full WorldTour treatment (massage, chef’s bike mechanics, team meetings?)
Behind the scenes it was actually very busy! I have a hard time even remembering what we did because the time passed so quickly. It was mostly interviews, photoshoots, eating, stretching, recovery, and just prepping for the next day. Like a typical stage race vibe. No massage haha, but the team was super great about going the extra mile with bike adjustments, amazing ride food, radios, and even doing our laundry!
What are some of your goals for the 2025 season and/or highlight races you’re looking forward to the most?
My biggest goal for the 2025 season is to secure a pro contract for next year. But on the more performance oriented side, I have a couple target races I would like to focus on. I’m really excited for Gracia Orlova in Czech and, of course, Canadian Road Nationals. I would really like to make the Canadian Tour de L’avenir U23 team as well and compete for Canada.
We’ll be cheering Anabelle on as her season and career unfold, and feel certain it’s only a matter of time until we see her in the WorldTour ranks, with the sports top riders, and some of her fellow Zwift Academy finalists! If you haven’t caught the latest season of the series, check it out on YouTube.
Learn more about the PRECISION 3+ Powermeter Anabelle uses.
