Velo Podcast

It’s once again the most important time of the year for road cycling. On Saturday, the 111th Tour de France rolls out from Florence, Italy, and it’s time to get ready for the racing.

Velo Pod host Hannah Knapp is joined by former pro cyclist Bobby Julich and Velo European Correspondent Andrew Hood to discuss the upcoming 2024 Tour de France.

The discussion begins with the GC contenders and the excitement surrounding Tadej Pogacar who is fresh off a commanding Giro d’Italia victory and looking to complete the elusive Giro-Tour double. For all the hype of the “Big Four” of Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, and Roglič does anyone else besides Pogi stand a chance at the yellow jersey after injury riddles seasons? 

The conversation then moves on to the must watch stages, with a focus on the grueling hilly opening stage that features seven consecutive climbs, and the challenging mountain stages and the final stage time trial in Nice. 

When the race finally wraps up, will Mark Cavendish leave as the sole owner of the Tour de France stage win record? He needs one more to best Eddy Merckx, but any win in the Tour de France is a tall order, especially at Cavendish’s age. 

We also discuss the absence of American rider Sepp Kuss, the loyal lieutenant to Vingegaard and the reigning Vuelta champion, and the impact it will have on the race. Things then move on to a discussion about other American riders to watch, including Matteo Jorgensen and Nielson Powless. And of course there’s Sean Quinn representing in his brand new national champion’s jersey.

Finally, Hoody and Bobby fill us in on what has them excited for the 2024 Tour de France beyond the GC race, including top riders to watch.

Listen in wherever you stream podcasts for the full discussion, and tune in to Velo for Tour coverage all race long. 

Unbound Gravel reaches new heights each year in terms of racing quality and excitement. 2024 was no exception as the elite women finally got the staggered start time they wanted, resulting in a thrilling nine-up sprint. Meanwhile, the People's Champ Lachlan Morton went for a memorable victory in a men's race marked by negative racing.

Velo senior editor Betsy Welch was on the ground in Emporia, Kansas, along with social media manager Hannah Knapp. They're joined by Will Tracy for a discussion of the race, the drama, or lack thereof, the latest tech that leaked at the race, and our favorite story of the event, involving $198 beach cruisers.

This week's episode is sponsored by Whoop. This year, Whoop is providing rider data from the race, including heart rate data during the stages and sleep data after them. Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EastPost), for instance, only got 5.5 hours of sleep on the big transfer day from Hungary to Sicily, according to Whoop.

The Giro d'Italia is reaching its mountainous conclusion, and team Ineos looks primed to win the Maglia Rosa with Richard Carapaz. A victory would bring Ineos its fourth Giro win in five years. Why does the team and its "Froome train" strategy still work in Italy, while it falters in France and Spain? On today's episode we dive into this big question, and explore what a top Giro finish would mean for the three men in the hunt for the final podium: Carapaz, Jai Hindley, and Mikel Landa.

Then, the U.S. cycling scene is still reeling from the murder of gravel star Moriah Wilson. We discuss the gravity of this story, and why it now occupies its own tragic realm in the history of pro bike racing.

U.S. track cycling phenom Ashton Lambie has traded in the velodrome for dirt.

Lambie, 31, is embarking on his first full campaign in gravel and mountain-bike racing in 2022, and he's racing the Life Time Grand Prix events and other off-road races. Lambie shares his opinions with Ben Delaney on what it's like to return to 100-mile gravel events after spending years spinning circles around a velodrome. How does the four-minute effort of the individual pursuit compare to a daylong race? What are the biggest tech differences between an aero bike and a gravel rig?

Lambie takes us inside his experiences in this wide-ranging interview.

This week's episode is sponsored by Whoop. This year, Whoop is providing rider data from the race, including heart rate data during the stages and sleep data after them. Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EastPost), for instance, only got 5.5 hours of sleep on the big transfer day from Hungary to Sicily, according to Whoop.

The Giro d'Italia kicked off this year with three stages in Hungary, followed by a big travel day down to Sicily for a stout mountain stage up Mount Etna.

How does all this travel affect the racing?

Riders often say different things, depending on who they are speaking to — or whether it's on the record. This year, fitness wearable company Whoop is providing rider data from the race, including heart rate data during the stages and sleep data after them. Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EastPost), for instance, only got 5.5 hours of sleep on the big transfer day from Hungary to Sicily, according to Whoop.

U.S. national time trial champion Lawson Craddock is racing the Giro in support of Simon Yates, who won the time trial in Budapest. Andrew Hood spoke with Craddock about racing in Hungary for an Italian stage race, as well as his thoughts on the long road ahead at the Giro.

Host Ben Delaney chats with Hood from the press room on Mount Etna.

The racing was high-intensity and high-drama around the world last week, from Belgian Waffle Ride to the Tour de Romandie.

What did we learn from covering these races? Ben Delaney, Betsy Welch, and Daniel Benson talk through the hot spots.

Watching Lauren De Crescenzo win a stage by five minutes and the overall at the Tour of Gila while Mo Wilson won BWR by 25 minutes has us looking forward to a showdown between these two powerhouses at Unbound Gravel early next month. Speaking of Unbound, can anybody beat Keegan Swenson?

Daniel was in Switzerland for Romandie, where Aleksandr Vlasov executed a TT-to-road bike swap in the final time trial, and blew past jersey-wearer Rohan Dennis to capture the overall. Are these type of stages gimmicks or legitimate racing? Dan and Ben discuss.

And why was Ben hanging out of a car window at BWR? Tune in to this week's episode of the VeloNews Podcast.

Amy Charity is the driving force behind SBT GRVL, one of VeloNews' five Monuments of Gravel that exploded onto the scene in 2019 and now sells out its 3,000 spots within minutes.

SBT GRVL was invited to join the UCI's new Gravel World Series, but Charity declined.

On this episode of the VeloNews Podcast, Charity and host Ben Delaney discuss a variety of things, including the intersection of pro racing and recreational gravel riding, why she is happy to have SBT GRVL as an independent entity, the community of gravel race promoters, and that time she and Life Time vice president Kimo Seymour worked together racing at Unbound Gravel 200.

It was a hell of a weekend in France with Paris-Roubaix Femmes and Paris-Roubaix, and Ben Delaney and Jim Cotton discuss the highlights and lowlights of both the men's and women's races and the gear that was used to varying degrees of success.

What is your favorite type of Roubaix? A wet and muddy edition, or a dry and dusty version? Ben and Jim argue about that, too.

Race series are nothing new, but a series that combines cross-country mountain bike and gravel events absolutely is. How will this play out? Will mountain bikers or gravel racers have the advantage overall?

The Life Time Grand Prix kicked off Saturday at the Sea Otter Classic with the 80K Fuego XC race, and the day before, Betsy Welch sat down with a number of the racers to talk about the six-race series format, their hopes for the events, and what they were nervous about.

Betsy spoke with Kaysee Armstrong and Crystal Anthony of Liv Racing, fresh back from Cape Epic in Africa, then spoke to Amity Rockwell and Lizzie King, and then finally was joined by Colin Strickland, John Keller and Laurens ten Dam.

Moriah Wilson and Keegan Swenson won the Fuego, slotting them into the overall lead for the points-based series that is calculated on each rider's top five finishes.

When was the last time you saw a Tour de France champion defining a race at a cobbled classic? Go on and think a while; we’ll wait.

Tadej Pogačar raced the Tour de Flanders for the first time Sunday, and he wasn’t just perusing the event as a tourist - the two-time Tour champ rode to win. And while he didn’t pull off the victory, he absolutely did force every rider in the field to play on his terms until the final meters.

In the women’s race, defending champ Annemiek van Vleuten rode similarly in many ways to Pogačar — defining the race, chasing down the break, and forcing the critical selection. And, like Pogačar, she came up just a bit short as SD Worx had the numbers.

On this podcast, Ben Delaney and Andy Hood break down both races, taking a look at the tactics, the contentious points, the power numbers of Mathieu van Der Pole, and the gear used at the classics this year.  

In winning Gent-Wevelgem, Biniam Girmay made history by becoming the first Black African to win a classic. While he and his team were delighted with the win, Girmay isn't necessarily comfortable with the limelight.

"I don't like to be the famous guy," Girmay said after the race.

Recording in Belgium between Gent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders, Sadhbh O'Shea and Ben Delaney discuss what Girmay's win means for cycling, and what it means for the young rider from Eritrea.

Sadhbh and Ben also talk top prospects for the women's and men's Tour of Flanders this coming Sunday, where the eagerly awaited battle between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel has only been enhanced by the presence of Tadej Pogačar on the startline.

And finally, Ben chats with WorldTour mechanic Raf Wittenberg of Human Powered Health about the differences and similarities in gear for pros and everyday riders — not just what they should use but how they should maintain it.

But first, Sadhbh has a musical interlude...

Matej Mohorič was not the strongest climber or the fastest sprinter at Milan-San Remo. But he was strong enough to bridge the the front group over the decision final Poggio climb. And then, as his race will forever be remember, he dropped his dropper post and the best cyclists in the world on the technical descent and then held off his chasers on the flat 2.2km run-in to the finish.

In this episode, Jim Cotton and Ben Delaney analyze Mohorič's power numbers at each critical section in comparison to those of Mathieu van der Poel. This power analysis comes courtesy VeloNews training columnist Zach Nehr. Jim and Ben also discuss Mohorič's tactics at the decisive points of the race, and talk about the specifics of the dropper post he used, how he used it, and whether we will see others using the technology in future races.

In 2020, VeloNews created the Monuments of Gravel by polling elite gravel racers and race organizers for their top 5 picks of the most import gravel races. The Mid South, put on by Bobby Wintle in Stillwater, Oklahoma, was a near-unanimous selection, as was Unbound Gravel, SBT GRVL, and BWR California. The fifth Monument, Rebecca's Private Idaho, was decided in a reader vote.

This year, some 2,500 people signed up for one of the many events at The Mid South. Betsy Welch and Ben Delaney were among them, and on this podcast they discuss why The Mid South is such an important event in the North American gravel scene.

VeloNews editor in chief Daniel Benson got a scoop on Netflix's planned docu-series on the 2022 Tour de France, including the eight teams that will be showcased. Daniel walks us through how the series could come together, and what it will mean for fans and the teams.

But first, Jim Cotton and host Ben Delaney catch up on the highlights and hot takes from Strade Bianche, from Tadej Pogačar's dominant performance to the ongoing debate on gravel's place in professional road racing.

Strade Bianche is a relatively new race on the pro scene, certainly a baby amongst the Monuments like Paris-Roubaix and Milano-Sanremo. But where does it rank in our hearts? Jim and Ben boot a number of Monuments out of the way in their lists to make room for Strade.

The classics season officially kicked off with four races packed into two days: the men's and women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, and Omloop van het Hageland. VeloNews' Sadhbh was in Gent, Belgium, for the weekend, covering the races and talking to the riders.

Jumbo-Visma's Wout van Aert rode away with the big prize of the weekend, and Fabio Jakobsen saved face for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl on Sunday. Has the balance of power at the classics shifted?

O'Shea also recounts the most recent battle in the ongoing clash of titans in women's racing between Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering.

Tune in for five hot takes from Opening Weekend - what the big stories were, and what they mean for the next few months of racing.

Andrew Hood is just back from Ruta del Sol, and he checks in with five key takeaways about some of the riders and trends for the 2022 season he picked up on while following the race around southern Spain. At Ruta, Andy also caught up with Pat McCarty, who is directing the American team Human Powered Health (formerly Rally Cycling).

Hear Andy's take on his conversations with 19-year-old American Magnus Sheffield, who won a stage riding in his first year for Ineos Grenadiers.

Andy's other Ruta revelations involve volcanos, specialized handlebar set-ups, and changes of plans with the impending 'opening weekend' of the classics in Belgium.

Tune in to hear them all — plus his interview with American Pat McCarty, who raced for teams from U.S. Postal to Rock Racing before moving into team management.

Having twice coached at the Olympics, Rob Stanley is a performance scientist and men's endurance track cycling coach at USA Cycling. Previously he was performance scientist at the Japanese Cycling Federation. And he is currently wrapping up his PhD at Leeds Beckett University — in bike racing.

Stanley joins host Ben Delaney to talk about the merging of his academic work and his coaching of athletes like Gavin Hoover, who just won the inaugural UCI Track Champions League.

Stanley's PhD title is a mouthful: Exploration of determinates of performance in the Elite Men’s Track Cycling Omnium. The Omnium is a four-event, points-based competition at the Olympics as well as in track cycling competitions around the world. And the new Track Champions League used a condensed format of it for its fan-friendly nighttime series that was held in Mallorca, Lithuania, and London,

Stanley talks about breaking down races into more manageable chunks for riders, and making the summations of data from past racing accessible to them to help guide choices in the heat of racing.

He says he wishes he could see inside rider's minds during racing, because the feedback afterwards is always the same: "That was hard!"

Before speaking with Stanley we catch up with James Startt in Paris, who is just back from covering the Tour de la Provence, where he managed to photograph the winners' bikes from all four stages — before they won the stages.

Veteran cycling journalist Daniel Benson is the new editor in chief of VeloNews. Daniel comes to VeloNews after 14 years at Cyclingnews, where he was editor in chief for the past seven years.

On this podcast, Daniel and host Ben Delaney talk about the 2022 road reason, rider salaries, the best races to watch, and why early season races matter.

Daniel's sports journalism career of more than two decades includes experience reporting from a dozen Tours de France, several world championships, the Tour Down Under, multiple spring classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. While at Cyclingnews, Benson ran the global editorial team and helped establish the brand as a leading website for professional road race coverage. Now he's in the driver's seat at VeloNews. Hear what he has to say about the intersection of his job and pro cycling.

Was Marianne Vos right to play cat and mouse with her compatriot Lucinda Brand in pursuit of her record eighth world title? What did Tom Pidcock think about the course and his competition?

The cyclocross world championships came to the United States for only the second time in history, and fans and racers traveled from around the world to attend.

Host Ben Delaney and VeloNews web editor Greg Kaplan covered the weekend's racing in Fayetteville, Arkansas. On this episode, Ben and Greg discuss the highlights and scuttlebutts of the racing, and bring you the thoughts of the top racers, the fans, and the locals in their own words.

Philippe Gilbert has had one heck of a career. His wins include worlds, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold, Il Lombardia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and on and on. He's won stages in all three grand tours. And now, in 2022, he will race for this one last season before retiring.

Can he win the one monument — Milan-Sanremo — that has eluded him? He would love to, of course, but his job there this year will almost certainly be to help his teammate Caleb Ewan.

Andrew Hood interviews Gilbert.

America's national champions Clara Honsinger and Eric Brunner are both headed to the world cyclocross championships in Fayetteville at the end of January, but they have chosen very different routes to get there.

After they won their respective national titles in mid December, Honsinger returned to Europe for more racing at the elite level in Superprestige and World Cup competitions. Brunner, despite being on a hot streak of winning four races in a row, opted to head home to Boulder, Colorado to reset and focus on training.

Both riders join the VeloNews podcast to talk about their seasons, the weight of expectations, and their excitement for the worlds in Arkansas.

The world cyclocross championships are coming to Fayetteville, Arkansas Jan. 29-30. Who are the podium contenders and why? Why aren't Wout or Mathieu coming? How will the course determine the race? And where should fans go to watch, eat, and enjoy the scene?

To answer all these questions and more, Ben Delaney is joined by six-time national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson, whose broadcasting career recently included calling the World Cup in Fayetteville on the course that will be used for worlds.

Before Tim and Ben get into the racing, chef Biju Thomas weighs in on how Team USA will be fueling in Arkansas. Specifically, Biju and his Feed Zone cookbook collaborator Dr Allen Lim of Scratch Labs will be cooking for all 38 Team USA athletes plus support staff in Arkansas.

VeloNews and Peloton have been teammates under the Outside umbrella since January of 2021. Now, in January of 2022, VeloNews magazine is merging into Peloton magazine. Further, authors and photographers from our sister brand CyclingTips are also now contributing their talents to the new Peloton magazine.

To talk about the history and future of VeloNews and Peloton, host Ben Delaney is joined by Peloton founder Brad Roe.

Also joining the show are two journalists who worked for VeloNews for many years: CyclingTips editor in chief Caley Fretz and Peloton senior editor John Wilcockson. John has decades of history covering the sport — including four years when he followed the Tour de France on his bicycle with a typewriter!

VeloNews members will now get the best of VeloNews, CyclingTips, and Peloton in one beautiful Peloton magazine six times per year at a minimum of 132 pages. And VeloNews.com (and CyclingTips.com) will continue on as normal.

In with the new, and out with the old!

In 2021, that meant in with more electronic groups, and out with shifting cables.

On the top end, new 12-speed semi-wireless Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra groups were big news, and the more affordable Rival eTap AXS group in SRAM's third-tier slot was also worthy of praise.

What else made the list of the biggest gear stories of 2021? Tune in and check it out.

What a year it has been! From the first-ever Paris-Roubaix Femmes (finally!) to the ban of the supertuck (on April Fool's Day, no less) to Wout van Aert hitting a Tour de France triple (mountain stage, time trial, Champs Élysées final sprint), this season was a wild ride.

Listen in as the full VeloNews European contingent of Andrew Hood, Sadhbh O'Shea, and Jim Cotton join Ben Delaney to count down the 21 biggest cycling stories of 2021.

If you could go anywhere in the world to ride right now, where would it be? For Olympic gold medalist Annemiek van Vleuten, that answer is sunny Colombia. And while Ineos Grenadiers are in Mallorca and Deceuninck-Quick-Step heads to Calpe, other riders head to some unusual retreats. Sadhbh O'Shea and Ben Delaney discuss who is going where, and why.

American Tokyo Olympian Gavin Hoover just won the men's endurance competition at the inaugural UCI Track Champions League, which had him and the other track stars traveling from Mallorca to Lithuania to London to race in front of sold-out crowds. We catch up with him in Portugal to talk about this new format of super-condensed, fan-friendly racing.

Pete Stetina left the world of pro racing to go gravel in 2020, opting for the freedom of a solitary project over the support and constraints of a WorldTour team. Then Covid hit and Stetina, like people the world over, had to adjust. Thus, this season was his first full year of racing gravel. On this podcast, he reflects on the highlights and lowlights of traveling the United States by van, engaging with the cycling world on social media, and how having one mid-race beer proved more popular than winning a big race.

Stetina won 15 gravel races in 2021, with 10 one-day or overall wins and 5 stage victories. His season ran from Shasta Gravel on March 6 to Big Sugar on October 23. The 25,000 road miles took a toll on his van and his energy. But after some time off, he's raring to go again.

Before we talk to Stetina, we check in with Jim Cotton in England, who gets us up to speed with World Cup cyclocross racing.

The weekly VeloNews Podcast brings you inside bike racing, allowing you to hear from athletes, coaches, bike companies, and VeloNews' own team of journalists from around the world. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This year, American Ashton Lambie set a world record by breaking the four-minute barrier in the individual pursuit in Mexico. Later, at the world championships in France, he toppled world time trial champion Filippo Ganna of Ineos Grenadiers, among others, to take the world title in the individual pursuit. And unlike Ganna, who trains with the full support of one of the world's richest WorldTour teams, Lambie trained on his own — often in a big shed in Montana.

Listen in as he reflects on his exceptional season. And click here to read his columns on his training, his techniques, and his trials and tribulations.

Also on this show, we check in with Chef Biju Thomas, who gives us his pro tips on last-minute turkey and stuffing preparation. Thomas has a new VeloKitchen series on Instagram and VeloNews.com, where pro riders offer him a challenge and cooks up something tasty in response — and gives VeloNews subscribers the recipe. Click here to see all of Chef Biju Thomas' work.

https://www.velonews.com/byline/ashton-lambie/

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Christopher Blevins has been racing bikes since he was 5 years old. Getting his start in BMX, he won 8 national championships in that discipline before he was 16. At age 12, he started racing road and mountain bikes, and winning national titles in those disciplines, too.

In the past couple years during, during all the racing and training in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, Blevins earned his degree from California Polytechnic State Institute in San Luis Obispo. And this year, in addition to going to the Olympics, Blevins took gold, silver, and bronze medals home from the mountain bike world championships in the short track, the team relay, and the e-bike race, respectively.

Before we chat with Blevins about his new production company and upcoming video projects, we check in with Jim Cotton, who gives us his reflection on the 2021 road season, with five memorable moments from an unusual year of racing.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome joined his Israel Start-Up Nation teammates for a weeklong camp in Israel to bond, visit historical sites, and connect with Israeli cycling fans.

VeloNews European Senior Editor Andrew Hood spent the week with the team, and on this podcast he talks with Froome about his experience with technology for performance, recovery, and personal investment.

Isreali-Canadian billionaire and philanthropist Sylvain Adams is the team owner of Israel Start-Up Nation, and he orchestrated the riders' visits to places like the Wailing Wall, the Holocaust Museum, the Dead Sea, and a hospital that is using hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

"We have had a few physical sessions like running and riding, which is good for bonding. And we are getting to know the country, which is bringing us together," Froome said.

"Being part of Team Sky previously, a big goal for team was to inspire the British public, and have an impact on grassroots cycling," Froome said. "Sylvan has got a very similar vision for ISN for us to have a similar impact on the Israeli public, and the next up and coming generation of Israeli cycling."

On one ride, the team met up with a bunch of fans on the road, and the size of the crowd was startling, Froome said.

"That day we got out to meet all the fans, that was just mental," he said. "I didn't expect so many bike enthusiasts here in Israel, but there are just masses of them."

Froome also talks about his experience using a hyperbaric chamber for recovery from his big crash. He said he was spending as much as four hours a day in a chamber at home, which simulated being 10-15m below sea level.

"It was a big part of my rehab, so it was fascinating to see it [in an Israeli hospital] for therapeutic use and sports performance," he said.

Lastly, Froome talks with Hood about his investments in Hammerhead, Super Sapiens, and Factor.

"I love my equipment, I love my tech," he said.

Molly Cameron is a veteran bike racer who has also run a women's team, put on bike races, and owned and operated a bike shop.

Cameron has been out as a transgender woman for two decades, and has raced at a high level in both the men's and women's fields.

The UCI cyclocross pro recently won the Wafer edition of Belgian Waffle Ride Kansas — beating VeloNews Podcast host Ben Delaney and Scott Moninger — and enjoyed the 6.5-mile cyclocross course that was inserted into the end of that race.

On this episode, Cameron and Delaney talk about some of her recent race experiences, her interactions with other racers and officials at events, and her work with the RIDE group she founded as an LGBTQIA+ advocate.

Delaney also checks in with Dan Hughes, four-time winner of Unbound Gravel and owner of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, which hosted BWR Kansas and Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Remco Evenepoel and Mattia Cattaneo over the Halloween weekend. Hughes has advised Specialized on the development of its cyclocross and gravel bikes over the years.

Brendan Quirk's rise — from Competitive Cyclist and Rapha to working with the Waltons and USA Cycling — tracks with the rise in importance of his home state for cycling.

Arkansas has become a hotbed for American cycling for a few reasons, and Brendan Quirk is one of them.

Newly elected as USA Cycling’s chairman of the board, Quirk talks on the VeloNews Podcast about his career’s trajectory, and exactly how and why his home state of Arkansas is booming for cycling.

Quirk co-founded Competitive Cyclist in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew it from a two-man bike shop into a major online player. After selling Competitive Cyclist to Backcountry.com, he became president of Rapha North America, helping grow that brand in the U.S., and then took the helm at Allied Cycle Works, which builds carbon bikes in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Arkansas, meanwhile, has become a major player in cycling, with millions of dollars invested in trails and cycling infrastructure, and brands like Rapha North America and Allied calling the state home. In a span of 12 months, the Natural State has hosted or will host major road, gravel, mountain bike, and cyclocross races — including the upcoming ’cross world championships where Walmart has signed on as title sponsor.

Which leads to another major connection point between Quirk, Arkansas, and cycling importance — the Walton family.

Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton, have made an impact in cycling via their investment in brands like Rapha and Allied, and through the Runway Group that they founded more than 10 years ago to develop Northwest Arkansas with a focus on healthy outdoor recreation. Quirk worked for the Runway Group for a few years as cycling program director.

Now, Quirk chairs the board of USA Cycling, steering the direction of the governing body of American bike racing.

In this podcast, Quirk talks about the importance of bike racing as a focal point, but also how he sees it as vital to make cycling accessible to as many people as possible.

But first, we check in with Sadhbh O’Shea about a French police-led study into drug use among Tour de France riders, and then we speak with Betsy Welch, who is just back from racing in and reporting on Big Sugar Gravel in Arkansas.

Virtual bike racing is a thing. A big thing. Consider this: Every Tuesday more than 10,000 racers on 1,800 teams race each other in leagues through a series called ZRL, which is now in its fourth season. And then of course Zwift has scores of races every day of the week that are open to anybody on the virtual cycling platform.

To explain this phenomenon, and to offer advice on preparing for and competing in Zwift races, Ben Delaney talks with Eric Schlange, the founder of ZwiftInsider.com, a site that provides detailed advice on all things Zwift related.

Schlange has done more than 630 races on Zwift, and further, it's his job to know what's going on inside the game. He shares his thoughts here.

Well before he co-authored three Feed Zone cookbooks with Dr. Allen Lim, Biju Thomas was cooking for cyclists all around the world. He's been the chef for everyone from Lance Armstrong to Peter Sagan, and he's cooked in fancy hotels and in parking lots.

Thomas is now the resident chef at Outside, the parent company for VeloNews and VeloPress, the publisher of the Feed Zone cookbooks.

In this episode, Thomas talks with Ben Delaney about how he got his start in cycling and cooking, and he gives advice on what everyday riders should and shouldn't do when it comes to their food.

American Neilson Powless' spring didn't go like he expected; instead of racing the classics he got Covid. But a win at Clásica de San Sebastián followed by a fifth place at the road world championships hailed an excellent return to form.

On this podcast, Powless checks in from his hotel in Italy, while Sadhbh O'Shea chats with world champion Elisa Balsamo at the Women's Tour in England.

On this podcast we celebrate Belgium and Belgium-adjacent racing. Andrew Hood checks in as he travels between the raucous party that was the world championships and Paris-Roubaix. Fred Dreier speaks with Belgian Waffle Ride founder Michael Marckx on the dusty boom that is gravel racing. And Ben Delaney talks tech, with the results of VeloNews lab testing on 15 Paris-Roubaix tires and a new Trek Checkpoint just going live this week.

Andy Hood, Sadhbh O’Shea, and Ben Delaney are in Belgium for the road world championships, and on this week’s pod they weigh in with their takes on the time trials — including the relay format — and their prognostications for this coming weekend’s road races.

Also, a UCI-sanctioned gravel world championships? It’s true. Hood broke the story, and the trio discuss what gravel racers, gravel race organizers, and the UCI are saying about the 2022 event.

Tune in for this week’s VeloNews Podcast.

It's Fred Dreier's final episode of The VeloNews Podcast! Fred is joined by Sadhbh O'Shea, Andrew Hood, and departed editor Spencer Powlison to offer unvarnished opinions on some of the biggest cycling stories of the last five years.

Why is Chris Froome so polarizing? Annemiek van Vleuten or Anna van der Breggen? What will we remember most about Peter Sagan? The list of questions is long, and the takes are weird. It's a fitting sendoff for the founder of The VeloNews Podcast.

This week's episode is sponsored by Flobikes, which reminds you to watch the UCI World Road Championships this coming week. You can sign up at www.flobikes.com/velonews.

The Vuelta a España concluded this week, and the race also delivered one of the biggest controversies of the 2021 WorldTour season.

Colombian star Miguel Ángel López quit the Vuelta on the penultimate stage after he was dropped from the front group, and afterwards reports circulated that López was unhappy with the tactics of his Movistar team.

The story has developed into a war of words between the Spanish team and López's camp, and now, the rider and the team may have an irrevocably damaged relationship. We discuss this latest polemica and add some context and opinion on what transpired.

Then, U.S. road champion Lauren Stephens joins the podcast to discuss her historic win, her decision to blend road and gravel cycling, and how she's handled disappointment throughout her career. Stephens is one of the best U.S. riders to never be named to an Olympic team, and her process for dealing with disappointment is something that we all can learn from.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we discuss the latest controversy in U.S. gravel racing. Earlier this month a storyline emerged from SBT GRVL about the CINCH cycling team using team tactics to help its star rider, Lauren De Crescenzo, win the race, The news caused a stir in the U.S. gravel scene, with multiple riders taking to social media to contemn the team tactics, as well as CINCH owner Tom Danielson.

The rules governing gravel races, however, do not forbid teammates from setting the pace for teammates, helping teammates fill water bottles, or other team tactics. Rather, it's the unwritten rules of etiquette of gravel racing that some riders say were violated.

We discuss the storyline and the response, and then have a spirited conversation about the growing tension created by the gap between the written and unwritten rules of gravel. As prize purses grow, and media outlets (VeloNews included) give more attention on gravel, will riders obey the spirit and etiquette rules, even if doing so hurts their chances at victory?

Then, Andrew Hood joins the podcast to break down the final week of the Vuelta a España, and why the big climbs on stages 17 and 18 may decide the overall. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we analyze Primož Roglič's zany attack on stage 10 of the Vuelta a España, and Ineos Grenadiers' continued setbacks at the Vuelta a España. Then, Andrew Hood explains how the winds, soaring temperatures, and surging pace is making this Vuelta the hardest grand tour of the year.

Then, we hear from Ian Boswell, who has reinvented himself as the top male gravel racer in the USA. Big wins at BWR and Unbound Gravel have opened doors for Boswell to step back into full-time bike racing. He doesn't know if he wants to pursue it.

The Vuelta a España has kicked off, and on today's podcast we dive into the race's opening stages. The GC picture is already taking shape with the summit finish to Picón Blanco, and Ineos Grenadiers vs. Jumbo-Visma is again the battle of the race. Movistar has three riders in the top-10, and we cannot wait to see how the Spanish squad finds a way to grab defeat from the clutches of potential victory.

Then, how many riders are vaccinated for COVID-19? Andrew Hood discusses his reporting around this topic, and why teams cannot force their riders to get the vaccine. Many riders are already vaccinated, but others face hurdles around travel, training, and timing to get the shot.

Finally, Olympic champion Jennifer Valente joins the podcast to discuss her historic win in the Omnium.

The Vuelta a España kicks off this weekend, and on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we preview the race, and discuss its hulking new climb, the Altu del Gamoniteiro. Organizers are comparing the new climb to the famed Alto de l'Angliru climb, which has become the most feared ascent in Spain.

What goes into discovering a new climb? We analyze the process that race organizers go through in identifying new climbs like the Gamoniteiro and then slotting them into the race.

Who are the favorites to win the Vuelta, and how will Spain's hot August impact the race? We analyze all elements of the race to help you prepare for the final grand tour of the season.

Before then, we discuss Jennifer Valente's history-making ride at the 2021 Olympics, where she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in track cycling. Valente's win was the product of savvy riding and strategic thinking, and we analyze the moves she made on the track to win gold.

Then, grave racer Lauren De Crescenzo joins the podcast. De Crescenzo is best known as the recent winner of Unbound Gravel, and perhaps the strongest U.S. gravel racer on the planet. She's also the survivor of a racing crash that nearly ended her life, and left her in a coma for two weeks. De Crescenzo takes us inside her crash and recovery, and explains her decision to join Tom Danielson's CINCH Cycling team for 2021 and beyond.

Today's podcast is brought to you by Travel Texas, which reminds you that Texas has a ride for every type of cyclist, whether it's the Austin Driveway racing series, or a wildflower loop in the Texas Hill Country.

The topic of athlete mental health has become the biggest talking point of these Olympics. How do top athletes manage the pressures on them to perform, and do fans and media put too much weight on wins and losses? On today's podcast we examine this conversation.

We also break down the U.S. women's Team Pursuit, which rode to the bronze medal this week. It's just the second medal for Team USA at these Olympics, and far fewer than the seven medals that USA Cycling said it was targeting this year. We examine this delta between Team USA's ambitions, and the reality of these games.

Then, Olympians Amber Neben and Haley Batten join the podcast to take us inside the women's individual time trial and cross-country mountain bike events. Neben was fifth place in the ITT, just barely missing out on a medal. She examines her ride and gives us some behind-the-scenes perspective on her experience in Tokyo.

Batten finished ninth in the XC race, and shares some perspective on how she managed the external and internal pressures to perform in the biggest race of her career.

This week's episode is brought to you by Travel Texas, which reminds you that Texas is home to some of the best bike racing and bike riding in the U.S.

The Olympics have started, and we've been glued to our televisions and computer screens following along with the action. On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we break down all of the action from the men's and women's road races, as well as the men's and women's cross-country MTB races.

We break down the biggest storylines from the events, including the thrilling and bizarre final of the women's road race, which saw Anna Kiesenhofer of Austria win, and Annemiek van Vleuten and the Dutch women suffer from a communications breakdown. We also discuss what Tom Pidcock's Olympic MTB win will mean for his spot in GB cycling, and his place as a British cycling celebrity. Also, we discuss the thrilling ride by Brandon McNulty in the men's road race.

Then, U.S. rider Coryn Rivera joins the podcast to take us inside the women's road race. Coryn finished 7th overall, and she was in the front group that charged toward the finish line after Kiesenhofer. Rivera explains just how confusing it was in the final push to the line, and helps us understand how Kiesenhofer won, and also why some women in the bunch didn't know she was up the road.

All that and more on today's podcast!

It's a joint episode between The VeloNews Podcast and The Adventure Stache podcast, with Fred Dreier of VeloNews and Payson McElveen co-hosing this conversation.

This week we discuss the state of U.S. professional cycling, and explore why an American professional cyclist in 2021 looks and acts very differently than an American pro cyclist from previous generations. Today, pro racers get to create media, race multiple disciplines, and act more like a marketing professional than just a pro athlete. Payson and Fred discuss this topic, and explore the ways in which U.S. pro racing has changed in the last few years.

Then, Payson and Fred discuss the state of U.S. cycling media. It's an in-depth conversation that you don't want to miss!

This week's episode is brought to you by InsideTracker.com, which can offer you science-backed recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes to improve your performance and help you pursue your favorite activities for life. Right now, get 25 percent off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/VeloNews.

Our cup overflows with Tour de France stories to discuss today, and on this episode of The VeloNews Podcast we hit as many as we can.

First up is the French police raid on the Bahrain-Victorious team hotel, and why this raid in Pau has a special tie to cycling history. Then, we break down all the action from the summit finish on stage 18, which saw Tadej Pogačar bang the nail into the coffin of his rivals. Plus, Ineos Grenadiers appears to be in a free fall during this disastrous tour.

Finally, reporters asked Pogačar about his relationship with team manager Mauro Gianetti, who has previously worked with riders implicated in doping. What does Pogačar's statement tell us about the current generation's ties to cycling's past?

Then, coach Nate Wilson of EF Education-Nippo joins the podcast to discuss the ever changing pathway for U.S. riders to get to the Tour de France. Wilson has seen multiple riders reach the WorldTour ranks, and the path to the big leagues for U.S. riders is never straightforward.

All that and more on this episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

The Tour de France just had its major Pyrenean battle on the Col du Portet, and on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we analyze the big fight between Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Richard Carapaz.

After several days of letting the Tour de France peloton attack freely, UAE-Team Emirates rode a controlling race on stage 17. Why did the squad decide to limit the attacks, and how did this tactic server Pogačar?

Plus, was there anything that Vingegaard or Carapaz could have done differently to beat the Slovenian superstar?

Finally, Jonas Vingegaard's accomplishment at this year's Tour de France is bordering on historic. We analyze the Dane's progress at the race.

This week's episode is brought to you by InsideTracker.com, which can offer you science-backed recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes to improve your performance and help you pursue your favorite activities for life. Right now, get 25 percent off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/VeloNews.

The Tour de France is headed for a Pyrenean showdown, and on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we dig into the biggest storylines for week three.

Can anyone knock Mark Cavendish out of the green jersey? As it turns out, Michael Matthews and Sonny Colbrelli are nipping at Cavendish's heels, even if neither man has won a stage yet. But does either one have a realistic shot at earning green? We break it down.

Then, should Tadej Pogačar release his power data from the 2021 Tour de France? Some pundits believe it may alleviate fears that Pogačar is cheating. But other believe it would expose his weaknesses.

Then, U.S. rider Brent Bookwalter is back on the podcast. Brent discusses the 10-year drought for American victories at the Tour de France, and the factors that contributed to the dry spell. Brent also discusses why young riders like Jonas Vingegaard get opportunities to shine every few years.

All that and more on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Sepp Kuss became the latest American to win a stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, and on today's podcast we explore how the victory impacted people in Kuss' cycling-mad hometown of Durango, Colorado.

John Livingston covered Sepp Kuss for the Durango Herald for the last five years, and on Sunday, Livingston wrote his final story for the newspaper — a feature story on Kuss's big win. Livingston explains why Kuss is such an important figure in Durango, and why the small town continues to produce world-class cyclists.

Then, Andrew Hood and James Startt file their dispatch from Andorra, and discuss why so many pro cyclists have moved to the high-altitude destination. Hint: it has more to do with Andorra's tax laws than the awesome training. All that and more on today's episode.

This week's episode is brought to you by InsideTracker.com, which can offer you science-backed recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes to improve your performance and help you pursue your favorite activities for life. Right now, get 25 percent off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/VeloNews.

The 2021 Tour de France has ended for Peter Sagan, and it was kind of a bummer for the Slovakian champ. On today's podcast we discuss Peter Sagan's 2021 Tour, and discuss what it means in the larger context of his late-stage career. Plus, there are reports linking Sagan to French team TotalEnergies, and we discuss what a move would mean for Sagan at this point in his career.

Then, we delve into some of the GC stories to come out of stage 11 to Mont Ventoux, including the rise of Jonas Vingegaard. Who is Vingegaard, and what's up with the stories we've heard of him working in a fish factory?

In the second half of the show we hear from American rider Sepp Kuss on Jumbo-Visma's big day on Ventoux. We also hear from Luke Rowe of Ineos Grenadiers, who had to abandon the Tour.

The Tour de France headed back to Mont Ventoux on Wednesday, and today our podcast comes to you from the base of the famed mountain. What storylines emerged from the stage, and what do we make of Tadej Pogačar's first sign of weakness near the summit of the mountain? We get into the action.

Then, retired great Bernhard Eisel joins the podcast to discuss the career of Mark Cavendish. Eisel was formerly a leadout rider for Cavendish, and he believes the British rider has a chance to make history at this year's Tour de France.

Mark Cavendish's chase of Eddy Merckx's all-time stage win record at the Tour de France has breathed new life and energy into the race.

On today's podcast we analyze Cavendish's victories, and assess his place in British cycling. Cavendish's career trajectory has happened in the shadow cast by Team Sky, Bradley Wiggins, and Chris Froome, and we assess what impact that's had on his overall status in global cycling.

Then, we hear from American rider Neilson Powless, as well as longtime DS Rolf Aldag.

This week's episode is brought to you by InsideTracker.com, which can offer you science-backed recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes to improve your performance and help you pursue your favorite activities for life. Right now, get 25 percent off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/VeloNews.

Tadej Pogačar continues his dominance of the 2021 Tour de France. After Pogačar's latest show of force in the Alps, some fans are wondering whether his performances are believable. On today's episode we examine Pogačar's results and his trajectory in the sport to form an opinion on the topic.

Plus, Andrew Hood and James Startt chime in from France to give us an insider's view of the rules governing media at the Tour de France. How are those stories you read getting reported? How are those photos getting snapped? They shed light on how new rules for COVID-19 are impacting the way we consume the race.

Then, we hear from American Sepp Kuss, who sheds light on the setbacks facing Jumbo-Visma, and how the team is rolling with the punches at the race.

Finally, American rider Lawson Craddock is not racing the Tour, but he is watching every stage. Craddock gives us his perspective on the racing dynamics he's see on television, and why the open race is unlike anything he's seen in years. Plus, Craddock takes us inside his preparation for the upcoming 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, where he will race the time trial and road race.

This week's episode is brought to you by InsideTracker.com, which can offer you science-backed recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes to improve your performance and help you pursue your favorite activities for life. Right now, get 25 percent off the entire InsideTracker store by going to InsideTracker.com/VeloNews.

On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we examine Tour de France tech, and the biggest stories involving bikes, components, tires, and other gear.

Mark Cavendish is running a unique sprint shifter setup on his Specialized Tarmac, and Ben Delaney discusses the innovative setup, and how it helps Cavendish shift in sprints. Then, Ben discusses the challenge that some bike sponsors face in getting Tour de France riders to use the newest and most high-tech gear.

Then, Andrew Hood and James Startt discuss Tadej Pogačar's place in Tour de France history, and what the 2022 Tour could mean for Ineos Grenadiers, Primož Roglič, and other stars of the sport.

Think you know who is going to win tomorrow's Tour de France stage? Pick the winner at www.velonews.com/pick to play our Stage Winner challenge, and you could win an Outside+ membership or a 2021 Specialized Tarmac.

Tadej Pogačar stormed to his first Tour de France stage win of 2021 on Wednesday, and on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we examine how Pogačar's wild ride reshaped the races' GC picture. Which GC teams are already out of contention, and what must Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma do to get back into the picture? We explore the race's big GC shakeup.

Then, how long will Mathieu van der Poel stay in yellow, and is he pushing himself too hard with the Olympics around the corner?

Finally, we hear from Michael Woods about the safety issues at the Tour de France, and Jonas Vingegaard about his unlikely run in the top-10.

Today's episode is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code VELONEWS at MANSCAPED.com!.

The Tour de France continues, and on Tuesday the peloton saw a joyous moment as Mark Cavendish took his first stage victory since 2016. Cavendish wasn't even supposed to attend the 2021 Tour de France, and he repaid his Deceuninck-Quick-Step management by winning his 31st career Tour stage.

On today's podcast James Startt and Andrew Hood discuss Cavendish's big win, and shed light on how the victory impacted people on the ground at the Tour de France.

Then, this year marks the 10-year anniversary of Cadel Evans' Tour de France victory. American Brent Bookwalter was one of Evans' key teammates on the 2011 BMC Racing team. Bookwalter takes us inside the 2011 Tour and sheds light on the racing dynamics and leadership style that helped BMC and Evans grab the historic win

Today's episode is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code VELONEWS at MANSCAPED.com!.

The Tour de France has started, and this year the race has opened with a bang — literally. After just three stages the peloton is licking its wounds after multiple costly crashes that have sent more than a few pre-race favorites to the tarmac.

On this first of 12 Tour de Franc podcast episodes, we examine the impact of those crashes on every element of the race, from the GC battle, to the stage winners. Why are riders crashing this year? What impact did the major pileup on stage 1 have on the race's global reputation? We get into it.

Then, we hear from former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski, who is one of the stars of the Tour de France for Team Ineos Grenadiers. Kwiatkowski discusses the crashes and carnage, and offers his opinions on how the race could alleviate the early tensions.

Today's episode is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code VELONEWS at MANSCAPED.com!

Our annual pre-Tour de France podcast is back, and rejoining the show is Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal to help discuss some of the biggest storylines in the cycling world. Jason offers his insight into Mark Cavendish's comeback, the Tour de France's smaller stories, and Chris Froome's comeback.

Then, Jason takes us inside his recent profile of Justin Williams and the L39ion of Los Angeles team, and discusses why Williams and L39ion are executing such a daring and impressive feat in 2021 by launching a new team and dominating criteriums. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

The Tour de France is back, and fans can check out tons of analysis and on-the-ground reporting from the race at Flobikes.com. Also, Canadian fans can stream all 21 stages live and on-demand on Flobikes.com. To sign up go to www.flobikes.com/velonews.

VeloNews Senior Editor Betsy Welch joins the podcast this week to discuss the U.S. Olympic team selection, and whether the USA Cycling selection committee made any snubs or flubs in its choices.

Then, Betsy discusses the upcoming Migration Gravel Race in Kenya, which she is attending to both ride and cover for VeloNews.

This week's episode is brought to you by FloBikes, which is your home for the live Tour de France broadcast in Canada, and daily Tour de France updates and content in the United States. To sign up, go to Flobikes.com/VeloNews.

Gravel cycling's biggest day occurred this past weekend, and we were on the ground in Emporia to document the race. On today's podcast we take a deep dive into Unbound Gravel, with analysis of the men's and women's race; thoughts on the race's decision to include both genders into one race; and how the wind and heat shaped the day.

Then, Ben Delaney takes us inside his effort at the race, and what he saw from inside the group.

Finally, we hear from multiple riders at the finish line of Unbound Gravel, with interviews from Ian Boswell, Jess Cerra, Shayna Powless, Travis McCabe, and many others.

All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.