2024 Esport World Championships: Kate McCarthy wins world title in final sprint

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New Zealand's Kate McCarthy is the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Champion after winning the final sprint of the final race held live in Abu Dhabi. 

She was challenged all the way by Brazil's Gabriela Guerra but won the final sprint to win the world title by just 4 points. 

Switzerland's Kathrin Fuhrer was third after an aggressive ride, with Great Britain's Maria Holdcroft and Lou Bates fourth and fifth but out of the medals.

The 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships had a new format that included a timed 'Sprint' lap race, a hilly 'Strategist' road race decided on points and then the final All Out race over four laps of a 4km criterium circuit. 20  finalists competed shoulder to shoulder in a live arena in Abu Dhabi, racing on the MyWhoosh platform.

Points in each race and at key points decided who became the 2024 world champion. The focus on points and different kinds of racing made the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships much like an Omnium on the track, combined with the intensity and pain of a British hill-climb race.  

McCarthy set the fastest time in the Sprint race, setting the fastest time in the 300 metre timed sprint. He took the maximum of 20 points, as other riders played a tactical game and saving their legs, knowing far more points would be awarded later in the Strategist and All Out races.  

Great Britain's Lou Bates was the first to attack in the Strategist race to score 20 points at the first sprint point at the foot of the climb. However McCarthy and Gabriela Guerra of Brazil soon surged away, making many of the others suffer on the 1.5km climb and opening a 20-second gap. 

McCarthy took maximum points at the top of the climb and then she and Guerra worked together to stay away on the remainder of the 9 km race. The two sprinted to the finish line and Giuerra won it to take 40 points. McCarthy scored 38 to stay in the lead. 

After the Strategist race, Guerra was top of the leaderboard with 74 points, McCarthy was second with 69 points. Germany's Merle Brunnee was third with 63 points after some clever points scoring, with Bates 63 fourth. The points scored during the four-lap All Out hilly criterium would decide the 2024 world champion.

Bates was again aggressive early on, attacking on the first climb to the line. She won the sprint to take 20 points but other contenders made sure they scored lesser points. 

On the second lap and climb to the line, Kathrin Fuhrer of Switzerland made her move. She kicked away to win the sprint, but again her rivals also scored points, especially Guerra and McCarthy.   

Everyone knew the last sprint would decide the world title and the medals. McCarthy was still leading but Guerra was only two points behind her. 

They emerged in the final surge to the line, with McCarthy slowly eeking out a gap to hit the line first. Guera was second. 

The final points totals confirmed McCarthy was the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Champion. She scored a total of 180 points, Guerra was second with 176 points and Fuhrer third after scoring a total of 165 points.