The momentous event will bring the cycling esports elite to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to award the rainbow stripes in late 2024.
“We’re going to do this live final, and that’s where we were going from day one,” were the emphatic words of MyWhoosh Race Control and Events Manager Matt Smithson.
Smithson’s response came during a recent Virtual Velo Podcast interview when asked what made the UCI stand up and take notice.
“The World Championship event will be something different that will excite the public. There’ll be something for everyone, and racers of all abilities will have a chance to win. I’ll say that much,” said Smithson.
Smithson confirmed the introduction of a new virtual world, more dynamic courses, and an engaging race format designed exclusively for the October 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship event.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and MyWhoosh announced on November 9, 2023, that the fourth edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships final will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
For the first time in cycling esports history, all qualifying participants will have the opportunity to compete in person, with the event organizer coordinating travel arrangements for the top 20 female and male athletes from the qualifying rounds to join the competition in Abu Dhabi.
The 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will incorporate qualifying rounds to determine the finalists who will compete in Abu Dhabi. Additional information about the event, such as the location, precise dates, qualification procedures, and format details, will be provided at the start of the upcoming year.
When the UCI awarded the World Championship hosting rights to MyWhoosh for the next three years in August, the decision received shock and skepticism.
“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has awarded the rights for the organization of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships based on criteria which encompass a broad scope of aspects, including the bidding company, the platform, performance verification, promotion and broadcasting, and financials,” stated the UCI.
Smithson wants the cycling esports community to know, “The UCI chose MyWhoosh based on the platform’s merits and what our team is capable of delivering for the people that participate in our sport.”
Abu Dhabi will host a series of prestigious upcoming cycling events, including the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, the 2028 UCI Road World Championships, the 2028 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, and the 2029 UCI Track World Championships.
The platform is known for hosting big-money events, like the weekly Sunday Race Club series, with a monthly prize purse of over $90,000 spread across three categories, two genders, and team and individual classifications. The $1 Million MyWhoosh Championship series in April 2023 boasted the largest payout in cycling esports’ history.
When asked if MyWhoosh’s financial and philosophical investment in the sport’s growth influenced their World Championship decision, the UCI stated, “In the context of the award for a three-year period, the medium and long-term vision and commitments towards the development of the discipline of Cycling Esports were particularly important.”
Smithson notes that the region is committed to establishing itself as a central hub for world-class competitions, and the population embraces cycling culture.
“The infrastructure and the sport is booming. It’s everywhere. It’s everything. There’s purpose-built cycling!”
MyWhoosh aims to redefine cycling esports and provide a pathway for professional esports athletes. A first-of-its-kind live event final is a step in that direction.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
