Zwift to host UCI World Esports Championships
Revised date to align with peak participation in indoor cycling
It’s official, the UCI confirmed that Zwift will host the world esports championships on Feb. 26, 2022.
The second UCI esports world championships will move from Zwift’s Watopia to its New York Map. Centred around Central Park, Zwift’s New York map transports riders and viewers 100 years into the future with elevated glass roads that take riders high into the iconic Manhattan skyline.
Riders will tackle the Knickerbocker route. It’s a tough parcours with a mix of rolling roads and steep gradients. Both men’s and women’s elite fields will tackle two full circuits of the 22.5km route, before finishing at the top of the New York KOM, a 1.4km climb with an average gradient of 6.1 per cent and ramps of up to seventeen per cent. In total, riders will cover 54.9km and 944m of climbing. Field size, broadcast exposure, race distance and prize money will be equal for both men’s and women’s races.
The 2022 UCI Cycling esports world championships looks to be one of the most accessible world championships to date, with a new qualification process. Five continental qualifiers, covering Oceana, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas will be open to top community esports competitors from around the world and will take place on Nov. 27-28. The top five from each race will be awarded a start at the world championships and will race for their respective national federation.
Riders will once again be competing entirely remotely from their own residences or training bases. Winners of both races will be awarded the UCI esports rainbow jersey that will, of course, be awarded virtually. The winners will also receive physical jerseys which they will be able to wear in esports competitions for the following year.
