What happens when the dream starts to break you?

In this raw and revealing episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with British pro cyclist Tom Portsmouth to explore the hidden mental toll of chasing a professional cycling career in Europe. From racing without a contract to navigating burnout at the peak of his fitness, Tom shares how reinvention, writing, and resilience brought him back from the edge.

Expect a deep dive into the strategies he used to stay visible in a system that often overlooks young talent, his candid reflections on identity, ego, and why sometimes the strongest move is letting go.

Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, or someone looking for inspiration in your own journey, this conversation will move you.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

In this episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with Rainier (aka Avocado Cyclist) — a London-based content creator, cyclist, and brand ambassador — to uncover the story behind his journey.

From running a business that pushed him into burnout to finding freedom, confidence, and purpose through cycling, Rainier shares how the bike became more than just a hobby — it became his escape, his therapy, and ultimately his purpose.

They dive into:

• How Rainier (Avocado Cyclist) discovered cycling and why it changed his life

• The mental health impact of cycling and overcoming burnout

• Building a cycling community rooted in inclusivity and culture

• His journey into content creation and working with cycling brands

• Why cycling should be accessible to everyone — regardless of background or ability

• His mission to bring awareness to the Asian cycling community

This conversation is a powerful reminder that success isn’t always about numbers — sometimes it’s about rediscovering who you are.

“I lost who I was in a way… it made me refind myself in a way of who I really am.”

If you’re passionate about cycling, entrepreneurship, creativity, or personal growth, this episode will inspire you to rethink what success really means.

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🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

What does it really mean to walk away from the thing that defined you?

In this powerful episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with former WorldTour cyclist Alex Dowsett to explore life beyond the finish line.

Over the course of an hour, Alex opens up about:

• The emotional complexity of retirement after 12 years at the elite level of cycling

• Living — and racing — with severe haemophilia A, and how it shaped his mindset

• Becoming a father and what it means to raise daughters in a world where pain and resilience intersect

• The internal battles with performance pressure, identity loss, and the fear of letting go

• Founding his new company, Stride, and how he's translating everything cycling taught him into a platform to help others perform

• The difference between chasing medals... and chasing meaning

You’ll also hear Alex reflect on the one victory that brought him to tears, how the Hour Record almost broke him, and why bikes gave him something nothing else could — but also took more than he ever expected.

This is not just a cycling conversation. It’s a story of reinvention, emotional honesty, and the difficult beauty of transitioning from high performance to higher purpose.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling. We are the global voice of changemakers, blending leadership, innovation, and human transformation — all powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the podcast:

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Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

In this powerful episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with Leszek Sibilski, the visionary behind World Bicycle Day, to explore an extraordinary life shaped by cycling, resilience, education, and global impact.

From growing up in Poland during the Cold War to becoming one of the key figures who inspired the United Nations to establish World Bicycle Day, Leszek Sibilski shares the deeply personal and professional journey that led him to champion the bicycle as a tool for mobility, diplomacy, education, and human connection.

During this conversation, Pedro Couto Lopes and Leszek Sibilski discuss:

• Leszek’s early career as a competitive cyclist in Poland

• The tragic moment that changed the course of his life and career

• How education ultimately saved his life and shaped his future

• The behind-the-scenes story of creating World Bicycle Day at the United Nations

• Why cycling is more than a sport — it is a tool for freedom, mobility, and social transformation

• The concept of “incremental nudging” and persistence in creating global change

• How the bicycle continues to impact health, sustainability, diplomacy, and society

This episode of the Ride To Success Podcast is a story about purpose, perseverance, and how a simple idea can become a global movement.

If you care about cycling, innovation, leadership, and the power of human ideas, this conversation with Leszek Sibilski will inspire you.

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🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

In this emotionally rich episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes is joined by Timia Porter, also known as Thee Carbon Queen — a community builder, entrepreneur, and criterium racer who is redefining what it means to lead with purpose in the world of cycling.

From serving in the U.S. Air Force to founding Turquoise + Salt, to racing in elite crit circuits, Timia’s journey weaves together identity, healing, entrepreneurship, and representation. Through candid storytelling, she reveals how cycling became more than a sport — a vehicle for reclaiming her body, navigating ADHD, confronting trauma, and building space for others who have long been made to feel invisible.

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🎙️ In this conversation, we unpack:

• How trauma, ADHD, and cycling intersected to reshape Timia’s life

• Her journey from military service to becoming Thee Carbon Queen

• The healing power of creating what she never saw growing up

• What it means to race not to compete — but to reclaim

• Her mission to create visibility for Black women in cycling

• Entrepreneurship lessons from wellness to cycling apparel

• How energy, community, and representation drive everything she does

Whether you're a cyclist, builder, leader, or just searching for healing — this episode will move you.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling. We are the global voice of changemakers, blending leadership, innovation, and human transformation — all powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the podcast:

-

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Josh Sprague is the Chief Executive Officer and Design Dude at Orange Mud and Seven Clay

In this powerful episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with endurance athlete and entrepreneur Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud, to explore what 500 endurance races really teach you about business, discipline, and life.

From tearing apart a gun holster in his garage to build a cycling brand, Josh shares raw lessons from the world of endurance racing and entrepreneurship. Together, Pedro Couto Lopes and Josh Sprague dive deep into cycling, leadership, risk, ego, motivation, and why “motivation is overrated.”

If you are passionate about cycling, innovation, and building something meaningful, this episode of the Ride To Success Podcast will challenge how you think about discipline, quitting, hustle culture, and success.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the podcast:

-

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

What happens after you win everything?

In this powerful episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with Olympic gold medalist Grace Brown to explore life beyond elite cycling — from world champion to entrepreneur, advocate, and future mother.

Grace Brown shares the real story behind her transition from professional cycling to launching her sunscreen brand, Sunmotion, and stepping into leadership as President of The Cyclists’ Alliance. This is not just a story about medals — it’s about identity shifts, vulnerability, resilience, and what success really means when performance is no longer defined by a results sheet.

In this episode, Grace Brown and Pedro Couto Lopes discuss:

• The identity shift from Olympic champion to startup founder

• Lessons learned through winning — not just failure

• The mental tools that helped Grace Brown perform under Olympic pressure

• Life after elite cycling and managing ego post-retirement

• Building Sunmotion from lived experience in cycling

• Leadership and advocacy in women’s professional cycling

• Why women’s cycling shouldn’t copy the men’s model

• The emotional reality of success, struggle, and reinvention

This episode is a deep dive into cycling, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth — a true Ride To Success journey.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the podcast:

-

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

Donna McConnell, also known as The Iron Empress, joins host Pedro Couto Lopes on the Ride To Success Podcast to share how she transformed her life through cycling — from rapper and journalist to Ironman triathlete, ride leader, and advocate for inclusion in sport.

In this deeply personal episode, Donna opens up about discovering endurance sport in her 50s, navigating grief, menopause, and identity, and the powerful role cycling played in reclaiming purpose. She discusses representation in triathlon, community building through Chain Gang Cyclists and Black Unity Bike Ride, and how fitness became her lifelong experiment in freedom, power, and joy.

Whether you're a cyclist, late bloomer, or simply seeking inspiration, this episode will shift your mindset.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

We’re the global voice of changemakers — blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

🔔 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen to it!

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

In this inspiring episode of the Ride To Success Podcast, host Pedro Couto Lopes sits down with Pinar Pinzuti, one of the most influential voices in cycling advocacy and cycle tourism across Europe.

Pinar shares how her passion for daily bike rides evolved into the award-winning Fancy Women Bike Ride, now a global movement that mobilized over 500,000 women in 250 cities. From her work as a EuroVelo Council member to launching the Cycle Tourism Fair, her story is a powerful reminder that the bicycle is more than a vehicle—it’s a tool for freedom, equity, and transformation.

We explore:

• How cycling can drive economic revitalization in rural regions

• Feminist activism on two wheels

• The importance of inclusive mobility

• Pinar’s journey from Germany to Italy to the global stage

Whether you’re a cyclist, activist, or curious changemaker, this episode will shift the way you think about bikes, community, and the power of one idea.

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🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen!

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening

In this episode, Pedro Couto Lopes answers questions from his audience, sharing insights gained from his podcast journey. He discusses the importance of journaling, stepping outside comfort zones, accepting risks, and the evolving definition of success. He reflects on how fatherhood has changed his perspective on cycling and acknowledges the contributions of his podcast guests.

The conversation also delves into the challenges of finding guests and the time-consuming nature of podcast production.

Takeaways

Journaling is a powerful tool for tracking progress.

Stepping outside your comfort zone is essential for growth.

Accepting risk is a fundamental part of entrepreneurship.

Failing fast can lead to valuable learnings.

Balance in life starts with making conscious choices.

A strong support network is crucial for success.

The definition of success is constantly evolving.

Fatherhood has changed my perspective on cycling safety.

Finding podcast guests requires effort and persistence.

Post-production is the most time-consuming aspect of podcasting.

🎙️ Ride To Success is your go-to podcast for entrepreneurial stories in cycling.

Ride To Success is the global voice of changemakers, blending stories of leadership, innovation, and human transformation powered by the bike.

👉 Make sure to follow and rate the podcast wherever you listen.

-

Social Links to Ride to Success:

Follow Pedro Couto Lopes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-couto-lopes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ridetosuccess/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridetosuccess/

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Thanks for listening