Velo Podcast

Welcome to the Mathieu van der Poel era. The cyclocross world champion asserted himself with a major win at Amstel. What's next for this superstar in waiting?

We discuss Kasia Niewiadoma's breakthrough victory in the women's race, a down-to-the-wire thriller. And, we hear from Annemiek van Vleuten, who was second to Niewiadoma Sunday, about why the hilly classics are so important to her.

This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Vittoria, which is providing its Terreno tires for all of our gravel races this summer. Check out the complete line of tires: https://www.vittoria.com/us/tires/off-road-tires/off-road-tires-cx-and-gravel.html

There’s possibly nothing more ubiquitous in cycling than training zones. Trevor and I have lost count of the number of questions we’ve received from Fast Talk listeners that begin with something along the lines of “I was training in zone 4…”

The truth of the matter is that we don’t know what that means when you tell us that. That’s not because we don’t know training science, but because “zone 4” can mean a lot of different things.

One thing is certain: Training zones can have tremendous value. They provide guidance for training and a means of communicating with your coach or teammates.

If you’re a fan of zones, this episode may also challenge you because zones have their limitations. They're not as clear cut as they seem. Which may be why we, and almost all of our guests today, resist even using the term “zones.” What we hope to communicate is that there is no single zone model. That's because there is no perfect model. They all have flaws.

What they are based on – FTP, VO2max, or power-duration – all have their issues. Nor can any model ever fully account for individual variation or even day-to-day variation within each athlete. As our guests will point out, they are rough and they have their limitations.

That being said, if you use a zone model based on your physiology and use it as a guide, not as dogma, it can be a valuable tool. So, today we'll dive into zones, or levels, or ranges, or whatever you want to call them, and talk about:

- What exactly a zone model is, and whether it should be based on power or heart rate

- The value of a zone system as a framework for training and, more importantly, communication

- While there are many zone models based on heart rate, there are actually very few based on power. That’s partially because Dr. Andy Coggan and Hunter Allen came up with a model that’s been the standard. We’ll talk about this model and why it was so important for each zone to have a name and not just a number.

- Dr. Coggan’s Classic zone model has seven zones. We’ll talk about the issues with more or fewer zones, including Dr. Stephen Seiler’s three-zone model, and whether or not it’s based on physiology.

- What a zone model should be based on – most systems create zones that are a percentage of VO2max or FTP or threshold. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each and how, ultimately, both have their limitations.

- Other limitations with zones, including not understanding what “zone 2” means and the fact that just because you’re training in a particular zone doesn’t mean you’re doing the right training – there are other factors including volume.

- Finally, we’ll talk about the iLevels that are discussed in the third edition of Training and Racing with a Power Meter. iLevels are based on an athlete’s individual profile, not just FTP, and address many of the shortcomings we’ll discuss.

Our primary guests today are renowned physiologists and coaches who need no introduction, who are the authors of the aforementioned book, Dr. Andy Coggan, Dr. Stephen McGregor, and a guest you’ve heard from before on Fast Talk, Hunter Allen.

We also talk with local coach Colby Pearce to get his opinion about zones. As a top-level coach figuring out how to best direct his athletes, he had a lot of great insight about zones and their limits.We also talk with Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the originators of the polarized training concept, to get his take on training zones and why he often promotes a three-zone model. You may be surprised by his answer.

Finally, we'll touch base with Sebastian Weber with INSCYD and a coach to athletes like Tony Martin and Peter Sagan. We ask him his opinion on whether zones should be based on a percentage of VO2max or threshold, but it quickly turns into a more nuanced conversation about the dangers of blindly following zones.

What a Paris-Roubaix it was! We look back on all the action from Wout van Aert's rough day on the cobbles ... could he have won? To Sagan's attempt to defend his title that fizzled on the final pave sectors. To Philippe Gilbert's amazing victory. What can't the Belgian star do at this point?

All of that and much more, from the raucous velodrome at the finish of the "Hell of the North."

Who will win Paris-Roubaix? We look ahead to the rough, cobbled "Queen of the Classics" on this episode.

And we also bring in an expert to discuss what to expect from this Sunday's race. We speak with Dirk Demol, who is now a sport director for Team Katusha-Alpecin. He won the 1988 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

While the world's top cyclists are battling in the spring classics, the next generation of American stars is also pounding the cobbles. Every year, junior riders flock to USA Cycling's development complex in Sittard, Netherlands to develop as riders, and maybe someday become top pros.

We hear from the man behind the European program, Billy Innes, USAC's junior program manager. We also talk to Quinn Simmons, a rising star who recently won the prestigious Gent-Wevelgem junior race.

Few people picked Alberto Bettiol as a favorite before Tour of Flanders, yet he managed to stun the favorites and win. Peter Sagan is one of those stars who was left empty-handed on Sunday. We hear from him about how the race went down and why he hasn't found peak form yet.

Later in the podcast, Ben Delaney talks to Dries Verclyte of Cycling in Flanders. He explains how the region embraces cycling tourism and attracts all kinds of riders from around the world — not just the top pros who were battling on the Bergs in De Ronde.

The gran fondo-style event has exploded in popularity in the last decade. Somewhere between a race and a group ride, it has an appeal to a broad range of riders. Some show up to race all-out on a challenging 100-plus-mile course. Others come to ride with friends and enjoy the accomplishment of a demanding and scenic route. The nice thing is there is no “right” way to do it. This style of event accommodates both riding styles.

Now we’re seeing multi-day events like Haute Route that combine the challenge of racing (through timed segments) with the pleasure of a bike tour through some of the most scenic spots in the world.

The question is: Do you train for and approach these events differently from a weekend race or group ride? More than a few of you have asked us that exact question, so in this episode we’ll try to give you an answer.In this episode, we’ll discuss:

- What the experience of a gran fondo or Haute Route is like and why they are becoming so popular

- The different goals and approaches riders will have at these eventsHow to train and prepare for both the one-day gran fondo and the multi-day Haute Route. Hint: When it comes to the training, it’s not as different as you might think.

- The importance of pack skills and sticking within your comfort levelNutrition and hydration for the event (and why I love cookies so much)

- Final preparation in the week leading into the eventStrategies for both racing and riding a fondo, as well as multi-day Haute Route style events

Our primary guest today is master's world hour record holder and Haute Route ambassador Colby Pearce. He’s been on the show enough now that he needs no introduction. 

Along with Colby, we spoke with Michelton-Scott’s Brent Bookwalter. Brent is an Olympian, a veteran of many grand tours, and the organizer of the popular Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo. This year it takes place on October 26 in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.

We also touch base with three-time gran fondo world champion Bruce Bird. If that title doesn’t impress you, you should also know that at the age of 50, Bruce finished 14th at Canadian nationals in the pro race. Bruce also organizes a worlds qualifier event called the Blue Mountains Gran Fondo in Ontario where both he and Trevor are from. This year it takes place on June 15 in Collingwood, Ontario.

Now, prepare your cookies, let's make you fast!

Dwars door Vlaanderen was a thriller with Mathieu van der Poel stunning the WorldTour. We discuss the 'cross world champ who seems to have unlimited potential as a cyclist.

We also talk about the crash in the women's race that led to a stoppage in the men's race. To better understand the dynamics at play, we hear from Ellen van Dijk, who won the women's race. She talks about why it's important to run the women's race on the same day as the men and the broader importance of the Flanders races.

This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Pactimo, who is kitting us out for our summer of gravel racing. Check out the Summit Stratos 12-Hour bibs we'll be wearing at Dirty Kanza 200 and other big events: https://www.pactimo.com/collections/the-12-hour-endurance-cycling-bibs-men-women?avad=219157_d15680ff9

With gusting winds and aggressive racing, this was one of the hardest editions of Gent-Wevelgem. We are on the ground in Belgium to analyze the action.

Then, we hear from American Quinn Simmons who stunned the Belgians by winning the junior edition of Gent-Wevelgem.

And finally, Hugo Coorevits, senior editor at Het Nieuwsblad, explains why cycling is so important in Flanders and how it is an integral part of the regional culture.

Deceuninck-Quick-Step dominated as Zdenek Stybar got revenge on Greg Van Avermaet. Wout van Aert wowed us with a second-place result. And Peter Sagan? What happened to him?

We are on the cobblestones in Belgium, and racing is underway with the E3 BinckBank Classic.

In the second half of the show, we hear from EF Education First sport director Andreas Klier an ex-pro who is a veteran of the spring classics.