UCI and MyWhoosh have released the schedule, format, courses, and viewing information for the September 6, 2024 semi-final. Here's all you need to know!
The day that cycling esports athletes and enthusiasts have anxiously awaited is almost here! The 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship semi-finals are on September 6th, and MyWhoosh and the UCI have released the details.
The UCI started the clock ticking on August 17, 2023, when it announced that MyWhoosh would be the host platform for the next three editions of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.
It’s more than a year later, and the athletes have worked hard to prepare for the momentous opportunity to represent their country in the live event final in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on October 26th. But first, they must conquer the two-stage semi-final points race format’s challenging courses and finish in the top twenty to punch their ticket to the finals arena.
Whether their federations selected them or the riders earned the coveted honor of competing for the iconic rainbow bands in the MyWhoosh Open Qualifier public pathway, the UCI and MyWhoosh have set the stage for the more than 120 female and 130 male athletes.
Version 2.0 of the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships Technical Guide is here.
Here’s what you need to know: the time, courses, format, start list, and where to watch and interact with the global cycling esports community!
Date and Time: September 6, 2024 (See image below for starting times)
Rider Start List: The Women’s Semi-final start list is here. The Men’s Semi-final start list is here.
Hardware Requirements: For the semi-finals, riders will use their own smart trainers, which must meet the requirements of the MyWhoosh Ruleset.
Semi-Finals Courses, Format, and Scoring
Semi-Final Stage 1: The Strategist
Stage One, dubbed “The Strategist,” covers a 9-kilometer circuit consisting of a 1.5 km (~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.
Intermediate Sprint Locations:
#1-Base of the Climb
#2-Top of the Climb
#3-Finish Line (Double Points) The finish line is strategically placed after the climb, requiring riders to save energy for a final push.
Points Breakdown:
Base of the climb: 20 to 1 in increments of 1. Points are awarded to the first 20 riders to reach the base of the climb, starting with 20 points for the first rider and decreasing by 1 point per subsequent rider (20, 19, 18, etc.).
Top of the Climb: 20 to 1 in increments of 1. Similarly, the first 20 riders to reach the top of the climb receive points on the same scale (20, 19, 18, etc.).
Finish Line: Double points-40 to 2 in increments of 2. Points at the finish line are awarded as follows: 40 points for 1st place, 38 for 2nd, 36 for 3rd, and so on, down to 2 points for 20th place.
Semi-Final Stage 2: All Out
In Stage Two, “All Out,” riders must go all in to claim their spot on the final starting line. The 4-kilometer circuit includes a 50-second full-gas climb featuring a 12% pitch to the start/finish line.
Each lap features an intermediate sprint point at the crest of the climb.
Intermediate Sprint Locations: Start/finish each lap at the top of the climb.
Points Breakdown: Lap 1 thru 3, 20 to 1 in increments of 1. Lap 1-3: Points are awarded to the first 20 riders at the finish line of each lap (20 points for 1st, 19 for 2nd, and so on down to 1 point for 20th).
Finish line: Double points at the finish. Lap 4, 40 to 2 in increments of 2. Double points are awarded on the final lap, with 40 points for 1st place, 38 for 2nd, 36 for 3rd, and so on, down to 2 points for 20th place.
Recon video and tactical discussion of the routes and format are here!
In-Person Live Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Date: October 26, 2024
- Place: Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Equipment: Rider’s bikes on Elite Justo 2 smart trainers
- Performance Verification: MyWhoosh and the UCI
- Number of Riders: 20 men, 20 women, and four 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 the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Champion.
Stage 1 features a sprint stage with riders vying to set the fastest time on a defined 300-meter segment within a 1.6km circuit. They have 15 minutes to post their best effort; a live leaderboard will track the positions.
Points are awarded to the top 20 riders based on their fastest time during the session, with the fastest rider earning the maximum points. The tactical nature of the stage allows riders to strategize whether to sprint early, optimize the draft, or wait until the last moment to secure their position on the leaderboard.
Final Stage 2: The Strategist and Stage 3: All Out will follow the same format described in the Semi-finals.
Hardware for Live Final: All athletes who qualify for the Live Final will be sent an Elite Justo at least four weeks before the event, which will remain the athlete’s property at the event’s end.
All smart trainers used during the final will feature an “Approved by UCI” label for the first time, ensuring a 1% power accuracy. Learn more about it above!
How to Watch!
Full Speed Events’ Matt Payne and Emma Martin (co-host of the Virtual Velo Podcast) will call all the action! Tune in to MyWhoosh on YouTube and MyWhooshLive on Twitch!
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.
