Supreme dominance, storybook comebacks, second chances, and rising stars take the stage in another make-or-break moment for cycling esports.
Bet you thought the season was over? Fret not, fatigued cycling fans. You may be running on fumes, but there’s still one more World Championship left on the UCI calendar, and its short, sharp races have their fair share of intrigue. On November 15, 44 of the world’s top esports athletes – 22 men and 22 women – will descend on Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the fifth edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, in the second live event final hosted by MyWhoosh.
Cycling esports is a newcomer to the international stage – featuring only one event of its type throughout the season – but don’t be fooled: for indoor specialists, the World Championship is the pinnacle of the emerging discipline. Like many of their counterparts in road, track, or cyclocross, these athletes covet the rainbow jersey above all else, and many have trained all year and traveled halfway around the world for the moment.
Cycling esports’ hardware revolution: The story of smart trainer homologation
The UCI, MyWhoosh, and Elite, in cooperation with Purdue University, are going to great lengths to legitimize the esports playing field.
Now they’ll race on standardized hardware in front of a live audience, with coverage livestreamed around the world. The high-stakes ramifications stretch far beyond medals. This showcase carries real weight for the sport’s future, and its execution will go a long way toward determining cycling esports’ broader acceptance in the wider cycling landscape.
Predicted to play out as a two-horse race in the men’s and women’s fields, defending champions Jason Osborne of Germany and New Zealand’s Kate McCarthy are poised to defend their titles, but they’ll face serious challenges. Brazil’s Gabriela Guerra, last year’s silver medalist, returns hungry for redemption, while fellow Kiwi Michael Vink – former UAE Team Emirates pro turned esports specialist – could upset the balance in the men’s race.
Kate McCarthy’s road race redemption is a victory for cycling esports
The esports world champion’s unconventional cycling journey began through a dating app.
From esports to the WorldTour and back again: Michael Vink has come full circle
After a two-year stint with UAE Team Emirates, the Kiwi is returning to the emerging discipline that launched his pro career.
Here’s everything you need to know about cycling’s final world championship of the season.
The essentials
When: Saturday, November 15, live coverage set to begin at 5:20pm local time (UTC+4) / 2:20pm CET / 8:20am EST /12:20am (on November 16) AEST
How to watch: MyWhoosh YouTube and Twitch channels, in addition to the streaming networks of several national governing bodies.
Qualification
Forty-four of cycling esports’ top talents have fought through a gauntlet of qualification races to earn the right to step into the finals arena. The path to Abu Dhabi featured both federation-controlled and public qualification routes. The UCI allocated roughly 70% of the 150 available semi-final slots to national federations. At the same time, MyWhoosh filled the remaining positions through a series of open-entry races (no riders from the open qualifiers advanced to the finals).
From the remote semi-finals held on October 3, the top 20 finishers in each category earned their place in the final, joined by two UCI-designated wildcards. Together, they form the 22-rider men’s and women’s fields that will compete for the rainbow jersey in Abu Dhabi.
The complete startlist is here.
The venue
The live finals land at Space42, a 3,000-seat arena located in Abu Dhabi’s Al Raha Beach development. The UCI and MyWhoosh circled the 2,400-square-meter (27,000 sq. ft.) purpose-built esports venue for its cutting-edge tech, uninterrupted sightlines, and waterfront setting.
Hardware and bike setup
When they step onto the stadium platform, each finalist will mount their own bike, which they hauled from home, onto standardized, UCI-homologated Elite Justo 2 smart trainers for the live event final. The UCI will randomly assign each rider a stage position and a trainer to trim transition time between the men’s and women’s races, and eliminate potential issues caused by changing cassettes and other mechanical adjustments.
Prize purse
Alongside the world title and rainbow jersey – both digital and physical – the finalists will race for a total prize purse of US$60,000, split evenly between men and women. The payout structure awards $15,000 to first place, $10,000 to second place, and $5,000 to third place. For context, Tadej Pogačar reportedly earned about $8,500 for winning the road race world title in 2024.
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