2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships EOIs open

AusCycling is taking expressions of interest for the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships semi-finals.

The semi-finals on October 3 act as a precursor to the live finals in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on November 15. 

The 2025 event will be the second hosted on MyWhoosh, after moving to the platform from Zwift last year.

Points-based multi-stage races comprise the race format for the semi-finals and finals, with points to be awarded for different achievements, such as being the quickest on a route segment, the first across the finish line on a lap, or the first to crest a climb. 

150 riders per gender will compete in the semi-finals aiming for a top-20 finish that will progress them to the live finals.

The semi-finals will consist of three stages. Stage 1 (The Sprinter's Paradise) will see riders contest eight laps of a 1.5km circuit.

Points are up for grabs at the end of every 1.5km lap,  culminating in a final, high-stakes finish-line sprint where even more points are up for grabs.

Stage 2 (The Puncher's Playground) will be raced over a 12km undulating circuit with short, sharp climbs.

Points are available on two sprints and two climbs, plus finish line points, all being calculated by the first person to cross the finish line of each segment.

Stage 3 (The Mountain's Verdict) will be a decisive elimination race on an 8km unrelenting steep course.

The rider at the back of the pack will be eliminated if caught by the ‘Chaser’.

All riders will begin the race simultaneously, receiving a 2 minute head start on the Chaser that will act similar to a real world, maintaining consistent power output but slowing down slightly as the gradient increases.

Any rider who is overtaken by the Chaser at any point on the course is immediately eliminated from the race.

Further details on the points breakdown of each stage of the semi-finals, and world championship finals can be found in the technical guide.

The ARA Australian Cycling Team has seen strong success since the launch of the esports cycling world championships in 2020.

Jay Vine won the virtual rainbow jersey in 2022, with his teammate Freddy Ovett taking silver. Ovett also finished eighth in 2020 and sixth in 2023. Ben Hill has been consistent with two finishes of fifth and fourth in 2020 and 2022 respectively, while Joshua Harris placed eighth in 2024.

Sarah Gigante was just 0.064 of a second off becoming the first women to  win the esports world championships in 2020, while Bre Vine finished 10th that same year and 11th in 2022. 

Riders who wish to be considered must complete the expression of interest form by 5pm Tuesday, August 12. Use the link here or visit the Selection page to submit an EOI. 

MyWhoosh Open Public qualifiers

Riders can also qualify for the semi-finals through open public qualifiers hosted by MyWhoosh.

There are four qualifying events throughout August (August 6, August 8, August 22 and August 27) that will all take place in the AlUla World.

The race will cover 32.4km and 377m of elevation gain, and include four opportunities to win points on intermediate sprints, plus finish line points.

Find out more about the open public qualifiers here.