With Tadej Pogačar skipping the World Championships, the peloton is facing something it hasn't seen in years: a massive power vacuum. When the Alpha leaves the room, do the true racers step up, or does anarchy take over? Welcome to Episode 543 of The Packfiller Podcast. Tonight, Pat Bulger, Paul Main, Jackson Bulger, and Dr. David Waples break down a chaotic week in global cycling. We cover Enric Mas finally dropping his runner-up reputation to win the Vuelta a España, Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro detonating the North American WorldTour at the Canadian Classics, and the ongoing evolution (and potential soul-loss) of the US Gravel National Championships. Plus, Pat delivers a Pulpit on attacking the local Alpha, Dr. David talks sleep aids, and in the Final K, the panel is forced to violently defend the worst pop culture trends of their youth.

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The Vuelta enters its final act, but the real danger for the pro peloton is happening on open training roads.

Welcome to Episode 542 of The Packfiller Podcast—where we treat the sport like a post-ride beer with several friends and one asshole.

Tonight, the three-man tactical strike force of Pat Bulger, Paul Main, and Sam Waples assemble in The Bunker. The panel tackles the highly alarming, unsustainable epidemic of WorldTour pros having their seasons destroyed by training crashes on open roads. Are aero cockpits, hyper-focused wattage targets, and distracted drivers creating a deadly combination?

On the racing front, we break down Matthew Brennan taking his fourth victory of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Stage 16, towed to the line by an absolute masterclass Wout van Aert lead-out. We also analyze the ticking clock of the General Classification battle as Primož Roglič stares down a 1:46 deficit against Enric Mas with a 32-kilometer time trial looming. Finally, we preview the 15th edition of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, headlined by Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro..

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The Triple Crown dream is over—and the 2026 Vuelta a España is in total chaos.

Welcome to Episode 541 of The Packfiller Podcast—where we treat the sport like a post-ride beer with several friends and one asshole.

Tonight, the "OG Three" (Pat Bulger, Paul Main, and Jackson Bulger) assemble in The Bunker to break down a seismic week in professional cycling. Tadej Pogačar’s race-ending crash on Stage 8 has blown the Vuelta wide open, handing Enric Mas and Movistar the red jersey while Oscar Onley makes a massive statement on the Alto de Aitana.

The panel also dives into the historic revival of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic and the punishing Manayunk Wall, Tom Pidcock and Sina Frei conquering the technical rock gardens at MTB Worlds in Val di Sole, and why the US domestic racing scene is in desperate need of a blueprint. Plus, we test the crew's survival skills with a brutal round of "The Lead Out" peloton trivia.

👉 Design your dream Van Rysel or TIME build at: https://www.packfiller.com

Welcome to Episode 540 of The Packfiller Podcast—where we treat the sport like a post-ride beer with several friends and one asshole.

Tonight, Pat, Jackson, Paul, and Dr. David navigate the absolute chaos of the 2026 Vuelta a España. From Stage 3 getting annulled by a massive hailstorm to Tadej Pogačar launching a demoralizing 50-kilometer solo attack the very next day, the Spanish Grand Tour is completely off the rails.

The panel also dissects the controversial new Visma | Lease a Bike documentary, questioning if Jonas Vingegaard's claims about a "tailor-made" Tour route are valid or just the frustrations of a defeated champion. We also debate Richard Plugge's radical proposal to move professional racing to closed circuits, deliver a forensic autopsy of the Spokane local racing scene, and reveal Pat's long-term targets for the 2027 Master's Nationals.

The Local Bike Shop is Dead. Welcome to Packfiller Cycles.

Welcome to Episode 539 of The Packfiller Podcast—where we treat the sport like a post-ride beer with several friends and one asshole.

Tonight is the biggest broadcast in the history of the Packfiller Empire. We are officially expanding from media into hardware. Joining us in The Bunker are special guests Karsten Hagen (Van Rysel) and Jack Brodhead to help us launch Packfiller Cycles—a closed-door, appointment-only concierge dealership. No fluorescent lights. No entry-level hybrids. Just high-performance speed, a pint of Brick West beer, and a direct pipeline to the Van Rysel RCR Pro.

Spokane Wildfires, Time Trial Agony, and "Chest Fairing" Controversies

Welcome to Episode 538 of the longest-standing podcast on the sport of cycling! Think of us as a post-ride beer with several friends and one asshole.

Tonight, Pat, Paul, Jackson, and Dr. David open the show with an honest check-in on the community and the raging wildfires impacting our home region of Spokane, WA.

Once we address the smoke in the air, we dive straight into the absolute chaos of the professional cycling world. From Marlen Reusser's crushing TT performance at the Tour de France Femmes to the bizarre UCI pre-race clothing inspections surrounding "chest fairings," we break down the finest marginal gains (and absurdity) in the peloton. Plus, Remco Evenepoel breaks records at Clásica San Sebastián, Tadej Pogačar officially confirms his return to the Vuelta a España, and Dr. David receives his official punishment for finishing DEAD LAST in our Tour de France Fantasy League.

The 113th Tour de France is officially in the history books, and Tadej Pogačar has permanently etched his name alongside the giants.

The Packfiller panel (minus a missing Dr. David) convenes in the Rim Brake Bar to deliver a forensic audit of the 2026 Tour. We break down the absolute dominance of the Yellow Jersey, Mads Pedersen's hustle for Green, and Richard Carapaz's aggressive ride for the Polka-Dots. We also review the wreckage of our Fantasy Tour teams and answer the ultimate prologue question: What piece of Tour-winning gear are you stealing from the Paris podium?

But the biggest news isn't coming out of France. Stick around for the Cool Down, where Pat outlines the future of the Packfiller Empire and prepares to completely bypass the traditional cycling retail market.

Grab a Campesino IPA from Big Barn Brewing, settle in, and welcome to Episode 537.

Well, we're missing David, and the promised trivia segment... well, went to live on a farm upstate. But, as it's the last full week of the Tour de France, we have plenty to talk about, including EPO (not that kind), Tour opinions abound, and segments that will warm your cold, dead, elitist, roadie heart.

The OG trio is back (mostly). Sam has survived his battle with a stump, David returns from the void, and Pat is running on patio-remodel spite.

In Episode 535 of the Packfiller Podcast, we break down the absolute chaos of the opening days of the 2026 Tour de France. We analyze Visma's clinical Team Time Trial, Tadej Pogačar’s early flex in the Pyrenees, Mads Pedersen surviving the mountains, and the reality of a 100-degree Occitania heatwave baking the peloton.

Plus, in Pat's Pulpit, we dismantle the "purity of sport." While the White House is speed-dialing FIFA to overturn Folarin Balogun's World Cup red card, the UCI is busy banning ice-socks because they alter a rider's "aerodynamic morphology."

Grab a Big Barn Campesino IPA, protect your shield, and let's get into it.

👇 Drop your Tour de France heatwave survival strategies (and your fantasy punishments) in the comments below!

We are exactly four days away from the biggest cycling circus on earth crossing the start line in Barcelona, and the pro peloton is entering a state of absolute panic. This week on The Packfiller Podcast, the crew dives face-first into the 113th Tour de France. We break down the absolute madness of an opening day Team Time Trial, slap letter grades on the heavy GC favorites (Pogačar, Vingegaard, and the Red Bull-Bora "co-leadership" dynamic), and debate whether the Alpe d'Huez back-to-back double-header is brilliant route design or pure sadism. Closer to home, we unpack the fragile reality of TPU tubes, figure out who is dumb enough to ride Mount Spokane at 2:00 AM, and make a massive announcement: PACKFILLER LIVE IS BACK! Mark your calendars for August 1st at Big Barn Brewing. Grab a Campesino IPA, avoid the 13% walls, and don't forget to upload!