Bobby and Jens

PYSO, ep. 56: Jolanda Neff on competition, overcoming injuries, and YouTubing


Listen Later

Road bikes, cyclocross bikes, mountain bikes, and motorbikes — Neff loves riding them all. On this episode, the multi-time world champ talks about the special Swiss cycling programs that helped propel her to the top.
Bobby and Gus speak with Neff about overcoming injuries, and her new series JolandaLand on YouTube.
After getting stuck in the U.S. for 2.5 months because of travel restrictions, Neff is back in Switzerland now for a national training camp, where eight of the nine riders have world junior titles to their names. How does Switzerland create such successful riders? Part of it, Neff believes, is the unique race formats for young kids that prioritize handling skills and not just pedaling.
Like many Olympic-bound athletes, the coronavirus pandemic has changed Neff’s life and timing, but after the Swiss star suffered a terrible crash in December, the extra preparation time is probably a blessing.
Neff, a veteran of the Rio Olympics where she placed eighth in the road race and sixth in the cross-country mountain bike race, talks with Bobby, an Olympic medalist himself, about lessons she wants to take into the Tokyo Olympics. Forefront among them, is advocating to have trusted female staff with her.
“I need to have the people around me in those days before the Olympics and during the Olympics that I’ve been working with for years,” she says. “In Rio, we did not have one single female person on staff. I get along great with men, that’s no problem. But at the competition, you need a certain balance and especially for me, my physio that I’ve been working with for years, she is a girl. She was not selected to go to the Olympics. So I’ve been working on that very much.”
At the coming Olympics, Neff will be unable to race both road and mountain because the two competitions are on the same day.
Outside of the Olympics, Neff recently launched a YouTube channel.
“I want to show people cycling is social. It’s fun. It’s great. It keeps you fit. I don’t want to show like, ‘ah, it’s so hard to train and everyone who’s at that level has to put in work and has to train hard,'” she says. “For me, what got me into mountain biking and what I want to inspire other people to get into mountain biking is the fun, the social aspect.”
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Bobby and JensBy Velo

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

330 ratings


More shows like Bobby and Jens

View all
The Cycling Podcast by The Cycling Podcast

The Cycling Podcast

928 Listeners

Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP by Mitch Docker

Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

289 Listeners

The Forward by Lance Armstrong

The Forward

1,803 Listeners

Velo Podcast by Velo

Velo Podcast

525 Listeners

The Roadman Cycling Podcast by Anthony Walsh

The Roadman Cycling Podcast

126 Listeners

THEMOVE by Lance Armstrong

THEMOVE

3,361 Listeners

With Pace by Payson McElveen

With Pace

711 Listeners

Sigma Sports presents Matt Stephens Unplugged by Sigma Sports

Sigma Sports presents Matt Stephens Unplugged

81 Listeners

Cyclist Magazine Podcast by Cyclist Magazine

Cyclist Magazine Podcast

40 Listeners

Beyond the Peloton Podcast by Spencer Martin

Beyond the Peloton Podcast

97 Listeners

Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast by Lanterne Rouge Media, SL

Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast

751 Listeners

Geraint Thomas Cycling Club by Crowd Network

Geraint Thomas Cycling Club

277 Listeners

Spin Cycle - Tour de France Daily by Escape Collective

Spin Cycle - Tour de France Daily

771 Listeners

The Nero Show by Chris Miller

The Nero Show

100 Listeners

The GCN Show by Global Cycling Network (GCN)

The GCN Show

57 Listeners