The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and MyWhoosh are pleased to announce the creation of the UCI Junior and Masters Cycling Esports World Championships. The first edition will take place remotely on 12 December 2026, one week after the Final of the 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships for the Elite categories. It will be the first time that UCI World Champion titles for cycling esports are awarded to athletes outside the Elite categories.
Athletes competing in these Championships will represent their National Federation. As such, they will need to hold a UCI licence with a UCI ID, and meet the applicable eligibility and participation conditions.
The Junior events will be open to riders born in 2008 and 2009, while the Masters events will be for athletes aged 40 and over, divided into five-year age categories. Each category will require a minimum of 10 starters for the race to go ahead and a title of UCI World Champion to be awarded.
The launch of this new competition is a demonstration of the growth of cycling esports and the ambition of the UCI and MyWhoosh to open the discipline’s UCI World Championships to a greater number of athletes.
Event format
In each category, athletes will compete in a virtual road race held remotely, with the final classification based on finishing order.
The races will take place on the MyWhoosh platform, on a recreation of the final circuit of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal (Canada). The circuit is 13.3km long, with 247m of elevation gain. Junior riders and Masters aged 60 and over will ride two laps (26.6km), and Masters aged 40 to 59 will ride three laps (39.9km).
UCI President David Lappartient said: “Cycling esports has grown incredibly in recent years and continues to thrive. After five very successful editions of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships for Elite riders, I am delighted that we will now offer Junior and Masters riders the chance to earn the rainbow jersey of UCI World Champion in this discipline that connects people from all continents and of all ages and abilities.”
MyWhoosh Director of Esports & Game Operations Matt Smithson said: “Launching the first UCI Junior and Masters Cycling Esports World Championships is an important step in opening top-level esports competition to more riders. It gives Juniors and age-group athletes a clear opportunity to represent their National Federations, compete for an official UCI world title and experience the same high standards of racing and verification we put on at the Elite level. We want these Championships to be competitive and accessible to riders around the world, and we are looking forward to welcoming a new generation of athletes to the MyWhoosh platform.”
Participation conditions
To compete in the Championships, riders must use approved equipment and a verified MyWhoosh account, and provide dual power recording. They must have already participated in at least three MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club (SRC) events by 1 December, completed the Power Passport Test and passed pre-event verification.
MyWhoosh’s verification process includes: a review of race and training history, verification of the rider’s physical characteristics, approval of equipment, live monitoring of dual power, cadence and heart rate, checks of video stream and identity, and post-race comparison of primary and secondary power data. Additional checks may be carried out if necessary. Riders will also be required to wear national kit.
All results will remain provisional until MyWhoosh’s performance verification is complete and classifications have been ratified by the UCI and the appointed International Commissaire. Athletes must also comply with the UCI Regulations for cycling esports, the MyWhoosh Cycling Esports Rules & Regulations, and all applicable anti-doping requirements.
Technical queries can be addressed to [email protected].
Support for riders and National Federations
MyWhoosh will work with National Federations to support athletes ahead of the Championships, by means of training rides and test events, and may develop community rides and promotional activities with them.
Final confirmation of categories, start times, registration procedures and rider instructions will be communicated to National Federations and participants ahead of the event.