VeloNews Podcasts

This week, the Fast Talk podcast went live! Hosts Trevor Connor and Chris Case fielded questions on Facebook from podcast listeners like you. Here are a few (of the many) topics we covered: - How does oatmeal compare to other grains? - What type of riding should I do to prepare for a gran fondo with 7,400 meters of climbing? - Is compression clothing beneficial? When and for how long should I use it? - What's the difference between the inflammation caused by training and that caused by certain foods?

American Olympian Ruth Winder is headed to the Netherlands to race for Team Sunweb. We talk to the up-and-comer about what it's like to make the big move to one of Europe's top teams. Also, Winder talks about her experience as an alternate on the U.S. team pursuit squad at the Rio Olympics. Did she snag selfies with sports celebs? Do alternates win medals too? Why does track cycling make you so good at road racing? All of that and much more in this week's interview.

With brutal mud on a gnarly course, 'cross worlds didn't disappoint... and neither did the U.S. women's team. We recap and analyze the battle between Sanne Cant and Katie Compton. Then, we try to make sense of why the tables turned in the ongoing rivalry between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Of course, the podcast wouldn't be complete without an update on Chris Froome. Turns out, he's going to race in a week or so, despite the Salbutamol scandal. We debate whether this is the right move or not. Andrew Hood takes the pulse of the peloton to see if fellow pro riders want to see Froome back at the races.

NOTE: This is an updated version of episode 37. We apologize for uploading the previous, rough cut of this podcast. This is the one you want ... Thanks for listening! We take on the always-controversial subject of nutrition. Why is it so controversial? First, it’s very personal: Many people, trained or untrained, have strong opinions on the subject, and a lot of heated debate revolves around what is healthy and what is best for performance. We’ve had a few prominent guests on Fast Talk previously, and they’ve given their opinions on the subject. But thus far we have strayed away from revealing our thoughts — until now. In this podcast we’ll discuss what we think is healthy and what isn't. We’ll talk about what foods to eat, we'll take on the question of wheat, nutrient density, and sugar. Unlike other episodes, in this show Coach Trevor Connor will not only be the co-host, he’ll also be the guest of honor. His research in graduate school focused on many of these topics, and what he’ll share are his educated opinions.

Rainbow jerseys are on the line this weekend at cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands. We consider the top favorites and look back at the treacherous final round of the World Cup last Sunday in Hoogerheide. Road season is also underway with early season races in Argentina, Mallorca, and Australia. Trek-Segafredo came out swinging this week with five wins worldwide. One of the men to raise his arms was Toms Skujins, a newcomer to the American team. Spencer interviews him to talk about the turmoil of changing teams, racing the Vuelta, and more.

Compton and Keough went one-two in the Nommay 'cross World Cup. We look back on a memorable race for the Americans and puzzle over Mathieu van der Poel's seemingly nonchalant approach to winning. Then, Fred Dreier calls up Andrew Hood for the inside line on Tour Down Under. From the heat to the surprise winner, to the cuddly critters, Hoody gets us up to speed. Plus we consider who was off the front and who was off the back in the past week of bike racing.

Is climbing as simple as power-to-weight ratios? Not so much. In the January/February issue of VeloNews magazine, we dug into the rarely explored science of climbing. This podcast goes behind the scenes of the making of that article, and the many fascinating discoveries that came out of it. Co-hosts Trevor Connor and Chris Case turned themselves into mad scientists and convinced WorldTour pro Sepp Kuss (LottoNL-Jumbo) to join them for several time trials up a few Boulder climbs in the quest for answers. Chief among the questions was simply: does climbing come down to power-to-weight or does your climbing technique make a difference? In other words, if two riders weigh the same and average the same wattage, will they have the same time up a climb regardless of how they ride? Answering that question led to several others, including how a rider's "type" affects his or her climbing and what's the difference between pros and amateurs. We also discovered some surprising answers about how different riders climb, how cadence plays a role, and if those basic online calculators can really predict your time up a climb. We also collected novel on-the-road biomechanical data. This special episode of Fast Talk takes a deeper dive into our in-house experiment, more so than any magazine article could. No, our experiment wasn't worthy of publication in the journal Science, but we had a lot of fun, we discovered some things that we're very excited about, and, most importantly, we hope to help all of you become better climbers. Joining us for the podcast is Ryan Kohler of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center, who helped with the experiments on the road.

With Compton crushing her 14th title and Hyde battling Powers for his second title, CX Nats was an instant classic. We look back on the key races, and what's ahead for the best American cyclocross racers. Also in this show, we discuss the 2018 Women's WorldTour. Some key riders have moved to new teams, but will that stop Boels-Dolmans from winning nearly any race? The Dutch powerhouse team looks as good as ever.

Daniel Holloway burst onto the track World Cup this year winning an omnium event in Chile. First of all, he explains what the omnium event is all about. Then, we discuss his role on the new USA Cycling National Team and his diverse background as a pro cyclist. He's done everything from European racing to Red Hook Crits.

Expectations are high for Richie Porte to podium (or win!?) the Tour de France. The trouble is, his past performances have been patchy. We debate the Australian's talents and weaknesses in the first half of this podcast. There are some reasons to be bullish and others to be skeptical of Porte's potential. Then, we look ahead to this weekend's USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Reno! Will Katie Compton get lost in a casino and open the door for a rival to break her streak of 13 consecutive wins? Did Stephen Hyde race too much in the lead-up to championships? Plus, we debate the event's move back to December after the Reno race.

Are you getting out to ride this winter? This podcast covers the physiological effects of training in the cold, from muscle damage to the increased caloric demands. We also discuss tips and tricks to set up your bike, stay warm, and even keep your bottles from freezing. And if it's too damn cold, we explain the best way to balance time indoors on the trainer with outdoor rides. We speak with Dr. Stephen Cheung, Dr. Inigo San Millan, Trek-Segafredo pro rider Kiel Reijnen, and former cyclocross champion Tim Johnson about the best ways to get fit this winter.

To kick off the new year, we examine the key stories to watch in 2018: Sagan vs. Van Avermaet, Froome's Salbutamol scandal, and much more. We are joined by our new reporter, Dane Cash of VeloHuman and the Recon Ride podcast to look ahead to the coming cycling season. Later in the show, Fred Dreier talks about a story he wrote for the January/February issue of VeloNews magazine about religion and cycling. Lots of top professionals are religious, but they often feel compelled to keep their faith under wraps. An organization called Athletes in Action is endeavoring to help support them and provide a community.

Rally Cycling's pro riders put their bikes away for this off-season team camp. Instead, they hiked, skied, played basketball, and bonded with teammates new and old. The team-building may prove to be an essential ingredient if they hope to succeed in 2018 because the team is moving up to the Pro Continental level of racing. This should mean harder races, more European racing, and higher expectations. Editor in chief Fred Dreier caught up with Rally staff and riders in Winter Park, Colorado to learn more about the American squad's plans.

In this episode of Fast Talk, we tackle the always-popular topic of climbing. A listener in Iowa asked if he could become a better climber. Not only will we answer his question, we’ll describe ways in which anyone can improve their technique, efficiency, and power to refine their climbing. Surprisingly, climbing isn't as simple as dropping a few pounds or spending your days riding in the Rockies. We look at the question from a few angles: First, does dropping weight make you a better climber? The fact is, for the last few decades, winners of the Tour de France, who can climb with the best, aren't the lightest athletes. Why this is has a lot to do with something called allometric scaling. Secondly, we'll discuss whether you need to climb hills to be a climber. Is it really just a question of power-to-weight? Finally, we'll take a closer look at the particulars of climbing, including the effects of grade, cadence, standing vs. staying seated, and the importance of core strength. We’re joined by a collection of talented riders and coaches: Sepp Kuss, newly signed with the LottoNL-Jumbo WorldTour squad; Dr. Iñigo San Millan, director of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center; as well as fantastic climbers Joe Dombrowski and Ned Overend.

Chris Froome's Vuelta anti-doping test has thrown the 2018 cycling season into limbo. No one knows if he'll be allowed to race the Giro d'Italia as planned. It also remains to be seen if he'll have his 2017 Vuelta title stripped. We discuss. Also, Chris Case summarizes a conversation he had with an asthma doctor that tested Chris Froome. How could the Tour champ have gone so far over the limit for Salbutamol? What's the difference between exercise-induced asthma and regular asthma? Want to win a smart trainer? Enter Bkool's winter VeloNews giveaway. Everyone who signs up gets three free months of the Bkool online simulator! Go to: www.bkool.com/partners/velonews