Hey there! Thanks for the chance to get to know you a bit better. Let's kick things off with a little intro. Can you share a bit about your background—where you're from, what you do, and what lights your fire outside of cycling?
I’m from Austria, and I’m a real cycling enthusiast. I lead the logistics team in an operating theater at a hospital here in my hometown. With all the time I spend on the bike, there’s not much time left for other hobbies. Traveling with our campervan is another passion, and I spend a lot of time listening to music, from classic rock and electronic music to alt-country and black metal. Maybe it’s a bit of a weird taste.
That's awesome! Now, let's dive into your cycling journey. When did you first hop on a bike competitively, and what's been your proudest moment on the road?
I started pretty late, when I was 27 years old. It turned out that I’m pretty good on a TT bike. There was a point when I stopped doing road races and completely focused on TTs. This summer, I bought a gravel bike and I really enjoy that too.
My proudest moment on the road was when I came 2nd in the Austrian TT Amateur Nationals in 2021, and a few days ago, I came 3rd in the Austrian Gravel Amateur Nationals.
Fascinating! Switching gears a bit—tell us about your transition into the world of virtual cycling esports. What got you hooked, and what's the crowning achievement of your indoor career?
I hated riding indoors, which is a bit of a problem with the Austrian winter. Then Zwift came around. I joined in early 2016 and immediately began racing when those first races were organized.
The crowning achievement was definitely racing in the esports world champs in 2023 and now being able to race in the Zwift Grand Prix.
Access Daniel’s ZwiftPower by clicking here!
And his Strava here!
Sounds like a wild ride! Speaking of rides, you're part of a Zwift Grand Prix esports team, right? How has being on a team shaped you, and is there something unique about your team that's led to its success?
I considered stopping Zwift Racing last year and using the platform for training only. Then the dPAC-ELITE team approached me and asked if I wanted to join. The motivation for racing came back immediately; it’s such a nice thing to be part of a team and to be a piece of the puzzle that makes a team stronger. In the end, I had a great indoor season in 22/23 and had lots of fun.
Great insights! For context, could you share some of your physical stats, like your indoor personal bests for various power intervals?
As mentioned before, I’m a TT specialist, not a sprinter at all. I don’t even know my PR for short time intervals; I’d have to look that up. But I can tell you that I’m actually able to do 6.3w/kg for 5 minutes and 5.3w/kg for 20 minutes.
Impressive numbers! Looking ahead, what are your esports goals, both short-term and long-term? Is becoming the UCI Cycling Esports World Champion on your radar, and what does it mean to you?
Having a great season with Team dPAC-Elite in both the ZRL and the Zwift Grand Prix, as well as in other community races, is my goal.
Becoming World Champion is totally unrealistic for me; there are those young guns who can sprint. For me, it’s all about being an important part in the TTTs and trying to help establish breaks and score some points in points races.
That's ambitious! How do you feel about the current multi-platform landscape of esports championships, both nationally and internationally?
We’re pretty much at the start of cycling esports; it’s all developing. So, I think it’s natural that there’s more than one platform. In the end, it’s an opportunity for the different platforms to learn from each other, and we, as the riders/users, should benefit from that.
Interesting perspective. There are skeptics who question the legitimacy of esports. What's your take on the challenges esports faces in gaining recognition and trust?
Well, I guess we have those skeptics also in IRL racing; there are people out there who call every successful rider a doper. With the nature of esports and even more possibilities to cheat, we’ve got to be as transparent as possible to show the world that what we do is legitimate. For sure, that’s easier for those who do IRL racing and are successful there; for those who only race indoors, it’s a bit harder. Maybe we need more live esports events again.
Well said! With multiple platforms available for esports, where do you see yourself fitting in? Do you race on more than one platform? Are there features on one platform that you prefer over others?
This summer, I started to ride and race a bit on Indievelo. It feels different and has some nice features like wind, braking into corners, etc., so it’s very interesting.
Good to know! What do you think could make virtual cycling more engaging for spectators?
I think we need more live events, like it was back in the first years when esports became a thing. Show the spectators out there that there are real people behind those virtual riders.
That's a thought-provoker! Looking into the crystal ball, where do you see esports in five years or even further down the line?
I really hope we can establish esports as another cycling discipline that’s not seen as something weird and where it’s easy to cheat and hide behind an avatar. I’m sure esports is here to stay; it’s up to us all, whether it’s just a niche or a respected cycling discipline.
Intriguing! Now, for a fun twist—give us an exclusive. What's something about you that even your mates don't know?
If there’s an opened bag of Haribos around, I can’t resist; I’ll eat them all.
Fantastic! Thanks for this enlightening conversation. Wishing you all the best!
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Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
