VeloNews Podcasts

What role does sport play in a pandemic? And more importantly, what role will it play in a post-pandemic world? Bobby and Gus ask the head of the world Players Association, Brendan Schwab, these questions and more. Bobby says the world of cycling has no overarching organization. "There's no alliances, there's no loyalties. And that just has to change." Bobby, Gus, and Brandon discuss how that could change.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we are breaking down our favorite recent editions of Paris-Roubaix by re-watching the YouTube video and then analyzing the action. The three editions we have on tap are from 2014, 2016, and 2019. These were the races that saw Niki Terpstra, Mathew Hayman, and Philippe Gilbert take historic wins on the jagged cobblestones of Northern France. What did we learn about Paris-Roubaix from rewatching these past editions? Well, we learned that Tom Boonen really wanted a fifth Roubaix title, among other things. We also saw a generational shift occur amongst the Roubaix peloton's heavy hitters, and we saw how daring team and personal strategies paid off. Fire up the YouTube clips, watch your favorite editions of Paris-Roubaix, and listen along.

Tech editor Dan Cavallari and editorial director Ben Delaney give you the basics on what you need to take advantage of power both indoors and outdoors. Since many of us are doing a fair bit of Zwifting these days, Delaney and Cavallari discuss how to use your power meter — and more broadly, power in general — to get the most out of your Zwift sessions. There are three fundamental ways to use Zwift: riding, training, and racing. Listen to find out how to optimize your power meter and settings to get the most out of each type of virtual ride.

How about some rock and roll? Greg Erwin is the drummer for Saint Motel, and a buddy of Taylor Phinney. He joins Bobby and Gus to talk about how he got into cycling, and how bringing a bike on tour keeps him healthy mentally and physically. And Gus also explains the 21/90 rule of forming habits. It's time to Put Your Socks On.

It's Flanders week here on the VeloNews Podcast. And even though Belgium's biggest race is on hold (like the rest of the sport), we are taking a deep dive into our three favorite recent editions of De Ronde. Andrew Hood, James Startt, and Fred Dreier examine the Tours of Flanders from 2015, 2016, and 2019, and examine the tactical decisions and storylines from each race. What did each edition tell us about the Flanders course design? How did the marquee riders approach the course differently? What are our favorite moments from these editions? All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

Bobby and Gus bring you a change of pace from all the COVID-19 news with a great interview with American racer Justin Williams. Introducing him a "the #1 positive vibe guy," Gus brings on the founder of the Legion of Los Angeles cycling team. Williams talks about how he got into cycling as a 13-year-old as a way to bond with his dad, who if from Belize, and how he wore a U.S. Postal Service skinsuit to the group rides that he got from Tony Cruz. Williams also talks about his love of design, and how we wants his cycling team to stand for something more than just bike racing. Take a tip from Williams, and make sure you look good as you Put Your Sock On.

he Mid South gravel race was the final major cycling event held in the United States before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancelation and postponement of the remaining events on the calendar. The race and its participants received criticism. On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we examine the race's decision to continue and speak with our reporters who were on the ground at the event. What were riders and race staff talking about in the days before the event? What precautions were and were not taken at the event? Then, we hear from Hannah Finchamp, winner of the women's event. Hannah recounts her victory at The Mid South and discusses the now famous photo of her eating a cheeseburger in the finishing chute just as she crossed the line. This week's episode is sponsored by Amp Human and its new PR Lotion. Listener's can get a 25 percent discount on PR lotion by going to amphuman.com and typing in the code VeloNews25 at checkout.

These are special times, challenging times, and this is a special edition of Fast Talk. And I say that not because we discuss COVID-19 in this episode, but because this will be the last episode of Fast Talk to be released on the VeloNews channel. What’s that mean? Well, I have a big ask for all of you: Head to your favorite podcast app, search for the Fast Talk podcast, and subscribe. All future episodes of Fast Talk will be released on that channel. Some of you have already found us there, many of you have not. In the episode today, as a way to say goodbye to our good friends at VeloNews, we invited editor-in-chief Fred Dreier to join us on the show to interview both Trevor and me, about Fast Talk — where we’ve been, where we’re going, and to discuss some of the highlights from our long history together.

The Mid South Gravel race went off in the mud and muck, and Ben Delaney and Betsy Welch were there to get coated in their fair share. They join tech editor Dan Cavallari on the Tech Podcast this week to talk about their gear choices, the experience on course, and what items they were glad to have on course (and some they could have left home).

Special guest Rich Hincapie comes on the show to discuss the massive effect the coronavirus is having on cycling events around globe. Bobby and Gus hope that PYSO going forward will be able to provide a little light and laughter in tough times. On this episode, Bobby and Gus celebrate the last bit of racing at Paris-Nice, before looking up the road with Rich.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we continue our reporting on the impact of coronavirus COVID-19 on the cycling world. Andrew Hood chimes in from Spain, where the government has closed down most services and even prevented cyclists from riding outdoors. And James Startt calls in from Paris after finishing coverage of Paris-Nice. This week's episode is brought to you by Flobikes.com, where you can watch replays of some of your favorite pro bike races, such as Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and even the Giro d'Italia. Go to flobikes.com/velonews for a special deal on a subscription.

As the world’s attention is fixated on the spread of COVID-19, many of us are feeling stress and anxiety. We want to acknowledge that fact; these are challenging times. By coincidence, we recorded and planned to release today an episode on performance psychology, specifically on the principles of confidence, resilience, the power of reframing, self-talk, and much more. Though this episode doesn’t address the type of anxiety you might be feeling head on, there are immense lessons to be learned in this episode that are applicable both to riding your bike faster, and living your life in a more healthy, mindful way. At times like these, we hope there are meaningful lessons to be gained from our discussion. To our devoted listeners, we send wishes of continued health and tranquility. We hope this episode helps you cope through a stressful time. Now, a few simple questions: What is confidence? What is resiliency? What is pressure, and how can we better cope with it? These are just some of the things we tackle in today’s episode. And while you might think you have a fair idea of what these terms mean, with the help of our incredible guest, clinical and sports psychologist Julie Emmerman, we open new doors on a landscape that few of us regularly consider a part of our training. That’s because we’ve been conditioned, when we consider the act of training for our endurance sport of choice, to think about it in physical, physiological terms. Today, we spend much of our time devoted to revealing ways to tap into the psychological aspects of training. I’m very excited to have Julie on the program, to share her wisdom from her many years spent working with professional cyclists, NHL players, MMA fighters, and everything in between. She won’t offer us some simplified, cliché “Seven Ways to Build Confidence” pitch — something you might see on the cover of GQ magazine or a self-help book. What she will provide is a deeper understanding of some of the most fundamental psychological principles at play in athletes, and how you can learn to better utilize them to your advantage. Want to know how the best athletes operate, psychologically, and what qualities they possess that make them so good at what they do? Stay tuned. Would you like to understand how to use the power of the brain to utilize everyday tasks, big and small, to refine your cycling performances? Listen in. And, if you were a fan of Jack Handy’s “Deep Thoughts” from Saturday Night Live, we might have something for you, too. Joining us also in this episode are two friends of the podcast: Red Bull athlete and the host of "The Adventure Stache" podcast, Payson McElveen, as well as endurance sports coach, and host of the Off Course podcast, Grant Holicky. Now, kick your feet up on the couch. Your counseling session is about to begin. Let’s have some deep thoughts, and let's make you fast!

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to roil the globe, reshaping professional cycling along with so much else. Bobby and Gus speak with American Larry Warbasse, who was one of the many riders temporarily trapped in the mid-race closure of the UAE Tour. Before talking about the racing — or the lack of racing — Bobby takes a moment to recognize the passing of his friend and former Team Sky colleague Nicholas Portal, who died of a heart attack. It's not a light episode this week. It's time to Put Your Socks On.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we go inside Paris-Nice's coronavirus precautions with James Startt, who is one of the few media members covering the race. Startt spoke with ASO's Christian Prudhomme and other officials about the precautions that have been taken with the race to ward off the virus. There are no spectators, no post-race interviews, and absolutely no hugs and kisses on the post-race podium. Is this the model that pro cycling can adopt to keep events safe in the future? Andrew Hood discusses the wider scope of the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the pro cycling calendar. The postponement of Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, and Tirreno-Adriatico will have a dramatic impact on the top riders and their seasonal goals. Plus, what can we expect from the Belgian classics and Giro d'Italia in the coming weeks? Then, Betsy Welch joins the show to discuss our latest project, Monuments of Gravel. We went in search of the five gravel events that carry the most prestige to win. We devised a voting system to help us determine the races, and then posed the question to the elite gravel racers on the circuit. Everything you want to know about the Monuments of Gravel project is discussed on this episode. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

We’re incredibly lucky here at Fast Talk to be able to talk with some of the most intelligent physiologists, coaches, and athletes about training, and sport science generally, on a weekly basis. We glean so much insightful information just by having access to them on a regular basis. Through Coach Connor’s countless hours of dedicated research to keep up on the latest science, we’re then able to synthesize all of this information into what we hope are digestible conversations, helping you to better understand the science that propels cycling performance. Occasionally, we like to step back and summarize the things we’ve learned, often prompted by the many questions we receive from our dedicated listeners. Today is just such an occasion. The last time we did this type of show was Episode 68: The Big Picture-The Three Types of Rides You Should Do. Today, we look at the big picture when it comes to training in zones, or ranges, versus training a target number. Because what number is best? We talk about training zones constantly. If your zone 2 is 160 to 190 watts, then is training at 190 watts better than 170 watts? Is going harder better? Stay tuned for those answers. Next, we’ll address four fundamental principles of human physiology that relate to training in ranges: specifically aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, fat burning capacity, and maximal lactate clearance. All in an effort to maximize your training experience. Finally, we take an opportunity to remind everyone that humans aren’t machines. Perhaps that’s stating the obvious, but sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves that we are all individuals and have different needs, and goals for our riding. Today we hear from a vast array of former Fast Talk guests, including: -Colby Pearce, an incredible time trialist, coach, and bike fitting expert -Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the world’s leading sports physiologists -Sepp Kuss, pro cyclist with Jumbo-Visma -Toms Skujins, pro cyclist with Trek-Segafredo -Dr. Andy Coggan and Dr. Stephen McGregor, leading exercise physiologists -Hunter Allen, leading cycling coach -Sebastian Webber, lead scientist at INSCYD and elite cycling coach Let's make you fast!