UCI and MyWhoosh Announce Public Qualifiers for the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships semi-finals.
To broaden their commitment to accessibility and inclusion, the UCI and MyWhoosh confirmed that 20% of the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships semi-finalists will qualify through the MyWhoosh platform’s public qualification process.
MyWhoosh CEO Akhtar Saeed Hashmi says the new format aligns with the UCI and MyWhoosh’s broader goal of promoting growth and inclusivity in cycling esports on a global scale.
“In a significant move, we are expanding the semi-finals to accommodate over 150 riders, reflecting our broader strategy to foster global growth and inclusivity in cycling esports. The qualification pathways, blending National Federation selections and MyWhoosh’s public qualification process, ensure transparency and fairness, opening doors for athletes worldwide.”
For the first time in cycling esports history, all qualifying participants will compete in person in a live event final. The event organizer, MyWhoosh, will coordinate travel arrangements for the top 20 female and male athletes from the 150 men and women competing in the semi-final round to attend the competition in Abu Dhabi on October 26th.
The UCI assigned approximately 80% of the starting spots to the National Federations, which are currently hosting qualifier events and selections to choose their national representatives. The remaining athletes competing in the semi-finals on September 6th will earn their spots through the public qualification process on the MyWhoosh platform.
The public pathway two-stage events will occur on August 3rd, 7th, and 10th at multiple times to accommodate riders of various time zones and provide a fair, inclusive, and accessible pathway to participation. As explained below and in the updated V2.0 of the Technical Guide, the open qualification events will utilize the same courses, formats, and scoring as the live final event.
The Courses, Format, and Scoring For the Public Qualification Pathway
Stage one, known as “The Sprint,” will take riders on a 1.7-kilometer flat circuit. Drawing inspiration from Formula One, racers will have fifteen minutes to clock their fastest time through a 300-meter timed segment. A live leaderboard will display the fastest times, and points will be awarded based on the best segment time.
Stage two, dubbed “The Strategist,” covers a 9-kilometer circuit consisting of a 4-minute climb at 2.1 kilometers, a swift descent, several kilometers of rolling hills, and a 1-kilometer flat stretch to the finish line. Points are up for grabs at the base and summit of the climb, with double points awarded at the finish line.
In Stage three, “All Out,” riders must give their all to claim their spot on the semi-final starting line. The 4-kilometer circuit includes a 50-second full-gas climb to the start/finish line. Each lap features an intermediate sprint point at the crest of the climb.
Public Qualification Pathway Details
The open qualifiers on MyWhoosh allow riders not selected by their National Federations an opportunity to qualify for the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. The qualification round organized by the National Federations will conclude on August 1st. Subsequently, MyWhoosh will announce the number of slots available for public qualifiers by August 2nd (before Open Qualifier 1).
Riders have the option to participate in all of the scheduled open qualifiers, but once qualified, they can’t enter any more events. The top performers from each qualifier, across each gender category, will secure a spot in the Semi-Finals of the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Those riders who qualify through the MyWhoosh public qualifiers will be additions to their respective National Federation’s teams.
Public Qualification Pathway Event Instructions
- Review the Ruleset: Understand all event rules and guidelines by reading the Technical Guide and MyWhoosh Ruleset.
- Pre-Verification: Perform the MyWhoosh Power Passport Test and complete the Pre-Verification Form.
- Hardware: Ensure that your devices meet MyWhoosh’s technical requirements, which you can find on pages 10 and 11 of the MyWhoosh Ruleset.
- Registration: Register on the MyWhoosh Events Page or use this sign-in link after verifying your account.
- Pre-Race (Semi-Finals): Riders must compete in at least two MyWhoosh Premium Events using the same equipment they plan to use for the Semi-Finals by August 25th. This participation is crucial to establish a baseline for equipment and physical indicators, which are essential for the verification system. National Federation qualifiers will count towards the required events.
- License: Riders who qualify for the Semi-Finals must have a valid UCI registered license issued by their federation and a federation license, if applicable, and meet all eligibility requirements of both federations.
Public Qualification Pathway Results
The winner of each event in the open public qualification is the rider with the most accumulated points after stage 2. Results are available at MyWhoosh Race Results. Following each race, all riders undergo a standard post-race verification process on MyWhoosh. Once verified, qualified finishers are contacted and invited to the semi-final.
Good luck!
Final World Championship Course Recon and Format Test Event
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.
