Virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh has highlighted the disparity in prize money between traditional road racing and virtual esports cycling, contrasting the financial structure of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with its own equal payout model.

As the women’s professional peloton recently competed in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O), figures compiled by MyWhoosh show a significant gap in prize distribution compared to the men’s event.

The men’s Tour de France awarded its general classification winner €500,000 from a total prize purse of €2,302,800. In comparison, the women’s general classification winner receives €50,000 from a total prize pool of €250,000.

Tour de France, men vs women (as reported)

The contrast in prize money comes despite growing broadcast audiences for women’s road racing. Across the total racing distance, the men’s 2026 Tour de France covered 21 stages and 3,320.7km, while the women’s race spanned nine stages and 1,174.5km.

Distance for context: men 21 stages / 3,320.7 km; women 9 stages / 1,174.5 km.

The financial difference remains consistent across all classifications within the two events.

• A men’s stage win pays €11,000 compared to €4,000 for a women’s stage win.
• The points classification green jersey and mountains classification polka-dot jersey award €25,000 in the men’s race versus €3,000 in the women’s event.
• The young rider white jersey pays €20,000 for men and €3,000 for women, while the team classification offers €50,000 compared to €6,000.
• The super combativity award stands at €20,000 for men and €2,000 for women.

In contrast to road cycling, Abu Dhabi-based virtual platform MyWhoosh points out that it operates an equal prize structure for men and women across its competitive events. The 2026 MyWhoosh Championships, a seven-day esports stage race, featured a US$1,000,000 total prize pool split evenly between the men’s and women’s fields, offering the same first-place earnings across both categories.

MyWhoosh also maintains equal payouts in its weekly Sunday Race Club series, which distributes approximately US300,000 per month between male and female competitors. During the 2026 season, category1 competitor Mary Kate McCarthy earned approximately US$148,000 on the MyWhoosh platform, illustrating the earning potential available in esports racing compared to the more traditional road racing contracts and race earnings.

The parity in virtual racing has drawn prominent Women’s WorldTour professional riders to esports platforms alongside their outdoor road commitments. At the Sunday Race Club Women’s Finals on July 26, 2026, inaugural UCI Esports World Champion and AG Insurance–Soudal team rider Ashleigh Moolman Pasio finished fourth in the elite field, earning US$820 behind race winner Mary Kate McCarthy.

Addressing the platform’s financial framework, Matt Smithson, Director of Esports & Game Operations at MyWhoosh, said “Equal prize money was built into our model from the beginning because we believe women’s athletics should be valued on the exact same terms as men’s.

“The economics of virtual cycling allow us to create a balanced structure where athletes can compete for substantial rewards regardless of gender.”

MyWhoosh serves as the official indoor cycling partner for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. The platform hosts structured workouts, social group rides, and esports competitions accessible to amateur and professional cyclists globally.

www.mywhoosh.com

Event organiser Epic Rides has announced a date change for the Whiskey Off-Road, moving the 22nd annual edition of the event to April 30 – May 2, 2027.

Held in Prescott, AZ, the mountain bike event will shift to the first weekend in May to offer more reliable spring weather and trail conditions, while also aiming to align with the North American professional off-road racing calendar.

The event, which takes place across Prescott’s singletrack trail network and historic Whiskey Row, forms the final leg of an extended spring racing block for off-road cyclists. Epic Rides notes that its updated scheduling complements a regional calendar that starts with the Sea Otter Classic, continues through Levi’s GranFondo Growler, and finishes with the Whiskey Off-Road Backcountry races.

Todd Sadow, Founder of Epic Rides, said “We’re always looking for ways to improve the rider experience. The first weekend in May gives us a better opportunity to deliver the kind of weather, trail conditions and overall experience our participants deserve.

“The modern professional isn’t simply a mountain biker, gravel racer or road racer anymore. The best athletes are incredibly versatile. They may race a gravel bike one weekend, a road bike the next and finish the stretch aboard a mountain bike in Prescott. That’s exciting for the sport, exciting for fans and provides tremendous value for the brands supporting those athletes.”

The revised schedule aims to cater to professional athletes competing across mountain bike, gravel, and road disciplines, allowing brand partners and component manufacturers to showcase equipment across multiple categories throughout the spring season.

Despite the date shift, the core structure of the event weekend remains unchanged for amateur participants and spectators. The schedule includes the Findlay Subaru Pro Fat Tire Crit, the Orange Seal Bike + Gear expo, Shimano’s Kids’ Fun Ride, Mother Road beer gardens, free live music performances, and amateur cross-country mountain bike races across varied distance options.

Organised by Tucson-based event promoter Epic Rides, the company manages several large-scale US off-road cycling events, including the TMC Health 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and the Tour of the White Mountains, which focus on endurance mountain biking and community participation.

Registration for the 2027 event is open via the organisation’s official website.

www.epicrides.com

London-based folding bike manufacturer Brompton has partnered with GPS artist Nico Georgiou to create a giant piece of digital artwork across the streets of London. The project marks the launch of tickets for the Brompton World Championship 2026, which returns to Lee Valley VeloPark on September 5, 2026.

Using his bicycle and GPS tracking via Strava, Georgiou cycled 150km through the capital to trace a Brompton-inspired design across the urban road network. The artwork was designed to highlight the brand’s London heritage alongside the urban exploration that has defined its rider community since the company was established.

Chris Willingham, Chief Marketing Officer at Brompton, said “There’s no better way to explore a city than by bike, and London has inspired Brompton riders for more than 50 years. It felt fitting to celebrate the return of the Brompton World Championship with a piece of artwork that could only be created by cycling through the city itself.

“Nico’s artwork captures everything we love about Brompton – creativity, exploration and community. It’s a celebration of London and the people who experience it by bike, while marking the return of one of the most unique cycling events in the world.”

The artwork campaign coincides with ticket sales opening for the Brompton World Championship 2026, which is set to be the largest edition in the event’s history. The event will host 650 competitors at the Lee Valley VeloPark in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Known for its Le Mans-style start, participants begin each race by running on foot to their folded bicycles, unfolding them in the transition area before riding onto the track.

The 2026 schedule features ten qualifying heats before advancing the fastest participants into dedicated men’s and women’s finals. The upcoming event will also introduce new race formats, including the BWC Relay Race – a team event featuring squads of four riders – and the Hydro Scrap Lap award, which rewards creative and entertaining riding rather than race velocity.

In addition to the competitive track program, the event grounds will feature product demonstration rides, folding competitions, technical workshops, community discussions, food and drink vendors, and an event sponsor village. Free spectator admission is available for visitors throughout the day.

Founded in 1975 by inventor Andrew Ritchie, Brompton produces folding bicycles from its factory in London, with over 1.2 million bikes manufactured to date. The company currently produces nearly 100,000 bicycles annually and exports more than 70% of its total output across 47 countries, with China serving as its largest market. In London alone, over 80,000 Brompton bikes are reported to be in active use.

The bike brand’s lineup has expanded to eight distinct models, encompassing traditional pedal options, electric pedal-assist options, the lightweight titanium T Line weighing 7.95kg, and the multi-terrain G Line launched in 2024. The core folding mechanism allows each bike to collapse down to a third of its size, enabling integrated urban transit connections across rail, car, and taxi networks.

As a certified B Corp, Brompton operates 32 flagship Brompton Junction retail outlets internationally, including locations in London, Paris, Berlin, Shanghai, Tokyo, Milan, and Singapore, alongside a global network of 1,500 independent bicycle dealers. The company estimates over 500,000 riders belong to customer-led community groups globally, with more than 1,200 organized community riding events held across 98 cities in 2024.

www.brompton.com