Qualify for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships on Zwift! 

ZWIFT COMMUNITY | on September 1, 2022 by Zwift
Qualify for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships on Zwift! 

 

In February 2023, Zwift will host the third edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. The men’s and women’s races will both take on a brand new event format, comprising three back-to-back races, on a brand new race course. Uniquely in cycling, there will once again be an open qualification pathway into the event, allowing any Zwift racer the opportunity to secure a place on the start line. Do you think you have what it takes to become the ultimate Zwifter, and be crowned the UCI Cycling Esports World Champion?! If so, read the below carefully! 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST  HERE 

THE CONTINENTAL QUALIFIERS

In collaboration with the UCI, Zwift will be organizing 3 Continental Qualifiers to the UCI 2023 Cycling Esports World Championships. The regions for this year will be Americas, Europe and Africa, and Asia and Oceania. Events will take place: 

  • For women, on November 12 2022
  • For men on, November 13 2022

The top athletes in each race will be added to their national squad and awarded a place on the start line of the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. The number of qualification places available will differ according to the region; 

Race Format

This year’s Continental Qualifiers will break new ground with a brand new event format that is unique to cycling esports. Competitors will need to navigate 3 rounds of back to back racing, on routes which have been specifically designed to provide the ultimate test of an esports cyclist. A number of riders will be eliminated after races one and two, with only the strongest left standing in event 3. Whilst there will be a few qualification spots up for grabs in the first two races, it’s race three where the majority of qualification spots will be on the line. 

The exact calibration of each regional race will differ slightly according to the number of qualification places that are available, and the number of starters in the race. The final details will be distributed to all competing riders in the race guide for their event. 

The below is intended to provide an indicative flavour of what you’ll be signing yourself up for!

Race 1

  • Course; Rolling 
  • Length; ~25 mins 
  • Format; Scratch Race
  • Qualification opportunities; top xx (e.g. 2) riders over the line qualify 
  • Advances to the next race; 
    • Top xx (e.g. 2) at intermediate sprint advance to Race 2 
    • Top xx (e.g. 30) at finish advance to race 2  
  • Eliminated; All other riders 

Race 2

  • Course; Hilly  
  • Length; ~25 mins 
  • Format; Scratch Race
  • Qualification opportunities; top xx (e.g. 2) riders over the line qualify 
  • Advances to the next race; 
    • Top xx (e.g. 2) at intermediate sprint advance to race 3 
    • Top xx (e.g. 13) at finish advance to race 3  
  • Eliminated; All other riders 

Race 3

  • Course;  Crit Circuit  
  • Length; ~15 mins (set number of laps) 
  • Format; Qualification sprint showdown – multiple sprint points throughout the race    
  • Qualification opportunities; Win any sprint and qualify 
  • Eliminated; Any riders that have not won a sprint at the end of the race 

ELIGIBILITY

Who is eligible to compete in the Continental Qualifiers? 

Existing Elite riders  – All riders that took part in Zwift Racing League Premier Division (2021/22), Zwift Knockouts, or are taking part in the upcoming Zwift Grand Prix, will receive an automatic invitation from Zwift to the Continental Qualifier events at the start of October 2022. These riders will need to follow steps 1, 3 and 4 below. 

Any other Zwifter can become eligible for the Continental Qualifiers by following the process outlined below:

1. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST 

Between September 1 and October 23

  • Register your interest by completing the required information in the Application form 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE

2. PARTICIPATE IN THE QUALIFICATION PATHWAY RACES

During October Zwift will organize special ‘Qualification Pathway Races’ to qualify riders into the Continental Qualifiers. These events will be held over 3 weeks and set up in Zwift Power as a General Classification. 

  • Riders must complete at least one ‘Qualification Pathway Race’ event each week between the 1st and 23rd October 
  • Qualification Pathway Races will occur on the following dates (in UTC) 
    • Friday 7th October 
    • Friday 14th October 
    • Friday 21st October 
    • Note – as this is expressed in UTC, some events will be on Thursday/ Saturday in local time. 
  • Zwift will set up events in 4 different timeslots to allow for global access. 
    • 00:00 UTC
    • 03:00 UTC
    • 10:00 UTC
    • 18:00 UTC 
  • In order to be eligible riders must; 
    • Have a linked Zwift Power Account 
    • Race with a connected HRM at all times
    • Complete all 3 stages and have valid results in the Zwift Power GC 
    • Dual record all rides and submit these to Zwift Power no later than 1 day after the relevant race  
  • All riders must be over the age of 18 as of 1st November 2022. 

3. SUBMIT PRE-VERIFICATION INFORMATION 

All riders must submit the full set of pre-verification information outlined below by no later than the 28th October by filling in this form. 

Please note that you must compete on one of the following direct drive smart trainers (or smart bikes) in the list below and additionally must complete the ZADA power test using the same equipment you will be competing on.

Permitted Smart Trainers/ Bikes;

  • Tacx NEO 2
  • Tacx NEO 2T
  • Tacx NEO Smart Bike
  • Elite Justo
  • Wahoo Kickr v6 (2022) or v5 (2020)
  • Wahoo Kickr Smart Bike v2 (2022) or v1 (2019)
  • The Next Generation WattBike Atom (2020)

Please see Appendix A of the Zwift Esports Rules and Regulations for additional step by step instructions, if required. 

1. RIDER INFORMATION Zwift ID, Name, any major results, accomplishments or information about yourself you like to share.
2. SMART TRAINER INFORMATION Including manufacturer, type, model, version, serial number, firmware, calibration factor, pictures of the smart trainer (or smart bike) with your bike set up and of the serial number.

For the Continental Qualifiers You must be riding on one of the ‘Permitted Smart Bikes or Trainers’ in the list above.
3. POWER METER AND HEAD UNIT INFORMATION Including type, model, version, serial number, firmware, calibration factor, slope, pictures of the power meter on the bike and a picture of the serial number
4. ZADA POWER TEST 
  • The ZADA Power Test workout is available in the Zwift game. You can find it in the workout library; workouts/60-90-minutes-to-burn/zada-power-test
  • You may re-submit the same file as for other races e.g. ZRL Premier Division, if it is still valid (must be within 6 months of the race date for ZADA Power Test and best efforts on Zwift, and 12 months for outdoor efforts), provided this is on the same equipment you will be using for the Continental Qualifiers 
5. EVIDENCE OF REAL LIFE OR ZWIFT EFFORTS Including files and Strava links to your BEST efforts for 5 to 15 seconds, 1 minute, 3-5 minutes, 10 to 20 minutes

 

4. PREPARE FOR THE RACE! 

Once you have submitted this information and it has been verified, you will be sent a confirmation email to the correspondence email address you have supplied. 

  • Event joining instructions for your Continental Qualifier 
  • The race guide for your Continental Qualifier, containing all of the required information about the races
    • Course details 
    • In game equipment requirements 
    • Performance verification requirements 
  • For any rider that has registered interest, but has not passed all of the eligibility criteria outlined above, Zwift will also inform these riders of this outcome by email.
  • It is anticipated that all emails will be distributed between October 24 and November 6.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you have any additional questions not answered in the below, please post them on this forum page, and a member of our team will provide an answer, which all riders will be able to see.

1. What time will the Continental Qualifier races be held?  

Women’s Continental Qualifiers – Saturday, November 12, 2022

  • Rest of the World – 8 am UTC
  • Europe – 2 pm UTC
  • Americas – 8 pm  UTC

Men’s Continental Qualifiers – Sunday, November 13, 2022

  • Rest of the World – 8 am UTC
  • Europe – 2 pm UTC
  • Americas – 8 pm  UTC

 

2. Which Rules and Regulations will apply for the Continental Qualifiers to UCI 2022 Cycling Esports World Championships? 

  • Zwift’s Esports Rules and Regulations will apply to the events  
  • Permitted Smart Trainers/ Bikes;  
    • Tacx NEO 2
    • Tacx NEO 2T
    • Tacx NEO Smart Bike
    • Elite Justo
    • Wahoo Kickr v6 (2022) or v5 (2020)
    • Wahoo Kickr Smart Bike v2 (2022) or v1 (2019)
    • The Next Generation WattBike Atom (2020)
  • In addition, the UCI’s Regulations will apply to the event and the UCI will assume overall responsibility for the governance of the events 
  • Further detailed information regarding Performance Verification for the Continental Qualifiers will be provided in your invitation to the event 

 

3. What Equipment will I need for the Continental Qualifiers to UCI 2023 Cycling Esports World Championships?  

For the Continental Qualifier events, each rider will need to have the following equipment (in addition to the basic equipment required to Zwift), in order to comply with the event rules and regulations and performance verification requirements.  

✓ For the Continental Qualifiers You must be riding on one of the ‘Permitted Smart Bikes or Trainers’ in the list above.
✓ Power meter and dual recording of power onto a second device, e.g. a gps head-unit 
✓ Cadence sensor – It is mandatory to have a functioning cadence sensor connected to the Zwift game throughout the event.  This can be the inbuilt cadence sensor from your smart trainer or smart bike.  
✓ HR Monitor – it is mandatory to have a functioning HR monitor connected to the game, and providing accurate data, throughout the event
✓ Tape Measure / Weighing scales – all riders will be required to provide height and weight videos in the run up to the event 

 

4. Will the events be broadcast? 

Yes! All of the Continental Qualifiers to UCI 2023 Cycling Esports World Championships will be broadcast live on Zwift’s YouTube Channel. 

 

5. What happens if I qualify through my Continental Qualifier to UCI 2022 Cycling Esports World Championships? 

If you’re serious about earning that place on the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship startline, it is important that you understand what happens next if you win. The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships is the biggest cycling esports event on the calendar, and just like any other cycling World Championships, there is a strict framework in place to ensure the integrity of the event. If you qualify from your Continental Qualifier to UCI 2023 Cycling Esports World Championships, the following process will be undertaken;

  • Your performance in the event will need to be fully verified by our ZADA team using the information you have provided in advance of the event. Please ensure that you fully understand the information provided in your invitation email to avoid issues with verifying your performance
  • You will be added to your National Federation’s squad for the World Championships – in order to do so you will need a racing license which is valid in the relevant country 
  • You will be required to comply with the anti-doping programme. As part of this process you are likely to get tested by anti-doping authorities and will be required to provide whereabouts information during the event period. 

 

Other FAQs 

1. What is ‘Race Like a Champ’? 

Race like a Champ is part of Zwift’s ZRacing Monthly Series, which provides fun and flexible racing opportunities for Zwifters every month. In October the series will be themed ‘Race Like a Champ’ and take in a different past World Championships courses each week. If you want to use the series to become eligible for the Continental Qualifiers, you must enter the specific ‘Qualification Pathway Race’ events at the times outlined above. Any participation outside of these events will not count towards your eligibility. 

 

2. I have only done one or two of the events in October – can I still be eligible?

In order to be eligible you must take part in all 3 ‘Qualification Pathway Races’ – please note the times and dates above – any of the four timeslots each week will count. 

 

3. I think that I’m eligible but I’ve not received any communication from Zwift ? 

If you have completed steps 1 to 3 of the eligibility process outlined above but have not received any communication from Zwift by the 6th November, please reach out to pathway@zwift.com

Please note that if you have not registered your interest in the event before October 23rd, you will not be eligible.