This week on the podcast, I’m speaking with Theo Kelsey-Verdecchia, last years winner of the Alberta Rockies 700.

I saw Theo briefly at the start of the AR before he swiftly rolled away into the Rockies. Just over two days later, 53 hours if I’m not mistaken, he crossed the line to win the event.

Theo hails from Toronto but aspires to move closer to the mountains in the near future. In Ontario, he has set and then broken fastest known times on the BTXL, a route that combines The Butter Tart 700 (768km) and the Grand Nith Ramble (350km), boasting just over 1,100km and 10,400m of ascent which he crushed in just over 84 hours.

Theo has been obsessed with the Tour Divide for a few years and plans to tackle the route in 2022. Theo’s dot will be one to watch, so stay tuned!

As always, we cover a lot of ground in this conversation. We chat about racing and doing hard things. He speaks to the simplicity of bikepacking and racing and how it allows you to really take in your environment. We also chat about mindset and fear. I really enjoyed chatting with Theo. I appreciated his insight on life and think we’re going to see big things from him.

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Thanks to Lakeside Bikes in Invermere for supporting me!