Preview: 2022 AusCycling Elite Teams Esports Series 

Beginning June 7, the 2022 AusCycling Elite Teams National Esports Series will see Australia and New Zealand’s elite cyclists facing off on Zwift.

What is the Elite Teams Series?

The AusCycling Elite Teams National Esports Series is a cycling esports competition run by AusCycling and Zwift.

It consists of four scratch races and is contested by Australian and New Zealand cycling teams at the National Road Series (NRS) and UCI Continental level.

There are separate series for men and women.

How do you win the series?

The series has two classifications: individual and team.

In the individual classification, points will be awarded based on a rider’s finishing position in each round. After four races, the rider with the most points wins.

Team points are calculated by adding the individual ranking points of all riders in each team. The team with the most points wins that classification.

• Here’s the points scale for each race:

What is the event schedule?

The four-race series begins with a short but difficult individual time trial on the Bologna TT course, which includes a steep uphill finish (2km at 9.6%).

A hilly Yorkshire race is followed by the mountainous queen stage, which features two ascents of the Epic KOM (9.4km at 3.9%) and one visit up the brutal radio tower climb.

The series concludes with a fast circuit race on the Champs -Élysées.

Here is the event schedule for the 2022 AusCycling Elite Teams National Esports Series:

• Week 1 – Tuesday, June 7 – Bologna TT

• Week 2 – Tuesday, June 21 – Yorkshire, 2019 UCI Worlds Harrogate Circuit

• Week 3 – Tuesday, July 5 – Watopia, WBR Climbing Series

• Week 4 – Tuesday, July 19 – Paris, Champs -Élysées

Who’s competing?

This year’s series is expected to feature some of the top riders from Australia and New Zealand’s cycling esports scene.

The men’s competition will include Australia’s world championship-winning teammates Ben Hill and Torben Partridge-Madsen (racing for the Canberra-based CCS Cycling), while Sam Hill headlines the squad for Nero Continental.

InForm TMX Make will bring Grafton to Inverell runner-up Mark O’Brien, who recently put in a dominant performance on the Bologna course in AusCycling’s club series.

Oliver’s Real Food Racing and Team Rauland will both be in action, while St George Continental Team will be headlined by New Zealand’s Ollie Jones, who won the 2018 Zwift Academy program and placed fourth in the 2020 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.

The women’s series sees InForm TMX Make bring a formidable line-up including former GreenEdge pro Carlee Taylor, top mountain-biker Ella Bloor and junior criterium champion Lucinda Stewart,

StepFWD Cycling and the Queensland-based Women’s Racing Project teams will be in action, while a large squad from the South Australian-based Butterfields team includes Paralympic medallist Meg Lemon.

How can I watch?

Each round of the AusCycling Elite Teams National Esports Series will be streamed live on the AusCycling YouTube channel and Road & Esports Facebook page, thanks to Zwift.

Each race begins at 6:30pm AEST on every second Tuesday, starting on June 7.

For technical information, visit the series page.