TrainingPeaks Virtual opens access to all devices and a broader user base with a highly-sought Apple TV release.
“To a large extent, from their perspective, not a lot changes,” said indieVelo founder and now Vice President of Virtual Platforms at TrainingPeaks (VP of VP at TP ) Dr. George Gilbert on the Virtual Velo Podcast when asked about the impact of indieVelo’s acquisition by TrainingPeaks on its core users.
On June 3, 2024, indieVelo celebrated its one-year anniversary with version 2.52—an astonishing 52 game updates in as many weeks, fulfilling its promise to “transform cycling together.” This commitment to rapid development drew over 40,000 athletes to the platform, all invested in answering one bold question: “Imagine if online cycling were an Olympic sport.”
The June 6, 2023 article provides a snapshot of indieVelo’s early steps in shaping the future of indoor cycling. It highlights the platform’s ambitious vision and commitment to redefining virtual cycling as a discipline, laying the groundwork for its rapid evolution and innovation.
In a significant milestone, indieVelo transitioned to Open Beta on July 1, 2024, as Gilbert announced, continuing its pursuit of defining virtual cycling’s future. The platform’s founder brings unparalleled expertise as the Chief Commissaire at multiple UCI Cycling Esports World Championships and former Chairman of the Zwift Cycling Esports Commission.
In a statement to The Zommunique, Dr. Gilbert explained that prioritizing the Apple TV release was driven by user demand and the goal of making the platform more accessible to a broader audience.
“TrainingPeaks Virtual is completely focussed on delivering the experiences committed athletes and coaches want and need. After launching last week, we listened to the feedback, and adding support for AppleTV was by far the most requested addition. We, therefore, quickly decided to change our roadmap in response and release AppleTV support as the first major new feature.
We’re really excited by the opportunities ahead and look forward to helping many more people get the most from their training and racing, both indoors and out.”
In Episode 58 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Dirk Friel, co-founder of TrainingPeaks, and Dr. George Gilbert, the creator of indieVelo, to discuss their newly formed partnership and the launch of TrainingPeaks Virtual.
Following the merger with TrainingPeaks on October 29, 2024, to form TrainingPeaks Virtual, Gilbert kept his promise of weekly game updates and delivered an eagerly awaited Apple TV version to indieVelo users, TrainingPeaks Premium Members, and new entries into the indoor cycling world.
Download TP Virtual from the Apple App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trainingpeaks-virtual/id6480213250
Requires tvOS 12.0 or later.
For the community of committed athletes, the essence of indieVelo remains intact, and not a lot has changed.
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.
Great news.. I cannot see it on AppleTV and what does new entries mean.?
It will show up any minute, Jason! It’s on mine and many others. New entries are those who want to give TP Virtual a try for the first time, but were limited by device availability.