Ep. 70: Conny Björnehall—Making Cycling Esports a Household Name
Sweden is setting the bar for national federations in cycling esports—and at the center of it all is Conny Björnehall, Chairman of Ecycling for the Swedish Cycling Federation.In this episode of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Conny shares how Sweden has quickly become a global force in the discipline, from sending eight riders to the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championship Final in Abu Dhabi, to hosting a groundbreaking live national championship during SM-veckan (Sweden’s Winter National Championship across all sports) that was broadcast to over 500,000 homes via Swedish Public TV.We dig into the inner workings of Sweden’s cycling esports program, including:The launch of a national ecycling license.Youth development through the Scandinavian Cup, a cross-border initiative with Denmark and Norway.What made their MyWhoosh-hosted live National Championship a standout event.The roadmap to the 2025 World Championships and beyond!Conny also shares his motivation to push for greater UCI involvement, including the creation of a dedicated esports commission to bring international leaders to the table for meaningful progress. Plus, we discuss why the Olympic Esports Games could be a gamechanger—not just for visibility, but for securing national-level funding and recognition for athletes in the discipline.This is a must-listen episode for anyone invested in the growth and future of cycling esports.Don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to delve even deeper into the intriguing topics discussed in this episode.Danish Federation’s Cycling Esports Leadership is an Example for NGBs [Zommunique, Feb. 28, 2024]AusCycling and the Swedish Cycling Federation Crown 2024 Cycling Esports National Champions in Live Event Finals on the Same Day [Zommunique, Mar. 27, 2024]AusCycling Announce 2025 Cycling Esports National Championships Will Be in April on MyWhoosh [Zommunique, Mar. 11, 2025]The UCI’s rocky roadmap for cycling esports [Escape Collective, Mar. 21, 2025] Join us for a conversational ride as we lend a voice to the digital athlete and bridge the gap between athlete and avatar.Statements made by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the podcast, its hosts, or its partners. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions.