Off Course

My guest today, Emerson Oronte of the Rally Cycling team, won the 2014 U.S. Amateur National Championship Road Race and the 2015 San Dimas Stage Race. He's been racing at an elite level since 2011. But our conversation isn't so much about the bike. In this episode, the conversation begins with a discussion of the work he did to prepare for the 2020 season. We then talk about the cultural differences that American athletes face when training and competing in Europe. We also discuss the pandemic and the way that Emerson is reframing this time, choosing to focus on his gratitude for being able to be outside and for broadening his horizons and developing new skills and hobbies. Let's get Off Course.

Welcome home everyone. Whether you were launching into a new venture—say, a year of bike racing overseas like our guest today—or maybe just getting the kids off to school in the morning, we're all trying to figure out what the plan is now. Back at home amid the COVID-19 chaos. We thought it would be fun to check in with friend of the pod, Noah Granigan, a member of the Hincapie-Leomo team, about what it was like to get to Spain just before the pandemic hit there with full force, his reaction to hearing the U.S. president announce that coming back to the U.S. wasn't an option, and how he and his teammates made their trek back home—or at least to a place near home where they could safely quarantine themselves.

Let's get Off Course!

This week on Off Course we're joined by Australian pro roadie Joe Lewis, formerly with Holowesko-Citadel, and now a Clif Bar sponsored cyclist and Boulder Junior Cycling coach. Joe and I work together closely and share stories about the great development program that is Boulder Junior Cycling.

We then shift gears and discuss cutthroat group rides. He'll also tell tales of life as a teenager racing in Europe, far from his family, at a time when global communication was not what it is today. One anecdote: Joe would often sit outside by the ping pong table to access the internet where he was staying, just so he could contact his family back home.

Today, Joe has his own coaching business, called First Wheel coaching. Throughout the episode he shares his insights on the topic, particularly about how communication is a vital part of being a great coach.

Let's get Off Course.

Welcome to Off Course! Today on the show is one of my good friends, and the first pro I ever coached, Brady Kappius. He's here to get off course and talk about his career in racing, and how that led to his career in carbon fiber repair and bicycle technology. Today, Brady is the President of Kappius Components.

On the racing side, Brady gives some cyclocross advice about finding the right line and handling the bike. As someone who also spent plenty of time racing on the road—he is a former teammate of Alex Howes and Taylor Phinney, among others—Brady talks about why he loves road racing tactics.

As we're learning on this show, retirement is a complex story wherein athletes must redefine goals and values as individuals who love competition, training, and sport. Brady's relationship with the bike continues to evolve. We hope this episode helps you ask the question: How has your story on the bike changed over time?

This week we bring on the one and only Noah Granigan. Noah, like our friend Maxx Chance, is famous in Boulder, but this year is looking to take the "Noah Show" on the road to Europe with the Hincapie-Leomo team.

Noah comes from a family of cyclists, and has been on the bike his entire life. His grandfather, Joe Saling, is a member of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and a great supporter of his grandson's passion for road racing. Noah talks about that support, and his path through the age-ranks of cycling in the U.S. and abroad. We continue the conversation about what makes European racing different, how the Belgian roads are made to bite any rider who isn't focused, and about old men groping your calves.

We also get off road. Gravel has been exploding in popularity in the States, and Noah tells us about his Dirty Kanza experience. He was ninth place last year in his first real gravel experience, and we discuss the craziness of the race as well as the things he learned the hard way while in the trenches of this 10-hour event.

Look out for #theBelgianCrack and let's get off course!

Lance Haidet is the current under-23 U.S. national road champion and a former U23 cyclocross national champion. He just wrapped up his first season in the elite 'cross ranks with the Donnelly-Aevolo team. In this episode, Lance recounts stories from the season, including his choice to pass on the world championships.

As someone with a young, rebellious persona—a true California boy—you may be surprised to learn how organized and disciplined Lance is. Consider the demanding course-load he carries as an engineering student at Cal Poly, then add in the daily training demands of racing at an elite level, and you'll understand the necessity for his maturity.

Lance is racing domestically this season with the Legion of Los Angeles team, holding firm to his dedication to his education.

Let's get Off Course with Lance Haidet.

Today, my guest is Meredith Miller. She may say she's "retired" from racing, but she absolutely has not retired from the sport. She is now the Rapha Cycling Club Chapter Coordinator in Boulder. She also works with USA Cycling as a coach and mentor in cyclocross. As a competitive athlete, she was the U.S. national road champion as well as co-owner and rider for the Noosa cyclocross team. We talk about the sexism that still exists in cycling and many other professional sports. As a former elite athlete and competitive team owner, Meredith knows a lot about funding cycling, which we discuss in-depth here. We'll have a full episode on this in the future, and Meredith will join us for that conversation as well. We're both big advocates for the USA Cycling Mud Fund and the work they've done to foster growth in the sport here in the U.S. To read more about the fund, or to contribute, visit: https://www.usacycling.org/foundation/mudfund.

We also discuss the 2020 racing calendar and the question of whether cyclocross should be included in the Olympic Games. Because so many cyclocross athletes also compete in other cycling disciplines, the decision regarding the sport's inclusion in the Olympics will affect the sport and the people who love it.

Finally, as someone who travels a lot professionally, Meredith kindly shares some relationship advice that has been helpful to her and her partner.

Part of the reason I created this podcast is to share the strong camaraderie and friendship that we enjoy as cyclists, swimmers, and runners, with you! This episode is a great glimpse into my relationship with Chris Case. Chris is the co-founder of Fast Labs and the co-host of Fast Talk with Trevor Connor. Chris is the former managing editor of VeloNews and the co-author of "The Haywire Heart," on heart arrhythmias in endurance athletes. He spent a good part of his early professional career as a neuroscientist, from dissecting monkey brains to working with patients with schizophrenia.

Whether you're in the throes of training for a multi-stage bike race, or you're just riding along the local trail with your kids on a Saturday, it's important to keep cycling fun. Chris and I laugh about the charades of our youth, and we share personal insights into how we integrate our love of sport into a balanced and fulfilled life.

Today on the podcast is the one and only, Maxx Chance. Maxx is a former collegiate national cyclocross champion. He now races on the road with the Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling team on the road and for Blue Stages Racing for Cyclocross. In this episode, Maxx describes what cyclocross in Europe is like: the courses, the fans, the race registration, the men's competition, everything is different, making the sport challenging in new ways.

Reach out! You can email me at [email protected]. Or on social media, find us at @reafastlabs. Grant is at @gholicky on instagram, and @grantholicky on twitter. Screenshot and share that you're listening to the pod!

Welcome to Off Course! Grant Holicky, the coach of American U23 national champion and cyclocross worlds competitor Eric Brunner, came back from Dübendorf, Switzerland last week and immediately recorded this special behind-the-scenes episode to give us a taste of what the excitement was all about. Make sure to check our social media channels to see the photos and videos that Grant describes in this episode. We're at @realfastlabs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Grant offers behind-the-scenes details on the course, course conditions, cliffhanger finishes, and some of the dominating performances. He gets into the details on which countries stood out and performed the strongest. Of course, he also sampled the local cuisine… curious how good Swiss beer is? Does Grant like or love stinky cheese? You'll have to listen to see what Grant has to say!