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Meet Michael Vink and Mary Kate McCarthy, professional MyWhoosh athletes
The MyWhoosh Championship, which took place from 12-19 August 2025, attracted one of the most competitive fields in the history of cycling eSports, with athletes spanning six individual categories. The Abu Dhabi-headquartered company dubbed the event “the ultimate test of endurance, strategy, and resilience” – so riders needed to deliver across the board to stand a chance of bagging a slice of the $1 Million prize purse.
As expected, there was a lot to play for, and two outstanding athletes managed to deliver consistent performances across all seven stages, earning them the top step on the General Classification in their respective categories.
Both champions, Michael Vink and Mary Kate McCarthy, hail from the Land of the Long White Cloud – the Māori name for New Zealand – and are two of the leading figures dominating the cycling eSports space, with Vink transitioning from WorldTour outfit UAE Team Emirates-XRG and McCarthy the reigning UCI Cycling eSports World Champion.
10 questions with Michael Vink
Michael Vink grew up in Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. He had plans to attend university after school, but opted to pursue a career in professional cycling at the age of 19, driven by the success he achieved on the road. He got into cycling through a sports programme at school, and although he had never previously shown much interest in road cycling, he had always had a passion for mountain biking. After giving road cycling a try, he won the junior New Zealand National Time Trial Championships both times he competed, and it became clear to him that he had a natural talent for the sport.
While he doesn’t recall ever having received a 'lucky break,' Vink received a call-up to race with UAE Team Emirates-XRG after much success on the MyWhoosh platform. “It felt like I was finally in the right place at the right time.”
After leaving the WorldTour and UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 2024 to pursue a full-time career as a professional cycling eSports athlete, he has gone on to dominate the space alongside current UCI Cycling eSports World Champion, Jason Osborne. These days, the New Zealander calls Girona (Spain) home, and despite racing exclusively indoors on MyWhoosh, he spends most of his time training outdoors thanks to the region’s exceptional climate all year round.
Having missed the past few editions of the UCI Cycling eSports World Championships, Vink is targeting the 2025 edition in the hope of securing the legendary rainbow bands for the first time in his career.
Cyclingnews: Tell us about your time at UAE Team Emirates-XRG. What was the team dynamic like, and do you miss being part of the outfit?
Michael Vink: It was a really cool experience, particularly because UAE Team Emirates-XRG is the best team in the world. To have been a part of a team like that is something that probably won’t sink in until long after my career, when I’m looking back at the history of cycling during this period. The rider group we had there was fantastic; even the guys with decade-long WorldTour careers would say that the group we had was one of the best and also the most enjoyable. Of course, there are parts I miss and parts I don’t, although I still keep in touch with many of the riders. To be able to genuinely say that I made long-term friends there, I think, speaks volumes about the team environment we had.
CN: Why did you leave the WorldTour?
MV: I had an extremely difficult time in 2024 with a nasty bout of Covid in January and a subsequent Epstein-Barr virus diagnosis during the classics. I battled with EBV all season, and the time came towards the end of the year when I had to forget about myself as a cyclist and put my health first. Racing with MyWhoosh was the perfect solution because it allowed me to manage my recovery at my own pace, while still earning a living riding my bike.
CN: Did you and any of your teammates at UAE Team Emirates-XRG use MyWhoosh as a training tool?
MV: Yes, particularly when the weather was bad or it wasn’t feasible to ride outside before a race, or for an easy spin/cooldown post-race. It's safe to say that the majority of time spent riding MyWhoosh during the season was in Belgium.
CN: How did you get into cycling eSports?
MV: My introduction into cycling eSports came about through MyWhoosh in March of 2021. I had done a lot of indoor riding before that, but the idea of actually racing and potentially earning some prize money from it was something that sounded pretty good to me, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
CN: What is it about MyWhoosh that you enjoy?
MV: I like how easy it is to get on and ride or race. Throughout my career, I’ve had to travel extensively to access high-quality racing, but with MyWhoosh, I now have access to it wherever I am in the world. It’s also no secret that the roads outdoors are getting busier, and safety is of increasing concern, neither of which you need to worry about with indoor riding.
CN: Looking at your outdoor career and now your success in the cycling eSports space – what is your best result to date?
MV: I’m probably most known for my efforts at the National Championships. I have nine national titles on the road, and I’ve had some success in smaller races throughout the years, but I just never seemed to net the big one. From the eSports side, I’ve won both editions of the MyWhoosh Championships, which is what I would call the biggest event in cycling eSports.
CN: What does a typical training week look like for you?
MV: My training is centred around Sunday Race Club with MyWhoosh. The racing is incredibly hard, so generally not a lot of additional intensity needs to be added during the week, although it always depends on what phase of training I’m in. For example, the MyWhoosh Championship required a more structured build-up due to it being a seven-stage race over eight days, so it was more of a typical build-and-taper type approach. I still like to maintain a reasonable volume in my training, as there’s no off-season for the MyWhoosh premium events. Therefore, you need a good level of base fitness to sustain a high level year-round. I probably average around 20 hours a week as a general guide.
CN: What did you think of the MyWhoosh Championship – the format, routes, category breakdown, and prize money?
MV: The MyWhoosh Championship is a landmark event in the world of cycling eSports. MyWhoosh is breaking new ground with events like this, and it truly demonstrates the platform’s commitment to its continued growth. It’s not an easy task to accommodate over 500 riders across six categories for both Men and Women, but I think they have got a good balance between being challenging yet achievable for all competitors.
CN: What about the 2025 UCI Cycling eSports World Championships – the semi-finals are taking place on 3 October. Are you racing, and what are your goals?
MV: Yes, I’ll be racing the semi-finals, and provided I make it through to the finals, the World Championships live final in Abu Dhabi in November will be my next goal.
CN: While your focus is now cycling eSports, are there any outdoor races on your radar in the near future?
MV: At the moment, it’s just cycling eSports, but I’m open to all options going forward. I still have a deep passion for road riding, and there’s a possibility that I may find myself back in the pro peloton next year, but nothing is concrete at the moment. My dream would be to combine both road and virtual racing, but being able to do either professionally is a privilege.
10 questions with Mary Kate McCarthy
Mary Kate McCarthy grew up in Hamilton, New Zealand, situated on the North Island of the country. As a relatively new cyclist, McCarthy has gone on to establish herself as a true force on the road, not to mention one of the best female cycling eSports riders in the world. Despite her success, she recalls she wasn’t that interested in cycling at first. “I got into cycling after meeting my fiancé, Dylan, a New Zealand track and road cyclist and only started to enjoy it about a year and a half later, chasing Dylan on his recovery rides and pushing as hard as possible.”
Dylan quickly noticed her potential, and in 2019, at the age of 24, she entered her first New Zealand Road National Championships. She finished 10 minutes down due to the downhills and constant chase backs that put paid to her legs and ambitions – but she knew she could do better and entered again in 2020, where she showed her true potential. McCarthy attacked solo off the front for 85km, only to be caught inside the final kilometre, the result of which helped her believe she had the potential to pursue cycling seriously.
Unlike many eSports athletes who train and race full-time, Mary Kate balances her training with a day job in the police force. Despite her responsibilities, she won the 2024 UCI Cycling eSports World Championships 2024 and continues to dominate the women’s category in the Sunday Race Club.
Cyclingnews: How did you get into cycling e-sports?
Mary Kate McCarthy: Back in 2019, Dylan bought us a smart trainer and introduced me to online racing. At first, we mainly used it as a training tool, especially in winter when the weather made it hard to get outside. In 2023, I joined the Rocacorba Collective, which is run by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio.
I loved racing with them; it opened the doors to elite eSport racing, but at that stage, I still saw eSports more as a training tool than something I was fully committing to. It wasn’t until I made the decision to step away from chasing professional road cycling and focus on building a life with Dylan — like buying our first house — that things shifted. Around that same time, I came across the announcement for the esports World Championships. It reignited a spark in me and felt like the perfect challenge — something I could genuinely train for within the reduced number of hours I now had. I haven’t really looked back since.
CN: Looking at your outdoor career and now your success in the cycling eSports space – what's your best result to date?
MKM: Without a doubt, winning the UCI Cycling eSports World Championships last year. A rainbow jersey is something I’ll never take for granted.
CN: What does a typical training week look like for you?
MKM: My training is really centred around Sunday Race Club. That’s the key event in my week, so we usually build everything else around it. Depending on what the SRC course looks like, Dylan and I will adjust the sessions to ensure I’m prepared for the specific demands of that race. The rest of the week changes depending on my work schedule, too, so there’s always a bit of flexibility built in. It keeps things interesting – no two weeks are the same.
CN: What would you say is your favourite workout on MyWhoosh?
MKM: I’m not sure I could pick a single favourite workout – there are so many to choose from. But course-wise, my favourite has to be Zurich, with the Aussie Outerloop a close second.
CN: What did you think of the MyWhoosh Championships – the format, routes, category breakdown, and prize money?
MKM: I thought the MyWhoosh Championships were brilliant. I loved the format – it felt like a mini Grand Tour with flat, rolling, and climbing stages plus a time trial, so there was something for everyone.
From my perspective in Category One, the prize money is incredible, and I feel very fortunate to be in a position to compete for it. I do really like that MyWhoosh has opened up to more than just the elite riders; it's pretty awesome that so many people, no matter their level, can get involved and have the extra incentive of prize money, too.
CN: What about the 2025 UCI Cycling eSports World Championships – the semi-finals are taking place on 3 October. As the current world champion, how are you approaching this year’s edition?
MKM: I’m really excited to race. The format is very different from SRC. I see the semi-finals as a chance to get a feel for and an understanding of how things might play out at the Worlds. The back-to-back races are going to make it really tough, but I hope to maintain my current form and perform well enough to secure a spot at the world championships.
CN: New Zealand has embraced cycling esports more than most countries, and there’s so much emerging talent. Why do you think that is?
MKM: I think a big part of it is accessibility. Living in New Zealand, we’re so far from Europe and the heart of professional cycling. Travelling to a race overseas is a huge commitment and cost, and it’s simply not possible for many of us. Esports gives us the chance to race regularly against top talent without leaving home. We’re also a small country with a tight-knit cycling community, so word spreads quickly when there’s a new opportunity. I’ve managed to rope a few girls into racing SRC every week, and they’re loving it.
CN: Do you have any advice for young riders looking to make a career in cycling? Should they focus on outdoor racing, indoor racing, or try to balance both?
MKM: My advice is to follow whatever aspect of cycling you enjoy, but stay open to opportunities. Setbacks can sometimes feel like the end, but sometimes they are just redirecting you. For me, when I thought my outdoor cycling career was over, I think if I hadn’t been open to riding indoors on the turbo trainer, I never would have found myself as a world champion.
CN: Are you 100% focused on esports as a career, or do you balance it with a day job?
MKM: I balance it with my job as a police officer here in New Zealand. Training and racing fit around my shifts, but I’m very fortunate to have superiors who support me and give me time off when I need to compete. I do think that’s its is very cool this is even a question, MyWhoosh has done an incredible job with their platform, the fact that its free to use, free to sign up to Sunday Race Club and allows for riders of all abilities to race for prize money is amazing, and there really is nothing else out there like it, people really shouldn’t be afraid to get on their and give it a go!
CN: While your main focus is cycling eSports, are there any outdoor races on your radar?
MKM: Yes, the New Zealand Road National Championships are next for me on the road. That title is something I’ve been chasing since I started – I’ve had plenty of 2nd and 3rd places but never quite managed to nab the win. The women’s field is really strong, with several riders excelling at WorldTour level, which makes it incredibly motivating to line up against them.
