The qualification process consists of several pathways, leading to the two-stage semi-finals and the three-race in-person live arena final in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Author’s Note: The information found in this report is from direct one-on-one interviews with UCI and MyWhoosh representatives during a recent press tour, culminating in a press conference on January 25, 2024, at the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club, AlHudayriyat Island, UAE.
MyWhoosh Sets Sights on Long-Term Transformation of UCI Cycling Esports World Championship
When the UCI awards the virtual rainbow jersey at the 2024 Cycling Esports World Championship on MyWhoosh at an in-person live final on October 26 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, it will mark the first time the event is on a platform other than Zwift.
Zwift is credited with the origins of cycling esports and has hosted three UCI Cycling Esports World Championship events, the groundbreaking Virtual Tour de France that achieved gender parity, and an Olympic Esports Series. They also introduced cycling esports to a global audience through Eurosport, SBS, JSports, NBC Sports Gold, and GCN+ broadcasts. Past achievements weren’t enough for the UCI.
“We were very much looking for a platform focused on competition,” said the UCI’s Head of Innovation and Esports, Michael Rogers, on the decision to move the World Championship from Zwift during a press conference at the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club on January 25. “What MyWhoosh is planning over the long term excited us very much.”
The UCI will award the rainbow stripes in the first-ever live event final using a points-based format on MyWhoosh.
Check out this video for a preview of what’s to come!
Qualification Pathways
- Using a proprietary algorithm based on the UCI ranking system and the final athlete standings of the 2022 and 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the UCI will determine the team athlete allotment, with a maximum 10 riders per team.
- Approximately 80% of the starting spots for the semi-finals will be allocated to National Federations using their selection criteria for team representation.
- The remaining 20% of the semi-finalists will qualify through MyWhoosh’s public qualification process.
- The dates for the public qualification are to be determined, pending National Federation team selection timing and completion.
- Bespoke World Championship Course Design (will be available for recon prior to the event)
Semi-Finals: Two-Stage Format (Virtual)
- Date: September (TBD)
- Number of riders: 150 qualified athletes in each gender (possible additions for emerging nations)
- Stage One: 9-kilometer circuit, with a points system determining the top 80 who will advance.
- Stage Two: Four laps of a 4-kilometer circuit, determining the top 20 male and female riders who will advance to the final.
- In addition, two wild cards per gender will automatically qualify.
Click the image to hear the interview conducted on the ground in Abu Dhabi, UAE!
In-Person Live Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Date: October 26, 2024
- Place: Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Equipment: Rider’s own bikes on Elite Justo smart trainers
- Performance Verification: MyWhoosh and the UCI
- Number of Riders: 20 men, 20 women, and two wild cards per gender
- The event organizer will coordinate arrangements and cover travel expenses for the athletes invited to the live final.
- Format: Three-race points-based event
- Approximately 15-20 minutes per race, with approximately ten minutes between races.
- Points accumulated in each race will determine the final placings.
- Riders who amass the highest point total scores across the three races will be crowned the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Champion.
Race One—The Sprint
- Course: 1.7-kilometer flat Circuit
- Format: Riders are given 15 minutes to set their fastest time through a 300-meter individual timed segment.
- A live leaderboard will track the fastest times.
Race Two—The Strategy
- Course: 9-kilometer Circuit
- Rolling hills for the 6.5-kilometer lead in to an approximately 4-minute climb, then a fast descent to a 1-kilometer flat run-in to the finish line.
- Format: Points-Based
- Intermediate Sprint Points:
- #1-Base of the Climb
- #2-Top of the Climb
- #3-Finish Line (Double Points are awarded at the finish.)
Race Three—All Out
Course: 4 laps of a 4-kilometer Circuit concluding with an approximately 50-second steep climb to the start/finish line each lap.
Intermediate Sprint Points: Start/finish each lap located at the top of the climb.
Finish line: Double points are awarded at the finish.
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.
