Bytagand the publication "2025 Esports World Championships: Jason Osborne and Mary Kate McCarthy retain their titles"
The UCI Cycling Esports World Championships 2025 delivered a thrilling final today in Abu Dhabi, where Jason Osborne (Germany) and Mary Kate McCarthy (New Zealand) retained their UCI Cycling Esports World Champion titles.
Source: CP
This was the second live edition of the event, held at Space 42 Arena, an esports venue where this cycling discipline has made its mark. More than 40 international riders participated, and Tadej Pogacar, Peter Sagan, and representatives from the UCI were in attendance. For the cycling world, this competition confirms the rapid growth of esports cycling, bringing together the best specialists in the discipline in one place to compete in front of a live audience.
Mary Kate McCarthy (New Zealand) won the women's final thanks to a dominant performance across the three stages, totaling 597 points. Gabriella Guerra (Brazil) finished second with 525 points, and Francesca Tommasi (Italy) finished with 478 points.
Jason Osborne (Germany) won the men's world championship title with 564 points. Michal Kaminski (Poland) finished second with 493 points, while Lennert Teugels (Belgium) took third place with 468 points. The two UCI world champions each received the first prize of $15,000, out of a total prize purse of $60,000.
World champion Jason Osborne said: To be honest, I wasn't very happy with the first stage. The gap wasn't what it had been in the semi-finals, and I wasn't feeling my best, which affected me a bit mentally. But in the second stage, I started to feel stronger and I was really able to push and dig in. Every stage improved from there, and by the third, I had my feel back. I took the lead and worked really well. »
World champion Mary Kate McCarthy said: I wanted to show that everything I've worked on all year truly reflects what I've accomplished. I wanted to... testI wanted to see what I could do, but I also knew I needed to save some energy for the later stages. In the end, I think I did exactly what I wanted to do. The third stage was a bit more tactical, but it all depended on how much energy I had left. By the last stage, when Francesca left, I was practically exhausted. I knew I had the points to clinch the title, so I was happy to see how things went and secure second place if possible. »
In the women's race, McCarthy took control from the very first stage, breaking away on the opening climb as the peloton split behind her. She extended her lead on stage 2 with a perfectly timed attack at the second intermediate sprint, maintaining a steady gap solo while Tommasi and Guerra battled for the remaining points. Going into stage 3 with a comfortable advantage, McCarthy calmly managed the high pace and repeated attacks as small groups formed. While Tommasi and Camilla Ahlberg fought for key points, a late attack from Francesca Tommasi secured her third place overall. McCarthy's consistent performance and disciplined approach across all three stages earned her a clear victory.
The men's race followed a similarly intense pattern. In stage 1, Jason dug an early leadtagby escaping on a steep climb after the initial attacks by Neal Fryett. Stage 2 was marked by close sprints, with Hayden Pucker, Pawel Scierski, and Michal Kaminski battling for every point. Scierski briefly moved ahead of Jason in the stage classification before losing ground on the final climb, retaining second place in the provisional general classification. Stage 3 began at a very high pace, with Kaminski scoring numerous points and...testsecuring a place on the podium. A memorable moment for fans: Lionel Vujasin caught up with Jason and won the final sprint despite a recent injury. Jason's strong performances across all stages allowed him to clinch the men's title, with Kaminski finishing second and Lennert Teugels third.
Fair trade and testhydration levels
The event reinforced the commitment of the UCI and MyWhoosh to fairness and integrity in esports competition. All athletes raced on UCI-verified Elite Justo 2 home trainers to ensure a level playing field. With all competitors gathered on-site, the UCI conducted comprehensive performance checks and... testhydration protocols and anti-doping procedures are in place to ensure fair and transparent competition.
Matthew Smithson, Director of Esports and Game Operations at MyWhoosh, stated: This year's UCI Cycling Esports World Championships highlighted the strength and depth of global esports talent, and the performances seen today reflect the highest level of the discipline. The success of this event reinforces MyWhoosh's commitment to advancing the sport and supporting its community. With record participation this year, we are confident that the momentum will continue to grow, and we look forward to expanding the reach and impact in the years to come. »
UCI President David Lappartient stated: The event we just witnessed confirms the growing enthusiasm for cycling esports. The intense three-stage format, with all the athletes gathered on stage in Abu Dhabi, was once again a huge success with both riders and fans. Cycling lends itself perfectly to the esports format, and our partner MyWhoosh demonstrated this compatibility by organizing another remarkable edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. I congratulate the 2025 UCI World Champions and all the competitors, and I thank MyWhoosh for making this competition so memorable. »
Abu Dhabi's hosting of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships is part of a series of major cycling events to be held in the United Arab Emirates. The country will also host the UCI Cycling World Championships on Route 2028, the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships 2028 and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships 2029, further strengthening its position as a leading global destination for cycling.
