2026 UCI Cycling Esports Worlds Final Gets New Points Format

The Final of the 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will take place on 5 December in Copenhagen, one week earlier than originally scheduled, with a new two-stage points-race format designed around late scoring opportunities and route decisions.

The Men Elite and Women Elite world titles will go to the riders who collect the most points across both stages. Crossing the finish line first alone will not be enough to secure the rainbow jersey, making scoring decisions throughout the Final central to the outcome.

Two stages, multiple scoring opportunities

Stage 1 will cover 7.6km and feature five surge checkpoints. The locations of those checkpoints will not be published in advance. Riders will receive an alert only 500m before each scoring line, and the first 10 riders across each checkpoint will score points.

All competitors in the same race will receive the checkpoint activations at the same time. The format requires riders to decide whether to move forward early and use additional energy, or wait for a late acceleration and risk having insufficient distance to reach the front.

The second stage will consist of four 5km laps, covering 20km in total. On every lap, riders will face a fork 400m before it arrives and must select one of two routes of equal distance. The flatter option carries fewer available points, while the hillier alternative offers more points but requires a greater energy cost.

Each route will include its own sprint checkpoint. Once the routes merge, riders will also contest a shared sprint checkpoint. That creates two scoring chances per lap and eight across Stage 2. On the final lap, the finish line will serve as the final sprint checkpoint and award double points. Riders who do not make a route choice will automatically be placed on the flat route.

Copenhagen studio final brings field together

The Final will be staged in a dedicated esports studio in Copenhagen, bringing all participants into one venue for the live broadcast. The single-site set-up replaces the previously planned two-venue format and is intended to simplify travel for stakeholders.

A maximum of 36 riders, comprising 18 men and 18 women, will contest the Final. The field has progressed through National Federation and MyWhoosh events, followed by a semi-final on 2 October that included more than 100 athletes of each gender.

Every finalist will race on an ELITE Justo 2 smart trainer. ELITE will prepare and check each unit individually for the championships, with the standardised equipment intended to provide consistent hardware and power-measurement conditions throughout the field.

The revised format puts a premium on reactions, recovery and choices as well as the ability to produce sustained efforts. Stage 1 demands repeated responses to unexpected checkpoints, while Stage 2 asks riders to weigh the value of higher-scoring terrain against its energy demands. With points accumulated over both stages, the contest can change with each checkpoint, route selection and final-lap sprint.

What will decide the world titles

The 5 December Final will determine the 2026 Men Elite and Women Elite UCI Cycling Esports World Champions through the combined points totals from the two stages. The format ensures that riders must remain alert from the opening surge checkpoint through to the double-points finish, as every scoring opportunity can shape the final standings.