News: The online training platform Zwift and the world cycling association UCI are working together to hold the e-sports world championships for the first time in 2020. So you want to create a sustainable future for the sport with this new discipline of cycling.
The introduction of this new discipline will be an important milestone in the history of cycling. Zwift and the UCI have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, with three UCI Road World Championship courses developed on the Zwift platform, including the current Yorkshire Course 2019. In total, Zwifters have ridden over 2 million miles on the UCI Road World Championship courses.
“We've been exploring the emergence of esports with Zwift for quite some time. As the sport's governing body, we must remain open to technical innovations and changes and remain relevant to all target groups. Zwift is a platform used by people of all ages and abilities. However, there is one particularly exciting opportunity through esports, through which we are trying to attract a younger audience to cycling. Together we have an opportunity to support youth fitness by creating a new sustainable sport.” – David Lappartient, President of the UCI
“The beauty of developing a new cycling discipline is that we don't have any limitations. Parity is incredibly important to us at Zwift and together with the UCI we will work to create equal competition for men and women. This means the same number of races, the same coverage for races and of course the same prize money. We will set the standard for fair play and equality.” - Craig Edmondson, CEO of Zwift Esports
Zwift first started its esports journey in January this year with the formation of the KISS Super League, the first esports league featuring professional athletes. The launch follows a $120 million Series B funding round led by Highland Europe, Causeway, True and Novator to develop an esports platform.
“Earlier this year we reaffirmed our ambition to develop an esports platform, but I think it's much more than that. We want to establish a new discipline in cycling. This partnership is a significant step towards our goal of providing competition at the highest level in sport. We are at the beginning of a long and exciting journey here at Zwift to establish a new and innovative discipline for cycling.” – Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. "
Sustainability and accessibility are two of the driving factors behind Zwift's desire to enter the esports space. By relieving some of the associated logistical costs of traditional events, Esports offers brands cost-effective access to esports and a whole new way to create a fan base for teams and drivers.
“The low barrier to entry was one of the most compelling reasons why we decided to form the first professional cycling team, Canyon ZCC. Racing on Zwift is still in its infancy, but compared to the cost of running a traditional cycling team, launching the Canyon ZCC was a good opportunity. We have a great opportunity to take a step forward in the competitive sport of the future, and we are excited about the opportunity to reach new audiences.” – Rhys Howell, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships at Canyon and Canyon ZCC Team Manager
Both the UCI and Zwift are committed to fair play and governance in cycling. As part of the partnership, both companies will implement a new UCI set of rules for cycling esports in the coming year. The first UCI Cycling Esports World Championship will take place in 2020. Official formats, venue and details of the qualifying events will be announced in the coming months.