In this conversation, Robert Kelly and Zach Gregg delve into the intricacies of aerodynamics in mass start bike racing, discussing how it impacts performance, the importance of bike fit, and the role of strength training. They explore the nuances of aerodynamic claims made by manufacturers, the significance of rider position, and the evolving metrics in cycling performance. The discussion also touches on the implications of UCI regulations on bike design and racing strategies, emphasizing the ne...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 147
Two national champions, best friends, and teammates-- Lucas Bourgoyne and Luke Fetzer. However, where do they fit in our story, are they the heroes or villians, or maybe they are the bad good guys? Let's find out.
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 146
Katherine Sarkisov of CCB/Levine Law Group is a rising talent in women's bike racing. She's not new on the scene because she literally grew up riding and racing her bike; but she's definitely made some big steps and improvements in the last couple of years. After stints on LUX and Cynisca Cycling, Katia came home and joined CCB. Little did any of us know that in signing up to race US races, that we were about to see her light up the podium.
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 145
Canadian Sidney Swierenga is having a season most racers can only dream of. At 17 years old she became the youngest rider to podium the GC with second overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic and then repeated the feat at the Tour of the Gila a week later. The next youngest rider to pull off that double podium was Mara Abbott at 21-and she went onto win the Giro D'Italia twice in her career. Sidney then won a major junior race in France, a result that made her the number one-ranked junior in the ...
May 27, 2025•58 min
Lights, Live stream, action. We are back. Criterium racing is back. It is time to get 2025 started in a huge way. For the first time ever we brought competitors together to talk about how the race happened. Ok, when it comes to Will Hardin and Clever Martinez, it is hard to call either of them competitors, they are more like friends who want to push each other's physical and mental limits to the max. Either way, it is great to get the inside view from the guys who won the race.
May 14, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 143
From the top of one of the tallest points in Arizona we join our hero, Tyler Stites, as he prepares to set out on a new journey across the ocean to a fulltime spot in the European peloton. For the last 3 seasons we've got to enjoy his racing on Project Echelon but now he's signed a two-year deal with Caja Rural and he's ready to spread his wings. Before he does, we got a chance to talk with him about where he's been and how he's enjoyed the ride along the way. This week we are brought to you by ...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 142
Alexis Magner 100% stands on her own when it comes to accomplishments. With a win at Acht van Westerveld, second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Ronde van Drenthe in 2018; along with third at Dwars der Vlaanderen in 2021 while racing for Canyon-SRAM you may be wondering, how did she end up on the American criterium scene? We've got those answers for you in this episode. Plus we have the story of how she parlayed back-to-back wins at her hometown Athen's Twilight Criterium into a new opportunity wit...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 141
Seventy-five minutes of laughter, levity, cowboy hats, and some hot takes. It's Lucas Bourgoyne and he's 100% worth all of your time. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!! By using the code CRITNATION you’ll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We also have a special guest sponsor this week,...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 140
We are taking a step back in time to the original days of this podcast. Back in the heady days of 2018 and 2019, a team known as Elevate-KHS dominated the scene. Many of our guests, and even one host, came through that program, and even more were mentored and influenced by riders who had Paul Abrahams as their DS. Jordan talks with Paul all about that time and his experiences in the sport. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit right now and use promo code CRITNATION at c...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 138
A discussion months in the making-- have we reached peak crit? The data has been compiled and the takes are all hot. It's time to give you the thesis and then let Allan Schroeder and Logan Jones Wilkins back it all up. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!! By using the code CRITNATION you’ll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to yo...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 138
One of our favorite Women's World Tour pros, and a true Canadian national treasure is back in the studio and ready to talk the Olympics, a full road and track season, and push-ups. So join Maggie Coles Lyster and Jordan Cheyne in this 100% pure maple syrup ride. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!! By using the code CRITNATION you’ll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go ...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 137
Interview a classics PhD and another guest studying to get her PhD and you come up with intelligent titles with multi-tiers and meanings. The women of Work Hard Be Humble have risen, and turned what could have been the flaming wreck of a season into a meaningful quest and an opportunity to bond and grow. As a unit they have been born again, but born better. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!! By ...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 136
The beauty of long-form journalism is that the person and the story evolve. You get to see and learn so much more because the time is dedicated, and we all end up better for it. The story of Chris Tolley is evolving and changing. The version that we interviewed in 2022 has given way to this more distinguished thought provoking one (that's not to say the 2022 version lacked anything in those categories). However, with more time we have more to work with, and we hope you enjoy the result. This wee...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 135
Look up the road or at the front, that's where you'll find this week's guest Michael Garrison of NICH +SpeedClub. Singlehandly he animated, disrupted, and changed the outcome of races like Tulsa Tough this year. In a sport built around the best teams he has been a solo revelation and we are lucky enough to have him on the show. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!! By using the code C...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 134
5 years or 5 episodes, it's all about celebration and a learning curve. Jordan Cheyne and Rob Kelly sit down and talk about what they've respectively learned about podcasting and North American bike racing over their respective tenures hosting a podcast about it. And yes, Taylor Swift can fix all problems.
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 133
As a rider, Mike Creed raced on some of the most storied teams in North American cycling history, from US Postal to Slipstream to Optum Kelly Benefits. As a director, he guided the Smartstop team to one of the great underdog seasons in recent memory, featuring a win at Nationals. He now leads the charge at Aevolo Cycling, the premier US based development squad which will be part of the EF Education First organization starting next season. Mike has lived this sport for decades. Fortunately for us...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min
When have we lived up to our potential? A lot of us never really get to answer that question; but rather must deal with the pitfalls life throws in our way. Some of us are lucky, or stubborn enough, to push on beyond those pitfalls and create opportunities for themselves when none present. That is the story of Joe Laverick of Ribble Rebellion. When opportunities did not present themselves at the close of his U23 career Joe set out to make his own, and found a willing partner in Ribble. Together ...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 131
At a time when many American racers are taking to Europe to race, Cecile has done the opposite. Trading in Mt Ventoux and baguettes for Mt Lemmon and burritos, Cecile is making the bike racing dream work in North America from crits, to UCI podiums to gravel wins. Whether it is for the adventure, the laughs or the complimentary French lesson-you don't want to miss this one.
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min
New host, who dis? Can our Criterium Nation survive a new host? And a Canadian one at that? We are about to find out as retired pro Jordan Cheyne takes the front. But what better guest than the lead out woman herself, Kimberly Lucie of DNA Pro Cycling. Kim is one of the few bike racers in the peloton who can actually say they are really, genuinely, 100% a Tucson, Arizona native.
Jun 20, 2024•58 min•Ep. 129
We are now at the end of the beginning and poised for a new phase of the domestic racing scene. That means it is a perfect time for us to check in on what has happened, identify some solid trends and talk about all the takeaways that we can from the first part of 2024.
May 08, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 128
On April 15 the National Cycling League shuttered its doors for 2024, and announced that it will focus on 2025. That has left riders and teams in limbo, and a lot of confusion as to what is happening. We are joined by journalist Logan Jones-Wilkins to help provide context and build a historical picture for what has led up to this point.
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 127
Job, wife, child, pro bike racer. That's a full day and for Matt Zimmer that's his reality. He's come a long way since being the high schooler in Iowa who just raced bikes, and he is here to share that journey with us along with tidbits about racing in Europe and how we can make racing here more inviting.
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 126
Your reputation is who you are before you actually arrive. It's the version of yourself that stays behind long after you have left. It opens doors and definitely gets some doors closed very hard. In bike racing your reputation is just as important as the results that you put on your race resume. This episode we talk with retired pro and current stand up comedy star Jordan Cheyne about reputation.
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 125
There are a lot of firsts that are set to happen this year, one thing that we are very proud of is our effort to be the first to bring data into American bike racing. It's all in an effort to do what has not been done before which is to set basic standards within our community. By building a medal count and collecting data on who is winning the biggest events in the country we are poised to help the fans follow the sport closer and at a higher level of education than previous. So let's get this ...
Mar 20, 2024•58 min•Ep. 124
It's amazing to watch people grow and excel. This podcast has been fortunate enough to have had a myriad of incredible guests who have achieved tremendous levels of success. Now, for the first time, we have a World Tour Pro on the show in Maggie Coles-Lyster of Isreal Premier Tech Roland. One of our favorite alums is back to tell us about her adventures in Europe and the somewhat rocky road she had to take this year. However, it's not all rough because it ended with her solidly and comfortably g...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 123
We are fortunate to occupy this stage for only a brief period of time. What happens after we leave? How do we maintain the progress we've made and ensure that others can stand on our shoulders? It's a question that we must grapple with in criterium racing. We've made a ton of progress over the past couple years but when our current leaders have moved on who comes next is unclear because it is our obligation to train our replacements. Gabe Lloyd and Daniel Holloway from The Call Up just us for a ...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 122
"To thine ownself be true"-- Billy Shakespeare, Hamlet. Will Gleason of CS Velo and I went for a long bike ride among the crisp leaves of autumn in western Connecticut. We didn't do much leaf peeping but we did a whole lot of talking, reminiscing, theorizing, a touch of gossiping. Then we had a lobster roll, ice cream, and a beer before sitting down and pressing record on the microphone. This episode is what happened next.
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 121
A lot has happened since our last recap episode following Intelli. Good thing we've got fellow Wide Angle Podium contributor Bill Schieken to help us delve through the details of Littleton, the NCL, Momentum Indy, Gateway Cup and Bucks County. Yep, it's a lot.
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 120
Things may sound just a bit different because we are 100% live from Gateway Cup with Will Hardin from Project Echelon and Melanie Wong from ButcherBox. Our good friends from Urban Chestnut brewery in the heart of the Grove were gratious hosts and the environment was perfectly cozy. So join the audience, grab your favorite Zwickel, Schnickelfritz, or Dorfbier and get ready for some good times.
Sep 13, 2023•54 min•Ep. 119
Race promotion is a learned trade. There is a guide, but the real lessons are learned through trial and error, and with a lot of help and experience. Without good events our community is nothing but solo training and group rides. A great event can make someone's year and can become a focal point of a summer. In today's episode we talk with Graham Costa on how he and his team have brought together local interests and created a legitimate community event and bike race. We are brought to you this w...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 118
