Once upon a time, the story of cyclists from around the world connecting via the Internet to compete against each other in real time on computer games would have been science fiction, but as cycling moves ever closer to the digital future that will define our world, that is exactly what is happening. The focus on Esports, accelerated by the COVID-19 craze, is growing, and today, just weeks before the UCI Esports World Championships, the sport's governing body has confirmed that Wahoo, Shimano, and NTT will join Zwift's official partner list.

The ability to compete from the comfort of one's own home with the flexibility of time has led to a growing number of people participating in cycling, both online and offline. With that increase in participation comes ever-increasing competition and interest, and by late 2020 that interest will include recognition from the UCI.

The UCI is the world governing body for cycling. the UCI develops and oversees all forms of cycling for all people, and two years ago hosted the first Esports World Championships. by sanctioning world championship events, the UCI brings due recognition to those competing at the highest level. By sanctioning World Championship events, the UCI is bringing due recognition to those competing at the highest level.

The event was suspended in 2021 due to its new location on the calendar, but the pixelated rainbow jersey will return on February 26, 2022, as Jason Osborne and Ashley Moolman Pacio will both defend their titles. This year's event will take place in the virtual landscape of Zwift's New York map, with athletes running the Knickerbocker route. Once again, field size, broadcast exposure, race distance, and prize money will be the same for both men and women, and the partners announced today are already key to success.

Most notably, this is the case of Wahoo, the official trainer partner of the event, who have already shipped their best turbo trainer, the Wahoo Kickr V5 Smart Trainer, to each competitor, ensuring that all competitors are on equal footing and using the same equipment. Mike Saturnia, CEO of Wahoo, sums it up:" This level of e-race demands the most accurate and consistent data possible, so it is only fitting that all competitors in the finals use the Wahoo Kickr, the world's best-in-class smart trainer."

Meanwhile, Shimano will be the official drivetrain partner of the competition with its new Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset. As a long-term partner of the UCI, we are very excited about the continued development of Cycling Esports."

"We are very proud to be the official drivetrain partner of the UCI."[12 As anyone who has participated in a Zwift race knows, every watt counts, and that's the bottom line for the riders. It is worth clarifying, though, that riders will not be provided with a Dura-Ace groupset.

Finally, to bring the excitement of the event to a global audience, NTT (former title sponsor of NTT Pro Cycling) will be joining as the official data analysis partner; NTT has innovations in data visualization such as the Rider Efficiency Score introduced at the last World Championships through which the focus will be on human effort. Data visualization helps bring the story of the race to life through a clear understanding of how the race unfolds.

"Our continuous intelligence platform is optimized to provide an unprecedented level of insight into rider performance during the UCI World Championships," explained Rob Webster, vice president of NTT's Advanced Technology Group.