Competition will take place on the Zwift platform, with 132 riders from 22 countries set to take part in total. 

Of this, 78 will contest the men's race and 54 the women's. 

Both men and women's races are set to take place on a 50.035 kilometre course in the virtual world of Watopia, with an elevation gain of 483 metres.

All participants have received identical trainers and all equipment for the race has been neutralised. 

Entries to the World Championships were limited to riders already registered with the UCI and who are part of an accredited anti-doping testing pool, ruling out most amateur cycling esports enthusiasts.

Nonetheless, cyclists from a range of disciplines are set to compete. 

This includes Britain's Olympic track pursuit champion Elinor Barker and multiple Paralympic gold medallist Sarah Storey, and Dutch Olympic and road champion Anna van der Breggen and multiple track world champion Kirsten Wild. 

In the men's competition, Colombia are set to be represented by two Grand Tour challengers in Esteban Chaves and London 2012 Olympic road race silver medallist Rigoberto Urán.

Belgium are also sending a strong team which includes former Vuelta a España mountains jersey winner Thomas de Gendt and reigning European cyclo-cross champion Eli Iserbyt.

France's Jordan Sarrou, the current mountain bike cross-country world champion, is also set to take part. 

During the competition, riders will receive 11 "powerups". 

The powerups enabled will be "aero" - making the cyclist more aerodynamic for 15 seconds - and "lightweight" - reducing a cyclist's weight by 10 per cent for the same amount of time. 

Cycling esports was approved as an official UCI discipline in 2018, becoming one of the first virtual disciplines to receive official status from an International Federation. 

"What is extraordinary about cycling esports is its ability to remove physical barriers and bring cyclists together," said UCI innovation manager Michael Rogers. 

"Cycling esports is impartial to your geographical location. 

"Cycling esports uses technology to create opportunities for people to come together, have fun and stay fit at the same time.

"I really look forward to seeing a successful production, a happy and very proud cycling esports community and to contributing to the creation of more opportunities for cycling esports going ahead."