Cameron Jeffers, the YouTuber stripped of the British Cycling eRacing Championships title for unsporting conduct, has returned to racing on Zwift after his six-month ban came to an end – and swiftly followed up his return to competitive action by Everesting Alpe du Zwift.
Jeffers won the inaugural esports title in March 2019 but was stripped of the jersey after manipulating 'pre-race data to gain an unfair advantage via in-game equipment', according to British Cycling. Jeffers was disqualified, fined £250 and banned from all racing for six months.
However, with the ban now lifted, he has returned to racing on Zwift in a series of virtual races. Jeffers then promptly Everested the online racing and training platform's biggest climb, Alpe du Zwift.
The Everesting challenge requires riders to climb the height of Everest – 8,848m – with repeats on a single ascents, during a single activity.
With outdoor riding either banned or significantly limited due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Jeffers' return to Zwift provided the ideal time to use its biggest climb for the Everest attempt.
Modelled on the iconic Tour de France ascent of Alpe d'Huez in the Alps, Alpe du Zwift climbs 1,036m / 3,399ft via 21 hairpins on the island of Watopia.
Jeffers' 222km Zwift ride saw him climb Alpe du Zwift eight-and-a-half times, for a total of 8,853m of elevation.
While there is no time limit to Everest attempts, Jeffers took 'only' 10:36:43 hours to complete his effort, with an average power of 205 watts (353 watts maximum power) and average heart rate of 143 beats per minute. Jeffers burned 7,517 calories during the attempt, according to his Zwift data.
Alpe du Zwift is normally open to Zwifters at level 12 or above, however Zwift has temporarily reduced the level locks on the Jungle and Alpe du Zwift routes to levels five and six respectively.
Riders who haven't yet reached level six can join a group ride or group workout which takes place on the climb, or join a friend who's riding on Alpe du Zwift.
The 12.4-mile Road to Sky course is the most direct route to the mountain. The 15.6-mile Tour of Fire and Ice course adds the Volcano KOM, while the 55.5-mile Four Horsemen route takes in all KOMs on Watopia.
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Jeffers was stripped of the British Cycling eRacing Championships jersey in October after admitting he had used an ANT+ simulator to climb the 50,000m required to unlock the Tron bike, the fastest bike on Zwift. The title was subsequently awarded to James Phillips.
"Essentially an ANT+ simulator was used to climb the 50,000m [required] in game to unlock the bike which means I didn't personally operate Zwift to unlock the bike," said Jeffers in a statement when his ban was first announced.
"I accept this practice was unethical and unsporting and I have fully cooperated with BC [British Cycling] on their investigation. I fully believe in esports and its part in cycling's future. I will continue to support it and use what I have learnt from my mistakes to help shape it as it grows.
"This has been a long, tiring and financially draining process and I'd like to apologise to the people who support me. I'm looking forward to putting this behind me now and moving forward. Congratulations to the new eRacing National Champion James Phillipps."
British Cycling's integrity and compliance director, Rod Findlay, said: “Defending fair play in our competitions is at the core of our responsibilities as a governing body.
"The fact that we have been able to investigate the offence and uphold the charge reflects the strength of our new disciplinary regulations and our determination to pursue misconduct.”
