The Virtual Velo Podcast p/b TheZommunique.com Virtual Velo Podcast

In Episode 40 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si welcome former Zwift employee Flint McInnis for an insightful, forward-thinking conversation on the state of racing on the platform. Flint, a Zwift competition team member and forum moderator, played a vital role in developing the Zwift Racing Score before being affected by Zwift’s recent restructuring.

During the episode, Flint shares insights into the development of the Zwift Racing Score and the challenges that hindered its implementation and delayed other platform features. He gives his opinion on the commitment to racing, cheating, the lost UCI Cycling Esports World Championship bid, and why he feels “Zwift should just pick a direction and go with it!”

Following the interview, Chris and Si had an in-depth discussion about several esports breaking news stories, including:


UCI’s release of National Federation Quotas for the World Championship Semi-Final
UCI’s Esports Director Michael Rogers’ departure
In-Person Live Event Finals in Sweden, Denmark, France, and Australia
Zwift Games Broadcast Viewership and Community Engagement
and is Zwift planning to roll out a VR headset?

 

Check out the articles cited in the episode for an even deeper dive.


UCI Tells Nations How Many Riders They Can Bring To The 2024 Esports World Championship and Other Details [Zommunique, March 31, 2024]
Michael Rogers Steps Away From Role as UCI Head of Cycling Esports [Zommunique, April 3, 2024]
Meet the 2024 AusCycling Esports National Champion Kate Trdin [Zommunique, April 3, 2024]
AusCycling and the Swedish Cycling Federation Crown 2024 Cycling Esports National Champions in Live Event Finals on the Same Day [Zommunique, March 27, 2024]
Danish Federation’s Cycling Esports Leadership is an Example for NGBs [Zommunique, February 28, 2024]

 

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!

For Episode 39 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, cycling esports pioneers Lionel Vujasin and Ollie Jones join the discussion with Chris and Si. Lionel made a splash with a thrilling win at the CVR Cup live event in Vancouver in 2018, while Ollie claimed victory at Zwift Academy the same year and went on to success on the road and beyond.

Reflecting on the early days of esports, they ponder why progress hasn’t been more significant since then. As two of the first professional esports specialists, they share insights into their journey and their hopes for the future of virtual racing.

They recount their experiences of being annulled from a MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club event and the subsequent need to prove their performance in person in Abu Dhabi.

When given the option between winning the Zwift Games Championship and participating in a MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club event, their decision reveals their priorities. Can you predict which one they opted for?

Check out the articles cited in the episode for an even deeper dive.


The Annulment That Changed Cycling Esports: MyWhoosh Tests Vujasin, Kaminski, and Jones in Abu Dhabi Proving World Tour Pro Power [Zommunique, Feb. 19, 2024]
Inaugural Zwift Games 2024: A Complete Guide to the Largest Virtual Racing Event Ever! [Zommunique, Feb. 21, 2024]
Virtual Platform MyWhoosh is Changing the Cycling Esports Game [Zommunique, Nov. 5, 2022]

 

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!

For Episode 38 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si journeyed over 8,000 miles to Long Beach, CA, the birthplace of Zwift Cycling Esports, to record live together for the first time. They had the opportunity to interview Brian Duffy, the 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Champion from NeXT eSports pb Enshored, and share a ride and insightful conversation with Jacob Fraser.

Jacob, who has served as Zwift’s Senior Manager of Brand Experience for over three years, was the first Director of Esports at MyWhoosh and currently holds the position of Esports Coordinator for the UCI. With his unique perspective on the origin and evolution of cycling esports, Jacob led the guys on a ride through Palos Verdes, including the climb that inspired the Zwift KOM.

Brian shared his journey from champion triathlete to indoor cycling esports specialist and discussed the unique training and riding style that has contributed to his success. He also delved into the philosophy behind Zwift Team NeXT eSports pb Enshored and the team strategy that put him in the Stars and Stripes.

The 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Champion offered his insights on the challenges within the racing community regarding self-policing, his plans to explore other platforms like MyWhoosh, and much more.

Zwift Games Overall Champion or UCI Cycling Esports World Championships? What would he choose?

Brian provides his answer, and Chris and Si head to a coffee shop outside Zwift HQ to reflect on his insightful and unique perspective until rain cuts their conversation and time together short.

Check out the articles cited in the episode for an even deeper dive.


Elite Esports Racer Brian Duffy Tells All it Takes to be Great! [Zommunique, Nov. 11, 2021]
Inaugural Zwift Games 2024: A Complete Guide to the Largest Virtual Racing Event Ever! [Zommunique, Feb. 21, 2024]
Virtual Platform MyWhoosh is Changing the Cycling Esports Game [Zommunique, Nov. 5, 2022]

 

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!

In Episode 37 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Si and Chris invite freelance cycling writer and multi-platform elite esports star Zach Nehr to a roundtable discussion. 

Don’t let the length of this episode scare you off. It’s packed full of exciting cycling esports news and inside information.

Zach has jet-setted worldwide, competing in live esports events, including the La Vuelta Virtual ’23 in Madrid on ROUVY, the Olympic Esports Series in Singapore, and recently in Abu Dhabi for the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club. 

He brings a unique perspective from the pointy end as an elite racer and his insight as a writer to react to Chris’ recent interviews with UCI President David Lappartient and Head of Innovation and Esports Michael Rogers.

Chris asks Rogers why the UCI awarded the Esports World Championships to MyWhoosh, not Zwift. 

Zach explains why he feels the Zwift Academy isn’t about Zwift anymore and needs a rebranding. He tells why he thinks MyWhoosh is at the forefront of cycling esports and doing all the right things to take the sport to the next level. 

Chris gives an update on the MyWhoosh in-house testing of Lionel Vujasin and Michal Kaminski in Abu Dhabi. 

Si asks Zach if he could only win one more race in his life, would it be the Zwift Games or the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships on MyWhoosh? Please tune in to find out his answer and so much more!

Check out the articles cited in the episode for an even deeper dive.


‘It builds bridges and brings many opportunities’: UCI announces deep partnership with the UAE for years to come [Cycling Weekly, Jan. 26, 2024]
Virtual Platform MyWhoosh is Changing the Cycling Esports Game [Zommunique, Nov. 5, 2022]
“The Olympic Esports Games will start in 2025 and will include cycling esports” —says UCI President [Zommunique, Jan. 31, 2024]
Smart Trainer Standardization is Only Months Away, according to the UCI [Zommunique, Feb. 14, 2024]
Will Virtual Platform MyWhoosh’s Millions Sway Racer Loyalty and Forge a Path to Professional Cycling Esports? [Zommunique, Apr. 19, 2023]

 

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!

In Episode 36 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, MyWhoosh's Race Control and Events Manager Matt Smithson gives the first look into the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship. The format, courses, dates, qualifications, and all the specifics the community has been anxiously awaiting. 

The MyWhoosh platform is the home of the World Championship for the next three years, and Matt lets us know why and what to look forward to. 

Plus, Matt shares insight into the developing news surrounding multiple high-profile annulments in the Sunday Race Club.

Chris is on the ground in Abu Dhabi while attending a press tour with MyWhoosh and gives his first-hand perspective on the UAE's investment in cycling infrastructure. And a preview into interviews he had with UCI President David Lappartient, the head of Innovation and Esports Michael Rogers, and 2-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar.

For an even deeper dive, check out the following articles cited in the episode.


'It builds bridges and brings many opportunities': UCI announces deep partnership with the UAE for years to come [Cycling Weekly, Jan. 26, 2024]
Virtual Platform MyWhoosh is Changing the Cycling Esports Game [Zommunique, Nov. 5, 2022]
MyWhoosh and UCI’s World Championship 2024-2026 Partnership is an Investment in Cycling Esports [Zommunique, Aug. 25, 2023]
Zwift Games Will Crown World’s #1 Across Three Championship Races [Zommunique, Nov. 9, 2023]
Will Virtual Platform MyWhoosh’s Millions Sway Racer Loyalty and Forge a Path to Professional Cycling Esports? [Zommunique, Apr. 19, 2023]

 

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!

In episode 35 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si chat with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. She took time away from training camp with her UCI Women’s Continental AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL TEAM (AGS – BEL) to share what being the first UCI Cycling Esports World Champion on Zwift still and always will mean to her.

Ashleigh is a purpose-driven athlete with goals and objectives that transcend cycling despite having a list of Palmares longer than your arm. She embraces her role model status as a pioneer in the space to empower female cyclists and forge a connection between the community and elite racers in the virtual and real world through the Rocacorba Collective. 

She shares her perspective on the turning point for Women’s cycling following her victory in the Queen stage of the Virtual Tour de France, the momentous cycling esports moment that paved the way for parity in real-world road racing, and her unfinished business at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Plus Cycling Shorts, a complete rundown of cycling esports headlines, insider information, investigative reporting, and industry trends. Another way that the Virtual Velo Network is your Central Source For Cycling Esports!

We want to hear from you! Let’s get the conversation started. Comment below!

For an even deeper dive, check out the following articles cited in the episode.


Cycling Esports Platforms indieVelo and MyWhoosh are Taking Anti-Cheating Seriously: Shedding Light on a Dark Issue [Zommunique, Dec. 2, 2023]
MyWhoosh Enhances Route Selection and Introduces App Upgrades  [Zommunique, Nov. 13, 2023]
Zwift Levels Up With a Long List of New Features [Zommunique, Dec. 12, 2023]
12 Months of Zwift For the Price of 10 With New Yearly Membership [Zommunique, Nov. 20, 2023]
Wahoo and Zwift Bundles Now Across Full KICKR Range With New Pricing [Zommunique, Nov. 21, 2023]

Clip in and take a conversational ride with us as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar!