ARA Australian Cycling Team selected for Esports World Championships

Ten riders have been named by the AusCycling National Selection Panel to contest the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships later this year.

The team of five men and five women will race the semi-finals on September 6 for a place in the live final.

The top two finishers from the AusCycling Esports National Championships were automatically selected, meaning Australian champions Kate Trdin and Joshua Wilson will ride their first World Championships alongside runners-up Matilda Field and Joshua Harris.

Vicki Whitelaw will return for her fourth appearance, making her the only Australian to compete in every edition since the event’s inception. The selection of Marc Gates means the full podium from Nationals will be in action.

National champion Joshua Wilson will make his representative debut. (Photo: Alex Polizzi)

Elliot Schultz, who placed fourth in the elite road race national championship this year, joins the squad alongside 18-year-old Cameron Winfield.

Marcel Smithers and national championship finalist Brianna Samuhel complete the roster.

The team will be guided by Kate Bates, who returns in the role of directeur sportif.

For the first time, this year’s UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be hosted on MyWhoosh.

These 10 Australians will be among 300 athletes competing in the semi-finals from their own homes. It is a points-based event over two stages: first, a 9km circuit with a four-minute climb; second, a criterium with steep uphill finish.

Riders who have not been selected can still qualify for the semi-finals through the public qualifiers in early August.

The top 20 male and female finishers will contest the in-person final in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

The team was selected according to AusCycling’s selection policies, which can be found on the Selection page.

Men

• Marc Gates (Hobart Wheelers/Dirt Devils CC)
• Joshua Harris (Launceston City CC)
• Elliot Schultz (Hamilton Wheelers CC)
• Joshua Wilson (Cradle Coast CC)
• Cameron Winfield (Penrith CC)

Women

• Matilda Field (Club M.U.D Ballarat)
• Brianna Samuhel (Parklife CC)
• Marcel Smithers
• Kate Trdin (Launceston City CC)
• Victoria Whitelaw (Canberra CC)

Feature photo: Flynn Hopkins