UCI Cycling Esports Worlds Expands with New Junior and Masters Races

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh announced on October 8 that the inaugural UCI Junior and Masters Cycling Esports World Championships will be held on December 12, 2026. Open to junior riders and athletes aged 40 and over, the event marks the first time the UCI has opened a world championship battle beyond the elite category.

The championships will feature two categories. The junior race is open to riders born in 2008 and 2009, while the masters races are open to athletes aged 40 and above, split into five-year age bands. A minimum of 10 starters is required in each category for the race to be run and a world champion to be crowned.

Racing will take place on the MyWhoosh platform over a virtual road course based on the final circuit of the 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in Montreal — 13.3 km long with 247 meters of climbing. Junior riders and masters aged 60 and above will complete two laps for a total of 26.6 km, while masters aged 40 to 59 will complete three laps for 39.9 km. Results will be decided by finishing order.

To enter, riders must register through their national cycling federation and meet UCI licensing, identity verification and power-data validation requirements. Riders must also complete at least three MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club events before December 1 and pass a qualification test.

UCI and MyWhoosh said the new championships are designed to open up the Cycling Esports World Championships to a wider field, giving young riders and athletes across different age groups the chance to race for a world title. Future editions are expected to further expand the reach of the UCI's virtual racing ecosystem.

Source: https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/the-uci-and-mywhoosh-launch-the-uci-junior-and-masters-cycling-esports-world-championships/76e7MTjLzQNwGqtSUR3j8h