Last weekend Zwift hosted the much-anticipated (albeit awkwardly-named) “Continental Qualifiers to the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships”. These races were qualifiers designed to place 25 men and 25 women on national teams for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.
It’s important to note that the riders who qualified this past weekend will make up just a small portion of the overall race field for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. A total of 200 riders will take to the start line for the 2023 Esports Worlds (100 men and 100 women). Last weekend’s races selected 25% of these riders, and the remaining 75% will be selected by each nation’s cycling governing body.
Below you’ll find Zwift’s complete press release detailing the results of the Continental Qualifiers to the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.
The qualification races for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships races took place this weekend and featured three short and explosive events, helping to further improve fan engagement. A similar three-race format, designed to prove the ultimate all round test, will be used for the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in February on a brand new course set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
A total of 50 qualification places were up for grabs, split equally across the men’s and women’s fields. 200 riders will take to the start of the final in February.
The new formats proved hugely successful, creating new racing dynamics never seen before in Zwift. Tactics proved to be more decisive than ever before and those prepared to take a risk saw their efforts pay dividends, with nearly all of the qualification places decided by a small bunch or solo finishes.
The full list of qualifiers through to the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships can be viewed below:
You can catch up on all of the action here:
- Men’s Europe and Africa: https://youtu.be/UV8yMqk-PQM?t=123
- Men’s Americas: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1651919119
- Men’s Asia and Oceania: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1651466290
- Women’s Europe and Africa: https://youtu.be/WPMdUhKMjX8?t=12
- Women’s Americas: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1650938439
- Women’s Asia and Oceana: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1650481411
The USA men & UK women were impressive.
Where is Andy Nicholls?
was wondering the same thing. he qualified during race 3 but seems one of the danish riders got his spot
I just skimmed so probably missed, but, say, in the Americas trial, several people qualified mid-way through Race 3 and only one more was added by crossing the finish line first.
Where can I find the rules or a description of how that worked?
Oops… right here:
https://zwiftinsider.com/uci-worlds-2023/
Elimination heat. Cruel. 😉
18 w/kg, and that’s just what I saw. Sheesh.