David Lappartient: On Track For Success

The Metaverse has opened a huge opportunity for the sports industry to rewrite the rules of competitive events. Using extended reality technologies, organizations can invite an entirely new, and completely remote, audience to cheer on their favorite athletes beyond the sidelines—in a fully digital environment.

Under a vision to make cycling more innovative and inclusive, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is working to reimagine track cycling for global spectators. Together with Infinite Reality and Warner Bros Discovery Sports, it is bringing its Track Champions League into the Metaverse; “it is a perfect platform for connections and to remove distance and barriers,” explains UCI President David Lappartient.

In this virtual reality, users can stream live races from multiple camera feeds, access analytical data in real-time, and proactively engage with friends—even the champions themselves. “I’m very excited as an athlete to be able to have closer interactions with fans,” says Kelsey Mitchell, Professional Track Cyclist and Olympic Gold Medalist. After all, the metaverse should exist not to replace human connections, but to enhance them.