Wisconsin’s Hayden “Farmwatts” Pucker delivered a dominant display, sealing victory with an unrelenting 20 km solo breakaway to claim the Stars and Stripes jersey. New York’s Kristen Kulchinsky cemented her legacy as one of cycling esports’ most decorated racers, becoming a back-to-back champion on February 2nd at the fourth-annual USA Cycling Esports National Championships—and the first on MyWhoosh.
In partnership with Echelon Racing Promotions and MyWhoosh, USA Cycling crowned age-group and elite National Champions on February 1st and 2nd, 2025. The fourth-annual event was the first on MyWhoosh, the host of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship through 2026.
“We are excited to work in partnership with MyWhoosh for these Nationals to bring alignment and consistency to the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships,” said Echelon’s Eric Hill.
Last year USAC gave an automatic World Championship selection to the winner of the elite national title.
“We are privileged to work with forward-thinking national governing bodies, such as USA Cycling and Cycling Canada, to put this discipline and its athletes on the cutting edge of cycling esports globally,” continued Hill.
Elite Women
Tensions ran high as the Elite Women rolled up to the start line for the 43.5 km scratch race on MyWhoosh’s Hudayriyat Dust Trail. With four laps, 171 meters of elevation per lap, and barely a flat section in sight, the battle for the national title promised to be relentless. Among the contenders were reigning champion Kristen Kulchinsky and last year’s runner-up Liz Van Houweling, alongside a stacked starting list, all determined to stake their claim on the stars and stripes.
The opening lap was a game of nerves and tactics as the elite women felt each other out, throwing in feints and faux attacks on the rapid-fire rollers. The peloton moved as one, a testament to the deep talent pool lining up for this year’s national championship.
The pace ratcheted up in lap two as Kulchinsky and Nicole Meyer tested the field with repeated accelerations. Each move stretched the group thinner, shedding those unable to hold the infernal tempo. Only five remained in contention by the time the race hit the halfway mark.
Lap three was where the fireworks truly began. Elyse Gallegos, Ellexi Snover, and Kulchinsky traded blows in a flurry of attacks and counterattacks, each testing their rivals’ legs and resilience.
But then, disaster struck. In the 27th kilometer, Gallegos suffered a technical issue, her race ending in an instant as a lost signal crushed her bid for the title—another cruel twist of fate after last year’s mechanical misfortune.
That left four riders to contest the final lap, but Kulchinsky had no intention of letting the race come down to a sprint. The defending champion asserted her dominance on the early rollers, immediately opening a five-second gap. Meyer, the only rider able to respond, clawed to keep her in sight but simply couldn’t match the relentless power of the reigning champion.
Kulchinsky turned the screws all the way to the finish, crossing the line solo to complete the second USA Cycling Esports National Championship repeat, keeping the stars and stripes firmly in her grasp for another year. Meyer secured second, while Snover rounded out the podium with a gritty performance.
A masterclass in dominance and tactics, Kulchinsky proved once again why she remains the benchmark in cycling esports, but she remained humble in victory. How does it feel to repeat?
“Like an amazing dream! I’m super happy and proud to be a USA Cycling Esports National Champion!”
Elite Men
From the first pedal stroke, Hayden Pucker made his intentions crystal clear—this was his race to win or lose. The Echelon Racing League Champion wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet, surging off the front, and putting the entire field on high alert. His explosive opening effort sent a message: if anyone wanted the stars and stripes, they would have to rip them from his grasp.
The course’s first sharp, punchy rollers provided the perfect launchpad for Pucker to showcase his raw power. He lit the afterburners, forcing an immediate response from Neal Fryett and reigning champion Brian Duffy, Jr., who scrambled to shut down the move. But Pucker wasn’t done—he ratcheted up the pressure, and just like that, Duffy cracked under the relentless onslaught.
With their competition scattered in the dust, Pucker and Fryett—teammates in the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship final—found themselves in familiar territory. Once again, they dug deep for each other, working seamlessly to hold a five-second gap over the chasing group of six as they completed the opening lap.
For those betting on when Pucker would make his race-winning move, the answer was 19 kilometers in. The repeated accelerations proved too much even for powerful and punchy Fryett, who finally succumbed to the inevitable. Unable to match the fury of Pucker’s piston legs, he shifted into survival, gritting his way into time-trial mode to secure silver.
But out front, it was a one-man show. Pucker rode like a man possessed, tearing through the final 20 kilometers in a solo demonstration of power and precision. When he crossed the line, there was no question—this was a statement victory, a dominant performance that left no doubt about who the up-and-comer in the USA Cycling Esports scene was. Anyone who wants to strip the stars and stripes from his shoulders will need the performance of a lifetime to do it.
Fryett battled valiantly for second, while David Weinstein surged through to claim the bronze, but make no mistake—this was the Hayden Pucker show from start to finish. Do you realize what you’ve just done?
“It’s starting to sink in! It means so much and is an honor to be the USA Cycling Esports National Champion. This has been my goal for a year, and I’m just so thrilled to see all my hard work finally really paying off. I’ve never been happier!”
The complete results are here!
Masters Men
35-39-J Bruhn, 40-44-David Weinstein, 45-49-Neal Fryett, 50-54-Michael Goertemoeller, 55-59-David Henderson, 60-64-Kevin Metcalf, 65-69-Joseph Paulson, 70-74-Michael Chritton, 75-79-Richard Allen, and 80+-Dominic Rossetto.
The complete results are here!
Masters Women
35-39-Randi Gino, 40-44-Stefanie Sydlik, 45-49-Jenn Real, 55-59-Cathy Collins, 60-64-Jennifer Slawta, 65-69-Yvonne Walbroehl, 70-74-Margeret Thompson, 75+-Mary Ellen Allen.
“We saw throughout the Echelon Racing League that MyWhoosh is a robust platform that provides enhanced verification to ensure fair competition and a dynamic racing experience that promotes an aggressive racing style,” concluded Hill.
The racing didn’t disappoint and twenty deserving champions will proudly donn the stars and stripes as the emerging sports’ newest USA Cycling Esports National Champions.
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.
