British Cycling eRacing Championship, powered by Zwift, set for London in March

London will this March host the inaugural British Cycling eRacing Championships, powered by Zwift, with qualification taking place next month and open for all.

The governing body announced last month that it had appointed Zwift as its official training partner.

The virtual cycling platform, meanwhile, is making a big move into eSports and last week chose Pinarello’s flagship London store to host the inaugural event of its new Kiss Super League.

Qualification heats for the British Cycling eRacing Championships will take place on the morning of Sunday 24 February, and anyone can take part.

However, to be eligible to progress to the final in late March – full details will be confirmed in due course – they will have to be a member of British Cycling.

The final will be held over two laps of the Watopia Figure 8 course, with a total distance of 59.2 kilometres, and the top men and women from the qualifiers vying for the national title and a share of a £1,000 prize fund.

Jonathan Rigby, commercial director at British Cycling, said: “Since announcing this new event in December, we’ve been delighted by the huge levels of interest within the cycling industry, but also amongst other sports.  

“We’re encouraging Britain’s best elite women’s and men’s riders and teams to compete for the coveted national jersey, but the accessibility of Zwift means that everyone can take part – young, old, experienced, newcomers and athletes from other sports, as well as a few familiar faces.  

“This has the potential to be a whole new sporting spectacle and could launch the career of a new superstar.”  

Eric Min, Zwift’s CEO and co-founder, commented: “Both Zwift and British Cycling have a strong pedigree when it comes to uncovering hidden talent.

“The beauty of Zwift is that it’s open to anyone and therefore incredibly accessible. This looks set to be the most open national competition to date – anyone with a British Cycling membership can win.”

He added: “I know of a number of domestic professional riders looking to claim the title, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to see someone new emerge and take the stripes?”  :

An exclusive British Cycling eRacing Championships Training Plan will be available to any Brtish Cycling member who has unlocked the British Cycling kit in-game and can be accessed via the Zwift Workouts menu.