Cécile Lejeune started racing triathlons in her native France at 12 years old and quickly began picking up national titles. After gaining the attention of international recruiters, she moved to the US to race track in college. Soon, however, a chronic series of stress fractures took her out of competition and forced her into early retirement. Now, after just one year racing gravel, she’s become a top contender in the Grand Prix, even nabbing fifth at her first Unbound earlier this year. 

Cécile sat down with Payson at the studio in Durango to talk about learning the ins and outs of gravel racing at the front of the peloton, her early introduction to professional cycling racing on the road in Europe, and how she hopes gravel will evolve. She also talks about the culture shock of moving from France to Arizona for college, the eating disorder that likely contributed to her chronic stress fractures, and how she's navigated her diagnosis of RED-S, relative energy deficiency in sport. 

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With six mountain bike world championships, a Leadville win, six World Cups, and six Cape Epic victories under her belt, Annika Langvad is one of the most decorated off road cyclists of all time. But shortly after yet another career triumph in 2019 when she pivoted to road racing and placed second at the Strade Bianche, she decided it was time to retire from racing. She began working as a dentist, but after the birth of her daughter 10 months ago, she realised that she was ready to jump back into competitive cycling, this time to gravel. 

Payson sat down with Annika a few days before she competed in her first Unbound to talk about why she decided to quit racing, why her daughter’s birth made her want to come back, and why she chose gravel. She also talks about the challenges of undergoing IVF treatment, saying that it was more difficult than anything she’s ever endured on the bike. 

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Payson and Sarah made it back to Bend. They may be a bit more haggard than they were at the beginning of the race, but that hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm. They sit down to talk about how the final stage played out, including all the tactics that went into the series overall standings. Then, they bring in Sarah’s husband Dylan to talk about his week, which involved a lot of mountain biking and car maintenance. Lastly, Nichole hops on the mic to talk about winning the women’s open category, learning about road tactics the hard way, and the fueling faux pas that left her extra dehydrated. 

Today’s episode is presented by SILCA. Use code: withpaceoregontrail to get 15% off. 

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Payson and Sarah had two very different experiences on day four of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. They recap their respective miseries and triumphs on this second-to-last day, discuss how things are shaping up in the overall standings, and talk about the literal run-in with wildlife that left the racers shaken. They also talk about Dylan’s victory at the hot dog eating contest, the greatest gift Sarah ever received (an ice skating costume), liquified shower curtains, and, just in case you thought this wasn’t an educational program, they offer their top tips on recovering during stage races. 

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Stage 3 saw the riders heading out for an enduro day that turned out to be very heavy on the climbing. Skyler Taylor, who won the men’s stage, joins Payson and Sarah to talk about how he managed to reel in Cam Jones who has so far dominated the race with his power and descending skills. He also talks about deciding to leave his full-time job to focus on gravel this year, which he quickly followed through on by winning a wild card spot in the Grand Prix. Plus, Sarah talks about why time has never been her strong suit.

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After the punishing 94.7 miles of stage two, Payson and Sarah sit down with Cécile Lejeune, who is currently duking it out for first place in the overall despite having raced fewer than 10 gravel races in her entire career. They recap the day, which included multiple crashes, plenty of interpersonal drama, and a few good samaritans. They also talk about Sarah’s issue with Cécile’s snack choices, the multiple jobs Cécile holds down when she’s not racing, and whether running (her first sport) features as much social intrigue as gravel. Plus, Cécile and Sarah teach Payson a lesson in humility. 

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As the dust settles on stage one of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, Payson and Sarah sit down to talk about the punishing 80 miles from Bend to Gilchrist. They discuss how things played out in the men’s and women’s fields, how Sarah’s new haircut might have taken her out of contention, Evel Knievel’s leap across the Snake River, and her husband Dylan’s run-in with a skunk that has followed them to the race. 

Today’s episode is presented by SILCA. Use code: withpaceoregontrail to get 15% off. 

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In this final episode on this year’s Unbound, we’re bringing you two interviews that Payson recorded while on the ground in Emporia. The first took place with Sarah Sturm the night before the race in which she discusses the limitations of team tactics in the women’s field. Her husband Dylan Stucki and mechanic Anna Greetis also chime in to talk about what it’s like doing the aid stations at such a big and important event. 

Next, Payson talks to Taylor Lideen, who he caught up with the day after the race. After getting hit by another rider from behind, Taylor was left with an unfixable mechanical and had to drop out of the race. He talks about how the 200 compares to the XL (which he’s won in the past), and why he’s still planning to come back for more.

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Going into Unbound this year as the defending champion, Rosa Klöser knew she was a marked woman. What she didn’t expect was that the usual crashes and chaos of gravel’s biggest event would start as soon as the first handful of miles. After a fall, a flat, and a wrong turn in the finish shoot, Rosa managed to walk away with fourth place. 

She caught up with Payson for a recovery spin the day after the race to talk about how her race went down, how she tried to combat the caginess of the chase group in order to catch the three-woman breakaway at the front, and how she set up her bike differently after last year. She also talks about the other half of her career, racing on the road with Canyon-SRAM. Earlier this year, she competed in Paris Roubaix, which provided her first opportunity to ride in a velodrome. 

Ride With Pace Ep3 - Unbound https://youtu.be/2_X38IkZehM?si=Vjw0fVvToCqCtHpM 

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In the second part of our Unbound recap, Payson chats with Karo Migón about her dominant win. After initiating an early breakaway with two other riders, she went solo with nearly 50 miles to go, finishing all on her own despite having a slow rear puncture. Her ride is even more impressive considering that last year was her first gravel season and she's currently on sabbatical from her job as a coder. She talks to Payson about why she decided to hop into a breakaway so early, when she knew it was time to go solo, and whether she’s going to quit her job to take up racing full time. 

Later, Payson goes through his five key takeaways about the race and gives a rundown on the Grand Prix standings, including the new wildcard riders. We also hear from listeners about their Unbound experience.

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