Virtual cycling gets world’s first e-sports championship in 2020
Calling it a milestone in the history of biking, virtualcycling platform Zwift and the Union Cycliste Internationale this week announced the world’s first professional e-sports championship.
The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will take place in 2020.
The decision marks a potentially monumental shift for professional cyclists. And it’s a move UCI officials see as key to the sport’s longevity.
“We have been looking at the emergence of e-sports for some time with Zwift,” UCI President David Lappartient said in a statement.
“As the governing body for the sport, we need to remain open to technical innovations and change, and to remain relevant to all audiences, (and) together we have an opportunity to support a fitter youth through the creation of a new sustainable sport.”
Zwift rolled out to riders of all abilities worldwide in 2015. With a monthly subscription, riders can download the Zwift app to their iOS device, computer or Apple TV.
The app then links to a rider’s indoor stationary bike via simple speed sensor, power meter, or high-end “smart” trainer.
A virtual bike course appears on your screen. The result is an immersive digital world in which riders can join group rides, compete in races or train solo.
Not only will Zwift respond to the rider’s power in their digital performance, but depending on the user’s setup, Zwift can also create resistance for hill climbs or emulate the feel of a slipstream.
Because of Zwift’s quick adoption and massive popularity — it hosts 550,000 accounts — it launched a competitive league, the KISS Super League, with professional teams this year.
Rhys Howell, manager for one of the league’s inaugural teams, Canyon ZCC, said joining the e-sports movement was a natural decision.
“The low barrier to entry was one of the most compelling reasons why we decided to form the first professional cycling e-sports team,” Howell said. “Racing on Zwift is still in its infancy, but compared to the cost of running a traditional cycling team, starting Canyon ZCC was a no-brainer of an opportunity.”
UCI and Zwift said they will release details for the 2020 World Championships, including a new rulebook, in coming months.
Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear atgearjunkie.com.