Alexey Vermeulen has a lot of thoughts on how US gravel can improve. A 100-mile Unbound. A U23 field. Fewer elite riders in the Grand Prix—the list goes on. Since leaving the WorldTour to join the American off-road scene, Alexey has become one of the most prominent racers in the sport, finishing second overall in the first two years of the Grand Prix and being a leading voice among his peers through a host of media projects. This year, he’s started a post-race debrief podcast with Keegan Swenson called The Cooldown.

Alexey caught up with Payson in Bentonville after placing second at Rule of Three for a wide-ranging conversation. They talk about the current state of the sport, what professional gravel racers get wrong about their jobs off the bike, and why he thinks beating Keegan is more important than ever this year. They also argue (at length) about tires and debate the best ways to bring younger talent into gravel.

Watch episode 2 of Ride With Pace here: https://youtu.be/3rMbJDoCxeQ?si=-gZU8TtFSrBa46PZ

Get tickets for the premiere of 'Crossing New Zealand' here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crossing-new-zealand-film-premier-and-social-ride-tickets-1350916600919?aff=oddtdtcreator

Instagram: @withpacepod
YouTube: Payson McElveen