Welcome to Virtual Velo News, your central hub for news from across the world of cycling esports. Check-in to find an updated list of breaking news, stories, and trends to keep you informed on all things cycling esports.
Image: UCI and MyWhoosh
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
- UCI Releases 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship Format Details
The UCI announced preliminary details about the format for the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the event’s fifth edition and the second live in-person final in Abu Dhabi hosted on the MyWhoosh platform. Forty riders (20 men, 20 women) will qualify via National Federation selection (70%) and open qualifiers (30%) for the November 15 final at Space 42 Arena.
The semi-finals and finals will each consist of three stages: “Sprinter’s Paradise” (8 laps of a 1.5 km points-based sprint circuit), “Punchers’ Playground” (a hilly 12 km course with sprints and KOMs), and “Last Rider Standing!” (an elimination race with multiple checkpoints on a 7.2 km climb). Cumulative points across all stages will determine the 2025 rainbow jersey winners.
Image: AUSCycling
Saturday, May 12, 2025
- AusCycling Crowns Esports National Champions
The 2025 AusCycling Esports National Championships hybrid live final took place on MyWhoosh, located on the Queensland University of Technology’s Gardens Point campus, as part of the Brisbane Cycling Festival. Josh Harris claimed the men’s title remotely, while Tilly Field earned the women’s national championship crown and the coveted green-and-gold jersey of Australian champion racing from The Cube.
Image: Zwift
Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Zwift Crowns Season’s Top Racers in Zwift Games Finale
Cycling Esports World Champion Kate McCarthy (NZ) made the most of her wildcard entry, delivering a dominant performance to win two, and was runner-up in the third stage to claim the overall Zwift Games 2025 Championship convincingly.
On the men’s side, World Champion Jason Osborne (GER) powered to victory in the Epic Championship third stage, but it wasn’t enough to secure the overall title. That honor went to USA’s Neal Fryett, whose wins in the first two stages and successful tactics in the finale earned him the top spot by a narrow two-point margin.
Image: ROUVY
Thursday, March 20, 2025
- IOC Elects New President, and it’s not David Lappartient
- ROUVY Gets Into the Gravel Scene
David Lappartient’s IOC Presidential Bid Unsuccessful
Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected today as the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the first female President in IOC history, following 1 round of voting at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece ending the UCI President’s aspirations to attain the sport’s most powerful post.
While the UCI’s ambitions are clear, cycling esports’ pathway to the Olympic Esports Games is far from guaranteed. If UCI President David Lappartient had assumed the mantle of the IOC as he wanted, the sport’s destiny would’ve been all but sealed, which it likely still will be from his position as IOC Esports Commission chair.
ROUVY Gets Into Gravel Through Life Time Partnership
ROUVY announces sponsorship with Life Time, which lets gravel racers ride and recce virtual versions of the Sea Otter Classic, UNBOUND, Big Sugar, Leadville, Crusher in the Tushar, and the Rad Dirt Fest. The announcement precedes the rollout of the platform’s AI Route Creator tool, allowing the gravel community to expand the library of virtual routes and riders worldwide to experience the US gravel scene.
Sunday, March 15, 2025
- McCarthy and Fryett repeat at the Zwift Games 2025 Climb Championship
Kate McCarthy (NZ) continued her winning ways in the Zwift Games elite Climb Championships, claiming the title and leading overall. Neal Fryett (USA) took the win for the Men and sits in second place behind Jasper Paridaens (BEL) overall, with only the Epic championship left on March 22nd.
Check out Chris from Pro E Cycling‘s breakdown of the Zwift Games 2025 Overall Championship favorites and contenders heading into the final Epic Championship stage in his piece entitled, “Who Will Win the Zwift Games 2025 Overall Championship?”
Results are preliminary, pending performance verification.
Image: Zwift
Saturday, March 8, 2025
- Zwift Games 2025 Crowns Sprint Champions
Elite racing returned to Zwift after a months-long hiatus with the Zwift Games 2025 Sprint Championship. After a two-stage elimination round, five men and five women advanced to the Sprint Showdown.
Reigning World Champion Kate McCarthy (NZ) once again proved she’s the class of the field, no matter the platform or format, taking the Women’s Sprint title. She shared the USD 6,000 prize purse with Maria Holdcroft (GBR) and Mika Söderström (SWE), who rounded out the podium.
The defining moment of the men’s race may have happened off the bike. Thomas Perrin (GBR) voluntarily reported an inadvertent 200g weight inaccuracy to the race commissaire, a decision that cost him his place in the Sprint Showdown. His exit opened the door for Neal Fryett (USA), who seized the opportunity, claiming victory ahead of Jasper Paridaens (BEL) and Josh Harris (AUS).
The second Zwift Games Elite Championships is a stage race format encompassing five stages (two Sprint stages, two Climb stages, and an Epic stage) over three consecutive Saturdays—March 8th, March 15th, and March 22nd, 2025—and broadcast by GCN.
Results are preliminary, pending performance verification.
Image: UCI and MyWhoosh
Thursday, March 6, 2025
- 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship Final Details
The UCI and MyWhoosh have announced that the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship live final will take place on November 15 at Space42, Abu Dhabi’s dedicated esports venue.
A series of qualifiers and semi-finals will determine the finalists who will compete for the sport’s fifth world title in the second live in-person final on MyWhoosh.
The early announcement and later schedule—three weeks beyond last year’s October 26 final—is a welcome change, allowing elite riders more time to prepare, plan their seasons, and wrap up campaigns in other disciplines before shifting their focus to esports-specific training.
Abu Dhabi will host the Road World Championships in 2028 and the Track World Championships in 2029.
Image: UAE Team Emirates
Friday, February 21, 2025
- New Zealand’s Michael Vink Chooses Cycling Esports Over the World Tour
Michael Vink’s contract status has been up in the air following reports that he was unsigned for 2025. UAE Team Emirates offered the Kiwi a ride in 2022 when “he was consistently winning races on (virtual cycling platform) MyWhoosh, with impressive power numbers, and that’s, ultimately, what put him on our radar.”
Vink revealed to co-host Matt Smithson during a guest spot on MyWhoosh’s Inside The Ride podcast that he wasn’t returning to the team.
“It’s a case of head vs. heart,” explained the Kiwi, “my head says it’s 100% virtual racing, and being with MyWhoosh just in every way makes more sense than racing in the World Tour.”
Vink joined Jason Osborne, who announced on Instagram in September 2024 that he would be parting ways with Alpecin-Deceuninck to pursue a career in cycling esports and gravel.
“It’s really cool you’ve got guys like Jason and myself who have been in the World Tour. And not just in the World Tour— we’ve both been on big teams, and we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve chosen cycling esports over being in the World Tour. I think that’s just the coolest thing, you know? People are actually making a living out of this, and for them, it’s the pinnacle. To have World Tour and esports sort of on the same table, and then choosing esports is something I never thought would be possible.”
Vink didn’t say whether the team offered a contract extension, but it seems like there are no hard feelings.
“I would like to spend more time in the UAE and give something back to cycling here. Any time I’ve had something to do with this country, it’s gone fantastically,” Vink said about his future, prompting Smithson to point out that Vink’s admission was unprompted and that no one paid him to say it.
Image: UCI
Monday, February 17, 2025
- UCI Cycling Esports Coordinator Jacob Fraser Speaks at Empower Esports Worldwide Series in Shenzhen, China
Jacob Fraser joined international sports leaders on February 16, 2025, to explore the future of digital sports, sharing key insights on the UCI’s competition structure, athlete profiles, and market dynamics. As a keynote speaker in the Workshop: Virtual & Simulated Sports, Fraser highlighted the UCI’s collaboration with MyWhoosh and its role in shaping the future of cycling esports.
The event gathered representatives from seven international sporting organizations, National Olympic Committees, broadcasters, and esports industry leaders. With the Olympic Esports Games set for 2027, the UCI is positioning itself at the forefront of the convergence between digital and traditional sport, reinforcing its commitment to innovation in delivering cycling esports into the Olympic era.
Tencent and Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a strategic partnership to act as a bridge between partners to facilitate exchanges and development, driving the esports industry into a new era, and collaborating with global partners to write a new chapter for the esports and sports industries.
Image: Zwift
Thursday, February 13, 2025
- Zwift Reveals Zwift Academy Finalists for 2025
- Elite Cycling Esports Rider Causes Row with Tour Pro
Zwift Academy 2025 Finalists Announced
The Zwift Academy was the launch pad for the professional careers of Jay Vine and Neve Bradbury in 2020, among many other accomplished riders during the seven-year history of the GT Academy-inspired virtual talent ID camp meets reality show.
Zwift announced the 2025 finalists that emerged from the over 100,000 participants competing for their shot at the pros.
Emily Dixon (AUS), Emma Ochoa (AUS), Anabelle Thomas (CAN), and Tjaša Susnik (SVN) will head to the Algarve in Portugal to compete at CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto Generation’s winter training camp.
While Friedrich Klein (GER), Elliot Bain (GBR), Mattia Gaffuri (ITA), and Noah Ramsay (CAN) head to Denia, Spain, to join Mathieu van der Poel and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates, rumors are swirling about what’s in store.
Word is, the finalists lined up alongside their pro counterparts for a Zwift showdown against some of the top cycling esports specialists. Sources suggest it didn’t exactly go van der Poel’s way. Tune in to GCN to see how it all played out!
Elite Cycling Esports Racer’s 1 Kilowatt Minute Called Foul By Top WorldTour Sprinter
When Ewan Mackie posted a video with a caption describing the effort “So never did I think that this would be possible… 970 WATTS FOR 60 SECONDS!!! 1000W is COMING!!” from his thevirtualdomestique Instagram account, I don’t think he expected this.
Among the diplomatic “mixed reactions” was a comment from quadruple world champion and triple Olympic medalist Sam Welsford, who, with an eyebrow raised, offered: “Yeah idk about all that.”
When Mackie’s coach, Alex Coh, threw down the gauntlet, the powerhouse Aussie sprinter kept it classy, sidestepping the drama with: “you’d smoke me so I’ll pass 🫣🤣.“
Naturally, that was all it took to throw the internet into a full-blown toxic tizzy, with keyboard warriors flocking to have their say, pitchforks in hand. The video has racked up nearly 2,500 likes—and counting.
Wouldn’t it be easier if we all just cheered for each other instead? 🚴♂️💨 You be the judge. 👀
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
- The Olympic Esports Games Delayed Until 2027
- Zwift Games 2025 Greenlighted After Hardware Fixes and Ruleset Changes
Inaugural Olympic Esports Games Will Be In Riyadh in 2027-Path to the games begin this year
The IOC officially announced that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), a non-profit dedicated to advancing esports and gaming on a global scale, will serve as the founding partner. They are tasked with the formidable challenge of bridging the gap between esports and traditional sports while staying aligned with the Olympic agenda.
Outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach cemented this milestone as part of his legacy, declaring, “There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games. With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality.”
For cycling esports athletes and fans, the announcement is a letdown—especially considering the stark contrast to what UCI President David Lappartient told TheZommunique in Abu Dhabi this past January.
“The Olympic Esports Games will start in 2025 and will include cycling esports,” Lappartient stated.
IOC President Thomas Bach echoed similar expectations just days later, telling Xinhua Sports on January 29, “I think we can expect the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games in 2025, or 2026 at the latest.”
Lappartient, who also chairs the IOC’s Esports and Gaming Liaison Group, is in the running to succeed Bach as IOC President. But anyone following the developments closely saw the delay coming.
On December 11, 2024, the IOC appointed Zeynep Gencaga Dechelotte as the first Esports Associate Director, overseeing the planning and strategy for the Olympic Esports Games. A member of the IOC Esports Commission, she previously worked at Riot Games before joining Ubisoft in 2022, where she served as Senior Esports Director and played a key role in Olympic Esports Week.
Now leading the IOC’s esports initiatives, Dechelotte faces the challenge of managing relationships between stakeholders and steering the project through a transition in IOC leadership. Her first move was to set expectations, making it clear there’s a long road ahead before the Olympic Esports Games become a reality.
Zwift Games 2025 Greenlighted After Hardware Fixes and Ruleset Revisions
Email to racers confirms Zwift Games 2025 event details and outlines smart trainer accuracy updates and rider-friendly rule changes. Read the complete post here!
Monday, February 10, 2025
- Multiple Cycling Esports National Champions Crowned
- World Champion Podiums at NZ Road Race
2025 USA Cycling Esports National Championship
Wisconsin’s Hayden “Farmwatts” Pucker delivered a dominant display, sealing victory with an unrelenting 20 km solo breakaway to claim the Stars and Stripes jersey. New York’s Kristen Kulchinsky cemented her legacy as one of cycling esports’ most decorated racers by becoming a back-to-back champion on February 2nd at the fourth-annual USA Cycling Esports National Championships—and the first on MyWhoosh.
Danish Cycling Union Crowns Cycling Esports National Champions in front of a Live Audience and 1.5 Million TV Viewers
In front of a crowd of 500 spectators at Sportcenter Herning, 24-year-old defending champion Julie Marckmann Sørensen clinched back-to-back titles at the 2025 Danish National Cycling Esports Championships on February 1st on Zwift. On the men’s side, 20-year-old Asger Paaske Frederiksen stormed to victory before heading to Spain to join his new Torres-Trigon teammates. Denmark’s largest broadcaster, TV 2, aired the event to an estimated 1.5 million households, marking another milestone for cycling esports in the country.
Live Cycling Esports Event Was Part of Swedish Winter National Championship Week
Mika Söderström and Johannes Randrop Keiding claimed 2025 Swedish National Cycling Esports titles before a packed house in Borås on February 7th. The live event, hosted by MyWhoosh, reached 500,000 households through Swedish Public TV (SVT) and was part of SM-veckan (Swedish National Championship Week), sharing the stage with the nation’s top winter sports.
Thrall Repeats For Canada
2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship finals teammates Thomas Thrall and Tiffany Penner are the class of the elite field at the 2025 Cycling Canada Esports Championships hosted by MyWhoosh on February 9th.
Cycling Esports World Champion Podiums at NZ Road Race
Kate McCarthy battled to a podium finish at the Cycling New Zealand Elite National Road Race in Timaru on February 7, 2025, crossing the line 26 seconds behind EF Education-Oatly WorldTour pro and Paris Olympian Kim Cadzow. Lidl-Trek WorldTour professional and Olympian Niamh Fisher-Black edged her out by just two seconds for silver, leaving McCarthy to claim the final step on the podium.
The 117.6 km course, capped by an uphill finish, starkly contrasted the three-stage 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship she won in front of a live audience on MyWhoosh in Abu Dhabi. That race, held on October 26, 2024, was nearly 90 km shorter but no less significant in highlighting the unattached rider’s versatility across multiple disciplines.
