Velo Podcast

In most careers, people retire when they are in their 60s, or even 70s. For professional cyclists, however, retirement usually comes in a rider's 30s. For someone who has built their lifestyle, body, and identity around the sport, what happens when that is suddenly gone?

Bobby Julich and Gus Morton have both crossed that bridge, and they dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly of that transition.

They are joined by special guest Gearoid Towey, a former Olympian and founder of the Crossing the Line Foundation, a program aimed at helping athletes transition out of their athletic careers and into a more socially standard one.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we discuss Nairo Quintana's thrilling start to the 2020 season with his new French team, Arkea-Samsic.

James Startt was there to see Quintana drop everyone on the slopes of Mont Ventoux at the recent le Tour de la Provence, and has some information on why Quintana seems to be thriving with his new French team. Startt also discusses the Arkea team, and what Quintana's signing means to the French outfit.

Then, Betsy Welch joins the podcast to discuss her recent story on the Beti Bike Bash festival, the all-women's mountain bike racing in Colorado. Now in its 11th year, the Beti Bike Bash is a low-stress race that has introduced numerous cyclists to organized competition. In 2019 the event almost ceased after it faced a sponsorship crush. Welch explains how the event came back from the brink.

All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Swim, bike, run. I can do two of these things well. The third could cause my death... For our guests today, however, putting these disciplines together represents a good day's work.

Of course, I’m talking about triathlon. And while Fast Talk has always been primarily about cycling, we know we have many triathlete listeners. In addition, many of the physiological concepts that apply to triathletes also pertain to cyclists and other endurance athletes. So, in episode 99, we delve into both the nuances of triathlon and how training for that sport relates to endurance training and cycling generally.

We ask: Should triathlon be seen as three sports, or one? What are the most common training mistakes that triathletes make? What are the best ways to manage three different disciplines? And what can cyclists learn from how triathletes train?

Our primary guest is Melanie McQuaid, the first person to win the XTERRA world championship three times. She is now a triathlon coach in Canada, and she joins us on Fast Talk to get specific and scientific about training three sports.

We’re also joined by my friend and former pro triathlete Whitney Garcia. Because of her path to the sport, and her ability to reflect on it now as a retired athlete, Whitney offers insight into the training dos and don’ts with great clarity.

Road rash. Weeping wounds. Tegaderm.

A cyclist's life is likely to involve at least one of those things at some point. Senior editor Betsy Welch has seen all that and more in her pre-VeloNews life as a Registered Nurse. She joins tech editor Dan Cavallari on the tech podcast to talk about first aid kits and things you should carry with you on every ride.

Gravel is on fire now, and Bobby Julich is jumping on the bandwagon. 

"Let me just set the record straight: I am a full-on newbie, Cat 5 gravel rider. No doubt about it," says the Olympic medalist. "I want to make it clear to the gravel community that I'm not trying to tell you guys anything new. You know those scratch marks on the back of the bandwagon tailgate? Those are mine for just jumping on and trying to grasp what's going on here."

With that perspective in mind, Bobby and Gus interview a host of riders about what actually got them into gravel in the first place. Guests include Nicola Cranmer, Chris Carmichael, Matt Accarrino, Drew Quartapella, Pete Stetina, Sarah Swallow, Shayna Powless and Kenny Carlsen.

Bobby and Gus also debate whether or not a governing body should be involved in gravel. Bobby thinks there is some merit for safety's sake, but Gus takes a different view: "I feel like, down with the governing body and let it be a free for all," Gus says. "But then again, you know, I'm not necessarily the most responsible adults."

Before talking gravel, the PYSO duo talk recent racing, including the surge in Colombian racing and Trofeo Laigueglia, which happened to be Bobby's first European race back in 1995.

Give the pod a listen; it's time to Put Your Socks On.

Your probably didn't watch any of the Tour Colombia 2.1. The race was not broadcast in North America, and finding illegal feeds to stream the action presented a headache.

Guess what? The Tour Colombia is one of the most important bicycle races in the entire world, and it is the biggest stage race in the entire Western Hemisphere.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we examine the Tour Colombia and its growing importance within the global realm of pro bike racing. Reporter Rebecca Reza was in Colombia for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the race, and she takes us inside the enormous crowds, aggressive racing, and pandemonium that the race brought to Colombia last week.

What do the Colombian riders think of the event? Why does the race attract millions of spectators? Will the race join the WorldTour? And why couldn't we watch it live on TV? Reza has the answers.

Then, we catch up with American rider Ian Boswell to talk about gravel racing and American road cycling. You may have read the news that Boswell has stepped away from WorldTour road racing and plans to race gravel in 2020.

Unlike Peter Stetina and several other road riders who are racing gravel, Boswell considers himself retired from the sport. We discuss this important designation, and talk about what Boswell's life will be like in retirement.

All that and more on this episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

This week's episode came from listener questions. So thank you for sending us your questions! We are here for you and your training. Nothing is more fulfilling than knowing that the hours of research, study, and production of the podcast is useful to you. In today’s Q&A episode, Coach Connor and I selected three questions to address.

First, Peter Burghardt, thanks for asking us about intervals. We hope our dissection of the dreaded 4x8s is helpful! Enjoy Trevor’s analysis of his own rides. 

Next, David Sampier down in sunny, flat, Florida brought up a really good point: How do you adequately train for a big race, specifically Dirty Kanza, when you live in a geographical area that doesn’t offer the rugged, rolling terrain that you’ll be faced with on race-day? 

Finally, Jeremiah Bell, you know we love to talk about when to train in Zone 1, Zone 2 and so on, in the polarized model. Thanks for your specific question about cardiac drift and the causes of it.

Bobby and Gus dig into the way cycling has been covered over the years, how that coverage is evolving, and how it might be covered in the future.

We are joined by special guest, the extraordinary photographer Jered Gruber, to get his view from behind the camera at races and beautiful cycling places around the world.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we sit down with Dirty Kanza 200 winner Amity Rockwell to discuss gravel racing, women's racing, and other topics.

Rockwell was not one of the favorites to win last year's Dirty Kanza, however she rode a consistent and near flawless race, and took the lead in the final push to the finish line. Rockwell retells her story of victory, and explains the impact that winning Dirty Kanza had on her cycling career.

Rockwell also talks about her cycling experiences in Northern California, where she is often the one of the only women in the local group ride. She discusses the good and bad behavior she sees in group ride settings, and how male cyclists can do a better job of respecting the strong women in the group.

Before we hear from Rockwell, Fred Dreier sits down with new VeloNews contributor James Startt to talk about Belgian wunderkind Remco Evenepoel. Startt interviewed Evenepoel at the recent Vuelta a San Juan and saw, firsthand, how Evenepoel won the race. What did the win mean for Evenepoel?

Startt also spoke to many riders and directors about the racing culture in South America.

All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Are you stretching? Are you stretching too much? The core of Fast Talk episode 97 delves into the short and long term effects of stretching, differentiates between the athletes in various disciplines that should be stretching more, and who should be stretching less.

You can lose power and performance capability if you are over or under the optimal length for any given muscle. We discuss yoga and the appropriate way to practice it.

Our primary guest is Menachem Brodie, the owner of Human Vortex Training. Menachem has over a decade of strength training and coaching experience. He has coached at a high level in cycling, and he began in his own cycling career as a strength and skill sports competitor. It was only after injury that he found cycling, and then he merged his strength training background with his new passion for cycling to bring those worlds together.

In today’s episode, Menachem tests Trevor’s flexibility, which is awkward and painful, but you can try it as well.

Also on the podcast to speak with us about the ways he integrates stretching into his training and racing is Red Bull athlete Payson McElveen. Payson is a two-time marathon MTB national champion, a budding star in the gravel racing world, and hosts of the podcast “The Adventure Stache.”

Now, don’t get all bent out of shape, let’s make you fast!