Robots Assemble: online riding platform gives you a team of domestique bots

The MyWhoosh virtual riding platform has introduced a selection of controllable companion bots that riders can edit as they see fit for maximum training and racing gains.

The platform, which is to host the UCI esports World Championship for the coming three seasons, has introduced six different bots all designed to excel in different situations. They come as part of a significant update that also includes an improved FTP (functional threshold power) test, better Android compatibility and a lapping system.

The six bots comprise the Sprinter – "your go-to for high-intensity, short-distance bursts" says MyWhoosh; the Mountain Bot – which "thrives on steep climbs"; the Flat Bot – which "excels in maintaining top speeds on flat terrains"; the Attacker – which "specialises in making decisive, strategic moves"; the Smasher – which allows you to "harness raw power to dominate the peloton and create significant gaps"; and the Climber – which "brings grace and efficiency to challenging ascents".

The rider can set a bot's power to best match the task at hand and their own ability, and even assemble a whole team of bots in special events, sending them up the road at the right moment to help them break away or win, for example. Alternatively they can be used as training pace partners, as a bit of visual motivation.

A bot's energy doesn't last forever though, and depending on how hard you're asking it to work, it will slowly run down before needing to recharge and recover – which introduces a separate strategic element.

Delving a bit deeper into MyWhoosh's accompanying updates, the platform is now compatible with a greater number of lower-end Android devices, while its new lap function displays a laps ridden counter. The improved FTP test sees the removal of a short, 30-second interval between three and 12-minute efforts, giving riders more time to recover.

MyWhoosh, based in Abu Dhabi and founded in 2019, is a sponsor of the UAE Team Emirates team and purportedly Tadej Pogačar's go-to indoor riding platform. It was awarded the UCI esports Championship back in August, taking over from Zwift, which had been hosting the event since 2020. This year's event takes place in October.

MyWhoosh is renowned for big-money events such as the weekly Sunday Race Club series, which features a monthly prize purse of over $90,000. Its $1 Million MyWhoosh Championship series in April 2023 represented the biggest payout in cycling esports history.