Ep. 37: Why MyWhoosh, not Zwift? The UCI Answers. The Reaction with Zach Nehr!

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!