Gravel cycling and backcountry mountain bike racing are booming, with events like the Dirty Kanza, Epic Rides, and SBT GRVL races attracting throngs of participants each year. As it turns out, these events are also bringing female cyclists into our sport, and providing a new challenge for women who are longtime participants. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we sit down with VeloNews contributor Betsy Welch, who covered gravel and mountain bike racing this season. Betsy attended ev...
Nov 26, 2019•38 min
We all understand that to race or ride our best, we need to periodize our season. That’s obvious and essential for a pro who’s racing upwards of 80 races in a season. Simply put, they wouldn’t survive if they went hard all the time: They need a base, they need rest, and they need peaks. But what about those of us who only have three or four races in a season. Or to take it one step further, what about those of us who don’t race, or who may do a gran fondo at some point. How do we map out our sea...
Nov 22, 2019•1 hr 11 min
On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we speak with Rebecca Fahringer of the Kona-Maxxis-Shimano pro cyclocross team. Rebecca is currently leading USA Cycling's Pro CX standings, and has won five major North American races this year. Rebecca shares insights on how she progressed through the ranks from a collegiate newbie to a North American pro. She talks about the desire to race in North America, rather than base herself overseas. And Rebecca explains why cyclocross is a great entry p...
Nov 20, 2019•37 min
What types of bicycle racing stories appeal to a mainstream sports audience? It's a topic we've often thought about here at VeloNews. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we speak with Patrick Redford, who covered pro cycling for the sports website Deadspin.com. Patrick also takes us through the fateful past few months at Deadspin, which saw the entire editorial staff resign after the outlet's ownership tried to alter its focus and voice. Before we hear from Redford, Fred Dreier and A...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Bobby and Gus bring you this special edition of PYSO from Pace Ranch in Tucson, AZ. And not only are the guys together in the same room, but they have a special guest too. Nicola Cranmer, the founder and GM of the TWENTY20 Women’s Pro Cycling Team joins the podcast. The trio talk cover a variety of topics including: * What riders do during their off-season (spoiler alert: not much according to Bobby) * The physical & mental importance of taking time off the bike * The cancellation of the Amg...
Nov 12, 2019•47 min
Typically, when we hear the words “strength training,” we think of going into the gym, slapping some plates on a bar, and seeing what we can lift. The more, the better. But there’s a lot more to strength training than that, especially for those of us focused on endurance sports. Strength and conditioning is also about maintaining proper function, training neural patterns, and preventing injury. Sports like cycling, by nature, cause imbalances. If all you do is ride your bike, an overuse injury i...
Nov 09, 2019•1 hr 46 min
On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Fred and Andy discuss the recent news that AEG has cancelled the 2020 Amgen Tour of California. Why is the race cancelled? The guys take a deep dive into the business of North American bike racing, and explain why the revenue model has always been challenging for big races like the Tour of California. The guys also discuss what the race meant for North American riders, and what its absence means for the WorldTour riders. Then, we hear from Tejay va...
Nov 05, 2019•58 min
On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Andy Hood and Fred Dreier analyze the routes for the 2020 Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. The Tour has adopted a modern route with shorter stages, punchy climbs, and a lack of flat time trials. On paper, this course appears to cater to French riders like Julian Alaphilippe or Thibaut Pinot. The Giro, meanwhile, has revealed another long and punishing route that is packed with stages over 200 kilometers in length. The Giro is again hoping for week...
Oct 29, 2019•45 min
We've received so many intriguing questions from our listeners, it was time to devote an entire episode to answering them. We appreciate the feedback, and generate many future podcast topics from your questions, so please keep them coming. You can always email us at fasttalk@fastlabs.com. Please help us understand what you'd like more of on Fast Talk and give us overall feedback on the quality of the show by taking our survey, linked below. You can also answer questions that will help us design ...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 5 min
On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we have to very special guests. First up is author Daniel DeVisé, whose seminal book on Greg LeMond "The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France" has led to an important piece of news. The U.S. Congress is going to vote on whether to award LeMond the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest awards given to a civilian. As it turns out the lawmaker who proposed the medal, CA Rep. Mike Thompson (D-C...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Bobby & Gus breakdown the 2020 Tour de France route including their disappointment with the race organizer, ASO, for only offering one day of racing for professional women. And the guys express their dislike for how the 2020 route looks on the map. La Course 2020 Women's race --> http://bit.ly/LaCourse2020 They weigh in whether long stages still have a place in the Tour, for both riders and fans, and Bobby offers up his feelings about the individual time trial on the penultimate stage. An...
Oct 18, 2019•42 min
Bauke Mollema grabbed a career-defining win at the Giro di Lombardia this past weekend. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Andy and Fred break down Mollema's win, and discuss the significance of the victory within his wider career. Who is Bauke Mollema, and why was he the perfect rider to foil the big stars at Il Lombardia? Fred and Andy share stories from Mollema's career. Il Lombardia caps off Italy's autumn classics, a grouping of six one-day races that produce plenty of drama an...
Oct 16, 2019•46 min
Here on Fast Talk, we’ve been known to periodically quote a study or two. While in the past, athletes mostly figured out their training by trial and error or what felt right, nowadays, in this era of marginal gains, no coach or serious athlete can get away without some understanding of physiology. Winning at the highest level requires digging through the science to find those little nuggets that translate to real gains. The problem is, while many of us read the science, a lot of us don’t know ho...
Oct 11, 2019•1 hr 45 min
On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we have a long interview with Megan Jastrab, the recently crowned world champion in the junior women's road race. Jastrab takes us inside her victorious ride in Yorkshire, and explains in great detail the strategy she used to win. Plus, Jastrab tells us some anecdotes from earlier in the race that contributed to her victory. Plus, Jastrab discusses her racing plans in 2020. She will turn 18 next year, which opens the door for Women's WorldTour event...
Oct 07, 2019•35 min
Bobby & Gus break down the highs & lows of the World Championship road races in Yorkshire. They give their thoughts on the junior and U23 women's and men's races, and debate whether the U23 classification at Worlds should even exist for the men. Bobby offers up his take on the unusual disqualification of the U23 men's winner. Following that the boys detail the women's elite road race, including Chloe Dygert-Owen's effort to win two rainbow jerseys. And they bring in a guest, Nicola Cranm...
Oct 02, 2019•57 min
The UCI world road championships in Yorkshire wrapped up this weekend with thrilling victories in the men's and women's elite road races. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Fred and Andy break down all of the action from the road races. First, the guys examine the men's elite road race, which saw Danish hardman Mads Pedersen take a thrilling win. Pre-race favorite Mathieu van der Poel was in contention to win, but then bonked with 13km to go. The guys examine the race, and try to un...
Oct 01, 2019•53 min
George Bennett of the Jumbo-Visma WorldTour team, who at one point was sitting fourth at this year’s Tour de France, has had a phenomenal season. In the course of our recent conversation with George about recovery and adaptation, we talked with the New Zealand-born rider about how he was managing his recovery from the Tour de France to get ready for the Vuelta a España. That lead to an entire conversation about how George trains, and his tips for hitting peak form. That's the basis for this epis...
Sep 27, 2019•1 hr 4 min
Bobby & Gus recap the Time Trial events from Yorkshire Worlds and give their insight and predictions for the Road races. Episode Highlights * Chloe Dygert-Owen headlines great performances by Team USA * Rohan Dennis rides blacked out BMC during TT win. * Quinn Simmons takes rainbow stripes in Junior Road Race. * UCI announce E-sports Worlds in 2020 - officiated & hosted by ZWIFT. * Boels Dolmans Team losing both title sponsors at the end of 2019. * Riders association hit back at the UCI’...
Sep 27, 2019•45 min
Chloé Dygert Owen just smashed the women's world time trial championships to win her first elite world title on the road. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Fred and Andy discuss the historical significance of Dygert Owen's win, and explain her backstory. The road course is similar to the stage used by the Tour de France in 2014. How do we see the race playing out on the hilly course? Will it be a breakaway or a sprint at the finish in Harrogate? Then, the worlds road race is shapin...
Sep 25, 2019•56 min
The 2019 UCI Road World Championships from Yorkshire, UK are here and the PYSO crew previews the Individual Time Trial events. Bobby & Gus talk about the course and offer up their favorites + long shot picks. And as always the guys get you caught up on the latest happenings from the world of pro cycling. This weeks episode of PYSO is supported by Saris & Garmin: ---> Saris bike trainers at: bit.ly/SarisPYSO ---> Garmin bike computers: http://bit.ly/GarminPYSO Got questions for Bobb...
Sep 24, 2019•44 min
The Vuelta a España came to a thrilling conclusion last week with a series of exciting stages across central Spain. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Show, Fred and Andy deliver their final thoughts on this Vuelta, and go inside the two stages that nearly upended the race. Stage 17 saw brutal crosswinds decimate the main field, as Deceuninck-Quick Step and Movistar looked to take control of the race. Andy takes us inside the chaotic crosswinds stage at the race, and explains why many riders...
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Bobby and Gus weigh in on the final week of La Vuelta 2019, talk about the winners and losers from the Quebec & Montreal World Tour races. Got questions for Bobby and Gus? Send them over to SuperFan@Velonews.com. If they answer your question on the Podcast you'll get hooked up with a sweet pair of PYSO socks. Episode Highlights * Mathieu van der Poel dominates at Tour of Britain * Michael Matthews & Greg Van Avermaet shine in Canada * Brailsford surgery * Froome wants to race in 2019 * K...
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Just ask any Tour rider who’s frequently burning 5000 calories or more per day about in-race nutrition and they’ll tell you that it’s both critical and tricky to get right. You can spend months getting your legs ready for your target event, you can be putting out the best numbers of your life, and that can all be wiped away by a poorly timed bonk or intestinal cramping. You have to consume enough carbohydrates to keep the legs ticking over when the race gets hard, but at the same time you need t...
Sep 14, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Kate Courtney just became the first American in 17 years to win the XC mountain bike World Cup. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we catch up with Courtney to talk about her dream season. Before talking to Courtney, Fred Dreier and Andrew Hood team up to discuss the action at the Vuelta a España, including the thrilling stage victory by American Sepp Kuss, a regular on the pod. What were the tactical decision that led Kuss to win? What does his victory tell us about Jumbo-Visma's a...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 4 min
In this week's episode of Put Your Socks On, Bobby Julich and Gus Morton re-cap week two at La Vuelta 2019 and get you caught up on all things pro cycling. From Chris Froome's cooking accident to Kate Courtney's World Cup title the guys have you covered. Episode Highlights * Sepp Kuss and Primoz Roglic at La Vuelta * Chris Froome back at the doctor * Richard Carapaz has visa issues & a new team for 2020 * Rolf Aldag leaving Dimension Data * Kate Courtney and the Mountain Bike World Cup Final...
Sep 09, 2019•53 min
No sponsor. No intro music. For this bonus episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we talk to Andrew Benstein, who was the victim of a hit-and-run crash in July. Andrew is a longtime racer and a veteran of the U.S. cycling industry. On July 20 he was riding home from the velodrome in Boulder, Colorado when he was struck by a van and left for dead in a ditch. Andrew suffered multiple life-threatening injuries, and was saved by a good samaritan who saw him on the side of the road, and a team of doctors a...
Sep 06, 2019•36 min
The Vuelta a España has heated up in its second week, with a zany mountain stage in Andorra and a decisive individual time trial. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Andy Hood and Fred Dreier analyze the action from the decisive stages, and look ahead at the storylines to follow through the race's second half. Can Primoz Roglic survive the brutal third week of the race? Will Nairo Quintana and Miguel Angel Lopez bombard Jumbo-Visma with searing attacks? What does Roglic's effort at t...
Sep 04, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Bobby Julich and Gus Morton re-cap the first week of La Vuelta 2019 and the latest happenings across the world of pro cycling. Episode Highlights * The highs and lows of the first week at La Vuelta 2019 * La Vuelta predictions for stages 10-14 * Tour of Germany news * Happenings from the 2019 Mountain Bike World Championships, including the inaugural E-mountain Bike event * Contract news on Vincenzo Nibali, Elia Viviani, Philippe Gilbert, Tom Domoulin, Victor Campaenerts, Mikel Landa, US rider B...
Sep 02, 2019•47 min
Recovery, recovery, recovery... you’ve heard us talk about it before. You’ve heard a lot of our guests preach about its importance. Well, now let’s confuse you a bit. The ultimate goal of training is, of course, to adapt. And there’s a critical distinction between adaptation and recovery. They are not the same thing. In fact, sometimes what helps one, hurts the other. Recovery is about doing what you can so the legs are ready for your next workout. Adaptation is about the body repairing the dama...
Aug 31, 2019•1 hr 30 min
The VeloNews Podcast returns this week with a report from the Vuelta a España, which has already delivered plenty of thrilling action after just a few hot stages. Andrew Hood reports from a monastery in El Puig on the dynamics shaping this year's Vuelta, including Primoz Roglic's decision to skip the Tour de France, and Nairo Quintana's quest for one more grand tour win. Who will win the Vuelta? It's anyone's guess. Then, Fred Dreier takes us inside the Colorado Classic, which switched to a wome...
Aug 28, 2019•52 min
