Velo Podcast

TrainingPeaks, Strava, RideWithGPS, Fastest Bike Split, live TV with stream power data... The past 10 years have seen an explosion of data capture and sharing, not only from athlete to coach but to UCI and WADA and the public

The way we train, race, consume and analyze cycling has been irreversibly changed by the proliferation of data. On today's episode, we take a look at how the world has changed with the sharing of data.

Bobby bought his first power meter in 1999. "I had next to no clue of what it was," he said. "It was very much a status symbol."

Fast forward to 2020, and power data is ubiquitous - something Friel says is healthy for the sport for a number of reasons, including clean sport, publicity, fan understanding and fan excitement.

Welcome to episode 100 with Dr. Stephen Seiler! We are so proud to have now brought 100 episodes of our passion for the bike to you. Thanks to all of you for coming along with us as we’ve interviewed some of the best physiologists, nutritionists, and athletes in professional cycling, and many of the most knowledgeable coaches in the world.

Today in episode 100, we get nearly two hours of Dr. Seiler, aka the Jay-Z of physiology. Our conversation is very natural, casual even, but there are so many moments of enlightenment and clarity.

Yes, Trevor wrote an outline for the show, as he always does. Thanks, Trevor. Then we proceeded to completely disregard it.

In many ways, it makes for a heck of a good show. We learn about the inception of the polarized method, from the creator himself. We discuss Dr. Seiler’s current research on the all-important aerobic threshold. And we jaw—that’s my nod to his Texas roots—about the future of sport science. Get ready for the wisdom to drop.

Are you following Dr. Seiler on Twitter? If not, you should. He’s @StephenSeiler. He frequently posts workout challenges, surveys, and his commentary on new scientific research and studies.

Now, sit back and grab your favorite beverage, or, better yet, find a nice long stretch of lonely road to listen in. Let's make you fast!

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.