The Echelon Racing League returns for a sixth season of virtual road racing this winter, launching a calendar of one-day and stage race events on November 1 that will culminate with USA Cycling Esports National Championships on January 31 and February 1, 2026.
USA Cycling confirmed that TrainingPeaks Virtual would serve as the new virtual platform for the both the Echelon Racing League and Esports Nationals, with a commitment through 2028 for the national championships.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our partnership with Echelon Racing League for this due to their commitment to hosting premier esports races. By having these events hosted on TrainingPeaks Virtual, we have the ability to create real-life courses and let our members race some of the most historic road events that the US has ever had in real life," said Kyle Knott, national events director for USA Cycling.
The governing body also announced that TrainingPeaks Virtual could be used on Thursday, September 18 for a preview of the 31-mile USA Cycling Gravel Nationals route, which will showcase more than 40 divisions of competitors on Saturday, September 20, in La Crescent, Minnesota for 2025 titles.
TrainingPeaks Virtual offers GPXplore as a new feature to allow individuals to see routes virtually from their own GPX files. TrainingPeaks Virtual also offers realistic racing engagement bringing drafting and cornering to life, which made it a good fit for the Echelon Racing League, which serves as the national calendar for qualification at US Esports Nationals.
“This season, we’re excited to return to our roots by collaborating with USA Cycling and ERL race promoters, showcasing longer-format races, and emphasizing accessibility, all while competing on a platform recognized as the most true-to-life virtual racing experience with uncompromising standards for fair play," said Eric Hill, president of the Project Echelon Promotions, which organises the League. Hill also directs the UCI Continental team Project Echelon Racing, which endorses the League.
Founded in 2020, the Echelon Racing League held five races across two months last season using MyWhoosh as the virtual racing platform, culminating in January 2025 with league championships and a final payout of a $10,000 elite prize purse. This year sponsor merchandise will replace a cash purse.
Like last year, riders wanting to participate in the US Esports National Championships will be required to have competed in at least one race in the Echelon Racing League. This year's league will offer omnium scoring for one-day races, and points after each three-day stage race.
Last year's winners of the Echelon Racing League were USA's Hayden Pucker for elite men and Lisa Hermansson of Sweden for elite women.
The first year of the Echelon Racing League was 2020 and used the RGT Cycling platform. Both the league and USA Cycling moved to Zwift in 2023, which had been used for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships for several seasons.
Halt for Zwift Academy
Zwift, which continues as a leading platform for indoor training and virtual experiences, recently produced its own elite series with a broadcast and prize purse, and also supported a development academy.
However, ZwiftInsider disclosed in July that Zwift would not continue hosting the Elite Zwift World Series this fall. Then it was confirmed by Escape Collective this week that the business would end their elite esports programmes, including the global talent ID competition for road cyclists.
In March, the Zwift Academy launched pro careers for Emily Dixon, a 19-year-old from Australia for a place with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, and Noah Ramsay, a 22-year-old Canadian with a spot on Alpecin-Deceuninck's development squad.
The most successful Zwift Academy winners so far are Jay Vine (now with UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), who both won their spots into the WorldTour in the COVID-19-affected finals in 2020.
Echelon Racing League 2025-2026 calendar
- November 1-2, 2025 - One Day Classics
- November 14-16, 2025 - Stage Race
- November 29-30, 2025 - One Day Classics
- December 12-14, 2025 - Stage Race
- December 27-28, 2025 - One Day Classics
- January 9-11, 2026 - Stage Race
- January 31-February 1, 2026 - USA Cycling National Championships
