ZWIFT AND UCI launch Cycling E-Sports World Championships
Zwift and the UCI have a long-standing relationship that has seen three UCI Road World Championship courses developed on the Zwift platform, including the 2019 Yorkshire Course. In total, Zwifters have ridden over two million miles on UCI Road World Championship courses.
"We have been looking at the emergence of e-sports with Zwift for some time," said David Lappartient, President of the UCI. "As the governing body of sport, we must remain open to technological innovation and change and remain relevant to all audiences. Zwift is a platform that is used by people of all ages and abilities. However, there is a particularly exciting opportunity through e-sports, through which we are trying to attract a younger audience to cycling. Together we have the opportunity to support youth fitness through the creation of a new sustainable sport."
"The beauty of developing a new cycling discipline is that we have no restrictions," adds Craig Edmondson, CEO of Zwift E-Sports. "Parity is incredibly important to us at Zwift, and together with the UCI we will work to create an 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."
Zwift first started its e-sports journey in January this year with the launch of the KISS Super League, the first e-sports league featuring professional athletes. The launch followed a $120 million Series B funding round led by Highland Europe, Causeway, True and Novator to develop an e-sports platform.
"We have been looking at the emergence of e-sports with Zwift for some time," said David Lappartient, President of the UCI. "As the governing body of sport, we must remain open to technological innovation and change and remain relevant to all audiences. Zwift is a platform that is used by people of all ages and abilities. However, there is a particularly exciting opportunity through e-sports, through which we are trying to attract a younger audience to cycling. Together we have the opportunity to support youth fitness through the creation of a new sustainable sport."
"The beauty of developing a new cycling discipline is that we have no restrictions," adds Craig Edmondson, CEO of Zwift E-Sports. "Parity is incredibly important to us at Zwift, and together with the UCI we will work to create an 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."
Zwift first started its e-sports journey in January this year with the launch of the KISS Super League, the first e-sports league featuring professional athletes. The launch followed a $120 million Series B funding round led by Highland Europe, Causeway, True and Novator to develop an e-sports platform.
"Earlier this year we reiterated our ambition to develop an e-sports platform, but I think it's much more than that. We want to establish a new cycling discipline," adds Eric Min, Zwift CEO and co-founder. "This partnership is a significant step towards our goal of providing the highest level of competition in the sport. Here at Zwift, we are at the beginning of a long and exciting journey to establish a new and innovative discipline for cycling."
Sustainability and accessibility are two of the driving factors behind Zwift's desire to enter the esports space. By saving some of the associated logistical costs of traditional events, Zwift Esports provides brands with cost-effective access to esports and a whole new way to create a fan base for teams and riders.
"The low barrier to entry was one of the most compelling reasons why we decided to form the first professional cycling team with Canyon ZCC," says Rhys Howell, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships at Canyon and Canyon ZCC Team Manager. "Racing on Zwift is still in its infancy, but compared to the cost of running a traditional cycling team, the launch of Canyon ZCC was a great opportunity. We have a great chance to take a step towards future competitive racing and we are excited about the opportunity to reach a new audience."
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 e-sports next year.
The first UCI Cycling E-Sports World Championship will take place in 2020. Official formats, venues and details of the qualifying events will be announced in the coming months.
About Zwift
Zwift is the fitness company born out of play. We are dedicated fitness enthusiasts who are also experienced software and video game developers. Zwift combines this passion and deep understanding of the fitness world and is the first
company to use extensive multiplayer gaming technology to bring the outdoor experience indoors. Athletes from around the world can train and compete in rich, 3D-generated worlds by simply connecting their existing devices and hardware (e.g. bike trainers, power meters, treadmills, heart rate monitors, etc.) wirelessly via the open industry standard ANT+ and BLE. From friendly competitions to races and structured training programs, Zwift builds a community of like-minded athletes committed to a better social fitness experience.
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.