Best Thez Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep. 60: Zwift Pauses Elite Racing—Community Weighs In On Smart Trainer Issues 1:03:05

12h ago1:03:05

1:03:05

In Episode 60 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris welcomes cycling journalist Aaron Borrill, an elite racer who has competed in multiple UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Aaron discusses his role as Captain of the South African Esports National Team, the innovative ways Cycling South Africa supports cycling esports, and how their approach cou…

1
Ep. 59: Eric Hill Announces 2024/25 Echelon Racing League & USA Cycling Esports Nationals 29:53

6h ago29:53

29:53

In Episode 59 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Eric Hill, founder of Project Echelon Racing and Echelon Racing Promotions. Eric has been a visionary in blending traditional cycling with virtual racing, supporting the sport and the veteran community through his groundbreaking initiatives. In this episode, we’ll dive into Project E…

1
Ep. 58: Training Peaks’ Dirk Friel and indieVelo’s Dr. George Gilbert on Formation of Training Peaks Virtual 47:31

6d ago47:31

47:31

In Episode 58 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Dirk Friel, co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Training Peaks, and Dr. George Gilbert, the creator of indieVelo, to discuss their newly formed partnership and the launch of Training Peaks Virtual. The collaboration combines indieVelo’s innovative approach to virtual cycling and espor…

1
Ep. 57: 2024 Women's UCI Cycling Esports World Champion, New Zealand's Kate McCarthy 44:18

1M ago44:18

44:18

In Episode 57 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma sit down with cycling esports’ new women’s World Champion, New Zealand's Kate McCarthy, for her first interview since her thrilling victory in the live finals in Abu Dhabi. McCarthy, the only community racer to conquer the elite esports stage, opens up about the emotional rollercoaster leadi…

1
Ep. 56: On the Eve of the Cycling Esports World Championships with UCI’s Jacob Fraser and MyWhoosh’s Matt Smithson 43:10

1M ago43:10

43:10

In episode 56 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, host Chris catches up with Jacob Fraser from the UCI and Matt Smithson from MyWhoosh in Abu Dhabi as they gear up for the groundbreaking 2024 UCI Cycling Esports live event final. Set against the stunning backdrop of Abu Dhabi, this episode is essential listening for any cycling esports fan or enthusiast a…

1
Ep. 55: Cycling Esports’ First Men’s World Champion Jason Osborne 33:41

1M ago33:41

33:41

In Episode 55 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma have a candid conversation with Olympic medalist rower turned WorldTour Pro Jason Osborne. In a heartfelt conversation, Osborne reveals that he’s happier now that he stepped away from Alpecin Deceuninck, free of the burdens of being enslaved by a joyless sport that is no longer worth the ris…

1
Ep. 54: UCI's Cycling Esports Coordinator Jacob Fraser 56:25

27d ago56:25

56:25

In Episode 54 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma sit down with Jacob Fraser, the UCI's Cycling Esports Coordinator. Fraser's journey from early involvement in cycling esports with platforms like Zwift and MyWhoosh to his current role with the UCI showcases his impact on the sport's rapid evolution. His insights shed light on the UCI's comm…

1
Ep. 53: Danish Cycling Union’s Esports Director Martin Wang Hjørngaard 32:35

2M ago32:35

32:35

In Episode 53 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome the Danish Cycling Union’s Esports Director Martin Wang Hjørngaard. Denmark is the home of the defending men’s cycling esports World Champion, Bjørn Andreassen, and the second most medals in Cycling Esports World Championship history. The nation’s perennial success is no coincidence.…

1
Ep. 52: Cycling Esports Superstar Lou Bates 34:01

2M ago34:01

34:01

In Episode 52 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Great Britain’s cycling esports superstar, Lou Bates. From a bustling corner of her Zurich hotel lobby, Emma found a coveted Wi-Fi signal and a short window of time. She’s there putting words to the action, calling numerous 2024 Road and Para-Cycling World Champions for the BBC. [Ple…

1
Ep. 51: Hayden "Farmwatts" Pucker is the New Breed of Cycling Esports 27:12

2M ago27:12

27:12

In Episode 51 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and guest host, cycling broadcaster Matt Payne, welcome 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship finalist, the USA's Hayden "Farmwatts" Pucker. He epitomizes the new breed of cycling esports racers making a mark on the sport through their youthful exuberance, competitive charisma, and drive to be …

1
Ep. 50: MyWhoosh's Matt Smithson, 2024 Cycling Esports World Championship Semi-Final Recap & Live Final Preview 52:01

3M ago52:01

52:01

In Episode 50 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Matt Smithson, MyWhoosh's Senior Director of Esports and Events. Before getting Matt's prediction for who will pull the rainbow-striped jersey over their heads, he shares MyWhoosh's unlikely journey to the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships Semi-Final, which took place on S…

1
Ep. 49: Mt. Washington Record Holder & Cycling Esports Star Kristen Kulchinsky w/Coach Josh Lipka 49:51

3M ago49:51

49:51

In Episode 49 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24's Kristen Kulchinsky and Coach Josh Lipka. The reigning US National Cycling Esports Champion is on a barnstorming campaign in her first year as a real world cyclist, crushing the course record on every hill climb she entered, including an epic victory a…

1
Ep. 48: AthleteAnalytiX Founder Bjoern Ossenbrink 36:40

4M ago36:40

36:40

In Episode 48 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma discuss the Zwift Community Elite 2024/25 season performance verification process changes with AthleteAnalytiX founder Bjoern Ossenbrink. Bjoern is a pioneer in the space. Beginning as a Zwift beta-tester, he progressed from community racer to leading ZADA, the Zwift Accuracy and Data Analys…

1
Ep. 47: Elyse Gallegos is 100% All In For Cycling Esports 38:49

4M ago38:49

38:49

In Episode 47 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome elite esports cyclist Elyse Gallegos. The IRONMAN champion and mother to two young boys is proud to represent the USA in the semi-finals of the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship. Elyse shares her experience balancing family priorities while striving for personal athletic go…

1
Should poor people have kids? 22:54

5M ago22:54

22:54

This is such a common debate on the internet along with the topic of being pro-choice vs pro-life and as the economy becomes worse, having a kid may actually become restricted to only the rich. Listen to me talk about how my opinion on poor people having kids has shifted to accommodate many exceptions that we fail to consider in this episode of the…

1
Life update: where have I been for 3 months?! 26:07

5M ago26:07

26:07

I’m back (fingers crossed) and it’s only fair to start with a life update cause these past 3 months were FUNNY. Let’s talk about YouTube, school, getting a job, adult life + the fear of turning 20 in this episode of the zoraya effect.

1
Ep. 46: FRR’s Richard Vale on the Groundbreaking MYTIKAS Games & Cycling Esports News Update 47:37

5M ago47:37

47:37

In Episode 46 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Flamme Rouge Racing’s Richard Vale discusses the groundbreaking multi-platform MYTIKAS Games and, along with hosts Chris and Emma, explores the essential cycling esports news that all racers and fans need to know! The MYTIKAS games are the first cycling esports event to unfold across multiple platforms, fe…

1
Ep. 45: The Research Team Leading the UCI's Smart Trainer Standardization Program 48:57

5M ago48:57

48:57

In Episode 45 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, hosts Chris and Emma catch up with the Purdue University College of Engineering team of Prof. Jan-Anders Mansson and researchers Patrick Cavanaugh and Teal Dowd, who are leading the UCI's smart trainer homologation and data manipulation program. The group is currently in Lucerne, Switzerland, preparing to …

1
Ep. 44: Anti-Cheating Esports Researcher Dr. Andrew Richardson and the 2024/25 Zwift Elite Race Book Breakdown 1:01:38

6M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

In Episode 44 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, hosts Chris and Emma welcome Andrew Richardson, Ph.D., a foremost anti-doping cycling esports research associate at Newcastle University, UK. The scientific review "Zwift's Anti-Doping Policy: Is it Open to Cheating?" published in the International Journal of Esports in early 2022 was one of the first to t…

1
Ep. 43: Aussie Cycling Esports Indoor Specialists Kate Trdin and Josh Harris 45:42

6M ago45:42

45:42

In Episode 43 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, hosts Chris and Emma welcome the Aussie “Indoor Specialist” power couple Kate Trdin and Josh Harris. Josh held the World Record for the Beer Mile multiple times (four beers and four laps in 4:51), won the Zwift Grand Prix Epic Points Race, finished fourth in the 2024 Zwift Games Overall Championship, and t…

1
Ep. 42: indieVelo's Dr. George Gilbert, Watts Aren't Watts in the Present and Future of Defining Virtual Sport 46:31

7M ago46:31

46:31

For Episode 42 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome back indieVelo founder Dr. George Gilbert for the third time for their first time together as co-hosts. Quickly after the Apple TV release, which makes indieVelo accessible to a broad range of users and devices, he explains why "Watts Aren't Watts" when defining the future of virtua…

1
Ep. 41: The Virtual Velo Podcast Ushers In a New Era 56:22

7M ago56:22

56:22

In Part One of Episode 41 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si welcome elite cycling esports racer and award-winning cycling journalist Aaron Borrill. "Captain South Africa" shares how Cycling South Africa supports their National Cycling Esports team as a unique cycling discipline and how he plans to help get his teammates ready for the 2024 U…

1
Over sharing (seeking validation from social media) 17:45

8M ago17:45

17:45

I know I have successfully built a podcast off of me over sharing but pleasee hear me out. I think I have come to the point in my life where I just don’t want to share anything personal on social media (even private stories) because it’s just not anyone’s business. Let’s talk about seeking validation from posting on social media even if it’s just o…

1
Ep. 40: Ex-Zwift Performance Team Employee Flint McInnis 1:28:21

8M ago1:28:21

1:28:21

In Episode 40 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si welcome former Zwift employee Flint McInnis for an insightful, forward-thinking conversation on the state of racing on the platform. Flint, a Zwift competition team member and forum moderator, played a vital role in developing the Zwift Racing Score before being affected by Zwift’s recent rest…

1
Is romance dead in this generation? 18:38

9M ago18:38

18:38

“Don’t express your feelings” “only accept compliments if he has spent this amount of money on you” “don’t send texts about how you feel” “play this game to get this” “manipulate him/her this way”. Relationships are becoming so tasking and basically a competition of who can manipulate who more. Let’s talk about whether or not our generation has kil…

1
Ep. 39: Lionel Vujasin and Ollie Jones, Zwift Games Championship or MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club? And In-Person Performance Testing in Abu Dhabi 1:30:14

9M ago1:30:14

1:30:14

For Episode 39 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, cycling esports pioneers Lionel Vujasin and Ollie Jones join the discussion with Chris and Si. Lionel made a splash with a thrilling win at the CVR Cup live event in Vancouver in 2018, while Ollie claimed victory at Zwift Academy the same year and went on to success on the road and beyond. Reflecting on t…

1
Soft spot in Nigeria? Dey play 15:15

9M ago15:15

15:15

You know when you see all those TikTok trends of the supermarket shopping sprees or the “take this or double it and give it to the next person”. There’s a place and a time for everything and Nigeria is slowly but surely ( actually very quickly) becoming NOT a place for that. Lets talk about why you need to dead the soft guy in you if you live in Ni…

1
Does old age demand respect? 23:11

9M ago23:11

23:11

It’s common to believe that old age demands unconditional respect but I disagree and instead believe in respecting people until they give me a reason not to respect them. Let’s talk about the insecurity of older people when they are met in situations with people way younger than them, big brother and the bullying of younger contestants and many oth…

1
Ep. 38: Live From The Birthplace of Zwift Cycling Esports with Brian Duffy 1:06:38

9M ago1:06:38

1:06:38

For Episode 38 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si journeyed over 8,000 miles to Long Beach, CA, the birthplace of Zwift Cycling Esports, to record live together for the first time. They had the opportunity to interview Brian Duffy, the 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Champion from NeXT eSports pb Enshored, and share a ride and insightful c…

1
Now that we’re grown, can we finally admit……. 40:01

9M ago40:01

40:01

We’re finally back and it’s only right that we have a heart to heart on things we have lied to ourselves about or tried to avoid admitting. Let’s finally admit that we all gossip,that not everyone owes us support,that being fake is necessary in many cases,that there’s nothing cringe about posting on YOUR social media accounts,that it’s okay to not …

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Ep. 37: Why MyWhoosh, not Zwift? The UCI Answers. The Reaction with Zach Nehr! 1:38:06

10M ago1:38:06

1:38:06

In Episode 37 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Si and Chris invite freelance cycling writer and multi-platform elite esports star Zach Nehr to a roundtable discussion. Don’t let the length of this episode scare you off. It’s packed full of exciting cycling esports news and inside information. Zach has jet-setted worldwide, competing in live esports eve…

1
Ep. 36: 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships & SRC Annulments Update with MyWhoosh’s Matt Smithson 1:06:10

11M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

In Episode 36 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, MyWhoosh's Race Control and Events Manager Matt Smithson gives the first look into the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship. The format, courses, dates, qualifications, and all the specifics the community has been anxiously awaiting. The MyWhoosh platform is the home of the World Championship for th…

1
2023 ➡️ 2024 (season 2 finale) 47:38

12M ago47:38

47:38

Happy new year!! 2023 was a very special year in so many ways and I’m sure we all learnt so much this year! Let’s do a 2023 recap and talk about our ins and outs for 2024 in this episode of the zoraya effect!!

1
Let me prep you for Lagos in December. 28:50

12M ago28:50

28:50

Nothing like Lagos in December, the most confusing time of the year with mixed emotions. As your best friend, let’s prep together so we can have fun and it won’t be Lagos 1-0 us.

1
Primeau, we wanna party ft DJ Primeau 29:56

12M ago29:56

29:56

Honored to have my favorite and the best dj of all time on the podcast today!! Listen to primeau and I talk about how he started,samurai,the coolest part about the job,events coming up this detty December in Lagos and everything in between in this episode of the zoraya effect. DON’T FORGET TO COME PARTY WITH PRIMEAU THIS DECEMBER!🤍…

1
Ep. 35: Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Cycling Esports’ First World Champion and Role Model 1:00:11

12M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

In episode 35 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si chat with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. She took time away from training camp with her UCI Women’s Continental AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL TEAM (AGS – BEL) to share what being the first UCI Cycling Esports World Champion on Zwift still and always will mean to her. Ashleigh is a purpose-driven athlete with…

1
Losing faith part 1 34:46

1y ago34:46

34:46

From being Catholic to being Christian to just believing God to contemplating believing in nothing. Let’s talk about losing faith in this episode of the zoraya effect.

1
A self aware sensitive b*tch (A TRAIN WRECK) 26:34

1y ago26:34

26:34

“My sensitivity is my superpower” “my empathy is a gift” BS! Let’s talk about the reality of being super sensitive in this episode of the zoraya effect.

1
Ep. 34: WTRL’s Martin Carew Talks Zwift Racing League 1:11:50

1y ago1:11:50

1:11:50

The Zwift Racing League is quite possibly the largest community-based racing league in the world. Does it also have the most cheaters, cruisers, and sandbaggers? WTRL’s Martin Carew is here to say he’s doing things on his end, but can he and is Zwift doing enough? In episode 34 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Si ask those questions and more!…

1
Disrespect in friendships 17:37

1y ago17:37

17:37

Being alone isn’t that bad when you think about the disrespect people endure in the name of “friendship”. let’s talk about the relatively light hearted things I consider disrespectful in friendships.

1
Anger 25:34

1y ago25:34

25:34

Anger is literally the scariest emotion for me and I hate it so much but then again it’s a normal emotion and a normal part of life so let’s talk about it!

1
Ep. 33: MyWhoosh Speaks Publicly For the 1st Time and The Zwift Games 1:03:04

1y ago1:03:04

1:03:04

In Episode Thirty-Three of the Virtual Velo Podcast, on the day that virtual platform MyWhoosh and the UCI released details about the 2024 Live Cycling Esports World Championship Final in Abu Dhabi, Race Control and Events Manager Matt Smithson chose the Virtual Velo Podcast to speak publicly for the first time and make the announcement. Chris and …

1
Fuck them kids 40:59

1y ago40:59

40:59

Kids CAN be cute and CAN be fun but do I want to have them in the future? Most definitely not. Let’s talk about all the reasons I don’t want to have kids in this episode of the zoraya effect.

1
Drunk words, sober thoughts 43:06

1y ago43:06

43:06

In honor of two years of being a podcast host, I’m doing a Q & A but DRUNK :)

1
Ep. 32: Echelon Racing Returns to Zwift, USA Cycling National Championships, and Zwift Grand Prix Round One Controversy 52:32

1y ago52:32

52:32

In Episode Thirty-Two of the Virtual Velo Podcast hosts Chris and Si sit down with Project Echelon Racing’s Eric Hill. USA Cycling has just unveiled the plans for its third-annual Cycling Esports Nationals, and Project Echelon is returning to Zwift to put on the event. Eric has reached out to the cycling esports platform indieVelo for performance v…

1
Life gets better as you get older (trust me) 39:32

1y ago39:32

39:32

Episode starts at 10 minutes lmao I talk too damn much 😭 but let’s talk about the way our brains literally change as we get older even if we face the same challenges, somehow it gets better as we grow. Listen to me also talk about how leaving highschool and starting this podcast helped my life get better in this episode of the zoraya effect.…

1
Are we actually breaking the cycle? 40:09

1y ago40:09

40:09

Let’s talk about “the iPhone 8 girl”, hitting your kids, suffer mentality and the self hate a lot of black people have which makes them see everything good as a “western thing” in this episode of the zoraya effect.

1
Girl mathhhh 17:57

1y ago17:57

17:57

2+2 is most definitely 5 and everything I say in this episode is straight up facts 😂

1
Ep. 31: From Virtual to Real-World Victory with Kristen Kulchinsky, the $100,000 Zwift Grand Prix, and Exciting News From the UCI 47:22

1y ago47:22

47:22

In Episode Thirty-One of the Virtual Velo Podcast, hosts Chris and Si sit down with elite cyclist and Indoor Specialist Kristen Kulchinsky and her coach, Josh Lipka, to discuss her recent triumphs on the road. Kristen’s victories are not just a personal milestone but also a legitimization of the impact of indoor specialists in real-world cycling co…

1
Confidence>>> 24:14

1y ago24:14

24:14

I really can’t think of a caption :( we’re talking about confidence though :) confidence in being a woman , confidence with regards to people and the way they respond to it.

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