The Virtual Velo Network's first annual list of innovators and influential individuals in the cycling esports world for 2024
VVN’s Most Impactful People in Cycling Esports For 2024 List aims to recognize the athletes and individuals who have left their mark on cycling esports, humanizing their personalities and introducing the game-changers, groundbreakers, and difference-makers behind the scenes shaping this new cycling era.
Spotlighting these personalities puts a face to the digital avatar and builds a fan identity and relationship crucial for the growth and sustainability of the evolving sport.
The word “impactful” means different things to different people, and it is thrown around too often in specific contexts when describing situations where there is still a lot of work to do. However, the individuals on this list have had a powerful and undeniable effect on the birth and growth of the sport.
When you still have a long way to go, it’s easier to see where you started. Recognizing the people who set the groundwork is essential: the visionaries and the dreamers who were there from the beginning—the unknown and unheralded whose passion paved the way for creating a new cycling discipline.
We needed to make that distinction for the first annual edition, knowing historical figures would dominate the record. Many remain, whereas others have passed the torch, and ongoing yearly iterations will acknowledge the forward thinkers and innovators who have brought the sport to new heights.
After countless interviews, impromptu inquiries, and exhaustive research, an extensive list of nominees took shape. We brought in an award-winning cycling journalist, an elite esports racer, and the captain of South Africa’s National Esports squad, Aaron Borrill, as the deciding vote to sit alongside Chris and Si.
The three-person panel put each name up against the following criteria, and the first compilation of its kind took shape.
Criteria
- People who have made a positive impact on the sport.
- People who have invested in the sport (money, time, resources, and intellectual property).
- People who inspire others to participate in the sport.
- People who have promoted the sport and guided policy through national and international governance.
- People who are doing lasting and innovative work in the sport.
- Media personalities, influencers, and journalists whose voices promote the sport.
- People who have left their mark on the sport positively, despite doing negative things.
- Cycling esports is not virtual cycling, and the panel drew this line while also avoiding a popularity contest, picking a racer purely based on prolific wins, or being discriminatory in any way.
Like any list, the panel had to make difficult decisions, and some influential individuals didn’t make the cut. We hope this gives the elite gathering of esteemed names the gravitas it deserves and is a distinction the sport’s personalities aspire to achieve in the years ahead.
Here are the VVN's Most Impactful People in Cycling Esports For 2024
Eric Min
A visionary who challenged the two-century-old, entrenched traditional vernacular as co-founder of Zwift, breeding a new generation of cyclists called Zwifters. The platform is the birthplace of a unique competitive cycling discipline, and without his contribution, it may not exist today.
The Olympic Esports Series, the Zwift Grand Prix, and many other national, international, and community-level esports competitions wouldn’t either. Nor would the UCI’s acknowledgment and the partnership that created the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship, elevating the discipline to the world stage.
The Virtual Tour de France brought gender parity to the tour, and the TdF Femmes avec Zwift changed the female cycling landscape forever. The moments are countless. Even an unranked list of the most impactful must start with his name.
Dr. George Gilbert
The Cambridge-educated astrophysicist, UCI-trained commissaire, and former Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at British Cycling was the first and only Zwift Cycling Esports Commission Chairman. Before his contract expired in 2023, Dr. George Gilbert spent several years at the forefront of Zwift’s cycling esports policy creation and anti-cheating protocols, where he was Chief Commissaire to multiple UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Now, as the founder of the cycling esports platform indieVelo, his groundbreaking innovation defines the future of cycling esports.
Lionel Vujasin
The charismatic and confident racer’s name is synonymous with elite cycling esports stardom. An early adopter of esports specialization, he exploded onto the scene with a thrilling win at the CVR World Cup in Vancouver in 2018. He competed as an original Zwift Community All-Star and became the Zwift National Champion of Belgium. He participated in every edition of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship, achieving a best fifth place in 2022, and earned a bronze medal at the Olympic Esports Week in 2023. As captain of Coalition Alpha, he has secured numerous elite titles. He advocates for the multi-platform cycling esports landscape, has achieved multiple MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club podiums, and claimed an 11th-place finish in the $1,000,000 MyWhoosh Championship.
Jacqueline Godbe
The elite racer made history by being the first American to step on the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship podium when she took third place in 2023. Her team took second in the first Olympic Esports Series in Singapore in 2023. Before adopting esports, the former triathlete won the ITU Age Group Women’s World Championship in 2017. Juggling a demanding schedule as a radiologist and chemist, she turned to esports to find balance. She now leverages her unique position as an elite esports athlete and healthcare professional to contribute as a content creator promoting the sport.
Kristen Kulchinsky
One of the most decorated female esports cyclists in the sport’s short history, racing for her Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24 team. She has countless elite-level victories at Zwift’s top level, the Premier Division, and the Zwift Grand Prix. She also represented the U.S. in all three UCI Cycling Esports World Championships editions and won the 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Championship. A true indoor specialist in every sense of the word, until the summer of 2023, she had never ridden a bike outdoors. However, that changed when she won the Hillclimb on Mt. Greylock, Prospect Mountain, and Vermont’s Ap Gap, rewriting the record books, crushing the Strava QOMs, and proving the esports skeptics wrong.
Akhtar Hashmi
The Emirati-based entrepreneur founded and became the CEO of the cycling esports platform MyWhoosh in 2019. Under his guidance, the platform prioritized high-level esports racing from the start and believes creating a new sport demands investment by its stakeholders to bring cycling esports to the forefront, and they are willing to make the necessary financial commitment. The MyWhoosh Championship Series in April 2023 is the biggest prize purse in cycling esports history and moves toward securing a living wage for the sport’s elite. The UCI awarded the rights to the Cycling Esports World Championship for 2024 through 2026, and the platform will host a live event final in Abu Dhabi.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
Not only is Ashleigh a prolific climber on the women’s tour, racing for UCI Women’s Continental Team AG Insurance-Soudal-quick-Step, but she is also the winner of the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in 2020. She found cycling esports during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly saw the benefits—from a training perspective and how it brings communities together. Since then, Ashleigh has founded the Rocacorba Collective—a community-based team on Zwift that also races at the highest level at Zwift Grand Prix. The South African also advocates for change and has used cycling and Zwift to uplift the lives of underprivileged and vulnerable teenage girls through sport, having partnered with Khaltsha Cycles in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
Nicola Cranmer
As the founder of the US-based professional Women’s Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24 cycling team, she directed 3-time Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong, 2013 Giro d’Italia Femminile overall winner Mara Abbott, and 3-time Olympic medalist Jennifer Valente.
Embracing cycling esports in its early stages, the Zwift elite team has been instrumental in supporting elite athletes like Kristen Kulchinsky. Her team was one of the first UCI teams to participate in The Zwift Kiss Super League, the first Pro-Am race the platform hosted.
Under the guidance of team coach Josh Lipka, athletes such as Paige Onweller and Lauren Quinones successfully transitioned to the professional road and gravel racing scene after being discovered and nurtured through Zwift.
Zach Nehr
The elite racer discovered Zwift in March 2020 after finishing second at the Cascade Cycling Classic and 9th at the US Pro Nationals as an amateur on the road in 2019. He won multiple Zwift Premier Division titles with his NeXT eSports pb Enshored team, took a victory at the Pan-American Continental Qualifiers, and has competed in numerous UCI Cycling Esports World Championships representing the United States.
Cycling esports competition has taken him worldwide, including Singapore for the Olympic Esports Series, Madrid for the Grand Finale of La Vuelta Virtual ’23 on ROUVY, and Abu Dhabi to compete in MyWhoosh’s Sunday Race Club. His work as a freelance cycling journalist, where he often features cycling esports-related content, is published by CyclingNews, Velo, Training Peaks, and ZwiftInsider, and he is the founder of ZNehr Coaching.
Aleksandar Coh
Seventeen athletes, with names such as James Barnes, Liz Van Houweling, J Bruhn, Elyse Gallegos, and Scott Catanzaro, call him their coach. Recognized as one of the first and only performance professionals to specialize in cycling esports, his innovative and focused training, online-specific strategy, and mental preparation are the sport’s standard.
Bjoern Ossenbrink
Starting as a Zwift beta-tester, an exercise scientist, and an endurance sports coach, he progressed from being a Zwift community racer to leading ZADA, the Zwift Accuracy and Data Analysis team. Recognized as a global authority in detecting online sports cheating through comprehensive digital data analysis, he transitioned from Zwift to collaborate with George Gilbert in spearheading data analysis for indieVelo’s performance verification service.
David Lappartient
During his presidency, the UCI embraced new technology and formally recognized esports as a cycling discipline, leading to the inaugural Cycling Esports World Championship in 2020. His tenure also saw the appointment of Michael Rogers as Innovation Manager to drive the development of esports within the UCI. He assumed the role of Chairman of the IOC’s Esports and Gaming Liaison Group and became a member of the IOC’s general assembly. Notably, he organized the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June 2023. In October 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach appointed him chair of the newly established Esports Commission, signaling significant progress towards realizing an Olympic Esports Games and potential recognition of cycling esports as a medal discipline.
Nathan Guerra
Affectionately known as the “Voice of Zwift,” Nathan Guerra is without question the most passionate cycling esports advocate in the world, using his animated commentary style and immense knowledge of the Zwift platform to educate and entertain riders and viewers. Guerra founded Zwift Community Live in 2016 and has been broadcasting races spanning the Zwift Premier Division and Grand Prix to WTRL TTTs, and World Championships ever since. What makes the American all the more endearing is that he races, too, and streams his online suffering for all to see. His positive attitude and love for the sport have elevated cycling esports and cemented its stature as an official discipline.
Craig Edmonson
Appointed CEO of Zwift Esports in 2019, he was instrumental in creating the KISS Super League, which brought UCI Continental Men’s teams to the platform, including Team Wiggins Le Col, Canyon–SRAM, Hagens Berman Axeon, and Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka U23. During his tenure, Zwift signed an agreement with the UCI to host the first Esports World Championships. The collaboration led to multiple national and continental esports championships.
Kit McConnell
In a recent interview, the IOC’s Sports Director alluded to his view on the topic of esports, stating games that are a “full replication of the sport” would receive consideration on the program. Further confirming his position, he said, “The best example is the road cycling partnership between the UCI and Zwift, and now that’s moved to another partnership (MyWhoosh). We are committed to developing the virtual side of sport.” The fate of Cycling Esports’ recognition as a medal sport firmly rests in his hands.
Frank Garcia
The founder of CVR (Cycligent Virtual Racing) is a pioneer in live-hosted online esports events. The CVR World Cup League attracted Zwift’s top-level talent competing for the global CVR World Cup invitation. The event series with locations worldwide awarded an unprecedented $100,000 in cash and prizes during the 2018 season. The top-level production and top-shelf sponsorship were on the way to fueling a phenomenon and elevating a new breed of cycling esports stars such as Lionel Vujasin. When cooperation from Zwift dwindled, he broke off to form CVRcade in 2019, now CADEsport.
John Mayfield
What began as a hobby in his spare time around 2010, the virtual reality indoor cycling software and 3D virtual power calculator he invented for the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer became the framework for an online cycling platform. As Zwift’s co-founding member and head game designer, his vision influenced every aspect of the user experience and set the stage for competition on the platform.
Chip Hawkins
The founder and CEO of Wahoo Fitness took the fight to behemoth Garmin back in 2009 and has been building the reputation of the brand as a segment leader ever since. Wahoo took indoor training and made it compatible with laptops and mobile applications such as Zwift through ANT+ and Bluetooth protocols. It subsequently provided riders with insights into key metrics such as heart rate, cadence, and wattage. Among its biggest hits is the Wahoo Kickr—considered the gold standard for smart trainer accuracy and reliability. There’s also the Core smart trainer, the Kickr bike, and ancillary products such as its smartwatches, Element Bolt and Roam computers, Tickr heart rate monitors, Speedplay pedals, and other sensors. The Wahoo Fitness range is currently compatible with over 100 fitness apps.
Eric Hill
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted domestic professional road racing, the Project Echelon founder built on his grassroots Echelon Racing League Zwift community efforts to spearhead virtual editions of the Redlands Classic, the Tour of the Gila, the Joe Martin Stage Race, and others. In addition, he spearheaded efforts for adaptive athlete inclusion and representation in virtual cycling.
In an unprecedented moment in cycling esports history, the virtual winners of the 2020 Joe Martin Stage Race GC, sprint, and KOM competitions donned their respective jerseys to the start line of the real-world race the following year. Echelon Racing Promotions and USA Cycling partnered for the US National Cycling Esports Championship on RGT in 2020 and 2023 and Zwift in 2024.
Ollie Jones
Like Lionel Vujasin, Ollie Jones has become synonymous with top-flight cycling esports. A powerhouse with a huge engine, the Kiwi rose to prominence as the winner of the 2018 Zwift Academy, the result of which scored him a professional contract with Dimension Data for Qhubeka. While still a lethal competitor on the road, he’s been a staple in the Canyon Esports/Coalition Alpha team since its inception and has represented New Zealand in all three UCI Cycling Esports World Championships with a best-ever finish of fourth place in 2020.
Brian Duffy Jr
Brian Duffy Jr is easily the most consistent cycling Esports racer in the world right now, having secured the 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Championships in emphatic style over an omnium-type format. The co-founder of NeXT eSports pb Enshored has developed a knack for conserving energy during races and only using it when needed—something he continues to demonstrate week in, week out in the top rungs of elite cycling esports. But what makes Brian such an inspiration to his peers is his affable demeanor and willingness to help others and impart knowledge to his teammates, which has earned him many fans. With the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships set to take place in October, you can bet your bottom dollar Brian will be in with a shot for overall honors.
Jacob Fraser
As Zwift Senior Manager of Brand Experience for over three years, he played a pivotal role in developing esports, contributing to successfully executing the first in-venue eracing event supported by Zwift. In 2021, he assumed the position of MyWhoosh’s first Director of Esports, leveraging his extensive experience in cycling esports to spearhead their entrance into the virtual racing sector. In December 2022, he departed MyWhoosh to take on the role of Esports Coordinator for the UCI, where he now influences the evolution of international cycling esports.
Matt Smithson
The Race Control and Events Manager at MyWhoosh was pivotal in securing the favor of the UCI during the recent Esports World Championship tender process. He manages the Sunday Race Club, a hub for top-tier talent.
His signature is on the MyWhoosh Power Passport and recent Esports Cycling Ruleset update, both necessary for scrutinizing the substantial prize purses. He orchestrated the groundbreaking $1,000,000 MyWhoosh Championship Series, boasting the largest prize purse in cycling esports history.
Shane Miller
GP Lama, as he is known, is a well-known cycling technology content creator. Through the extensive influence and reach of his YouTube and other social media channels, Lama has undoubtedly assisted and influenced cyclists alike in onboarding and activating Cycling Esports. Shane continues to deliver great content relating to hardware and cycling esports platforms such as Zwift.
Jordan Rapp
During his tenure of over three years as a Zwift Game Designer, he significantly influenced the development of cycling esports events and the creation of routes. His technical contributions extended behind the scenes, including creating an internal tool for measuring and validating in-game routes. His coding and game engineering efforts played a pivotal role in shaping the early days of esports.
Charlie Issendorf
Having been with Zwift since 2014, he served as the Event Director during the introduction of the Zwift Racing League and the elite Premier Division. He also played a vital role in overseeing community competitions on the platform.
Glenn Crompton
Toyota South Africa’s Vice President for Marketing, Glenn Crompton, is one of the sport’s biggest protagonists, yet he remains an unsung hero. Glenn was the man behind Toyota’s headline sponsorship of the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in 2020 and has been backing cycling esports ever since. Having a non-endemic sponsor involved in the sport is massive for the future of cycling esports, and he has remained committed to the cause, backing Zwift Grand Prix team Toyota Elite Ecycling/Toyota CRYO RDT for the past three years. Crompton also provides sponsorship for in-real-life road and mountain bike cycling events all over South Africa, including mountain bike team Toyota-Specialized, winners of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic.
Rhys Howell
The Canyon Esports team holds the title of the world’s first professional cycling esports team, with esports legend Lionel Vujasin leading the way. Rhys leveraged his brand, marketing, and communications expertise to secure sponsorship partners and set an example for other teams.
In January 2021, the Coalition formed as a community project centered around the elite Coalition Alpha team (formerly Canyon Esports), which had debuted exactly two years earlier. They achieved victories in all three original Premier Division editions while also playing a pivotal role in developing the elite-level racing scene and pushing for higher racing standards on Zwift.
Adam Zimmerman
The Long Islander was an early Beta adopter of Zwift competition since 2015. He raced in the KISS Super League on the Zwift Community All-Stars team before becoming the first USA Men’s Zwift Champion in 2018 and winning CVR LA the same year. A live-streaming pioneer, his race footage and instructional videos were must-see viewing for aspiring racers and video content creators—a true student of the game who became one of the sport’s best teachers.
Martin Carew
The co-founder of WTRL with Steven Milliken, a former professional rugby player, is instrumental in revolutionizing team-based competition on Zwift. His efforts have led to the team time trial revolution and the creation of the Zwift Racing League, which is potentially the largest community-based racing league globally.
Glenn Knight and James Hodges
ZwiftPower.com single-handedly legitimized community and elite competitive results on the platform while equipping promoters with organization and commissaire controls. The expertly designed and functional tool was symbolic of the ingenuity of third-party support of the Zwift racing community.
Alex Serban
The Romanian computer scientist, software developer, and entrepreneur created Road Grand Tours (RGT) out of frustration with poor virtual gameplay. Officially launched in late 2019, the platform distinguished itself among the competitive community for superior pack dynamics, real-world riding physics, and the Magic Roads feature. It became the platform of choice for discerning racers and promoters seeking an agile response and a voice, becoming the host for high-profile events like the USA Cycling Esports National Championships. He recently joined the Rolla team as Product Owner/Manager, leading the transfer of other RGT employee team members.
Karla Williams and Jamie-Lee Wright
The co-founders of Aeonian have established an inclusive esports racing team that advocates for women’s cycling and empowers female-identifying athletes of all abilities and categories. Their welcoming and supportive environment has fostered a strong community of women who enjoy virtual cycling together. This approach has resulted in elite-level success on Zwift, including victories in the Premier Division and Zwift Grand Prix, led by 2-time UCI Cycling Esports World Champion Loes Adegeest and former US Olympian Arielle Verhaaren. In its fifth year, the Tour de Boudicca 3-Day Women’s Stage Race continues to highlight female athletes at all levels.
Christian Wiedman
An exhaustive search of the first documented Zwift racing revealed an April 14, 2014, Thursday Night Worlds race report by this ZTR organizer, the first race organizer ever interviewed by ZwiftInsider. The race results featured a Who’s Who of Zwift racing history, including Shane Miller, who took the podium’s top step, Matthew Simpkins, and Rich Grieve in second and third, and Frank Garcia in the top ten.
Dave Towle
The Boulder, CO native weaved himself into the fabric of U.S. road racing during his announcing career spanning three decades. His booming voice and quintessential Davisms are synonymous with the grassroots passion and blue-collar mentality that makes cycling, as he describes, “The most beautiful sport in the World.”
The relationship began when Zwift asked him to do cross-promotions for them at the Amgen Tour of California in 2016. He embraced cycling esports alongside Nathan Guerra on Zwift Community Live during the pandemic. His signature style and ability to convey the emotion and passion of the human spirit through his in-depth, relatable, and engaging commentary are synonymous with Zwift cycling esports at all levels.
Charles "Chuck" Ivan Wurster, Jr.
The co-founder of CompuTrainer and the inventor of RacerMate established a new category and laid the foundation for the indoor cycling boom and the innovation of smart trainers. Invented in 1986 as a training and motivational tool, it revolutionized turbo training by enabling riders to pedal through a virtual landscape, adjusting resistance based on terrain while simultaneously measuring speed and output through a built-in power meter. The system marked the first computerized interface connected to a wheel-on trainer via the original Nintendo Entertainment System. He left a legacy in the esports world.
Matt Gardiner
The elite racer has DS’d the USA Men’s UCI Cycling Esports World Championship squad on multiple occasions. With over 1,000 races under his belt competing at the sport’s highest level, he brings a depth of esports knowledge and experience to his advisory role to USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance, Jim Miller, who says he will tap him for Esports Discipline Director when the position opens. Along with his Saris (formerly Indoor Specialists and Saris-The Pro’s Closet) teammates, he has championed a fair racing initiative by advocating dual recording and combatting weight doping as the founder of Zwift Transparency.
Simon Schofield
The freelance cycling journalist and creator of the Zwiftcast introduced the virtual cycling community to Zwift racing by conducting comprehensive interviews with every influential figure who played a role in the development of the sport. With over 1.2 million downloads and 105 episodes from November 2015 to April 2022, the Zwiftcast covered all facets of competition and gameplay, providing an authoritative and engaging perspective on this evolving discipline and lending a voice to the online competitive community.
Greg Abbott
President of NeXT eSports pb Enshored, Greg is at the forefront of one of the most successful cycling esports teams the sport has ever seen. NeXT is a non-profit organization that not only races at the top level but has a mission to help promote and grow the sport. Established in 2021, NeXT has attracted riders such as Ashton Lambie, James Barnes, Zach Nehr, Liz Van Houweling, and the newly crowned 2024 USA Cycling National Champion Brian Duffy Jr.
Greg and the board of directors/riders have defined what it means to be an elite esports team and an innovator to commercialize and professionalize cycling esports. NeXT is the standard by which we measure other teams.
Eric Schlange
In 2015, he created ZwiftBlog as a Zwift-related news and information repository. Two years later, its name was changed to Zwift Insider because it had evolved into a community-driven website that addressed Zwifters’ queries, promoted events, and functioned as a central source of information for all things Zwift. With thousands of race-related posts encompassing detailed technical details, in-game equipment specs, course descriptions, event highlights, and interviews with athletes and organizers, it has become an indispensable resource for anyone passionate about Zwift racing. Thanks to him, much of the information you read here was found on ZwiftInsider’s pages.
Michael Rogers
Before joining the UCI as an Innovation and Esports Manager in 2020, he was the founder and CEO of the virtual cycling platform VirtuGO. The UCI brought him on to lead the modernization of cycling and ensure the sport’s position at the forefront of the sports world. The role involves the management of new technological innovation and esports development, which includes ensuring fair competition and the creation of an International Calendar and Ranking System.
Jason Osborne
The German lightweight rower won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Rowing Regatta and began cycling in 2012 to cross-train for rowing. After winning the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championship in 2020, he signed as a stagiaire for UCI WorldTeam Deceuninck–Quick-Step. The following season, he joined the UCI Continental team Alpecin–Fenix Development Team in June 2022 before being promoted to Alpecin–Deceuninck for the 2023 season. If he shows up to an esports event, rest assured he’s there to win and he has a fine chance.
Lennert Teugels
The Belgian cyclist ventured into cycling esports in October 2020 when the pandemic disrupted real-world racing in Europe. Since then, he has consistently raised the bar in elite esports, achieving multiple victories and performing at a high level in every competition racing for his ABUS-Synergy pb LEVEL Velo team. While currently competing professionally for UCI ProTeam Bingoal WB with two UCI race wins under his belt, he consistently brings his top-notch performance to cycling esports despite the diverse physical demands, seasonal timing, and limited financial opportunities, making him one of the sport’s true multi-discipline stars.
Blake Pond
Blake Pond is the founder of Nopinz, creators of the SpeedPocket; the transparent sleeve found on the back of a skinsuit that houses a race number. He has developed and produced some of the fastest kit on the planet and, as a problem solver and innovator, also saw the need for an indoor-specific kit, which was non-existent at the time. In 2020 the Nopinz Subzero range was launched—featuring lightweight, perforated material, an indoor-specific chamois pad, and clever sewn-in pockets to hold frozen gel packs to help cool riders and drop core temperatures. It was a success, and many established brands soon followed Blake’s lead and vision. The innovative kit is now in its second generation and is used by myriad esports athletes, including two of the successful teams in the Zwift Racing League, Saris-Nopinz and Toyota Elite Ecycling.
Holden Comeau
An early adopter of esports as an athlete and a professional data innovator, Holden has left a significant mark on the cycling esports landscape. He won the USA Cycling Esports National Championship in 2019 and was vital to Team USA’s inaugural world championship squad. With an impressive tally of over 300 virtual victories, Holden achieved the distinction of holding the ZwiftPower world’s #1 ranking for an uninterrupted period of nearly six months in 2020.
His unique combination of real-world expertise in data technology and unmatched experience in esports racing made him an invaluable asset to the MyWhoosh team, where he served as the Director of Analytics. Holden also plays a crucial role on the USA Cycling Esports Selection Committee.
Lam Kong
This Hong Kong cyclist has broken barriers in esports and stands as one of the few Asian riders to compete at the sport’s highest level. Her contagious smile and selfless dedication to her team have endeared her to fellow competitors and esports enthusiasts. Her charismatic qualities were on full display during the Olympic Esports Series in Singapore in 2023, where she served as a source of inspiration for her Team Lava teammates.
Jason Stern
What began as an early morning Zwift text chat with co-founders Ken “The Badger” Nowell and Douglas Mastroianni in 2017 has grown into possibly the largest cycling team on Zwift and even in the world. This community, known as DIRT (Dads Indoors Riding Trainers), was formed with the common goal of young fathers balancing work, life, and family through friendly competition. It’s nearly impossible to participate in a race without encountering DIRT representation or acknowledging their significant influence. Another pivotal moment occurred in January 2019 when discussions with Matt Gardiner and Matt Brandt laid the foundation for the first elite team to emerge from the DIRT community. The Indoor Specialists became Saris-NoPinz, currently Saris of today. DIRT racer J Bruhn rose from the community ranks to qualify to represent the US in the 2022 UCI Esports World Cycling Championships.
Anna Russell
When asked to envision her role in esports in five years, the elite racer sees herself as an influencer, saying, “I think I will be more involved as a commentator, producer, and pundit than a top-level racer.” Despite her talent as an endurance athlete, the former professional triathlete has made a significant impact in supporting roles and promoting the sport. She has served as a DS for the New Zealand Women’s Esports team, worked as a Zwift commentator for Triathlon New Zealand, and has engaged a dedicated livestream audience.
As co-host of The Wrap podcast alongside Nathan Guerra, she represents the voice of “Badass Moms,” female athletes, and passionate Zwifters, offering a fresh perspective in the esports community. She also created Tri NZ eSport Hubs to reduce the barrier of entry to virtual cycling for kids. The program received grants to place 15 smart bikes in regional hubs and runs youth-specific Zwift competitions.
Anne-Marije Rook
The North American editor at Cycling Weekly has an impressive resume as an international journalist and communications expert, accumulating over 15 years of media experience. Despite her deep roots in traditional cycling media, her perspective remains fresh, and her foresight for emerging trends is clear. She has embraced cycling esports and virtual cycling as a legitimate discipline with a compelling story to tell. Moreover, she supports non-traditional cycling esports journalists who share her belief in the power of storytelling within this emerging field.
Rachael Elliot
Rachael is a truly inspiring individual with incredible talent and natural ability as both a runner and cyclist. A classically trained violinist, she picked up cycling late in life after a foot injury curtailed her running career. She turned to cycling, time trialing more specifically, where she quickly forged a name as one of the best female time trialists in the UK, breaking the 30-mile record as well as taking the National Closed Circuit title at Thruxton racetrack in 2017. On Zwift, she was equally as successful.
Her Zwift achievements include 1st place at the CVR World Cup finals in Paris, winning the women’s world champs in 2016, and getting an invite to the Zwift Academy finals, which she had to decline for work reasons. In 2018, Rachael suffered a hemorrhagic stroke while training on Zwift, which left her almost completely blind. Owing to her impaired vision, she returned to time trialing on a tandem bike with Ian Greenstreet. The duo have since broken nearly every course record and competition in their category. Rachael continues to inspire many able-bodied and disabled athletes and still uses Zwift to train and race.
Eddy Hoole
The most notorious cheater (to be caught) in cycling esports history, through brazen equipment manipulation in a high-profile international event, revealed the depths to which a troubled athlete would go for fake fame. This incident exposed vulnerabilities within the sport, platforms, teams, and equipment manufacturers, raising questions about the sport’s viability. However, the swift and effective identification and sanctions boosted confidence in the performance verification and governance process. The cross-platform acknowledgment of the decision demonstrated a commitment to fairness. This incident brought cheating to the forefront and emphasized that the future of cycling esports relies on fairness and credibility.
Honorable Mentions
Wences Sevillano
The CEO of the Spanish trainer and software brand Bkool, in collaboration with Tour de Giro in 2016, pioneered the concept of online competitions based on rider output and physics-based algorithms.
James Bailey
After setting the HERD Zwift racing community in motion in 2019, Zwift identified his unique talents and brought him on board as a Content Programming Specialist.
Matt Stephens and Hannah Walker
The popular commentators are all in on cycling esports.
Conclusion
Who is on your list? Now, we turn the spotlight over to you, the community. Who are the figures that impact you? Are there unsung heroes that deserve recognition? Please share your thoughts and stories with us. Your insights enrich our conversation and help us all discover new sources of inspiration and understanding.
Engage with us in the comments below and on our social media platforms. Whether it’s suggesting names, sharing personal anecdotes about how a particular individual has influenced you, or even debating the merits of those listed, your input is invaluable.
Together, let’s continue celebrating the achievements of those who pave the way for progress, challenge the status quo, and inspire the evolution of cycling esports. Your perspective is crucial to this ongoing dialogue, and we can’t wait to hear from you.
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Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit. Chris is committed to helping others with his bike through its work and the pages of his site.
In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to New York to support the charity he founded, TheDIRTDadFund. His “Gain Cave” resides on the North Fork of Long Island, where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two independent children.
You will read him promoting his passion on the pages of Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. Chris is co-host of The Virtual Velo Podcast, too!
Might as well have added Taylor Swift with the unbelievable quality of this list.
Tough to leave James Bailey off. Putting aside his community legacy with the scale of the Herd, he is arguably the parent of iTT and hill climb series on zwift and pivotal to community scheduling now. Done a little more good than Eddie hoole I would humbly suggest!
That was an extremely difficult decision, Phil! Thank you for acknowledging James. He deserves it, but we had to draw the line somewhere. That’s why we included him in the “Honorable Mentions.” I anticipate he will receive significant consideration next year. I appreciate the comment and your support!
100%
If it’s truly a 2024 list then James has done more than many on this list in 2024. For sure others have a legacy from years gone by, but is it an all time list or 2024 list?
I appreciate your comment and appreciate the support, Doug. I tried to make that distinction as clear as possible In the introduction.
Rich Vale puts in a tremendous amount of work in FRR, which is a growing race series and really awesome. Also Jon Morin and the Chasing Races!
Thank you for your suggestions, Dan! Both of those extremely impactful individuals will receive considerable consideration in the future. Thank you!
Martin Björgvik is truly the father of all Swedish Zwifting and the reason Sweden is a prominent Zwifting nation today. A powerhouse both on and off the course always ready to help new an old zwifters with all aspects of zwifting.
Thank you for bringing Martin to my attention. I will add him to the list of potential candidates.
Bath Salts is the first person to comment on a Zwift race broadcast and he is always new.
David Lipscomb – CIS Training Systems – David has been on Zwift since the very beginning, pioneering what it means to be a coach on Zwift. He was the first coach to design a full program around the platform, leveraging the routes and leading impactful weekly rides to share the knowledge and build community. The evolution of his program “The System” continues on Zwift to this day. His two rides, Monday’s “BTW / Back to Work” and Wednesday Worlds are two of the longest standing and well run rides and the yearly 5-day vTraining Camp is unmatched.
Thank you for mentioning Coach David, Nick! I respect and admire David’s early adoption and contributions. I’ve discussed it with him several times. He is a worthy inclusion on any list recognizing leaders in the cycling world. However, and he may agree, when assessing the direct impact on cycling esports (especially at the elite-level) there are other individuals that fill his position. I appreciate your opinion and support!