Industry News
Virtual bike races as hard as Tour de France, says expert

- Virtual cycle races take place of cancelled road races
- Big names like Chris Froome have been taking part
- Cycling data expert says virtual races are proving to be just as hard as the real thing
Virtual cycle racing is proving to be just as hard as road races such as the Tour de France, according to professional riders and a leading sports data analyst.
Races on virtual platforms such as Zwift and ROUVY have filled the void left by the cancellation of professional road races over the past few weeks, with big-name riders like Chris Froome and Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet taking part in events such as the Digital Swiss 5, the Zwift Tour for All and the Team INEOS eRace on Zwift.
Together with a panel of cycling experts from bonusfinder.com, professional cycling coach and data scientist Philipp Diegner – who regularly analyses UCI WorldTour races – has assessed the publicly available performance data from more than 200 efforts made by pro riders in recent virtual races.
Although virtual races are up to six times shorter than road races, Diegner said they have proved to be just as difficult as road races and have caught some professionals off guard. ”The racing is short and particularly intense,” he explained. “It is 45-90 minutes of racing instead of 3-6 hours. The consequence for the riders is that there is no opportunity to save energy like they have in road races, so they have to make prolonged, all-out efforts that push them to their physical limit.
“Professionals are not necessarily used to this and it can be a shock to the system. Virtual racing is as hard as road racing; it is just that endurance is a more decisive factor in road racing, whereas virtual racing is one hour of pure, intense suffering.”
Pro rider Chris Hamilton, who rides for Team Sunweb, agreed with Diegner when he described one virtual race as “the hardest thing I have ever done”.
Diegner selected the following 10 performances as the most impressive he has seen in the professional virtual races to date.
Rider | Team | Race | Time | Speed (avg km/h) | Power (avg watts) | W/kg (avg) | Ride Info Source |
Chris Hamilton | Team Sunweb | Digital Swiss 5 Race 5 | 01:00:13 | 37.7 | 393 | 6.05 | Strava |
Filippo Ganna | Team INEOS | Digital Swiss 5 Race 2 | 00:55:17 | 48.7 | 463 | 5.51 | Strava |
James Piccoli | Israel Start-Up Nation | Zwift Tour for All Stage 3 | 01:41:56 | 42.7 | 335 | 5.2 | Zwift Companion |
Louis Meintjes | NTT Pro Cycling | Zwift Tour for All Stage 5 | 01:23:40 | 33.3 | 323 | 5.7 | Zwift Companion |
Stefan De Bod | NTT Pro Cycling | Zwift Tour for All Stage 5 | 01:23:49 | 33.3 | 357 | 5.4 | Zwift Companion |
Nicolas Roche | Team Sunweb | Digital Swiss 5 Race 3 | 01:12:11 | 27.9 | 391 | 5.51 | Strava |
Pello Bilbao | Bahrain – McLaren | Zwift Tour for All Stage 3 | 01:42:39 | 42.4 | 330 | 5.5 | Zwift Companion |
Rohan Dennis | Team INEOS | Team INEOS eRace on Zwift | 00:58:01 | 29.2 | 373 | 5.18 | Zwift Companion |
Tobias Ludvigsson | Groupama – FDJ | Digital Swiss 5 Race 4 | 00:48:00 | 46 | 428 | 5.63 | Strava |
Nicolas Roche | Team Sunweb | Digital Swiss 5 Race 3 | 00:54:17 | 29.4 | 397 | 5.59 | Strava
|
Watts per kilogram is widely recognised as the most accurate barometer of effort in pro cycling. It takes the average power a rider produces over a set period of time and divides it by their weight in kilograms. The hardest road races require the winner to produce about 4/wkg over five hours. In virtual races, the winners have been nudging 6w/kg for between one hour and 1hr 45min.
Diegner said: “Chris Hamilton only finished fourth in race five of the Digital Swiss 5 but riding for one hour at 6.05w/kg is world class. He rode the last 12 minutes at 6.58w/kg, which would win him most WorldTour mountain stages.
“James Piccoli’s win on stage three of the Zwift Tour for All was a similarly amazing effort. He rode for one and a half hours at over 5w/kg and then kicked again and rode the last six minutes 25 seconds at 6.46w/kg. That’s unimaginable for amateur riders on Zwift.”
One lesson that emerged from the analysis was that the riders who are most successful on the road, such as Froome and 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, were not necessarily as effective in virtual races.
Diegner believes this was because successful road riders did not adjust to the nuances of virtual racing as well as others, but he expects them to start replicating their road success in virtual races with time and experience.
“Take Egan Bernal in the Team INEOS eRace on Zwift,” Diegner added. “He wasn’t competitive. That may be because he did not go all-out and was treating it as a training effort. But ultimately, once a rider with his capability gets used to the intensity, he will start winning like he does on the road.
“It is similar with sprints. Someone like [former three-time world champion] Peter Sagan might not get virtual racing right to begin with, but when he learns when and how to expend his power, he will start winning with the same regularity as on the road. Knowing when to start the sprint and how to reach max power in online races is a skill that has to be developed.”
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Industry News
Players Reclaim Close to $7M Through AskGamblers Complaint Service in 2024

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The latest AskGamblers Complaint Service report for 2024 has officially been released. The comprehensive report highlights the most important accomplishments and records of the AskGamblers Complaint Service team for the previous year.
In 2024, The AGCS team (formerly known as AGCCS) managed to return $6,890,547.11 to players. Over 7259 players turn to AskGamblers, submitting complaints against 1114 casino brands. Out of all the accepted and processed complaints, the team had a 68% resolution success rate. One of the notable milestones that reached was returning a total of $70 million to the members.
Dijana RadunoviÄ, General Manager at AskGamblers, said: âItâs amazing to see the trust players put in us year after year, and weâre able to repay them by helping them recover their funds from operators or solve other related issues. Weâve had another successful year, with a few records broken and amazing milestones achieved and we canât wait to see what lies in store in the years ahead.â
The post Players Reclaim Close to $7M Through AskGamblers Complaint Service in 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
SlotsCalendar Announces its Second Awards Edition at iGC Malaga 2025

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SlotsCalendar, a leading name and tastemaker in iGaming, has announced the second edition of the SlotsCalendar Awards. Winners will be announced during the iGC Malaga event in May 2025.
These awards are rapidly gaining significance in the iGaming world as SlotsCalendarâs steady growth, success, and player-centric mentality represent the communityâs interest.
Players have approximately a month to vote between the 10th of April and the 12th of May.
For its 2025 edition, the SlotsCalendar Awards Gala returns to the iGaming Club Conference in Malaga, happening on May 28th. The Awards categories for this year are as follows:
⢠Game Studio of the Year
⢠The Slot Everyoneâs Talking About
⢠Star Slot in the Making
⢠Casino of the Year
⢠Excellence in Bonus Variety
⢠Industry Standard in Responsible Gambling
⢠Live Casino of the Year
⢠Best Sports Betting Platform
⢠Best New Casino
⢠Best Crypto Casino
While the idea of iGaming Awards is not new to the industry, the SlotsCalendar Awards are unique for a simple reason: winners are voted by players from the entire iGaming community.
The uniqueness of these awards makes them particularly important in iGaming. Placing the decision-making strictly in the hands of the player is a fundamental shift in the iGaming community.
SlotsCalendar CEO Viorel Stan said: âItâs truly an honor and a privilege to see how our SlotsCalendar Awards have evolved. Last yearâs inaugural edition was a crowning achievement for us. It proved how vast and involved our community is, creating a level of engagement that made us incredibly proud. Being able to return to the iGC and reward some of iGamingâs luminaries in the name of the SlotsCalendar Community is beyond gratifying.â
The post SlotsCalendar Announces its Second Awards Edition at iGC Malaga 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
DigiPlus Bags 7 Wins at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

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DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus) has won seven honours â including five coveted gold awards â at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. This milestone places DigiPlus among the most awarded companies in the region this year, spotlighting its strategic growth and transformative impact across digital entertainment, social development and investor relations.
The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards Programme that recognises innovation across all 29 markets in the region. Widely regarded as the worldâs premier business awards, the Stevie Awards represent a prestigious recognition of business excellence.
DigiPlus bagged five Gold Stevies for âInnovative Achievement in Growthâ, âInnovation in Investor Relationsâ, âExcellence in Social Impact Companiesâ, âInnovation in Annual Reportsâ and âInnovation in Corporate Websitesâ. The company also clinched Silver and Bronze Stevies for âAchievement in Product Innovationâ and âInnovation in Brand Renovationâ respectively.
At the core of these wins is DigiPlusâ commitment to innovation and digital transformation. From redefining the player experience through localised and immersive content, to launching a refreshed brand identity that resonates with a more connected and tech-savvy user base, DigiPlus has embraced a future-forward mindset. The companyâs calculated investments in big data, cutting-edge technologies and stakeholder engagement have not only fueled business growth, but also opened inclusive pathways to digital participation through its social development arm, BingoPlus Foundation.
âThis momentous victory at the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards affirms DigiPlusâ emergence as a true powerhouse of innovation and progress, reshaping industry boundaries and redefining digital consumer engagement on a global scale. Through consistent growth and business performance, DigiPlus reaffirms its unwavering commitment to creating long-term value,â said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio Tanco.
Winning entries in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards undergo a rigorous, multi-layered evaluation by an esteemed panel of judges composed of business and industry leaders across the region.
âThe 12th Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards received an impressive array of outstanding entries. This yearâs winners have clearly shown their dedication to innovation, and we commend their resilience and imaginative efforts,â said Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards.
The post DigiPlus Bags 7 Wins at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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