In this episode of the Slowtwitch podcast, hosts Kevin Mackinnon and Ben Snyder McGrath chat with Ash Coppinger and Rob Cummins, owners of Wheelworks, a prominent bike shop in Dublin. The conversation covers their experiences at the Marbella 70.3, their journey into triathlon, the evolution and growth of their business, and their insights on increasing participation in triathlon, especially among women. They also discuss their upcoming race plans and the importance of marketing through personal participation in the sport.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Guests and Their Backgrounds

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In this episode of the Slowtwitch podcast, professional triathlete and medical student Matthew Marquardt shares his unique journey from swimming to triathlon, balancing rigorous medical training with the demands of being a pro athlete. He discusses his training regimen, nutrition strategies, and the challenges he faces, including cramping issues during races. Matthew also highlights his commitment to charity work, particularly in cancer research, and reflects on the evolving dynamics of triathlon, including the impact of drafting rules on race strategy. With a focus on continuous improvement and a passion for both medicine and athletics, Matthew offers insights into maintaining a healthy lifestyle while pursuing excellence in sport.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Matthew Marquardt

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Summary

In this episode of the SlowTwitch podcast, hosts Kevin Mackinnon, Eric Wynn, and Ben Snyder McGrath reflect on the past year in triathlon, discussing the financial landscape of the sport, the impact of the PTO on prize money, and their picks for the Triathletes of the Year. They explore the differences between short course and long course athletes, the growth of endurance sports, and the importance of fostering a welcoming community for newcomers. The conversation wraps up with thoughts on the future of the sport and resolutions for the upcoming year.

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00:00 Welcome to 2026: Reflections on the Holidays

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Alright—today’s episode is about the rule everyone argues about, even when the racing is clean: drafting. Due to the community’s consist outrage IRONMAN has started real-world testing to compare the legal benefit of riding at 12 meters versus, 16 and 20 meters, and they’re doing it with actual pros, at actual race speeds, on the road. The goal is simple to say and hard to do: measure what kind of power savings and CdA (the coefficient of drag (Cd)multiplied by the frontal area (A), representing total aerodynamic drag exist across different gaps, and figure out what that means for fairness, safety, and how races actually unfold when packs form, the wind shifts, and the road narrows.

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Kevin and Eric continue to figure out (argue) about the proper way to pronounce Qatar. Ben brings some receipts for his thoughts on the T100 Wrap up and we go down the rabbit hole a bit.

This episode is brought to you by Canyon and the Canyon Speedmax. With multiple World titles. Canyon brings the speed with the highest grades of carbon and the finest components available. Get your Speedmax today at www.canyon.com

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Keats McGonigal is someone we interact with quite often at races. We finally got the chance to get our schedules aligned for a sit down.

We talk about the operational challenges of putting on IRONMAN events all over North America, and how Keats makes the call for which events he personally goes too.

In this episode we dive into some of things that go on behind the scenes to make these events happen.

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After years at the helm under the Pierre Mobility Group. Florian Burguet and Cesar Rojo have purchased 100% of the FELT business.

We talk about the their history together and where they are taking the brand as it enters its 35th Anniversary.

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In this week’s episode we talk about the difference between American and Canadian Thanksgivings. Ben covers some recent watch and headphone reviews. Kevin talks about we noticed and some races that are coming up. Eric talks about hookless and why Slowtwitch talks about it so much. And can we bring back the rear Disc in KONA?

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We cover a lot of ground this podcast brought to you by Wahoo KICKR RUN. From The Men’s race at Worlds 70.3 to Ironman’s course corrections on KONA qualifying standards. Ben talks about being at Ironman AZ and Kevin and I argue about who is responsible for the T100 Men’s race issues.

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We follow up on our women’s preview with our women’s follow up and get into what we think will be the men’s day..

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