Online MMG virtual cycling game maker Zwift has just announced retired pro Mike McCarthy has joined the team as VP of Content and Licensing. During his 12 year cycling career, McCarthy was a world pursuit champion on the track, multi-time Olympian, and a member of the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.
Now, after working in the financial sector, he’ll be helping to build the community within Zwift to provide a more robust, entertaining and competitive experience. While it’s a bit early to say exactly what those experiences will look like, the company has let it be known that six professional teams will be watching the online competitions to fill one slot each. In an interview with The Telegraph, Zwift founder Eric Min says an ‘X-Factor’ style competition will move six top riders from an onscreen avatar to an on-road sponsored pro. Who says playing video games never pay off?
Check our feature story on Zwift for all the details and screenshots. It’s in beta now with a public launched planned for early 2015.
