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We’re taking the opportunity this week to introduce you to our racers who will be lining up in the 2023 UCI eSports Cycling World Championships on February 18th on Zwift for Team USA! Our team has 6 racers lining up: Matt Curbeau, Jacquie Godbe, Liz Van Houweling, Ryan Larson, David Talbott, and Morgan Uceny. Then we also have Matt Gardiner and Jenn Real representing the team as Team Directors for the men’s and women’s squads!

Let’s pick up where we left off! Describe your cycling racing persona in one word:

Morgan: Gritty

David: Tenacious

Liz: Combustible

Ryan: Fire

Jacquie: Caffeinated

Matt: Contender

Do breakaways work on Zwift?

Morgan: Yes, but it does seem harder for a breakaway to stick in my pretty limited experience.

David: It depends on the course, the riders, and the size of the field a bit but yes they can. Most breaks do not work as the pack speed rolls faster under the zwift algo at a greatly reduced effort, which is why most people sit in and chase everything immediately.

Liz: Yes, especially with the shift towards shorter races with smaller field sizes.

Ryan: I’m a punchy rider and breakaways do work but it takes a lot of power and experience to make it successful.

Jacquie: Yes, but they require a ton of teamwork to make it stick.

Matt: Without a doubt if the riders are motivated. They should work more often, but the average Zwift racer doesn’t understand bike racing and chases everything back.

Would you rather be in the breakaway or in the bunch, ready to sprint to glory?

Morgan: Breakaway!

David: That’s easy: break.

Liz: My dream is always to go solo from a break. This is a much riskier and painful option, but it’s an absolutely beautiful way to win. However, my strengths are generally more suited to win small bunch sprints rather than a long, solo breakaway.

Ryan: I would rather be in a smaller break with about 3 to 5 guys in it. I am good in a sprint but I am better when everyone has had to do work.

Jacquie: Breakaway

Matt: Depends on the day, but usually I’m carefully waiting to crush the finish.

Fast forward to the UCI eSports World Championship finish. You cross the final finish line in first, a World Champion. What do you do first?

Morgan: Celebrate with my husband Shane, my #1 supporter and main reason I got into competitive outdoor and indoor cycling at all! 

David: Grab the nearest double IPA and drink it immediately.

Liz: I squeal in delight and probably exclaim, “what just happened?!” about a thousand times. Then I give my husband and kids giant hugs/kisses and have celebratory beer and pizza.

Ryan: I celebrate with my family and my team. They are the ones that have made me who I am as a person and athlete and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here.

Jacquie: Try not to fall out of my saddle! Let’s be honest, in all of the joy/excitement/surprise, I’d probably forget to unclip.

Matt: I’ll immediately go upstairs and celebrate with my wife Kait and daughter Claire.

Tune into the broadcast at the links at the top of this article to catch all the action!