The Dutch Loes Adegeest and the Australian Jay Vine are the new Cycling Esports world champions in the second edition of the Virtual Cycling World Championships organized by the UCI together with the Zwift platform. The innovative Knickerbocker circuit, inspired by a futuristic vision of New York and with a route of 54.9 kilometers and 944 meters of positive elevation gain, hosted the men’s and women’s race of these World Championships.
In the women’s race, the high pace throughout the test meant that a small group of runners remained as candidates for victory. South African Ashleigh Moolman, the defending champion, tried to break the race on the first few ramps of the climb final to the QOM of New York, with 1.4 kilometers of ascent at 6.1% and ramps of up to 17%. JTogether with Moolman, Loes Adegeest, Cecilia Hansen and Zoe Langham resisted. The Dutchwoman used her Feather PowerUp option with 200 meters to go and that allowed her to accelerate between the 10-11% ramps to claim the rainbow jersey ahead of Hansen, Langham and Moolman.
In the men’s race, despite numerous escape attempts, the race was decided in the last 15 kilometres, with a front group that managed to open a gap with the peloton before risking victory on the final climb. The Austrian Rainer Kepplinger was the first to attack with 500 meters to go and the defending champion, the German Jason Osborne, came out after him and went straight for the victory. However, shortly before the finish line he was overtaken by the Alpecin-Fenix cyclist Jay Vine and by fellow Australian Freddy Ovett, who completed a historic double for Australia in a Cycling Esports World Cup that has come to stay.