First-ever Canadian esports national championships coming in March
Riders across country to compete for the maple-leaf jersey
Following several virtual events in 2021 and 2022, Cycling Canada announced on Wednesday that the nation’s first-ever sanctioned Canadian esports championships will take place from March 12 to 13 on the RGT virtual cycling platform.
The race will be hosted in collaboration with Echelon Racing Promotions. The 2022 Canadian esports championships presented by Wahoo will award titles across 14 categories, and will give viewers free access to a livestream coverage spanning all race categories for both competition days.
Athletes from across the country will compete for the coveted maple leaf jersey, awarded in both physical form and, for the first time ever, in digital form to be applied to their RGT account for a period of 1 year. The presenting partner Wahoo will provide some added incentive, with verified winners in all categories to be awarded an ELMNT RIVAL multisport GPS watch.
“We are thrilled to finally announce this groundbreaking event,” Josh Peacock, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement at Cycling Canada, said. “Over the last two seasons, we have taken the time to build our understanding of esports and virtual cycling, and are excited to apply those learnings to this inaugural event. With the support of strong partners such as Wahoo, RGT and Echelon Racing Promotions, we’re confident this event will represent the calibre of racing that is known and expected of a Canadian Championship title. Virtual cycling as a discipline is here to stay, and we look forward to recognizing our top Canadian athletes for years to come.”
Using RGT’s “Magic Roads” feature, the 2022 Canadian esports championships presented by Wahoo will be a lapped race on the 2022 Canada Summer Games road cycling course, which is a rolling 14 km loop through the Town of Pelham in Ontario’s Niagara Region.
Although the inaugural event will be open to all Canadian athletes, it is limited to those with a valid 2022 Cycling Canada membership will have access to official results and prizing.
Riders will be able to experience race simulations prior to the event through Cycling Canada’s weekly race calendar, as well as Cycling BC’s provincial race series, which will be open to all members of provincial/territorial cycling federations.
For more information on the event, including schedule, registration and technical guide, visit Cycling Canada.
