Velo Podcast

VeloNews Voices is a NEW multimedia platform featuring a collection of cycling luminaries each with their own distinct POV and channel. Coaches, Athletes, Movers and Shakers, Visionaries, the old guard, the new guard, the Vanguard, VeloNews Voices is how and where the story of our sport is being told now and into the future. -- Olympic Medalist and Tour De France podium finisher Coach Bobby J invites you to Put Your Socks On. Winning and losing, training and racing, agony and defeat, all of it comes down to understanding what works and what doesn't and for that, you need an experienced and accomplished Coach. From insightful analysis into our sports most iconic races and racers to entertaining, educational and actionable advice, PYSO is an illuminating deep-dive into the art and science of racing. Come for the Legends, Fan Clubs, Knowledge, At the Race and SuperFans. Join Coach Bobby Julich and former World Tour Racer and Outskirts visionary co-host Gus Morton as they help you watch the race, do the race. Prepare to be prepared. It’s time to Put Your Socks On. “Whether you are training or racing, the moment you put your socks on, that’s the point of no return. That’s it, it’s time to go to work.”

On this week's episode of the VN podcast we have two very special gusts stop by: Kasia Niewiadoma and Sepp Kuss. Niewiadoma tells us all about her exciting victory at Amstel Gold Race, and explains why she was able to score a big victory at the hilly classic. Kuss talks to us about his upcoming Giro d'Italia start, and discusses his rapid rise through pro cycling's ranks.

In episode 73, we talk with Sebastian Weber about the important balance between our aerobic and glycolytic energy systems and why they may require a little give and take.

On this episode, we hear from world cross-country mountain bike champion Kate Courtney about how the tutelage of Thomas Frischknect is making her an Olympic contender. But first, we bid farewell to longtime podcast host Spencer Powlison and also look back on Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and the classics season as a whole. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Canyon Bicycles, which is providing its race-ready Lux CF SLX 9.0 Pro Race for us to ride at mountain bike races all season long. Check it out: https://www.canyon.com/en-us/mtb/lux/lux-cf-slx-9-0-pro-race

Welcome to the Mathieu van der Poel era. The cyclocross world champion asserted himself with a major win at Amstel. What's next for this superstar in waiting? We discuss Kasia Niewiadoma's breakthrough victory in the women's race, a down-to-the-wire thriller. And, we hear from Annemiek van Vleuten, who was second to Niewiadoma Sunday, about why the hilly classics are so important to her. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Vittoria, which is providing its Terreno tires for all of our gravel races this summer. Check out the complete line of tires: https://www.vittoria.com/us/tires/off-road-tires/off-road-tires-cx-and-gravel.html

There’s possibly nothing more ubiquitous in cycling than training zones. Trevor and I have lost count of the number of questions we’ve received from Fast Talk listeners that begin with something along the lines of “I was training in zone 4…” The truth of the matter is that we don’t know what that means when you tell us that. That’s not because we don’t know training science, but because “zone 4” can mean a lot of different things. One thing is certain: Training zones can have tremendous value. They provide guidance for training and a means of communicating with your coach or teammates. If you’re a fan of zones, this episode may also challenge you because zones have their limitations. They're not as clear cut as they seem. Which may be why we, and almost all of our guests today, resist even using the term “zones.” What we hope to communicate is that there is no single zone model. That's because there is no perfect model. They all have flaws. What they are based on – FTP, VO2max, or power-duration – all have their issues. Nor can any model ever fully account for individual variation or even day-to-day variation within each athlete. As our guests will point out, they are rough and they have their limitations. That being said, if you use a zone model based on your physiology and use it as a guide, not as dogma, it can be a valuable tool. So, today we'll dive into zones, or levels, or ranges, or whatever you want to call them, and talk about: - What exactly a zone model is, and whether it should be based on power or heart rate - The value of a zone system as a framework for training and, more importantly, communication - While there are many zone models based on heart rate, there are actually very few based on power. That’s partially because Dr. Andy Coggan and Hunter Allen came up with a model that’s been the standard. We’ll talk about this model and why it was so important for each zone to have a name and not just a number. - Dr. Coggan’s Classic zone model has seven zones. We’ll talk about the issues with more or fewer zones, including Dr. Stephen Seiler’s three-zone model, and whether or not it’s based on physiology. - What a zone model should be based on – most systems create zones that are a percentage of VO2max or FTP or threshold. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each and how, ultimately, both have their limitations. - Other limitations with zones, including not understanding what “zone 2” means and the fact that just because you’re training in a particular zone doesn’t mean you’re doing the right training – there are other factors including volume. - Finally, we’ll talk about the iLevels that are discussed in the third edition of Training and Racing with a Power Meter. iLevels are based on an athlete’s individual profile, not just FTP, and address many of the shortcomings we’ll discuss. Our primary guests today are renowned physiologists and coaches who need no introduction, who are the authors of the aforementioned book, Dr. Andy Coggan, Dr. Stephen McGregor, and a guest you’ve heard from before on Fast Talk, Hunter Allen. We also talk with local coach Colby Pearce to get his opinion about zones. As a top-level coach figuring out how to best direct his athletes, he had a lot of great insight about zones and their limits.We also talk with Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the originators of the polarized training concept, to get his take on training zones and why he often promotes a three-zone model. You may be surprised by his answer. Finally, we'll touch base with Sebastian Weber with INSCYD and a coach to athletes like Tony Martin and Peter Sagan. We ask him his opinion on whether zones should be based on a percentage of VO2max or threshold, but it quickly turns into a more nuanced conversation about the dangers of blindly following zones.

What a Paris-Roubaix it was! We look back on all the action from Wout van Aert's rough day on the cobbles ... could he have won? To Sagan's attempt to defend his title that fizzled on the final pave sectors. To Philippe Gilbert's amazing victory. What can't the Belgian star do at this point? All of that and much more, from the raucous velodrome at the finish of the "Hell of the North."

Who will win Paris-Roubaix? We look ahead to the rough, cobbled "Queen of the Classics" on this episode. And we also bring in an expert to discuss what to expect from this Sunday's race. We speak with Dirk Demol, who is now a sport director for Team Katusha-Alpecin. He won the 1988 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

While the world's top cyclists are battling in the spring classics, the next generation of American stars is also pounding the cobbles. Every year, junior riders flock to USA Cycling's development complex in Sittard, Netherlands to develop as riders, and maybe someday become top pros. We hear from the man behind the European program, Billy Innes, USAC's junior program manager. We also talk to Quinn Simmons, a rising star who recently won the prestigious Gent-Wevelgem junior race.

Few people picked Alberto Bettiol as a favorite before Tour of Flanders, yet he managed to stun the favorites and win. Peter Sagan is one of those stars who was left empty-handed on Sunday. We hear from him about how the race went down and why he hasn't found peak form yet. Later in the podcast, Ben Delaney talks to Dries Verclyte of Cycling in Flanders. He explains how the region embraces cycling tourism and attracts all kinds of riders from around the world — not just the top pros who were battling on the Bergs in De Ronde.