Securing sponsorships, negotiating television deals, and establishing esports committees are initial steps for cycling esports.
Denmark’s Bjørn Andreassen slumps over his bike in exhaustion as a spray of champagne fills the air. The camera goes wide from the nation’s flag draped across cycling esports’ newest World Champion, scanning the room of riders on indoor setups wearing Danish National Team kits and men holding clipboards. The scene is almost as unique to cycling esports as the young rider’s thrilling solo win in the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.
“We’ve done this for every World Championship, and each time it has been a rewarding experience,” explained DCU’s Esports Director Martin Wang Hjørngaard to The Zommunique’.
Live Esports World Championship, Sponsorship, and Nationwide Broadcasting
The Danish Cycling Union (DCU) gathers all its Esports National Team members to compete live, supported by solid backing from the federation. The acknowledgment of esports as a separate and unique discipline is evident through allocating human resources to secure outside funding and support.
Collaborating with global sponsorship partners like Garmin and the local cycling shop where athletes compete provides invaluable assistance in terms of workforce, facilities, and resources.
According to Hjørngaard, the federation’s efforts also garnered national media attention, with two major Danish TV channels covering the World Championships. This media presence heightens the pressure and expectations, enhancing the team’s performance. Both riders and all involved find this approach highly beneficial, as it bolsters the competitive edge and offers a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
“It also fosters a stronger team competition, a critical yet challenging aspect of cycling esports,” he says.
Federation Supported Cycling Esports Committee
Hjørngaard acknowledges the organizational focus on esports within the federation, stating that achieving their level of success requires extensive cooperation.
“We have a national committee for cycling esports in Denmark, which operates as a volunteer group under the Danish Cycling Federation, and I support this committee,” says Hjørngaard.
The committee actively oversees and guides the strategic direction of cycling esports in Denmark. They play a pivotal role in organizing the Danish National Championships and supporting the national team during the World Championships.
The Danish Cycling Union isn’t the only national governing body acknowledging esports athletes on their national teams.
Other NGBs Have Cycling Esports National Teams and Live Events
Josh Peacock, Cycling Canada’s Director of Marketing and Events, emphasizes, “We strongly believe that esports is a sub-discipline of cycling that is here to stay. Since 2020, Cycling Canada has consistently hosted programming on multiple virtual cycling platforms, available to Canadians of all cycling backgrounds. We remain committed to fielding a strong National Team at the World Championships. We are confident Canada will continue to be a leading nation as the sport grows and develops.”
Cycling Canada receives a quota of women and men selected to represent Canada in the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, and those athletes are designated Canadian National Cycling Team members.
An AusCycling spokesperson expresses, “We’re excited about the future of cycling esports. It’s a growth area for cycling in Australia, and AusCycling as the national organization for all forms of cycling and riding.
We’ve leaned into cycling esports to strengthen our communities, identify talent, and encourage more Australians to ride bikes. We’re eager to see it continue to grow.”
Australia’s first Cycling Esports National Championship will be on March 22, 2024, with two qualifying rounds earlier in the month. The first-of-its-kind for Australia live event final at The Cube on the Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point campus is in conjunction with the Brisbane Cycling Festival.
Australian racers competing in the UCI Cycling Esports National Championship have been a part of the National Team since the inaugural edition in 2020. It’s no coincidence that the 2022 men’s winner was Australian Jay Vine.
Nor that the female winner of the first event was South African National Champion Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio.
Cycling South Africa spokesperson Charles Kros affirms, “We have supported every event since and are committed to future events. The South African cycling community has a significant presence on the various online platforms and has seen great success recently.”
South African athletes are designated according to an official selection policy and earn national colors for competing in the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
Some Federations Don't Meet the Standard
Despite the success of their male and female esports athletes in elite and international competition, USA Cycling lacks National team designation, and British Cycling doesn’t host an esports National Championship. Many more don’t meet the mark set by the DCU.
Denmark’s smaller geographical size facilitates bringing athletes together for competition. However, with a smaller pool of elite athletes, their remarkable international esports success is even more impressive.
“Since around 2019, the DCU has been working diligently to establish an elite segment within the sport,” notes Hjørngaard.
The work involves forming a national team, promoting cycling esports in the media, and enhancing its value for the riders.
“We aim to make participation in the national team appealing to the riders and ensure the setup is enjoyable and professional,” he adds.
Early Adoption By DCU Breeds Success
Denmark has three UCI Cycling Esports World Championship medals, tied with Australia, and one fewer than Germany. In addition to Andreassen’s victory, three other Danish riders were among the top ten in 2023 while competing together in person and as a team. Anders Foldager was second, and Nicklas Amdi Pedersen was third in the event’s first edition in 2020.
The DCU embraced cycling esports early on, according to Hjørngaard.
“We began preparations five months before the first World Championships in 2020. This early start was crucial for selecting and training our team. We focused on identifying the right candidates and ensuring they were as prepared as possible.”
It showed in the results and allowed Hjørngaard to leverage its popularity with sponsors and video streaming service providers, solidifying the DCU’s commitment to the sport’s development and long-term viability.
The DCU collaborates with the Uno-X Professional Cycling team to organize the Uno-X Super League. This eight-round series, held from October to December, includes both community and elite competitions, drawing over 2,000 riders.
Widespread community engagement amplifies the excitement for cycling esports and builds momentum for Denmark’s National Championship event.
National Championship Live Final Brings Exposure
World Champion Bjørn Andreassen was outsprinted by Frederick Muff in the live final on February 11, 2024, in Aarhus, Denmark. Joining Muff on the top of the Danish National Championship elite podium was Julie Marckmann, winning in a decisive solo move.
Garmin supplied accuracy-tested Tacx Neo 2T smart trainers, and a national sports streaming provider televised the event, a significant step forward for the popularity of cycling esports in Denmark.
“It’s not just about broader exposure,” says Hjørngaard, “it’s about recognizing cycling esports as a legitimate and exciting competitive discipline.”
Denmark’s success and buy-in by the federation and its partners aren’t commonplace in the cycling esports landscape, but not exclusive.
Other NGBs are Following Suit
After five Coupe de France qualification rounds, the French Cycling Federation hosted sixty athletes to crown their national champions across four categories. The live event final was in Le Soler, Southern France, on February 17, 2024, where Sportpulsion, a Wahoo reseller, equipped participants with Wahoo V6s, desktops, and fans.
Geoffrey Millour won the men’s elite French Esports National Championship title, and Mélanie Guiseppin won the women’s.
The federation works closely with Hexagone’s Romain Malbreil to organize the National and World Championship events. Malbreil, who offers his expertise as a freelance contractor, admits, “The federation hasn’t developed the sport of cycling esports.”
Others are Lagging: Will the Sport be Ready for the Olympics?
The sport’s evolution and viability hinge on federations like the DCU and, to a lesser extent, others like the FFC, accepting and prioritizing resource allocation to support esports athletes. Securing sponsorships, negotiating television deals, and establishing esports committees represent ambitious initial steps.
Hjørngaard and Malbreil’s efforts should serve as a blueprint for the future involvement of NGBs. There is a lot more work to do.
“The Olympic Esports Games will start in 2025 and will include cycling esports,” UCI President David Lappartient told The Zommunique’.
Will the sport be ready? Not if something doesn’t change soon.
Federations that neglect to field esports national teams, allocate financial resources, or develop an organizational framework and strategic plan are contributing to the problem and hindering the sport’s growth.
Is your NGB a part of the solution?
If so, we want to hear about it. Share how your federation is helping to support cycling esports’ evolution and future viability.
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.
