The UCI Track Champions League, a seasonal four-round track cycling competition in Europe during November and December, just wrapped up its third season, introducing a pioneering metaverse experience — the world’s first virtual track cycling initiative.
Developed in collaboration with virtual studio Infinite Reality (iR) and the events division of Warner Bros., the metaverse experience, dubbed “UCI TCL-Verse,” offers an innovative venue for fans to gain a deeper insight into track cycling and its athletes.
Upon selecting an avatar and entering the virtual space, visitors can navigate using a digital map and dynamically change perspectives with a camera selection feature.
The metaverse space encompasses private and public lounges where individuals can connect with others and access on-demand race highlights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and exclusive content. During live rides, fans could also observe real-time biometric rider race data, such as heart rate and watts.
Although the season has concluded, the metaverse space remains as the venue for exclusive UCI Track Champions League events, including Q&As, meet-and-greets, and more. For instance, on November 10, fans could virtually interact with former UCI world champion Matthew Richardson and reigning Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell.
Accessible via iOS smartphones or tablets, users can download the UCI Track Champions League-Verse app from the Apple App Store to access the metaverse experience.
While this marks the inaugural track cycling metaverse encounter, it aligns with a growing trend of accredited sports embracing Web3 technologies.
Last month, Red Bull partnered with Virsabi to create an immersive cliff diving VR experience in the metaverse, transcending boundaries to engage audiences in extreme sports.
In May, Platinium Group, the premier ticket issuer for Formula 1 events, introduced a groundbreaking ticketing experience by integrating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for race tickets, commencing with the esteemed Monaco Grand Prix.
