Velo Podcast

These are special times, challenging times, and this is a special edition of Fast Talk. And I say that not because we discuss COVID-19 in this episode, but because this will be the last episode of Fast Talk to be released on the VeloNews channel.

What’s that mean? Well, I have a big ask for all of you: Head to your favorite podcast app, search for the Fast Talk podcast, and subscribe. All future episodes of Fast Talk will be released on that channel. Some of you have already found us there, many of you have not.

In the episode today, as a way to say goodbye to our good friends at VeloNews, we invited editor-in-chief Fred Dreier to join us on the show to interview both Trevor and me, about Fast Talk — where we’ve been, where we’re going, and to discuss some of the highlights from our long history together.

The Mid South Gravel race went off in the mud and muck, and Ben Delaney and Betsy Welch were there to get coated in their fair share. They join tech editor Dan Cavallari on the Tech Podcast this week to talk about their gear choices, the experience on course, and what items they were glad to have on course (and some they could have left home).

Special guest Rich Hincapie comes on the show to discuss the massive effect the coronavirus is having on cycling events around globe.

Bobby and Gus hope that PYSO going forward will be able to provide a little light and laughter in tough times.

On this episode, Bobby and Gus celebrate the last bit of racing at Paris-Nice, before looking up the road with Rich.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we continue our reporting on the impact of coronavirus COVID-19 on the cycling world.

Andrew Hood chimes in from Spain, where the government has closed down most services and even prevented cyclists from riding outdoors. And James Startt calls in from Paris after finishing coverage of Paris-Nice.

This week's episode is brought to you by Flobikes.com, where you can watch replays of some of your favorite pro bike races, such as Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and even the Giro d'Italia. Go to flobikes.com/velonews for a special deal on a subscription.

As the world’s attention is fixated on the spread of COVID-19, many of us are feeling stress and anxiety. We want to acknowledge that fact; these are challenging times. By coincidence, we recorded and planned to release today an episode on performance psychology, specifically on the principles of confidence, resilience, the power of reframing, self-talk, and much more.

Though this episode doesn’t address the type of anxiety you might be feeling head on, there are immense lessons to be learned in this episode that are applicable both to riding your bike faster, and living your life in a more healthy, mindful way. At times like these, we hope there are meaningful lessons to be gained from our discussion.

To our devoted listeners, we send wishes of continued health and tranquility. We hope this episode helps you cope through a stressful time.

Now, a few simple questions: What is confidence? What is resiliency? What is pressure, and how can we better cope with it? These are just some of the things we tackle in today’s episode.

And while you might think you have a fair idea of what these terms mean, with the help of our incredible guest, clinical and sports psychologist Julie Emmerman, we open new doors on a landscape that few of us regularly consider a part of our training.

That’s because we’ve been conditioned, when we consider the act of training for our endurance sport of choice, to think about it in physical, physiological terms. Today, we spend much of our time devoted to revealing ways to tap into the psychological aspects of training.

I’m very excited to have Julie on the program, to share her wisdom from her many years spent working with professional cyclists, NHL players, MMA fighters, and everything in between.

She won’t offer us some simplified, cliché “Seven Ways to Build Confidence” pitch — something you might see on the cover of GQ magazine or a self-help book. What she will provide is a deeper understanding of some of the most fundamental psychological principles at play in athletes, and how you can learn to better utilize them to your advantage.

Want to know how the best athletes operate, psychologically, and what qualities they possess that make them so good at what they do? Stay tuned. Would you like to understand how to use the power of the brain to utilize everyday tasks, big and small, to refine your cycling performances? Listen in. And, if you were a fan of Jack Handy’s “Deep Thoughts” from Saturday Night Live, we might have something for you, too.

Joining us also in this episode are two friends of the podcast: Red Bull athlete and the host of "The Adventure Stache" podcast, Payson McElveen, as well as endurance sports coach, and host of the Off Course podcast, Grant Holicky.

Now, kick your feet up on the couch. Your counseling session is about to begin. Let’s have some deep thoughts, and let's make you fast!

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to roil the globe, reshaping professional cycling along with so much else.

Bobby and Gus speak with American Larry Warbasse, who was one of the many riders temporarily trapped in the mid-race closure of the UAE Tour.

Before talking about the racing — or the lack of racing — Bobby takes a moment to recognize the passing of his friend and former Team Sky colleague Nicholas Portal, who died of a heart attack.

It's not a light episode this week. It's time to Put Your Socks On.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we go inside Paris-Nice's coronavirus precautions with James Startt, who is one of the few media members covering the race.

Startt spoke with ASO's Christian Prudhomme and other officials about the precautions that have been taken with the race to ward off the virus. There are no spectators, no post-race interviews, and absolutely no hugs and kisses on the post-race podium. Is this the model that pro cycling can adopt to keep events safe in the future?

Andrew Hood discusses the wider scope of the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the pro cycling calendar. The postponement of Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, and Tirreno-Adriatico will have a dramatic impact on the top riders and their seasonal goals. Plus, what can we expect from the Belgian classics and Giro d'Italia in the coming weeks?

Then, Betsy Welch joins the show to discuss our latest project, Monuments of Gravel. We went in search of the five gravel events that carry the most prestige to win. We devised a voting system to help us determine the races, and then posed the question to the elite gravel racers on the circuit. Everything you want to know about the Monuments of Gravel project is discussed on this episode.

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

We’re incredibly lucky here at Fast Talk to be able to talk with some of the most intelligent physiologists, coaches, and athletes about training, and sport science generally, on a weekly basis. We glean so much insightful information just by having access to them on a regular basis. Through Coach Connor’s countless hours of dedicated research to keep up on the latest science, we’re then able to synthesize all of this information into what we hope are digestible conversations, helping you to better understand the science that propels cycling performance.

Occasionally, we like to step back and summarize the things we’ve learned, often prompted by the many questions we receive from our dedicated listeners. Today is just such an occasion. The last time we did this type of show was Episode 68: The Big Picture-The Three Types of Rides You Should Do.

Today, we look at the big picture when it comes to training in zones, or ranges, versus training a target number.

Because what number is best? We talk about training zones constantly. If your zone 2 is 160 to 190 watts, then is training at 190 watts better than 170 watts? Is going harder better? Stay tuned for those answers.

Next, we’ll address four fundamental principles of human physiology that relate to training in ranges: specifically aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, fat burning capacity, and maximal lactate clearance. All in an effort to maximize your training experience.

Finally, we take an opportunity to remind everyone that humans aren’t machines. Perhaps that’s stating the obvious, but sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves that we are all individuals and have different needs, and goals for our riding.

Today we hear from a vast array of former Fast Talk guests, including:

-Colby Pearce, an incredible time trialist, coach, and bike fitting expert

-Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the world’s leading sports physiologists

-Sepp Kuss, pro cyclist with Jumbo-Visma

-Toms Skujins, pro cyclist with Trek-Segafredo

-Dr. Andy Coggan and Dr. Stephen McGregor, leading exercise physiologists

-Hunter Allen, leading cycling coach

-Sebastian Webber, lead scientist at INSCYD and elite cycling coach

Let's make you fast!

Neil Shirley from Enve Wheels joins tech editor Dan Cavallari on the Tech Podcast to recount his recent trip to France to help NTT Pro Cycling riders find the optimal tire/rim combination for the spring classics.

Shirley spent time with Edvald Boasson Hagen and Michael Gogl as they rode the Paris-Roubaix cobble sectors. The idea was to get the riders accustomed to tubeless tires and find the right combination to counter P-R's brutal cobbles and the smoother pavement miles in between.

Cavallari and Shirley also talk about what makes tubeless tires faster than tubed and tubular tires, as well as some of the reasoning behind the "wider is faster" phenomenon.

Pro cycling has been put on hold this week by the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which forced the cancellation of Strade Bianche and the shortening of the UAE Tour.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we speak with editor Jim Cotton who was on the ground at the UAE Tour and underwent five days of quarantine due to coronavirus.

Jim takes us inside his experience at UAE Tour and explains, step by step, how the race was cancelled and the riders and staff placed in quarantine. Jim was tested for the virus and eventually returned to the UK, but not before he spent five days locked in his hotel room.

After that we hear from Peter Stetina about his 2020 gravel campaign, and why being a privateer gravel racer is far more complicated than being a WorldTour road racer.

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