#virtualracing

In a pivotal shift for virtual cycling, USA Cycling has officially designated TrainingPeaks Virtual as its esports platform through 2028, handing over the reins from prior hosts to a new tech-forward environment. The Echelon Racing League’s sixth season will run on TrainingPeaks Virtual starting November 1, 2025, culminating in the USA Cycling Esports National Championships on January 31 and February 1, 2026. The platform offers enhanced realism, integration with structured training, and novel tools for riders to engage with real-course simulations.

A New Chapter in Virtual Racing Partnerships

USA Cycling’s announcement marks a long-term commitment to merge structured training with competitive esports racing. Under the new deal, TrainingPeaks Virtual becomes the official platform for both the Echelon Racing League and USA Cycling’s National Esports Championships through 2028. The arrangement positions the platform as more than a race host—it becomes the connective tissue between athlete preparation and competitive execution.

Eric Hill, president of Project Echelon Promotions, emphasized that the league is returning to its roots by embedding virtual competition in deeper collaboration with USA Cycling and real-life race promoters. This season will also focus on longer, more accessible formats while maintaining high standards of fairness and realism.

What Makes TrainingPeaks Virtual Stand Out

TrainingPeaks Virtual differentiates itself by combining virtual racing dynamics with features that closely mirror real-world cycling. Its simulation engine includes drafting, cornering, braking physics, and performance verification mechanisms. These features are designed to reduce the gap between pure gameplay and legitimate athletic competition.

A standout tool is GPXplore, which enables riders to pre-ride or preview real-world routes in the virtual domain using GPX files. This integration blurs the line between offline and online training, letting athletes internalize route profiles, gradients, and corners before an event.

Plans are also underway for a “My Routes” feature, allowing athletes to import their own GPX courses into the platform’s environment—expanding flexibility and personalization.

Rallying the League: Echelon’s Evolution

The Echelon Racing League, which began in 2020, has navigated platform shifts from RGT to Zwift to MyWhoosh in prior seasons. This change to TrainingPeaks Virtual represents a fresh chapter.

For the 2025-26 season, the calendar opens November 1 and runs through February 1. Riders must compete in at least one Echelon Racing League event to be eligible for the National Championships. The format introduces omnium scoring for one-day races and point allocations following stage races.

Unlike past seasons with cash prize pools, this edition will distribute sponsor merchandise as awards. Last season’s winners were Hayden Pucker (elite men) and Lisa Hermansson (elite women).

Echelon will promote accessibility and connection, offering inclusion to a broad competitor base while aligning virtual racing more tightly with USA Cycling’s official structure.

Zwift Steps Back, Opportunity Widens

Interestingly, this transition coincides with Zwift’s announced withdrawal from elite esports programs. The platform, long a major force in virtual cycling competition, will discontinue its elite racing operations and academy initiatives.

That pivot — from hosting top-level esports to focusing on general community and fitness rides — leaves room for new platforms to step forward. TrainingPeaks Virtual is seizing that space, offering an integrated environment that combines coaching, performance management, and racing.

Impacts on Riders & Coaches

For riders, this shift means training and competing under one roof. With TrainingPeaks Virtual, structured workout plans, performance analytics, and race simulations converge. Athletes can optimize their preparation and execution without jumping between disjointed tools.

Coaches benefit from transparency, too—virtual race performance can feed directly into evaluation metrics, making adjustments more data-driven and precise.

Moreover, the GPXplore and My Routes features empower athletes to preview challenging terrain, reducing the uncertainty of racing unknown courses. That is especially valuable for national championships, where courses can vary widely.

Licensing also comes into play: to participate, U.S. riders need an active USA Cycling license. Registration for Echelon’s series includes a pass that covers eligibility for the national championship.

Challenges & Considerations

While promising, the transition is not without difficulties. First, riders and teams must adapt to a new digital environment and its idiosyncrasies. Differences in pacing, drafting sensitivity, and cornering physics may require learning curves.

Second, verifying fairness and performance integrity is critical. As the platform gains prestige, it must defend against cheating or exploitation of simulation bugs. TrainingPeaks aims to emphasize credibility and governance, but scale will test its systems.

Third, community adoption matters. Many riders, clubs, and event organizers have entrenched workflows on other platforms. Convincing them to migrate or integrate TrainingPeaks Virtual requires smooth UX, robust features, and reliable support.

Financial models may shift, too. Prize structures, sponsorship incentives, and monetization will evolve in this new landscape—especially as cash purses are replaced with alternate rewards.

Shaping the Future of Cycling’s Hybrid Reality

In blending structured training and esports racing, this partnership signals a maturation of digital cycling. No longer is virtual competition merely a novelty or supplemental activity—it’s becoming a central node in athletic development and competitive cycles.

By bridging GPX route simulation, coaching analytics, and regulated racing, the approach foreshadows a future where real-world and virtual cycling are deeply interwoven. Athletes might train on a route in the morning, race it virtually in the evening, and then perform the real equivalent months later.

For USA Cycling, adopting this platform strengthens its governance over esports domains. It centralizes control, ensures standardization, and raises the legitimacy of virtual championships.

For Project Echelon, anchoring the league in an integrated infrastructure elevates its relevance. The league becomes a conduit, not just for competition, but for training pipelines, talent discovery, and closer alignment with real-world cycling aims.

We may soon regard virtual racing no longer as an ersatz companion to physical racing, but as a first-class domain in its own right. The next seasons on TrainingPeaks Virtual will test how far that vision can scale—and whether the blend of realism, fairness, and accessibility can reshape the contours of global cycling.