Free-to-use virtual training platform is offering the chance to dine with Tadej Pogačar

Indoor training platform, MyWhoosh, is giving five lucky riders the chance to meet and dine with Tadej Pogačar.

The free-to-use platform will be hosting two-stage virtual missions from Monday, 13th to Sunday, 17th of October, with each completed stage on the MyWhoosh platform acting as an entry to the grand prize draw; an all-expenses paid trip to meet the four-time Tour de France winner in Abu Dhabi.

Set up to celebrate Tadej Pogačar’s UCI World Road Race Championship retention this year, MyWhoosh has announced a new global cycling mission for riders on its platform, ‘Chasing Tadej’.

The challenge might seem outlandish considering that no professional rider has managed to get close to the Slovenian this year, but MyWhoosh says it gives riders worldwide the chance to connect with cycling’s biggest celebrity.

The payoff for a solid week of training is pretty good, though. You could be set for a trip to Abu Dhabi to meet, ride, and dine with Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates.

Alongside the in-person experience, MyWhoosh will host a Live Café Ride with the world champion on October 31 at 9:30 AM GST (6:30 AM CET), allowing cyclists from around the world to log in and ride virtually alongside Pogačar in real time - no flights or credentials required.

The Chasing Tadej mission invites riders to complete two exclusive routes within the MyWhoosh platform, with every stage finished earning entries into the prize draw for the Abu Dhabi experience - up to three in total per rider, one per stage plus a bonus for completing both.

The routes themselves highlight two of the UAE’s most distinctive cycling locations. The first stage, Hudayriyat Outer Loop, covers two laps of a 21.4km course that mirrors the real-world circuit where the ride with Pogačar and Team UAE Emirates XRG will take place. Fast, flat, and built for close-quarters group riding, it offers the kind of rhythm and intensity suited to testing your legs against the virtual peloton.

Stage 2, Al Wathba, spans a single 22.5km lap through open desert, tracing smooth tarmac and wide horizons designed to capture the essence of the presumably rather inferno-paced UAE training conditions.

Completing both stages not only secures the maximum number of prize draw entries but also unlocks a trio of exclusive in-game rewards too. Riders will earn the ‘Chasing Tadej’ special-edition badge, the MyWhoosh Rainbow Quest virtual jersey, and a Met Trenta 3K Carbon White virtual helmet in game - each a nod to the mission’s connection to world-championship prestige.

For the main prize giveaway, five riders will be drawn at random to join Tadej Pogačar and Team UAE Emirates XRG for a premium cycling trip to Abu Dhabi - an experience that few fans, or even fellow riders, ever get the chance to enjoy.

The prize includes a private meet-and-greet with Pogačar, a group ride on Hudayriyat Island following the same route featured in the virtual mission, and a ride and breakfast at MyWhoosh HQ alongside the world champion himself - a complete immersion into the heart of one of professional cycling’s most dominant teams.

The timing of the Chasing Tadej Mission is pretty spot on, too. I know as well as anyone that sometimes the motivation to get indoors and set up that indoor training space can run a little low at this time of year, as we wave goodbye to the longer days in the northern hemisphere, so a challenge like this could pose as the perfect springboard for a solid winter of training.

Platforms like MyWhoosh, which remains entirely free to use, become increasingly attractive during the autumn and winter months, offering structured training, social rides, and competitive events - in MyWhoosh’s case, without subscription barriers. MyWhoosh hopes to reinforce its rather unique position next week by blending elite-level engagement with open, community-driven participation.

Since its founding back in 2019, MyWhoosh has steadily built a reputation among the virtual riding world and notably, remains cost-free, even paying out prize money for events each year. Structured workouts, realistic environments, and multi-stage races are all present.

While the headline prize is the Abu Dhabi experience, the real draw may be the accessibility - anyone with a smart trainer and an internet connection can take part - you just need to get on the MyWhoosh platform!

Riders can register and learn more about the mission on the MyWhoosh website.