VeloNews Podcasts

The GC picture at the 2021 Giro d'Italia has come into view, with Egan Bernal proving himself to be the strongest rider in the race. On this week's podcast we examine Bernal's dominance, and discuss what it means for the wider dynamics within the sport. Does Bernal have what it takes to challenge Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France in the future? While the maglia rosa is firmly on Bernal's back, the fight for the two spots on the podium is hardly decided, with five riders sitting within two or so minutes of each other. Unsung hero Damiano Caruso is battling with GC stars to stay in second place, and we discuss which riders have the best shot at finishing second and third. Then, Larry Warbasse joins us again from the Giro d'Italia's second rest day to answer your questions. What gear ratio did Larry use on Monte Zoncolan? What did people think about the truncated 16th stage? Larry answers your questions. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast. This week's episode is brought to you by the new Outside+, our membership program that includes an Outside Magazine subscription, a membership with Gaia GPS, an elite package with FinisherPix, and the other perks included in the Active Pass membership. For more information go to velonews.com/outsideplus.

We're recording a day later than normal this week so that we can discuss the Giro d'Italia's awesome stage 11 — the one held on those gravel strade bianche roads! Ineos Grenadiers took control of the race, Egan Bernal was a huge star, and Remco Evenepoel lost steam. On today's podcast we break down all of the storylines and takes from the thrilling with Andrew Hood and VeloNews Podcast newcomer Sadhbh O'Shea! Then, Larry Warbasse is back on the podcast to answer your questions. Larry is racing his fourth Giro d'Italia, and he fields your questions about breakaways, water bottle zones, and rainy weather. All that and more on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast. This week's episode is brought to us by the new Outside+, our new $99 annual membership package that includes Outside Magazine, Gaia GPS, and all of the cool perks from Active Pass.

The 2021 Giro d'Italia has begun, and we already have plenty of storylines to discuss. James Startt gives us a taste of what it's like to attend this year's race, from the security measures and the mood of the riders, to the size of crowds along the road. American Joe Dombrowski became just the 10th American to win a stage of the Giro on Tuesday, and we break down his historic victory, and analyze the significance of the win for Dombrowski's career. The GC picture is beginning to take shape after the stage 4 suffer fest in the rain, and we analyze how Egan Bernal, Remco Evenepoel and the other stars look on the road. Then, American Larry Warbasse joints the podcast from inside the Giro d'Italia to field your questions about this year's race. Got a question for Larry? Email it to us at mailbag@velonews.com!

It's time for the Giro d'Italia, and we have your complete audio guide for following the 2021 race. On this week's podcast we present our top-15 storylines to follow during the 2021 Giro, from Remco Evenepoel's comeback, to Peter Sagan's sprinting legs, to the likelihood of bad weather, shortened stages, or even a rider protest. Fred Dreier, Jim Cotton, and Andrew Hood each come into this week's podcast with their top-5 storylines to follow, and they hash out each story on today's pod. You can follow along with the Giro d'Italia at VeloNews.com with in-depth analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and gear and tech stories all month.

We have a packed episode of The VeloNews Podcast this week, featuring interviews with Mike Woods and Annemiek van Vleuten, plus our analysis of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and our final takes on the 2021 classics season. Who won the Spring classics? It's the question of the week now that Liège-Bastogne-Liège has concluded. Wout van Aert, Marianne Vos, Annemiek van Vleuten, and the entire Deceuninck-Quick-Step squads can all claim victory this year. In truth, no one team or rider dominated classics season in 2021, bucking the trend that we've seen in past years, when Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, and Quick-Step all crushed. Why were the classics so evenly fought? We discuss this topic on today's podcast. Then, Mike Woods joins the show to take us inside his Ardennes campaign, with detailed insight into Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as the slog up the Mur d Huy at Fleche Wallonne. What's it like to be in the front group up the Mur de Huy? Woods gives us a detailed explanation of that final surge up the iconic climb. Then, Annemiek van Vleuten joins the show to discuss her first few months at Team Movistar, and how her transfer to the Spanish team has created additional parity in the Women's WorldTour. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

The spring classics are speeding toward their conclusion, and on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we take a deep dive into the action and dynamics shaping the big one-day races. First up, we break down Amstel Gold Race, and the two thrilling finales we saw this past weekend. Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos brought Jumbo-Visma two big wins, and both wins came by the thinnest of margins. Did Ineos-Grenadiers play its cards wrong in the men's race, and what do we make of the cat-and-mouse games between Kasia Niewiadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini? Then, U.S. rider Kiel Reijnen takes us inside Trek-Segafredo's pre-race planning for the classics by interviewing team staffer Luc Meersman. Meersman maps out all of the cobbled classics races, drives the routes, and then presents the courses to the team in the lead-up to each race. Finally, U.S. champion Ruth Winder joins the podcast to take us inside her thrilling victory at De Brabantse Pijl. The win could have major implications on Winder's Olympics ambitions. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

Primož Roglič scored a masterful victory at Spain's Itzulia Basque Country race this past week, taking the overall win on the final stage after embarking on a daylong breakaway. On this episode of The VeloNews Podcast we analyze Roglič's impressive win at a WorldTour race that is often overshadowed by the cobbled classics. Jumbo-Visma often win by seizing an early lead and then snuffing the life out of its rivals. But last week the Dutch team ceded the lead to Brandon McNulty of UAE-Team Emirates and then employed a strategy of aggression, attacking relentlessly on the final stage until McNulty cracked and his teammate, Tadej Pogačar, was forced to wait. What implications does this win have for the Tour? We break it down. Then, Mark Cavendish is back to his winning ways at the Tour of Turkey, and the British star has now won multiple stages at the race. What does this mean for Cavendish's career and his chances of racing the Tour de France? Finally, Mike Creed of Aevolo Cycling joins the podcast to discuss the state of the U.S. professional domestic racing scene. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped the domestic racing scene in its tracks in 2020, and racing has yet to start again. For Creed and Aevolo cycling, the only opportunity to race is overseas, so Creed too his team to Greece to race the Tour of Rhodes. Don't forget, Amstel Gold Race is this weekend, and you can watch all of the spring classics streaming live and on demand at Flobikes.com. Go to Flobikes.com/VeloNews to sign up for your subscription today!

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we analyze every inch of Sunday's Tour of Flanders. Plus, American rider Leah Thomas of Team Movistar takes us inside Annemiek van Vleuten's thrilling victory in the women's race. Contributor James Startt was at the Tour of Flanders this year, and Startt gives us a detailed report on what the race was like without fans. Plus, Startt got a first-hand view of Mathieu van der Poel battling Kasper Asgreen and Wout van Aert. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

The Tour of Flanders is coming up this weekend, and North American fans can watch the action live on Flobikes. To sign up for a subscription go to www.flobikes.com/velonews. We're in the midst of the 2021 cobbled classics season, and on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we're joined by a true legend of cobbled racing — and of cycling in general. Marianne Vos returns to the podcast, this time to take us inside her thrilling victory at Gent-Wevelgem, and to share her thoughts on the major issues shaping women's pro racing in 2021. In men's racing, the 2021 classics season has been defined by parity, with multiple riders and teams winning the big one-day events. This parity bucks the assumption that many of us had that Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel would dominate. On today's podcast we examine the recent win by Deceuninck-Quick-Step at E3 Saxo Classic and by Wout van Aert at Gent-Wevelgem. Both victories are a sign that team strength can overcome the might of one individual in these punishing races. Then, we examine what these races tell us about what to expect at Sunday's Tour of Flanders. With Paris-Roubaix in doubt, Flanders could be the biggest race of the spring. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Trek-Segafredo had perhaps the most successful weekend of racing in the team's history, winning Milano-Sanremo with Jasper Stuyven and then Trofeo Alfredo Binda with Elisa Longo Borghini. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we break down both performances and analyze why the success marks a new era for the U.S.-registered team. Then, Trek-Segafredo's general manager Luca Guercilena joins the podcast to take us inside the team's success, and explains the tactical decision to attack at Milano-Sanremo, and the aggressive attitude that's driving on the women's WorldTour squad. The cobbled classics are here, which means Deceuninck-Quick-Step will again use its team strength to take on rivals like Peter Sagan and Mathieu van der Poel. Will the Belgian team be able to own the classics this year, or will its controlling tactics be overpowered by the young up-and-comers? Plus, is Wout van Aert vs. Mathieu van der Poel a better rivalry than Tom Boonen vs. Fabian Cancellara? We express our takes. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Pro cycling delivered 10 days of thrilling action as Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico delivered drama and heroics. On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we discuss the biggest storylines to come out of this amazing bloc of early-season racing. Primož Roglič looked untouchable at Paris-Nice, winning three stages and taking the yellow jersey into the final day. Then, Roglič crashed twice and saw the jersey ride away. Photojournalist James Startt watched the race unfold from the back of an official race motorcycle all week, and he saw the inter-race dynamics that played into the outcome. Did Jumbo-Visma's hyper aggressive racing tactics influence the peloton's decision to accelerate after Roglič crashed? Did cycling's unwritten rules come into play? Startt gives us his insight into how things went down at Paris-Nice. Then, we discuss the week of heroics we saw at Tirreno-Adriatico, including Mathieu van der Poel's 50-kilometer solo breakaway on stage 5. Why are the stars of the cobbled classics and the Tour de France revving their engines this early in the season? How does this compare with the usual level of action and excitement that we see in early March? Andrew Hood and James Startt help us understand what, exactly, we're seeing on our TV screens. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

Kate Courtney, Lea Davison, Haley Batten, Chloe Woodruff, Erin Huck, and Hannah Finchamp are not teammates by the traditional definition. The six members of the U.S. women's Olympic long team all ride for different trade teams, and are backed by different sponsors. In the push to qualify for the games, success by one woman denies another woman her Olympic dream. Despite these facts, the six women are following a collaborative effort in the lead up to the Olympics. They are training together and pushing each other to be at their best. They are chasing UCI points together so that the U.S. will get the maximum three spots in Tokyo. And they've adopted the moniker called 'Team USlay,' and a mindset that values success of the group over individual glory. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we discuss this collaborative mindset with the six women. As it turns out, there are deep lessons to be learned about self confidence, vulnerability, and motivation from these six riders as they all strive to achieve their personal and collective goals. Before we hear from the six, Jim, Fred, and Andy break down all of the action from Strade Bianche, which saw Mathieu van der Poel unleash an explosive 1300-watt attack to win the race. They also discuss the team dominance of SD Worx, and try to understand how the Dutch team is dominating the early part of the season. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Classics season is upon us, and the biggest stars of one-day racing are now in action, from Belgium to Italy. On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we examine the action from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kurrne-Brussels-Kuurne, and try to decipher what these races may tell us about the upcoming battles at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Then, columnist Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal comes on to discuss the Wout van Aert vs. Mathieu van der Poel rivalry, and why it may be one of the best rivalries in all of sports. Jason's recent WSJ column shed light on cycling's best rivalry, and compared it to Roger Federer vs. Raphael Nadal, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, and other great rivalries. Plus, how can cycling best capitalize on Mathieu van der Poel vs. Wout van Aert? How might cycling screw up this highly valuable and interesting rivalry? Jason has some opinions on how the sport should — and shouldn't — go about promoting its biggest asset. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Mike Woods took on Trek-Segafredo this past weekend at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var in France and almost won. On this week's episode we break down the early-season battle in France and discuss what it means for Woods and for Trek-Segafredo, which has started 2021 with a bang. Then, we examine the UAE Tour and why Chris Froome's comeback to racing does not appear to be going well. Tadej Pogačar, Sepp Kuss, and other stars seem to be on form, while Froome is more than a few watts shy of where he needs to be. Then, American Kiel Reijnen joins the podcast for a dispatch from the UAE Tour, where brutal winds and painful echelons have torn the race apart. Kiel offers his insight into what it's like to ride in an echelon, and why the effort provided by the UAE Tour is so important for classics racers like himself. This week's podcast is sponsored by Flobikes.com, which is your broadcast home for the spring classics. Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and more races live and on demand in the U.S. and Canada. Subscribe today at www.flobikes.com/velonews.

It's Colombia week on velonews.com, and we have more than a dozen stories about Colombia's cycling culture and racing stars. On this week's episode of the VeloNews Podcast, we discuss Colombia's rise to the top of the WorldTour over the last decade. Egan Bernal, Miguel Ángel López, and Iván Sosa are the latest stars to enter the WorldTour, and their success comes on the heels of Rigoberto Urán and Nairo Quintana. Before them, it was Santiago Botero and Victor Hugo Peña. And those men benefitted from Lucho Herrera and Fabio Parra, the so-called 'escarabajos.' Then, author Matt Rendell joins the podcast to discuss his own research into Colombian cycling. Rendell has written multiple books on Colombian cycling, most recently 'Colombia es Pasion!: How Colombia's Young Racing Cyclists Came of Age.' All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.