Leadout Newsletter

World Championships: A Look at How Far We've Come

As the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships come to a close in Abu Dhabi, it's the perfect moment to look back at where this sport started and how far it has come.

Cycling esports has grown through an ebb and flow of progress: bursts of momentum mixed with long periods of waiting, experimentation, and steady community effort. Athletes, organizers, and leaders invested passion and resources long before the systems existed to support the vision.

A defining early milestone was the first-ever qualification-based arena event in Las Vegas — the inaugural CVR Cup (men, women). It was the first true attempt at professional Cycling Esports, bringing athletes into an in-person arena to race head-to-head after a qualification process.

Many of today's long-standing esports athletes came through that experience. One of them, Lionel Vujasin, who raced in that early CVR Cup era, represented Belgium in Abu Dhabi—a full-circle moment that reflects the evolution of both the athletes and the sport itself.

From those early arena stages in Vegas to a globally broadcast world championship in Abu Dhabi, the progression has been driven by people, not platforms. The athletes, teams, clubs, organizers, volunteers, and federation staff who kept pushing forward when the roadmap wasn't yet clear.

At Leadout, we're proud to step into this next chapter with those same community builders—supporting, powering, and strengthening the ecosystem as it grows. We're grateful for the journey so far and excited for what's still ahead.

In The Draft: Episode 3 Out Now

This week on In The Draft, we sit down with Dean Cunningham, co-founder of the Prestige Series and a long-standing community leader in elite and verified racing.

We discuss the origins of Prestige, why verified and elite formats matter, the role of teams, clubs and organizers in shaping modern esports, and how Leadout and partners are helping elevate the next phase together.

What's Next?

Here's what's coming soon on Leadout:

• The new broadcast schedule
• Upcoming federation partnership announcements
• Details about new event formats for organizers
• More podcast conversations with the people shaping Cycling Esports

Thank you! Every step we're taking—systems, standards, broadcasts, events—is possible because of this community.

We are building this community with you, and for you.

See you on race day,The Leadout Team