For those unaware the 2019 and inaugural British eRacing national champion Cameron Jeffers was disqualified and stripped of his title, given a 6 month ban from all racing and a £250 fine.
It appears that what took place is broadly agreed upon. Jeffers himself admits that he obtained a type of in-game upgrade (i.e. a Tron Bike) by data manipulation. There will be those who condemn him as a cheat, and supporters who see this as much to do about nothing. I would suggest the difference of opinion is largely driven by how individuals view Zwift. To many it is a game, and the ‘cheat’ used to get a ‘Tron bike’ is justified. To others, it is no different to having a motor in your bike for a road race and resultantly Jeffers deserves his punishment. This controversy has essentially been created by a lack of clarity as British Cycling have legitimised it as an event by their association but only wrote the rule book between qualification and the event finals leading to this confusion.
eRacing is here, and here to stay as the world moves towards treating gaming as a sport it fits naturally between the two. This however will naturally lead to a clash of gaming and sporting culture and sadly in this case Jeffers has been caught in the crossfire. It seems nonsensical that in-game upgrades were not available to all participants in a national final and had that been the case this would never have been a story. Zwift has revolutionised indoor cycling and in my personal opinion has the potential to do for cycling what T20 did for cricket. A new exciting format for competition that can attract new fans to the sport. This however represents a teething period which the new format of the sport must go through.
On what would have been the right course of action, I must admit I am a fan of what Cameron Jeffers adds to cycling. A 6 month ban of all racing appears excessive and threatens to derail his cycling career, although his team Saint Piran stated on Instagram that “he is and always will be a big part of the team” following the announcement so it appears they will retain him. I understand why his title would be stripped despite the data appearing to show he would have won regardless. If this ‘conclusion’ appears confused in direction it’s because that is how I feel. I am gutted that yet another bike racing will have an * by the winners name. I am gutted because I am a Cameron Jeffers fan. I am gutted that this was totally avoidable and happened because the event was run badly.
In short, did Jeffers do something wrong? Yes. Has he been treated harshly? Absolutely. Will I still support his career and watch his YouTube videos? Of Course. And will eRacing in Britain improve following this, I have no doubt.
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