Months after the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, athletes from around the world gathered in Switzerland for a different kind of competition — Cybathlon 2024.
Organized by non-profit ETH Zurich, the event challenges teams from across the world to develop assistive technologies suitable for everyday use with and for people with disabilities.
Among the eight disciplines in the 2024 competition was a functional electrical stimulation (FES) bike race. An FES bike is a stationary bike that uses electrical pulses and advanced control systems to enable a smooth and balanced cycling motion to help athletes with limited leg movement pedal.
While the competition took place in a controlled environment in person, the actual race took place within TrainingPeaks Virtual, formerly indieVelo.
“Cybathlon is, more or less, the Olympic games, where para-athletics meets technology and innovation,” said Eric Hill, the co-founder and president of Project Echelon Racing, a US-based UCI Continental cycling team and 501c3 non-profit committed to empowering veterans through physical activity and community.
Hill, Project Echelon and Echelon Racing Promotions partnered with Cybathlon to make esports cycling accessible to individuals with paralysis through FES bikes on the TrainingPeaks Virtual platform.
Ten teams qualified for the finals, with South Korea’s Hunsub Lim representing team BeAGain winning the race with a time of 6:02. PULSE Racing’s Peter van Burk of The Netherlands and Italy’s Andrea Gatti of team Polimi 2 rounded out the podium.
Creating a Unique and Exciting Experience for Paralyzed Athletes
When these athletes first got started using FES, many were only able to do a single lap in the TrainingPeaks Virtual velodrome. Not only did they work their way up to multiple laps, but they started doing so competitively, and at a higher rate.
It also provided them with an experience they wouldn’t receive otherwise. Most of the Cybathlon athletes are only able to compete in a clinical setting, under the supervision of their doctor or physical therapist.
The FES riders may never know what it’s like to ride outdoors, but can still get the thrill of competition. Hill said that seeing the joy, excitement and competitive nature of the athletes was one of his proudest moments in all of his years working within esports.
“At some point in their lives, something we take for granted, was taken away — whether that was at birth and they’ve experienced that for life or there was a traumatic event,” Hill said. “To give them the opportunity to compete, participate and experience something that otherwise is not possible is truly special.”
While world tour cyclists can reach 400 watts per hour and your typical fit cyclist might be able to crank out 250 to 300 watts as an average for a 20-minute FTP test, many of the FES competitors produce only a small fraction of that.
With some riders only able to produce an average of 18 watts, a challenge presented itself: how does one create a realistic racing experience while still providing the same visual stimulus that other cyclists get to enjoy?
“When a rider is only producing 18 watts and going 3 mph in the virtual platform, that’s not particularly exciting for anyone,” Hill said. “We were able to work with the developers to ensure that lower wattage is translated correctly and is accurate, but displayed as a more exciting experience for the athletes and spectators.”
Hill and Cybathlon organizers worked directly with TrainingPeaks Virtual founder George Gilbert on creating that exciting and realistic experience for the FES riders.
“I created TrainingPeaks Virtual to serve the needs of athletes, coaches and event organizers — a community of people who share a vision of what online cycling and esports could be if their priorities were put first,” Gilbert explained. “Working with Cybathlon and Project Echelon on adapting the platform to accommodate athletes utilizing FES is a perfect example of that. It is an honor and a privilege to play a small part in creating this experience for these inspiring athletes.”
Hill — who has dedicated his career to educating, equipping, and empowering veterans and their communities through physical activity and self-discovery — was appreciative of the accommodations George and TrainingPeaks Virtual took to bring this event to life.
“The thing I love about TrainingPeaks Virtual the most is the platform’s willingness to make that a reality,” Hill said. “It’s community first and community minded, focused on the rider experience and not always just a business-growth-first mindset. Representation, equity and access clearly matters, and that’s important for us.”
Community Is at the Heart of TrainingPeaks Virtual
Before meeting in person for the finals, the Cybathlon athletes were able to ride together, train together and experience the same things together in a medical facility or training facility under the supervision of their doctor or physical therapist.
“The biggest thing was the sense of connectedness that these riders were able to experience when they were in different parts of the world,” said Hill. “It gives them a sense of belonging and a sense of achievement.”
Community runs deep within TrainingPeaks Virtual. Coaches are able to build their own teams — complete with custom kits — as well as create their own group races, events, rides and workouts. Athletes can ride with their friends around the world, their coach group, or join various group rides and races open to the public.
TrainingPeaks Virtual athletes are able to easily communicate with fellow riders or their coach through team-only, local-only and global chat options. In addition, group dynamic features such as rubberbanding for no-drop rides, a late-join option allowing riders to join groups at any time, and a teleport feature to immediately join friends and teammates are just a few of the community-minded features available in TrainingPeaks Virtual.
TrainingPeaks Virtual is available for free through March 2025. After that, it will be included as part of TrainingPeaks Premium.
