In Episode 62 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Emma and Chris sit down with elite cycling esports superstar Gabi Guerra to uncover her journey from a humble upbringing in Brazil to competing on the global stage.
Gabi shares how skateboarding first sparked her passion for elite sports and paved the way for her to champion women’s representation. We explore her unexpected leap into competitive cycling, fueled by a chance encounter at a bike shop, and her eventual rise to esports prominence after discovering Zwift on a spin bike.
We dive deep into her nail-biting performance at the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship, the heartbreak of falling just short, and the resilience it took to bounce back with a shocking solo victory in the Zwift World Series—only to face another round of controversy.
Gabi opens up about the emotional highs and lows, the scrutiny of evolving esports regulations, a puzzling performance verification decision that led to an unexpected annulment, and the fierce rivalries that define the sport. From prize money milestones to her new role as a live coach on MyWhoosh, Gabi is shaping the future of cycling esports while inspiring a community with her authenticity and grit.
What’s next for Gabi Guerra, and how does she plan to keep pushing the boundaries of the sport in 2025? Tune in to find out!
Don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to delve even deeper into the intriguing topics discussed in this episode. We’ve curated a selection of articles that inspired our conversation, providing exclusive insights.
- Get to Know Zwift Grand Prix 2023/24 Elite Esports Cyclist Gabriela Guerra [Zommunique, Feb. 12, 2024]
- Germany’s Jason Osborne and New Zealand’s Mary Kate McCarthy Win the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship [Zommunique, Oct. 27, 2024]
- Extreme Dieting in Virtual Cycling—Where Zwift Needs to Go Next, and Why [Zommunique, March 23, 2022]
- Zwift Postpones Elite Racing Season Due to Smart Trainer Accuracy Concerns [Zommunique, Dec 4, 2024]
Join us for a conversational ride where we not only lend a voice to the digital athlete but also bridge the gap between athlete and avatar. We invite you to be part of this exciting exploration of the future of virtual sport and digital athlete engagement!
Instead of pointing at the event organizer, the commissaire or the Performance Vérification body as if they had a specific evil agenda, I think someone pretending to represent our sport as one of its most relevant figures and elite riders, and UCI worlds medalist, multiplatform elite rider on top, should give the entire context of the annulment and focus on how to get our sport to be a sport.
I believe all parties know that it was more than a 3% overread causing the annulment. Second, a rider may agree or not on the sanction but ZWS ruleset is crystal clear and was, in my opinion, perfectly applied, interpreting that there was an issue but with no intent to gain an advantage.
2.3.1. Riders shall be solely responsible for ensuring that race data is accurately recorded and stored, and that no signal interference or other noise source impedes the recording or storage of race data.
2.5.6. Riders shall be responsible for maintaining the accuracy of their equipment, including but not limited to conducting a zeroing or other calibration or offset procedure for power meters and/or smart trainers immediately prior to an event
Tier 1: No Intent to Gain An Advantage
● Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
○ Incorrect virtual equipment
○ Incorrectly calibrated or otherwise ineligible physical equipment
○ Malfunctioning cadence sensor or heart rate monitor
○ Incorrect attire in a In Real Life event
○ Unable to verify performance
● Sanctions include, but are not limited to, the following:
○ If the issue is identified before an event has started: Rider not permitted to start
○ If the issue is identified after an event has started: Event result annulled
Hey Anonymous person. If you would like to have a conversation to clear up this misunderstanding, please reach out. You don’t have all the details.
Oh, now the website shows Luciano. Apologies, it was not showing a name next to the icon… -Nathan
I never go anonymous.
By the way I think I have many of the details, maybe not all though and certainly not all the details you have on Gabi’s specific case. I also understand that we are, in different forums and audiences but with the same interlocutors, giving a thought around the same topics regarding the future of e-cycling. We agree on many of them and disagree on a few of them. Happy to have that conversation you refer to in Chris’ podcast, covering riders wellbeing (not only elite), hardware accuracy, role modelling, governance of e-cycling overall and what it could take to make it a credible professional sport.