In this episode, Nathan Guerra sits down with Dean Cunningham , founder of Restart Esports and Race Director of the Prestige Series , to talk about what it really takes to build a legitimate and sustainable esports ecosystem. Dean shares the origins of Prestige, how he’s helping fill the gap between community and elite racing, and why verification, paid entry, and fair prize pools might be the foundation of esports’ next evolution. They also dive into: How Prestige was built from the ground up by racers for racers What value add does a professional organization bring to Cycling Esports The future structures of Cycling Esports for National and World bodies to adopt. What makes performance verification crucial to the sport’s future How Dean’s own experience as a top-level racer keeps him grounded in athlete reality From community chaos to structured competition — this episode captures what happens when passion meets purpose in cycling esports. 🎙️ In The Draft Podcast — powered by Leadout 🚴♂️ Watch the live version on YouTube / Follow @LeadoutEsports for updates Website: https://leadoutesports.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/leadoutesports/ https://www.instagram.com/nathanguerra90/ https://www.instagram.com/anna_zwift_racer/ Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/leadoutesports https://www.twitch.tv/nathanguerra https://www.twitch.tv/annazwift Discord: https://discord.gg/PHzy92qWg8 Podcast version https://www.buzzsprout.com/2022987
