Freewheeling

In this special mini-episode of Freewheeling, Abby catches up with Elisa Longo Borghini, who lives in Ornavasso, Italy, just 100km from Milan, in the Italian epicenter of coronavirus. With the swiftly moving news, we wanted to release this interview as soon as possible.

This podcast, which is definitely about gear ratios and not anything else, is not a rigorous debate on the value of art and the artist, or of transcendence of genre. It is certainly not an inquisitive investigation into the very essence of mass popularity and talent. No, definitely not. We hope you enjoy.

Abby and Loren are back to discuss both the good and the bad news from the last couple weeks. Coronavirus causes race cancelations and postponements galore, sexual abuse cases and the ASO’s claim of working on a Women’s Tour de France. Plus, racing did happen in Belgium! Yay!

Following the news, Molly Weaver joins to discuss her previously-posted essay on CyclingTips, regarding money and negotiations on women’s teams, as well as what she has coming down the road.

This week's episode dives into #whyitmatters. Why does coverage of women's cycling matter?

After a brief news update with CyclingTips editor-in-chief Caley Fretz, Abby brings in ex-professional cyclist, co-founder of the Cyclists’ Alliance, and women’s cycling expert Iris Slappendel to discuss why it matters that women’s cycling has better coverage. Then, we hear from Marianne Vos, Matthew Keenan, and Brodie Chapman. To look into #whyitmatters yourself, check out womenscyclingmatters.com.

This most recent episode includes chats with two different riders, one going into her third year on Canyon-SRAM the other on the verge of discovering what a new team has to offer. Kasia Niewiadoma chats team bonds that grow stronger over the years, the equipment she knows she can rely on and more while Cecille Uttrup Ludwig speaks about the excitement of racing with her new team and new motivation for a new year. Plus, Abby is joined once again by Loren Rowney to discuss what’s in the news.

This week's show opens with a news roundup from Abby and Loren, including discussion of Denise Betsema's doping case and the Tour Down Under. 

Then, we ask past and present Zwift Academy winners about the transition to the pro ranks and the unique development pathway the Academy provides. Abby speaks with Kate Veronneau, who manages the program at Zwift.

To kick off this week's episode, Abby calls up former pro Loren Rowney to discuss the latest news in women's cycling.

Then, settle in for an in-depth interview with Paralympian Greta Neimanas, an athlete representative with the World Anti-Doping Agency. The two discuss the anti-doping system, the difficult transition athletes make after they retire from the sport, and more.

Collegiate cycling is one of the most effective development pipelines for young cycling talent, particularly female talent, in the United States. This week, Abby chats with Katie Hall and Chad Haga, two pros who found their racing legs in the collegiate scene.

This week's episode is all about the sport's move onto gravel. Where did it come from? Where is it going? Why does nobody want to race on the road anymore?

Abby chats with Olivia Dillon, who works at Velocio, Jess Cerra, who runs a gravel camp, and Alison Tetrick, the Queen of Gravel, for insight into the groad phenomenon.

This is the first episode of Freewheeling, a new podcast from Abby Mickey and the editors of CyclingTips. 

This episode tackles important angles on the health and nutrition, of female athletes and delves into RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports. Abby speaks with Ruth Winder, current US National Road Champion, about her fight to stay healthy in a sport that prizes low weight, and Jackson Long, a nutritionist who specializes in athlete health.