Virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh has announced the official dates and route configurations for the upcoming MyWhoosh Championships 2026, which will take place from July 7–14, 2026.
The headline feature of the seven-day virtual stage race is its US$1,000,000 prize pot. Rather than limiting the financial incentives to elite e-sports competitors, the platform has structured the prize distribution to ensure financial rewards are accessible across multiple skill categories, team standings and specific racing classifications. The total prize fund is split equally between male and female participants.
By establishing a multi-tiered category structure, the event aims to engage a broad demographic of amateur cyclists. Competitors holding sustainable power-to-weight ratios of approximately 3.5w/kg for men and 2.5w/kg for women can enter with a realistic opportunity to be competitive within their respective fields and contend for a portion of the prize money.
Matt Smithson, Director of E-sports and Game Operations at MyWhoosh, said “The ambition for 2026 is to make the MyWhoosh Championships open to as many riders as possible. It is a proper seven-day stage race, so it should feel like a big sporting challenge, but it’s not reserved only for the very top end of the field.
“An amateur rider who can hold around 3.5w/kg in the men’s category and 2.5w/kg in the women’s category has a real reason to line up, race hard and can compete for a real result and prize money. Our US$1,000,000 prize fund is not just for the headline. We want to create opportunities across the event, with equal prize money for men and women and prizes spread across categories, teams and classifications. If we want this to be our biggest championships yet, it has to feel accessible as well as ambitious.”
During the 2025 edition, the event attracted participants from 47 countries who logged an aggregate total of more than 200,000 virtual kilometres and 6,000 hours of riding. For the 2026 season, the platform intends to double rider registration.
Among the amateur racers targeting the event are Swedish triathlete Anna Svardstrom, 59, who previously competed in the UCI World Championship live final in Abu Dhabi, and Australian cyclist Bridget Bremner, 50, who utilized the platform to rebuild her physical conditioning following cancer treatment. Other regular competitors include 28-year-old Natalia Idzik, veteran indoor racer Ola Warrén, and former professional rider Paulo Kirchner.
The event structure features seven stages traversing diverse virtual landscapes, including Switzerland, California, Hudayriyat, Bhutan, Colombia, Canada and Arabia. The men’s overall route will cover 436km with 5,463m of total elevation gain. The schedule opens with a rolling 70.8km flat stage in Switzerland, followed by a hilly 53.2km route in California and a rolling 66.6km course in Hudayriyat.
The virtual terrain becomes increasingly selective during Stage 4 in Bhutan, which features 1,110m of climbing across three ascents of the Dragon Fury Climb. Stage 5 serves as the main mountain discipline in Colombia, tasking riders with 1,669m of elevation across the Alto del Águila and Paso Alto climbs. Following a scheduled rest day, Stage 6 introduces a rolling 40.2km individual time trial in Canada, before the event concludes with a 79.3km flat stage in Arabia.
The women’s championship route will cover an aggregate distance of 316km with 4,156m of elevation gain. The race mirrors the men’s stages with distance adjustments, starting with a 46.1km opening stage in Switzerland. The riders then tackle the hilly 53.2km California route, a 51.1km flat course in Hudayriyat, and a demanding 45.6km test in Bhutan featuring 740m of climbing.
The critical General Classification sorting is expected on Stage 5 in Colombia, which packs 1,307m of mountain climbing over 42.9km, finishing on the El Vigía ascent. After the rest day, the women will complete a 26.8km individual time trial on the rolling Canadian course, before finishing the week with a 49.9km flat stage through Arabia.
Financial rewards are distributed dynamically across the classifications. Cash prizes are allocated to the top 10 individual General Classification finishers, the top seven teams, the top masters rider over the age of 45, the top youth rider under 23, and the respective sprint and mountain jersey winners. Individual stage winners, daily sprinters and the top riders from the GCC region will also secure cash payouts.
The overall financial allocation per competitive tier across the event breaks down as:
Category 1: US$186,000
Category 2: US$105,035
Category 3: US$69,720
Category 4: US$48,000
Category 5: US$35,500
Category 6: US$25,400
Registration for the event is open until June 30, 2026. To ensure competitive integrity, all participants must complete the platform’s proprietary Power Passport Test to verify performance data prior to race clearance. Athletes who have actively competed in MyWhoosh’s Sunday Race Club events within the preceding three months are exempt from the initial test and receive automatic eligibility.
Founded in 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, MyWhoosh is a free-to-use virtual cycling software application that provides tailored training plans, virtual routes and organized racing for the international cycling community.
