Pucker Catches the Group California Daydreaming, Hermansson Loves LA, and a Sprint Victory on MyWhoosh's Golden Gate Course.
Date: December 7, 2024
Course and Format: A three-lap scratch race on MyWhoosh’s California-Golden Gate Bridge course, a flat route with an 800m, 7.7% climb at approximately 6km.
Echelon Racing League Men's Elite Race 1
“I don’t think that will happen again,” said the Rosedale, Wisconsin native who recently took a US-best 5th place in the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship live event final in Abu Dhabi in October.
Hayden Pucker rolled away from an elite, elite field in Race 1 of the Echelon Racing League, containing two-time UCI Cycling Esports World Champion Jason Osborne, 2023 World Champion Bjørn Andreassen (Denmark), former USA Cycling National Esports Champions Brian Duffy and Mason Rocca, and Cycling Canada National Esports Champion Thomas Thrall.
It wasn’t Pucker’s intention to catch the group napping; he says, “My strategy was to just wait until the first climb and do nothing, but when I saw someone go off the front for the first minute and no one reacted, I was like, huh interesting.”
Pucker seized the opportunity, powering off the front to build a minute advantage at the base of the first climb, which shattered the chase group behind. Ten riders, including Duffy, Thrall, Andreassen, Zach Nehr (USA), Riccardo Panizza (Italy), Jurd Hurd (USA), Jonas Walton (Canada), Alex Marr (USA), and Scott Catanzaro (USA) made the selection.
Pucker’s powerful performance added five seconds to his lead with each passing kilometer, steadily widening the gap to two minutes over the chasers by the start of lap two’s climb.
Duffy, Andreassen, Thrall, and Panizza put time into the others with an all-in effort, carving the chase group to four riders at the top of the sharp kicker.
At the start of the final lap, Andreassen attacked the isolated Panizza while his two NeXT Esports pb Enshored mates sat on for the sprint.
Pucker crossed the finish banner with a commanding lead, securing the win. Andreassen’s well-executed attack stuck for second place, while Thrall timed it perfectly to out-sprint Duffy and claim third. Panizza, having led the group through the final lap, faded to fifth, unable to respond in the closing moments.
The win was extra special to Pucker, “the Echelon Racing League is important to me because it’s what started my e-sports career. It was the first elite race I’ve ever done virtually.” His motivation was evident; he averaged 503W (5.8wkg) for 48:34 to claim the solo victory.
You can find the full results for Men’s Elite Race 1 on mywhooshinfo.com here.
Echelon Racing League Women's Elite Race 1
“I really wanted a sprint finish, and we got one,” said Sweden’s Lisa Hermansson when describing how the race played right into her hands and played out much differently than the men’s.
Liz Van Houweling (USA), Johanna Tidholm (Sweden), Melissa Aitken (USA), Tiffany Penner (Canada), Jennifer Real (USA), and Elyse Gallegos (USA) entered the lower slopes of the climb on lap one together.
Van Houweling dropped the hammer, using her signature punch to put time into Penner, Real, and Tidholm at the top of the climb. Penner bridged a ten-second gap, and then Real and Tidholm caught at the 11km mark to make it grupo compacto to complete lap one.
Unfortunately, Gallegos suffered a technical issue and fell from the front group.
Listen to Project Echelon’s Eric Hill as he explores his early adoption of cycling esports as a distinct discipline, and hear about his plans for the 2024/25 Echelon Racing League season during Virtual Velo Podcast Episode 59!
A similar scenario ensued on the climb during lap two, as Van Houweling powered over the summit, again distancing Penner, Real, and Tidholm. Real and Penner couldn’t hold Tidholm’s wheel this time as she clawed back a forty-second gap to make the junction to the leading four riders as they began the final lap.
Tidholm attacked as they approached the final ascent, but the diligent group wouldn’t give the determined chaser any room to roam.
Hermansson struck out in the early meters, “I had to give my all in that climb and hope for the best and then for some recovery. Tidholm was awesome, closing that gap every lap. That made some great racing.”
Van Houweling powered over the top, with Hermansson and Aitken struggling to cling to her wheel. Meanwhile, Tidholm fell twenty-five seconds off the pace.
Could she do it and fulfill the Groundhog Day scenario again? Yes!
The Swedish stalwart’s sublime chase made the junction with 2.5km to go. She tried a cheeky attack, but the group wasn’t giving her a chance at a storybook ending.
Hermansson jumped first and held off a charging Van Houweling, who ran out of road. Tidhold held on for a hard-fought podium placing.
Hermansson reflected on the victory in her Echelon Racing League debut, saying, “I tried to attack a few bumps, but everyone was just on their toes, so that didn’t work. Thankfully, I had enough energy to go with about 300m to the line, and it was so stressful to see Liz’s numbers coming from behind. That was close!”
You can find the full results for Women’s Elite Race 1 on mywhooshinfo.com here.
Echelon Racing League Community C Results
In the Echelon Community Women Cat C race, Angel Jadloc from Colombia secured first place, followed by Katherin Montoya of Italy in second and Valentina Disegna of the Philippines in third. Kim Bonilla from the USA claimed fourth, with KJ Phillips-Coalition rounding out the top five.
The entire Women’s Community Cat C Race 1 results are on mywhooshinfo.com here.
In the Echelon Community Men Cat C race, Dylan Kennett from New Zealand claimed victory, with Brian Vandegriend of Canada finishing second. Nicolás Trujillo from Colombia took third, followed by his compatriot Jhon Jairo Calderon in fourth. Beau Theriot from the USA rounded out the top five.
The entire Men’s Community Cat C Race 1 results are on mywhooshinfo.com here.
Echelon Racing League Community B Results
In the Echelon Community Women Cat B race, Dorancy Gonzalez Rua of Colombia took the win, closely followed by Sweden’s Camilla Ahlberg in second. Alejandra Jaramillo, also from Colombia, finished third. Randi Gino of the USA claimed fourth, while Jermyn Prado from the Philippines secured fifth place.
The entire Women’s Community Cat B Race 1 results are on mywhooshinfo.com here.
In the Echelon Community Men Cat B race, Jonathan Bisson from Canada claimed victory, with compatriot Hugues Joannis – 5.W.4.T finishing second. Marvin Angarita of Colombia secured third place, followed by fellow Colombian Jose Montero Oviedo in fourth. Scott Cunningham from the USA completed the top five.
The entire Men’s Community Cat B Race 1 results are on mywhooshinfo.com here.
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.
