The stoic German stood on the live feed of the final stage in his freshly unfolded rainbow jersey with a check for $15,000 over his head. His grim expression did not convey the magnitude of the moment's celebration. He barely smiled.

Perhaps it was old hat for this accomplished endurance athlete, who won a silver medal as a rower at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and later that year won his first Cycling Esports World Championship.

Osborne has competed in every competition, reaching the podium each time and winning twice.

“Today proves that this decision was absolutely the right one,” Osborne said sternly at the post-race press conference. I don't want to say I hate the World Tour. It's been a great experience, but it's time to move on to what I enjoy most. It was cycling. Despite the pain, I still enjoy competing.”

Winning the esports world title in 2020 led to a contract with Alpecin Deceuninck in 2021, but despite some promising results, he could not break the team's strict hierarchical structure.

“I had some good races,” he said. Some successes here and there, but in the end I couldn't find any joy."

Osborne's teammates were also very happy with his performance.

On September 16, Osborne openly announced his decision to retire on Instagram, citing that his love for road racing was different than before, and revealed plans to pursue a career in cycling esports and gravel.

“Alpecin Deceuninck wishes Jason every success in his future life. The respect is mutual,” the team acknowledged, but it is not clear whether Osborne's true feelings were reflected in this polite farewell.

Days before his World Championship win, Osborne candidly discussed the deep introspection that led to his life-changing move on an episode of the Virtual Velo Podcast, revealing a side of him rarely seen by fans and fellow riders in the pro peloton.

“I wanted to be in control of my life again. I was in a spiral where I couldn't enjoy it anymore and wanted to get out. Since making this decision, I'm a much happier person. I feel like I have my life back. It was definitely the right decision.”

Osborne further elaborated on the loss of life balance that took control of his riding pleasure and happiness.

“They have to jump whenever they want. I wouldn't say it was slavery, but I always felt like I was being controlled too much.”

Cycling esports at the elite level is now considered a viable path to the professional ranks.

The Zwift Academy has produced top-level pros such as Jay Vine and Neve Bradbury, and UAE Team Emirates offered a contract to Kiwi Michael Vink in 2022 after winning consecutive races at the Sunday Race Club in Maiouche.

Founded in 2019, MyWhoosh has become known for hosting big-money events and attracting the sport's top talent; in April 2023, the MyWhoosh Championship series will offer the largest purse in cycling esports history million in prize money, lighting the way to professional cycling esports.

The weekly Sunday Race Club series boasts over $284,000 in monthly prize money across four categories.

This might explain Osborne's focus and concentration on all business after winning the world title. For the next day he returned to the virtual road and once again dominated the competition, claiming victory from his hotel room in Abu Dhabi.

The victory earned him more than $6,000 in addition to his $15,000 world title win.

Tadei Pogachar, who would have witnessed Osborne's lucrative campaign from the stands had he not left early, received approximately $8,500 for winning the world title earlier that month.

The silver and bronze medalists also received far more prize money than the road race medalists. Gabriela Guerra (Brazil) and Lionel Vujasin (Belgium) each received $10,000 for second place, while Katrin Fuller (Switzerland) and Kasper Boremans (Finland) each received $5,000 for third place.

In comparison, the silver and bronze medals in the road race in Zurich received only $4,320 and $2,160, less than half the prize money awarded in esports.

The $21,000 prize money is not bad for Osborne for an indoor, turbo-powered race weekend, but how does it compare to his annual World Tour salary?

Salaries for professional road cyclists vary widely depending on their performance and competition category. For professional team racers in the two divisions of the sport, the base minimum annual salary is approximately €34,000 for men and €29,000 for women. For World Tour racers, the base salary is €42,000 for men and €35,000 for women, but top riders can earn more than that in addition to their share of prize money and personal sponsorship deals.

“It's getting to the point where it's not worth it anymore. It's not worth the risk of crashing,” Osborne explained. I didn't want to get a call where I was going somewhere on a trip or something and be told, 'We need you here.'"

‘I was just trying to get a good deal,’ he said.

The financial possibilities in this new era of esports, coupled with a better cycling life balance, encouraged Osborne to make the unconventional choice to leave the World Tour and swim against the usual esports-to-road trend.

He joins a growing list of elite cycling esports racers who have abandoned their careers, pro cycling or otherwise, to put all their chips in the middle of the cycling esports table.

New Zealander Ollie Jones, who competed alongside Osborne on stage at the Live Events World Championships on October 26, was an early adopter of cycling esports after competing at the international level in inline skating. He found success on the road after winning the Zwift Academy in 2018, but never forgot his esports roots.

He transitioned from road racing when sponsorship for his Bolton Equities Black Spoke team dried up.

Lionel Vujasin is another athlete pursuing cycling esports full time. He was on the podium at the World Championships alongside Osborne, winning a silver medal for Belgium.

Athletes like Jones, Vujasin, and teammate Michal Kaminski, who represented Poland at the World Championships, race virtually on multiple platforms, primarily MyWhoosh, for about $7,500 a month, In other words, it is estimated that they earn close to $100,000 a year.

Many women who race on this platform, including Katrin Fuller of Switzerland, a bronze medalist at the Women's World Championships, have made similar financial gains.

At the Zwift Games, an elite-level competition featuring sprint, epic, and climb stages, the total prize money of $110,000 was split equally between men and women. With $7,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $3,000 for third place in each championship, racers were able to take home more prize money than real-world competitors in many major events.

Polish cycling esports racer Kaminski won the Sunday Race Club event and the 2024 Zwift Games Sprint Championship in one week, taking home nearly $12,000. Stories of financial success in cycling esports are spreading.

Is it paving the way for the professionalization of cycling esports? Much depends on how one defines professional athletes and sports. Or whether large cash grants are sufficient to attract top talent, foster innovation, promote an attractive and interesting audience product, and provide many of the other elements necessary to sustain the evolution of the sport. Money does not answer these questions.

Anyway, Osborne, Vujasin, and Jones make a living racing almost exclusively on Maiouche, virtually alone. Full-time dedication to cycling esports has raised the level of racers at the top end of the sport, and the financial investment has brought the sport closer to professionalism than ever before.

Some are also rediscovering the joy of racing.