Velo Podcast

Astana impressed at the first cobbled race of the season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. How did young Michael Valgren pull off this big win? We analyze the race and also look at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, where Dylan Groenewegen confirmed that he's a top sprinter to watch. Plus, American Alexis Ryan found the podium in the women's Omloop. Also on this podcast, Andrew Hood talks to Paris-Roubaix winner Greg Van Avermaet about the classics and why Tour of Flanders will always be his dream race to win. We wrap things up with a look ahead to more classics action coming up Sunday at the men's and women's Strade Bianche races on Tuscany's white dirt roads.

If you've ever ogled a handbuilt steel frame, you should thank Tom Ritchey. Founder of the eponymous brand, Ritchey was one of the pioneers of modern framebuilding. He also was integral when a band of Californians decided to take their bikes off-road on the trails around Marin. This interview covers all of that and much more with a living legend of American cycling.

Can you feel that? The cobbled classics kick off this weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad! We look ahead to that race and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Who is riding well? Why did Sagan decide to skip these fun early spring openers? Plus, we call up European correspondent Andrew Hood for an inside look at the crazy media scrum that was Ruta del Sol. Ruta del Sol? Yep, it was Chris Froome's debut race, and as you'd expect, there was a lot to discuss. All that, and we also look back on last week's other stage races: Tour of Oman and Volta ao Algarve.

It's time to unlock the mysteries of fatigue. Is it just lactic acid pooling in your legs, as your high school coach probably told you? No, that’s not it. The answer is actually a lot more complex than you'd think. In fact, some of the most exciting theories have only recently been proposed. This episode reveals those exciting revelations and explores the foundations of fatigue. First, we’ll discuss the many different physiological causes of fatigue, including muscle damage, glycogen depletion, body temperature, and why no one of these reasons fully explains fatigue, despite what some researchers might tell you. We’ll discuss an exciting new theory that suggests there’s a “central regulator” of fatigue, which integrates all of the different past theories and ultimately allows our mind to decide where are limits are. That is, could fatigue be, in part, a psychological thing. We ask the question, how much fatigue is actually a conscious choice that can be influenced by the length of the race, cues we give ourselves, and mental tricks And finally, we’ll examine why we need to be careful about toying with our fatigue limits. Our guest for today is Dr. Stephen Cheung, an exercise physiologist and professor in the kinesiology department at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, whose research interests include the effects of environmental stress on human physiology and performance. We'll also hear from Sepp Kuss, a neo-pro with LottoNL-Jumbo on the WorldTour, who will talk about his limits when racing.

They might look like skinny superheroes, but pro cyclists grapple with fear just like the rest of us. In this podcast, we talk to Andrew Hood about his recent article in VeloNews magazine, "Fear Factor." He explains why the pros are afraid of some unexpected things. (Hint: Crashing isn't one of them.) But before that, we analyze scads of early season bike races from Dubai to Colombia to this week's action across Europe. What can we tell about the sprinters and their teams? Are the GC guys starting to awaken? How can Chris Froome be racing if he's (possibly) got a court date this week?

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.