The National Cycling League (NCL) announced a two-year collaboration with Wahoo Fitness to serve as the technology partner in “revolutionizing professional cycling in the United States”. The partnership will be used for fan interaction with racers at four NCL events as well as for the league-owned teams, Denver Disruptors and Miami Nights, at this year’s four criterium stops.
The NCL calendar of invitation-only races begins in Miami Beach, Florida on April 8 and concludes in September in Washington, D.C., with the date pushed back one week from the 10th to 17th.
“We are proud to align with Wahoo Fitness, a leader in sports technology innovation, to create a top-to-bottom integration with the NCL,” said Paris Wallace, NCL co-founder and CEO. “With Wahoo’s groundbreaking device ecosystem and Wahoo X software’s ability to track and monitor athlete performance, our Head Coaches can optimize training and racing strategies across individual athlete and team performances. Wahoo is the perfect partner to optimize our athletes and provide valuable insights for fans.”
The Wahoo RGT interactive cycling platform will allow cycling fans to immerse themselves with riders for a new perspective in racing, which the NCL envisions as “integrating athlete performance data with an unparalleled interactive content that bridges the gap between reality and the metaverse”.
The virtual experience begins the night before the Miami Beach race, where fans can “race virtually against the stars of our sport,” according to NCL’s VP of Partnerships Kelly Staley. Athletes from all 10 men’s and women’s teams will compete in a series of single-elimination sprints on a Wahoo KICKR smart trainer. The sprint results then determine the start order for Saturday’s professional men’s and women’s races.
“Our goal has been to bring the NCL’s exciting race format to the masses, our partnership with Wahoo will allow us to involve our fans in actual racing, an experience that even the NFL can’t deliver,” said Staley.
Maryland Cycling Classic renews UnitedHealthcare
The Maryland Cycling Classic returns for a second season on September 3, 2023, and will continue with UnitedHealthcare as the presenting sponsor.
The Maryland Cycling Classic presented by UnitedHealthcare is currently the highest-ranked UCI event in the United States, a ProSeries one-day race. A strong field of international teams is expected to return to North America to take advantage of a…
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