Irish cyclists will soon be able to compete for a virtual national title as Cycling Ireland works on places to introduce eRacing.
The national
governing body believes eRacing, or virtual racing, can generate growth in
cycling in Ireland.
British Cycling
introduced an eRacing national championships this year, with winners receiving
medals and a national champion’s jersey like road champions.
There was controversy in Britain when the winner of the championships, Cameron Jeffers, was disqualified.
He was found to
have used a bot to get access to a faster bike on Zwift and was stripped of his
title and banned from racing for six months.
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That controversy
aside, organised eRacing in Britain has proven very popular. And training on
apps such as Zwift has increased exponentially in most cycling markets
globally.
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Cycling Ireland,
in a brochure prepared for its upcoming AGM, has confirmed it has plans to hold
a Virtual National Championships.
Offering an
update on sponsorships it was working on, it said it would shortly launch a
partnership with a sports nutrition company and “with a global brand involved
in the manufacture of bike trainers and bike computers”.
“There are some
exciting plans in place to develop a Virtual National Championships,” Cycling
Ireland stated in its marketing and communication update.
“This has
potential for a big area of growth in the cycling world and shows a new,
innovative side to Cycling Ireland which it is hoped will attract a new
audience and offer something exciting for cyclists of all abilities.
“Cycling Ireland
is engaged in positive discussions with several more brands and it is hoped
that further partnerships can be agreed and announced in the coming months,
reflective of cycling’s status as one of Ireland’s largest participation
sports.”
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