23 year-old Brit secures podium finish in thrilling battle against the world’s top virtual racers.

February 26, 2022 — London, United Kingdom: An historic moment in UK cycling was witnessed tonight, as British Cycling team rider Zoe Langham delivered a heroic performance in the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships to finish third overall, narrowly missing out on the famed rainbow jersey.

This year’s race took place on Zwift’s New York “Knickerbocker'' route over a short and intense scratch race. Nine female British Cycling team riders competed for glory against over 75 other racers on the 54.9km route, featuring two laps of rolling terrain. With only 150m left, Langham, 23, powered through the bunch in a tense final climb. Her efforts paid off as she crossed the line in third place 1.4 seconds behind winner Loes Adegeest (Netherlands) and just eight hundredths of a second behind Cecilia Hansen (Sweden) in second. British Cycling teammate Mary Wilkinson gave a tenacious effort to cross the line in sixth place, only 15 seconds behind Langham.

The fully remote race gave riders a unique opportunity to compete at the highest level without leaving their home. For British Cycling, this was a breakthrough result showcasing the strength of the nation’s e-racers.

Commenting on her podium finish, Zoe Langham said: “We were seeing America put out a few riders and I thought who’s going to chase it, is it going to come back? Every little climb you went over there was that worry of who would go next - was it worth chasing. On the main climb it just absolutely lit up. I was getting worried, I was falling behind at the last minute, but then I started to come back and that just gave me the mental boost I needed to get through. Going back a couple of months, I would never have dreamed of this. Just coming in the top ten would have been an amazing achievement for me, so to come third is everything I’d ever want. It’s game-changing for me really, I’m absolutely thrilled.”