With Pace

Ellen Campbell has been riding bikes since she was a kid growing up in Durango, Colorado. She raced in college and on the national circuit, but it was only last year that she decided to step into professional gravel full-time. Joining Sarah Sturm’s privateer program, she competed in the Grand Prix in 2022 with the goal of finishing every race. This year, she’s racing in the Grand Prix again, but her perspective and goals are shifting. In this interview, Ellen tells Payson about why she made up her mind to go professional  during a stressful weekend helping her partner, Howard Grotts, and Sarah at Leadville. They also talk about enneagrams, why her mindset on racing has changed this season, and what she thinks people got wrong about this year’s Unbound debate.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

The third round of the Life Time Grand Prix is an Infamous gravel race in Southwest Utah with over 10,000 feet of climbing over a punchy 69-mile course. This year’s race was defined by a distinct lack of drama, but it was still historic. Keegan Swenson became the first (and only) rider in the event’s history to finish in under four hours, while Sofía Gómez Villafañe smashed the women’s record by more than six minutes. Payson and Velo reporter Betsy Welch talk about these wins as well as some of the other noteworthy finishes. From Matt Beers to Paige Onweller, there were many riders who staked their claim on the leaderboard last week with breakout performances. One of the riders with an attention-grabbing race was Nathan Spratt, an Indiana native who started racing gravel in 2022 after years of racing on the road. He now lives in Utah and fits training alongside his engineering career. He joins Payson to talk about his sixth-place finish at Crusher, how he came to the Grand Prix, and what it's like to live, train, and work with his twin brother, Marc. Payson also breaks down the power files of some of the athletes, including Matt Beers and Haley Smith.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

This year’s Life Time Grand Prix brought a host of new contenders to the women’s roster along with some familiar faces from last year. With such a stacked field, we thought it was high time to get to know the individuals behind the results. To kick off our series, we have four racers whose vastly different paths have led them to the Grand Prix, Jenna Rinehart, Deanna Mayles, Iz King, and Leah Van der Linden. Among them, there’s a bike shop owner, a test engineer for world-class construction equipment, a former Wall Street trader, and a pro skier. They tell Payson about their journey to gravel and their experiences in the Grand Prix so far.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Sepp Kuss is a cyclist for WorldTour team Jumbo Visma. In 2021 he won a stage of the Tour de France, and last year helped secure the victory for his teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Last month, he helped Primož Roglič win the Giro d'Italia. In this conversation, Sepp reflects on how he’s grown as a rider since his first Grand Tour in 2018. He talks about this year’s Giro, how the team is approaching the Tour this year as reigning champions, and whether he has personal ambitions outside his role as a domestique. He also talks about that viral derailleur battery swap he did mid-race in the rain at 40 miles per hour, and offers some tips on how riders at this year’s Leadville can outsmart Alejandro Valverde, the rider he rode away from to seize his Tour de France stage victory in 2021. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Kristen Legan works in PR and Communications with some of the biggest cycling brands in the world, including Shimano and Mosaic Cycles. But on race weekends, you can find her battling for the podium. A couple of weeks ago, she walked away with the win after tearing through the mud-drenched 350 miles of the Unbound XL. In this conversation, Kristen talks to Payson about how surviving the infamous conditions at Unbound in 2015 prepared her for the miles of mud at this year’s event, her early career as a triathlete, and why she knows she isn’t cut out for being a professional athlete despite consistently performing at the top of the sport. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Unbound is always full of adversity, perseverance, and unexpected triumphs, and this year was no different. With plenty of inclement weather, mud, upsets, and drama, the race has reignited long-standing debates in gravel and elevated a few riders to a new level of prominence. In this recap episode, we hear from many of the riders who braved this year’s uniquely challenging course. Payson chats with Velo reporter Betsy Welch about wheel sharing, whether the race organizers should have re-routed around the mud, and the surprises in the men’s and women’s fields. Payson is also joined by Carolin Schiff, this year’s winner. She talks about how she went from the brink of retirement last year to winning the biggest gravel race in the world, the race drama she put to rest with her commanding victory, and the bike shop she owns in her hometown in Germany. Payson also digs into the power files of two riders at the front of the men’s and women’s races to get a more detailed look at how the events unfolded.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

It’s raining in Emporia, Kansas and thousands of riders are about to head to the start line for this year’s Unbound Gravel. Payson caught up with Velo reporter Betsy Welch to talk about the emerging variables to look out for in the race, including the weather, a new format for the women’s start, a top contender lurking in the men's field, and spicy tactics. Plus, they take a stab at defining "gravel beef" and consider whether runners might have a leg up in this year's race. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Dutch cyclists Ivar Slik and Jasper Ockeloen have been traveling to the U.S. a lot over the past few years. After successful road careers in Europe, they made the jump to gravel cycling and have thrown down some standout results. Ivar won Unbound last year, rocketing to a level of fame in the U.S. and Euro cycling worlds that he wasn’t expecting. Jasper won Gravel Locos last year and came second at Belgian Waffle ride, but after two years of bad luck, he's still waiting to do Unbound without a race-halting puncture. They’re both prepping for the event this year as top contenders. Payson sat down with Ivar and Jasper in Bentonville last week to talk about their cycling careers and the sock business they run together, Sockeloen. Jasper talks about his growing frustration with Continental racing that pushed him to lean into Sockeloen, and how fellow Dutchie Laurens Ten Dam inspired him to get into gravel racing. Ivar talks about his now-legendary attack at Unbound in a rainstorm and what it was like to become the unofficial king of gravel with the win (and a course record). They also talk about their long-time friendship, the nitty gritty scientific data behind Sockeloen’s aerodynamic credentials, and Jasper’s ever-present gold necklace. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Justin Williams returns to the show to talk about the rapidly-evolving criterium scene. He pulls back the curtain on his decision not to take part in the newly-formed National Cycling League; his announcement about his own series, Circuit Racing International Tour (CRIT); and how going behind the scenes at an F1 race last year informed his ambitions for cycling. He also talks about whether criterium has a problem with aggressive riding, adding a third team to his roster after L39ion and the Miami Blazers, and a recent incident when he decided to address online criticism head-on. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Ever since he was a child, Taylor Lideen knew he experienced the world differently. Even before he knew that he suffered from depression and anxiety, he noticed that his emotions seemed to run higher than other people’s. As a teen, he struggled with his mental health even as he built a  successful career as a cyclist. Over the years, he’s won 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and Unbound XL, and is competing in the Life Time Grand Prix for the second time this year. But his bouts with crippling depression have been a consistent presence in his life, both on and off the bike. Last year, he released a film, Shifting Mindset, in which he opens up for the first time about his struggles with mental health. In this week's episode, Taylor talks about navigating depression and anxiety as a child, and how his love of cycling was both an escape and a trigger. He talks about how meeting his wife Mary in high school changed his life, how his relationship with his dad was caught up in his anxiety about attaining race results, and the therapy he credits with saving his life. Since speaking openly about his battle with mental health, Taylor says he’s felt a sense of relief. He tells Payson why he felt it was the right time to address his struggles publicly, and how he’s hoping others might benefit from hearing his story. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc