Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast go over the reports that Jumbo-Visma CEO Richard Plugge is leading a new cycling breakaway league and the rumors that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF, is providing financing. They break down how credible the reporting is around the deal, the implications for the sport the league would have if it actually came together, and why we've seen so many failed attempts at this in the past. 

At the end of the episode, they identify a few troubling trends around the US gravel racing scene and tie up a few loose ends around their BWR Kansas participation.

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In a departure from the normal program, Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast discuss their experience racing at the recent BWR Kansas event (Wafer distance), what they learned about prepping for gravel events with vague course instructions, their gear setups and how they view the discipline after having competed at a high-level gravel event. 

BWR Kansas Wafer Strava File

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast sit down with Jumbo-Visma Managing Director/CEO Richard Plugge to discuss how he transformed the down-and-out Rabobank team into the modern winning machine that is Jumbo-Visma. They go through how he went from being the team's communication officer to owner/CEO in just six months, how the team slowly built a framework to identify and develop the sport's best young talent, the financial future of both his team and the sport, the team's decision to send both Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič to the Vuelta a España and much, much more. 

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast attempt to figure out what is going on behind the scenes after hearing the news that the Jumbo-Visma/Soudal-QuickStep merger has been called off and that Primož Roglič is headed to Bora-Hansgrohe for the 2024 season. They also give their predictions for the upcoming Il Lombardia race and Gravel World Championships, along with their continued preparation for the upcoming BWR Lawrence event.

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After their special guest had to reschedule at the last minute, Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast discuss the rumors of a potential Jumbo-Visma/Soudal-QuickStep merger and give their final thoughts on Jumbo's recent podium sweep at the Vuelta a España before getting into the weeds on gravel racing/riding and their preparation for the upcoming BWR Lawrence event.

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down the Jumbo-Visma intrateam drama that has emerged during the final week of the 2023 Vuelta a España, where they are well placed to win the race with Sepp Kuss and sweep the podium with superstar Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič in second and third place overall.

The duo debate the pros and cons of the team's decision to allow their three leaders to battle it out instead of simply consolidating resources behind Kuss after the second rest day, and how the decisions have been fair, and unfair to different members of the team. They also speculate on where these three riders go from here and how the team will manage having three 2023 grand tour winners on the same roster in 2024.

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down the action so far at the Vuelta a España, and discuss Sepp Kuss surprisingly, and impressively, taking a commanding GC lead, before attempting to predict how the GC battle will play out through the upcoming difficult mountain stages in the Pyrenees.

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast are joined by the RIDING WITH newsletter/podcast creator Jonathan Kaplan to preview the storylines for this weekend's upcoming Vuelta a España, from how the GC battle will play out, where the decisive moments will occur, and who will ultimately win the race.

Read Jonathan's RIDING WITH Newsletter

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With the Women's World Road Race Championship coming up this Sunday, the BTP pod is replaying an interview Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast conducted earlier in the summer with Alison Jackson of the EF trade team, and the Canadian national team, about her background and her dream season so far, which saw her shock the favorites to win the Paris-Roubaix Femmes earlier in the year.

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Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast preview this weekend's upcoming World Race Road Championships and how the pre-race favorites, like Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, and Tadej Pogačar will fare on the deceptively difficult Scottish course, which takes the peloton from Edinburgh to Glasgow, against a field stacked with dangerous wildcards who are willing and waiting to grab any opportunity to take the win.

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Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast

Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling related.