The newly formed games will sit alongside the Olympic program, reported to include gaming, sport simulation, and virtual sports elements like cycling esports.
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.
As first reported in Cycling Weekly!
During a January 25, 2024 interview in Abu Dhabi, UAE, following the press conference to announce the details for the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship on MyWhoosh, The Zommunique’ asked UCI President David Lappartient if cycling esports is receiving serious consideration for inclusion in the Olympic games.
“The program will include gaming, sports simulation, and physical virtual activities and will be a distinct Olympic Esports Games,” revealed Lappartient.
Lappartient’s comments are contrary to a December 2023 Kyodo news report citing that the IOC reached out to Japanese officials to escalate discussions to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2026. Aichi and Nagano, Japan, are the sights of the 2026 Asian Games, which already includes esports in its program.
“The Olympic Esports Games will start in 2025 and will include cycling esports,” pronounced Lappartient.
The news preceded an announcement by the International Olympic Committee. However, not by very long.
“I think we can expect the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games in 2025, or 2026 at the latest,” stated IOC President Thomas Bach to Xinhua Sports on January 29, lending support to Lappartient’s disclosure.
The statement is the first confirmation of the game-changing acknowledgment for cycling esports and is a significant step towards recognizing the evolving sport as a unique cycling discipline.
Lappartient left the door open to the potential that cycling esports could be included in the Olympic program in the future. For now, the project will exist as an independent global event and standalone from the traditional mainstream Olympics.
Whether actual Olympic medals will be awarded at the Olympic Esports Games remains uncertain, however, and reports are mixed. In talking with TheZommunique’, Lappartient did not reveal much in the way of medals, either.
IOC Embraced Esports in 2021
In 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) embraced a dedicated agenda for nurturing virtual sports and engaging with gaming communities.
When introducing the Olympic Esports Series 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach emphasized their approach to Xinhua reporters: “Our focus in esports centers on virtual sports that involve physical activity, such as cycling, rowing, and even Taekwondo in electronic form, among other sports.”
The IOC has faced challenges in staying relevant to younger audiences and has shown increasing interest in esports as a way to engage with this rapidly expanding demographic. Bach noted that esports boasts hundreds of millions of participants worldwide.
Expanding on this, Bach reiterated, “We are particularly intrigued by these virtual sports because the physical exertion of these athletes equals that of their counterparts in traditional sports. Whether you’re conquering a leg of the Tour de France from your home bike or participating in the actual event, the physical demands remain consistent, presenting similar challenges.”
The legitimization of Olympic recognition and the publicity and resources that come with it will have a transformative impact on the sport’s evolution.
Game-Changer for Cycling Esports
In a TheZommunique.com interview on June 10, 2023, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance, Jim Miller, emphasized, “If esports becomes an Olympic sport, it significantly increases its status in the eyes of the USAC. It will increase our efforts and be very helpful to the sport. It’s an absolute game-changer!”
The primary reason for this enthusiasm becomes apparent when examining the financial aspect. Most of USAC’s funding comes from the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee). This committee has a broad role, which includes managing U.S. teams for various global sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympics, Youth Olympics, and Pan American Games. Moreover, it plays a vital role in overseeing the Olympic and Paralympic movements within the United States.
Miller further explained, “They are obviously interested in Olympic medals. If the sport is an Olympic discipline, we put more emphasis and fund it at a higher level.”
Support for Cycling Esports is Gaining Momentum
The support for cycling esports in the Olympics has been gaining momentum. In a November 2023 Mail Sport interview, IOC’s Sport Director Kit McConnell stated, “The door is open explicitly for virtual forms. Where there is a full physical replication of the traditional sport.”
McConnell supported the assertion by saying, “The best example is the road cycling partnership between the UCI and Zwift, and now that’s moved to another partnership (MyWhoosh). We are committed to developing the virtual side of sport.”
“It’s something that we’re looking to move forward with,” said McConnell, “and it’s more a question of “how” rather than “if”.
McConnell has hinted in the past that the Olympic Esports Games could come every two years.
UCI President is Head of IOC Esports Liason Group
The UCI President, Lappartient, is Chairman of the IOC’s Esports and Gaming Liaison Group and is a member of the IOC’s general assembly. A source close to the situation said of Lappartient, “If anyone knows the truth about cycling esports in the Olympics, it’s him.”
As leader of the IOC Esports Liason Group, Lappartient was instrumental in organizing the Olympic Esports Week on the virtual cycling platform Zwift in Singapore in June 2023.
The Olympic Esports Week demonstrated the immense potential of cycling esports on the international stage. However, technical glitches involving virtual platform architecture prompted the UCI to make the following statement.
“There are, of course, still areas of improvement, one example being finish line imagery. All parties involved in the event are constantly working on identifying improvements as this new discipline evolves. The UCI engages with platform providers and all other concerned stakeholders to ensure that full support is provided for this new discipline and that fair and credible racing is guaranteed for all athletes.“
On August 17, 2023, the UCI announced that it awarded the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships to the cycling esports platform MyWhoosh for the next three years.
When contacted, the IOC wouldn’t go as far as to confirm or deny Lappartient’s affirmation. However, they did offer the following statement.
“A primary goal of the Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5 is to support and promote the development of virtual sports throughout the Olympic Movement. This is why we have focused on virtual and simulated sports games in the competition series.”
The IOC also pointed to the report detailing plans for the Olympic Esports Games.
IOC Named Lappartient Chair of Newly Formed Esports Commission
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is paving the way for the Olympic Esports Games by forming an IOC Esports Commission. This initiative was unveiled by IOC President Thomas Bach during the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, on October 14, 2023, marking the initial steps towards realizing the vision of the Olympic Esports Games.
The establishment of this new Esports Commission in September was a groundbreaking decision, highlighted as part of the regular IOC Commissions update for 2023. This development carries great significance for the future of esports events organized by the IOC.
IOC Commissions serve as advisory bodies to the IOC President, the IOC Session, or the IOC Executive Board, playing a crucial role in driving progress and change within the organization.
Lappartient, President of the UCI and leader of the IOC Esports Liaison Group responsible for organizing the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June, will chair the newly formed Esports Commission.
Regarding the inclusion of cycling esports in this agenda, IOC representatives referred to President Thomas Bach’s statement during the session, where he expressed, “I have tasked our new IOC Esports Commission with exploring the concept of Olympic Esports Games.”
Lappartient confirmed during the interview in Abu Dhabi when he said, “There was a mandate from the IOC and the IOC president to introduce physical virtual esports disciplines within the Olympic program. As of today, the choice of the IOC is the creation of a dedicated Olympic Esports Games.”
In addition to announcing the plans for the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the UCI President was on hand at the press conference to ink a deal to make MyWhoosh the main virtual cycling platform partner of the UCI Road World Championships through 2026.
Abu Dhabi will also host 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, furthering its ambitions to become a global leader for top-class cycling events and the UCI’s support.
“They have a strong management structure and the expertise to organize many top-class international events in different disciplines and sports,” says Lappartient. “For us, the UAE is a very strong partner.”
MyWhoosh will host the first-ever live event UCI Cycling Esports World Championship final, in Abu Dhabi in October 2024.
In a recent episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh’s Race and Event Manager Matt Smithson confirmed, “We would love to do the Olympics. We want to be the pinnacle of esports and have ideas about how to engage the audience and the athletes.”
MyWhoosh made a similar proclamation regarding the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship in an interview with this author for CyclingNews in May, 2022 and we know how that turned out.
Though unconfirmed, every indication is that MyWhoosh will also be the host virtual platform for cycling esports in the Olympic Esports Games in 2025.
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.
