MyWhoosh: "Outside cycling is free, so why shouldn’t indoor cycling be?” - Domestique Hotseat

MyWhoosh is free, it pays out real prize money every week, and it runs the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. So who pays for it? Matt Smithson, Director of Esports and Game Operations at MyWhoosh, joins Aidan Burgess on the Domestique Hotseat to answer that question.

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Matt explains why the UAE built its own indoor cycling platform. He talks about the summer heat, national pride, and wanting to show what the country can build. He is open about the wealthy stakeholders behind the esports side. He also says the game itself has to start paying its own way, through season passes, in-game worlds for tourist boards and advertising.

One surprise: Matt says less than five percent of MyWhoosh users race, even though Sunday Race Club is what most people know the platform for. Workouts are much bigger. He also explains how the Ride with Tadej Pogačar on 31 October will work, and how riders can put their questions to Tadej live.

Aidan pushes on the hard topics too. Will power gems become pay to win? Will there be loot boxes? How does MyWhoosh handle doping controls and weigh-ins when there is money on the line? And can esports racing ever be more than a watts per kilo test? Matt walks through the new format for the 2026 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in Copenhagen on 5 December, and says where he thinks the sport is going: towards gamers.