Zwift has revealed details of the first UCI Esports World Championships, scheduled for December 9. Annemiek van Fruten, Ashley Moolman Pasio, Anna van der Breggen, Victor Kampenaerts, Esteban Chavez, Rigoberto Uran, Tom Pidcock, Alberto Betiol, Corey Williams, and Lawson Craddock, represent their countries in Zwift's 50km virtual race.

A total of 20 national teams will participate in the men's and women's races, with a number of wildcard winners, for a total of 22 countries.

Esports' top riders will join renowned road racers Lionel Vujasin (Belgium), Ollie Jones (New Zealand), and Cecilia Hansen (Sweden) in the first ever Zwift race due to the gaming elements of the race and the fitness needs specific to the winter season. The first Esports rainbow jersey could be awarded.

The Esports World Champion will receive a special virtual jersey for their avatar and a real version to wear at UCI Cycling Esports events during the 2021 season. The jersey will feature the iconic rainbow band, but with a pixel design to symbolize the new digital discipline of racing.

Both men and women will compete on a 50km course held on Zwift's Watopia Figure 8 Reverse course, finishing at the top of the Hilly Q/KOM. At 483m elevation, the course is suitable for riders of all-round ability; with an average gradient of 5.5% over 0.9km, Watopia Hill Q/KOM will be a testing finish.

Plans for the UCI Esports World Championships were first announced at the 2019 World Championships in Yorkshire prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Esports and virtual racing gained a foothold among professional cycling, including a locked-down version of the Tour of Flanders on BKool, Digital Swiss 5 on Rouvy, and Virtual Tour de France on Zwift, Events were held on various platforms in place of postponed real-world races.

Riders will compete remotely from their homes or training bases, as in the virtual Tour de France; Zwift has announced the Garmin Tacx Neo 2T as the official smart turbo trainer for the event, and all riders will compete on the same model hardware All athletes will be competing on the same model of hardware. Athletes' data and performance will also be validated by Zwift.

"On December 9, together with the UCI, we will make history," said Eric Min, CEO of Zwift.

"This is the first event of its kind, and it will mark the future direction of the sport, fitness, and competition. Technology will definitely play a bigger role and this competition is the perfect blend of what we have traditionally associated with physical "sports" and technology."

Zwift has also created a "Nations Challenge" event on the weekend of December 5-6, giving Zwift's regular riders the opportunity to represent their country.

Zwift riders are encouraged to work together, as the winner of the Nations Challenge will be determined by the fastest average time. More information on the Nations Challenge event can be found on Zwift's event page.

Cyclingnews provides a full report on the Esports World Championships.

* Wildcards

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