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It’s been a long, cold winter, but Svein and I are back for the 2025 season with a fresh ep of Life In The Peloton: Chronicles for you - the Pelo members. 

Just like when we were pro cyclists, which feels like a long time ago now, we had ourselves a little off season to reset, freshen up, and make plans for the next year. It was great to catch up with Sveino for the first time since October, and this month we’re talking all about kicking off a new season as a rider. That mental reset is just as important as the physical one, and after a little break, Sveino and I are itching to get going!

Things have changed a lot since we were riders. Back in our day, we had a relaxed start to the racing season; plenty of base miles over the winter, then rock up to Tour Down Under ready to get some intensity in the legs and build towards the first “real” races in the Spring. Sveino even rode 2000km from Canada to California for an early season team camp in 2003 to build some fitness after a winter relaxing out in the snow and skiing rather than riding! I love hearing Sveino’s wild, adventurous stories - he’s like the original Lachy Morton.

Nowadays, early season races like the Tour Down Under are real targets for a lot of riders. Whether it’s a team hunting UCI points to avoid relegation, neo pros that need to start getting experience in the bunch with the big boys, or legendary riders targeting San Remo in March that want some race KMs in their legs before their competitors back in Europe.

We’ve just had the 25th edition of the race, and I was down in Adelaide getting stuck into the action in the commentary booth, at the roadside, and - of course - behind the pod mic, catching up with some old mates. Svein and I listened back to some great chats with our old mates Michael Hepburn, Luke Durbridge, Sam Bewley, and Aaron Gate about the Tour Down Under and how it can set a rider up for the season ahead. 

I also caught up with a guy I used to love spinning a yarn with in the bunch; the president of the CPA, Adam Hansen. We spoke about the new UCI rules that will impact the races this season. New feedzone regulations, changes to time gaps if you crash in the final, and the introduction of yellow cards for multiple infractions - it’s going to keep the riders on their toes this year, that’s for sure.  

As always, Svein and I chat about a heap of other topics - with plenty of anecdotes from our time in the bunch and the years since we both hung up the race wheels. I love telling these stories, and I hope you love hearing them.

Cheers!

Mitch