Taking place in the virtual world of Zwift on Saturday, February 18, the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship is one for firsts.
Racers will face an all-new format and courses in new territory. The racing will take place in the newly released Scotland map , which was created especially for the championships and takes inspiration from the Scottish landscape as well as Glasgow itself.
For the first time in the brief but storied history of the Cycling Esports World Championships, an American is likely to be among these three finishers.
"Does the US have a shot? Without a doubt, yes. The format for worlds plays well for our squads. The US team for men and women has one of the largest rosters in their races, and each is composed of 100% pure Zwift specialists. The size of our rosters and the Zwiftcraft of the riders give us a massive advantage," says Matt Gardiner, one of three race directors for Team USA’s esports team. 2023 Esports Worlds – The Format
The Race Format
Unlike other, IRL, world championship events, the men’s and women’s races at the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship are identical.
Each field will enter the three-race gauntlet with 85 riders. The first round, called The Punch, will see the fields race to the finish in a punch but short, 13.8-kilometer race, in which only the top 30 score an entry to the second round.The second race, aptly named The Climb, will see 30 riders tackle repeated hill climbs —162m […]
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