Preview: 2022 National Club Cycling Esports Series

Australia’s cycling, MTB and BMX clubs will begin their battle for supremacy tonight as the 2022 AusCycling National Club Cycling Esports Series launches on the virtual roads of Zwift.

It’s the latest product of AusCycling’s partnership with Zwift after Vikings Cycling Club and Waratah Masters Cycling Club conquered last year’s competition.

How the series works

This year’s series is longer than previous ones, comprising 12 rounds of scratch races.

Each round is run in four men’s and four women’s categories (A–D).

It’s a team competition, not an individual one: a rider’s placing in each race contributes to their club’s points tally. The club with the most points takes the honours as Australia’s premier cycling esports club.

There are just as many points available in D category as there are in A, so fielding a well-rounded, diverse and large team is often the key to success.

An exclusive prize

For the first time, the winning club will have their club jersey made into an in-game kit for their members to use on Zwift.

It’ll be a sought-after prize given there is currently no other way to get your custom kit into the game.

The rounds and routes

Racing begins tonight and continues weekly on Thursday evenings until May 26. After a break, the second half of the series will resume on August 25.

At time of writing, six of the routes have been confirmed, and they’re best described as a mix of flat and medium mountain stages.

Being mostly flat, rounds 1 and 2 should offer something for the sprinters before the puncheurs get their chance on the Volcano KOM finish in round 3.

Rounds 4 and 6 are also flat, but the leg-breaking Bologna climb in round 5 will be a decisive uphill test.

Here’s the schedule for the opening six rounds:

Round 1: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 21 April – France | R.G.V | 1 lap

Round 2: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 28 April – Makuri Islands | Wandering Flats | 1 lap

Round 3: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 5 May – Watopia | Legends and Lava | 1 lap

Round 4: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 12 May – Watopia | Beach Island Loop | 2 laps

Round 5: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 19 May – Bologna | TT Lap | 24km (1.5 laps)

Round 6: 6:30pm AEST, Thursday, 26 May – Makuri Islands | Electric Loop | 3 laps

Clubs and riders

We can expect past winners Vikings CC and Waratah Masters CC to come out in force with their strength in numbers.

Last year, Vikings CC's outstanding women’s contingent tallied up many crucial points, and we’d expect that trend to continue. The challenge for Waratah Masters will be to snag points beyond the Men’s B, C and D categories, where they have usually been most successful.

Randwick Cycling Club are committed to challenging for the top spot, having registered over 60 competitors. That's behind only Waratah Masters (who have over 70 entrants) in size.

Hawthorn Cycling Club has long been a leader in women’s participation, so it’s no surprise that they’ve entered a solid team with an even split of men and women. Despite having fewer entrants overall, that diversity gives them the chance to harvest points across more categories.

New South Wales clubs from Dubbo, Illawarra, Jindabyne, Dulwich Hill and Southern Cross have also entered sizable squads, as have Gold Coast CC and the University of Queensland CC from north of the border.

Victoria’s Knox BMX Club will line up in this series, and they’ll set out to demonstrate that cycling esports isn’t just for roadies.

How to watch

Each round will be streamed on the AusCycling YouTube channel and on Zwift Community Live, with commentary by the likes of Gracie Elvin, Anna Russell and Jethro Nagle.

How to participate

Even if you missed the opening round, clubs can continue to register riders throughout the series. For more information, visit the series page or contact your club.