Yesterday the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Zwift confirmed the list of 50 top finishers from the recent open Continental Qualifier races who will be competing for their nations at the UCI Cycling Esports Word Championships 2022.
Last year was the first-ever UCI Cycling Esports World Championships and this year, for the first time ever, Continental Qualifier races were held to provide an open and equitable pathway to participate in the elite UCI World Championship event.
In a testament to the power and accessibility of esports, races across five continents hosted a total of 550 eligible riders vying for a chance to represent their countries in the biggest virtual cycling race of the year.
Highlights from the Continental Qualifiers
But of course, only a fraction of those riders would qualify for the big race. Here’s the full list of newly-qualified riders…
Qualified Riders
Europe
Men:
Lionel Vujasin (CRO)
Matthias Deroose (BEL)
Matteo Cigala (ITA)
Haarvard Gjeldnes (NOR)
Teppo Laurio (FIN)
Women:
Zoe Langham (GBR)
Mary Wilkinson (GBR)
Cecilia Hansen (SWE)
Loes Adegeest (NDL)
Melanie Maurer (SUI)
Illi Gardner (GBR)
Alice Lethbridge (GBR)
Lou Bates (GBR)
Louise Houbak (DEN)
Eleanor Wiseman (BEL)
Americas
Men:
Zach Nehr (USA)
Brian Duffy (USA)
Thomas Thrall (CAN)
John Bruhn (USA)
Kevin Bouchard-Hall (USA)
Women:
Shayna Powless (USA)
Jacquie Godbe (USA)
Liz van Houweling (USA)
Kristen Kulchinsky (USA)
Monilee Keller (CAN)
Katheryn Curi (USA)
Oceania
Men:
Ben Hill (AUS)
Ollie Jones (NZL)
Paul Odlin (NZL)
Sam Lindsay (NZL)
Aiden Sinclair (AUS)
Women:
Vicky Whitelaw (AUS)
Justine Barrow (AUS)
Katie Banerjee (AUS)
Sarah Morrison (NZL)
Asia
Men:
Takato Ikeda (JPN)
Toshiaki Maegawa (JPN)
Hidenori Sasauchi (JPN)
Tomoaki Takasugi (JPN)
Ryusuke Honda (JPN)
Women:
Lam Kong (HKG)
Lyn Ahmad (SNG)
Faye Foo (SNG)
Tsalina Phang (SNG)
Africa
Men:
Gary Muller (RSA)
James Barnes (RSA)
Eddy Hoole (RSA)
Pieter Avenant (RSA)
Andre Matias (ANG)
Note: if you’re wondering why some continents have fewer than five women listed, while some have more than five, it’s because:
- Not all continents had enough women meet the qualification criteria (either they weren’t auto A cat + or they couldn’t complete the necessary verification process)
- Any unallocated berths were re-allocated to the biggest continents (Europe and the Americas). This policy was communicated to racers prior to the race, so they knew what was at stake.
What’s Next?
Additional rider selections will be made by the 23 National Federations who receive automatic invites from the UCI. “Places will be awarded based on a combination of Cycling Esports community size and the depth of talent based on both esports and UCI road rankings,” according to press releases.
The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will take place on the 26th of February, 2022. The race will be held on the Knickerbocker route in Zwift’s New York world, and that circuit’s rolling roads and steep gradients will certainly make for a selective and exciting race!
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