With Pace

Joe Grant is an ultra runner and mountain athlete who holds the FKT on the Colorado Trail and has competed all over the world at races such as the Hardrock 100, Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc, and the Iditarod in Alaska. He also explores the mountains by bike and competed in the Arizona Trail race in 2016 on a fully rigid drop bar bike. Born in England and raised in France, he now lives in Durango, Colorado. In this conversation, Joe talks about his complicated relationship with the premise of FKTs, why he tries to orient his projects around the place and the trail rather than himself, and where he stands on the documentation debate in bikepacking and ultra running. He also talks about some of his recent projects, including “Home to Home,” in which he and some friends captured his on-foot attempt at The Colorado Trail with only analog film cameras and a guitar. Even though he’s built a career on winning races and accomplishing unprecedented challenges in the mountains, he explains why he tries to make his projects about more than just the records. Joe's Home to Home project: https://lostcreekcollective.com/The Middle Way  "Tour de 14ers" film: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/themiddlewayInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Payson sits down with professional mountain biker and former teammate Hannah Otto to discuss her new privateer program, splitting her 2022 schedule between North American gravel racing and UCI World Cups, and her childhood as a world champion triathlete. Hannah started racing triathlons at 9, eventually winning the XTERRA Amateur World Championship. After switching to cycling in college, she became a 5x collegiate national champion and signed with the CLIF Pro Team. After nine years of racing on factory-style teams, she's going private this year, pursuing both the LifeTime Grand Prix and a spot at the 2024 Olympics. In this conversation, Hannah talks about the internal drive and love of sports that propelled her to a very early start in racing, how she’s brought some of her triathlete mindset to her cycling career, and why privateering isn’t so different from racing on a factory team. She also talks about the other side of her job, in which she is a coach and regular contributor to VeloNews. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

In this second part of our coverage of the Epic Rides Whiskey Off-road, Payson sits down with self-proclaimed "weekend warrior" Ben Mauceri to talk  about how mountain biking takes him to a physical and mental place that nothing else can, the commitment required to show up at the start line while maintaining a demanding career, and the strong sense of comradery and pride he feels for his fellow amateur racers at the finish line. Payson also talks to Cina McConaughy and Kate Phelan, owners of Soul Ride, one of Prescott, Arizona's bike shops. They discuss how their business grew alongside the Whiskey Off-road, breaking into the cycling industry as female business owners, and how they've rooted their shop in the local community. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Payson sits down with professional mountain biker racers Haley Smith and Andrew L’Esperance to talk about racing a 50/50 World Cup and North American schedule in 2022, snagging spots on the podium at their first Whiskey Off-Road this year, and their new podcast, OffRoad InRoads. He also chats with Todd Sadow, President and CEO of Epic Rides, about adapting to wildfires and the pandemic, expanding the series, and why he wanted to revolutionize American mountain biking when he helped create 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo more than 20 years ago.  Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Quinn Simmons is a professional road cyclist who rides for Trek-Segafredo. At just 20 years old, he is part of a new generation of American road cyclists achieving success in the WorldTour that the country has not seen in generations. He was the first junior male road race World Champion since Greg Lemond, and won the Tour de Wallonie overall in 2021. He's also achieved top results in the Vuelta a España  and the Strade Bianche, and was long-listed for the 2021 Tour de France. In this conversation, he and Payson talk about the driving ambition and competitive mindset that have rocketed him to success after his junior career. He talks about the influence of his family and the potential of his younger brother, Colby, who recently joined the Jumbo-Visma Development Team. They discuss his tumultuous relationship with the media at the beginning of his WorldTour career that left him suspended from the team for two months in 2020. He talks about how his view of the media and professional racing have shifted since then, and why he's more determined than ever to become World Champion. They also talk about his interest in another White Rim FKT attempt, setting a Leadville 100 course record, and his thoughts on gravel after crashing out of Unbound in 2021.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Justin Williams, founder of L39ion Los Angeles and winner of eleven national titles, returns to the show to talk about recovering from shoulder surgery and his latest moves within the industry. He discusses his decision to focus on Belizean Nationals rather than US Nationals in the past two years and how he’s using his influence to grow the sport and support racers in the country. He and Payson also talk about franchising L39ion, whether he has plans to run for the UCI presidency, and NFTs.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Payson is joined by two standout racers from last weekend’s Sea Otter Classic, Mo Wilson and Rob Britton. Mo won the race, beating a formidable field that included Olympians, national champions, and former WorldTour riders. Having made a mark on the gravel circuit in 2021, winning Big Sugar and placing second at the Leadville 100, her decisive victory at Sea Otter demonstrated her potential in other disciplines. Mo talks to Payson about her mindset going into the race, her childhood ski racing career, and how she only got into gravel racing during the pandemic. She also shares some breaking news about some big career moves she's making this year. Later in the episode, Payson is joined by Rob Britton, who finished eighth out of the Grand Prix roster and tenth overall. His result comes barely six months after announcing his retirement from a 12-year road racing career, six years of which he spent with Rally Cycling. He talks about why he decided to leave the WorldTour, being pleasantly surprised by his Sea Otter result, and why his 2022 racing schedule is more packed than ever. Payson also highlights some of the breakout rides from Sea Otter and discusses some of the implications for the Grand Prix.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Payson is joined by Geoff Kabush and Kateřina Nash to talk about all things Life Time Grand Prix. The six-race gravel series kicks off this weekend with the Sea Otter Classic. Both Geoff and Kateřina have won Sea Otter multiple times, and are racing it again this year. Neither of them, however, is participating in the Grand Prix. Earlier this year, Geoff penned an article in Cycling Tips that criticized the points system and entry requirements of the race, questioning its impact on the careers of pro racers. In this conversation, he, Kateřina, and Payson discuss his concerns and how the Grand Prix might adapt in the coming years. They also pick their favorites to win the series overall and talk about how they think racers with a ProTour background will stack up against racers with a mountain biking background. They also discuss Geoff and Kateřina’s own careers. After decades of world titles, they are still winning races (including Moab Rocks, which they both won the weekend this interview was recorded). They discuss longevity, adapting to the social media demands of the “modern athlete,” and where they think professional racing is headed.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Dave Hagen has been the Director of the Fort Lewis College cycling program for 18 years. In that time, he’s seen it grow from a club sport to one of the most dominant collegiate teams in the country. He’s helped guide the careers of future pros such as Sarah Sturm, Sepp Kuss, Chris Blevins, and Sofia Gomez-Villafañe, and watched the team secure 15 USA Cycling Collegiate national titles in mountain biking and cyclocross. But under his leadership, the program has focused just as much attention on amateur cycling enthusiasts as future Olympians and World Champions. In this conversation, Dave talks to Payson about fostering an inclusive culture within the team, which welcomes about forty freshmen each year. He explains why he’s glad that cycling is not an NCAA sport, and how he’d like to see collegiate racing change. He also talks about the influence of FLC cycling colleague and former downhill champion Elke Brutsaert, and discusses his own racing career for Yeti in the early 90s. Sponsoring this week's episode:jojebar.com, code MUSTACHE15dometic.com, code ADVENTURESTACHEInstagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Payson sits down with this year’s winner of The Mid South, Cole Paton to discuss his victory and unpack the race. Having spent much of his career winning collegiate XC titles and chasing the World Cup circuit, the 23-year-old was as surprised as anyone when his fitness and savvy tactics snagged him the top step at the season’s first major gravel race. Despite his decisive win, Cole says that self-doubt and low expectations followed him all the way to the finish line, even after his solo breakaway with only a few miles to go. He discusses the influence of his teammate and mentor, Dennis Van Winden during The Mid South and throughout his intensive preseason training. He also talks about graduating from college at the end of 2019 with several national titles to his name but without contract offers from any major teams. In 2020, as the pandemic shut down racing around the world, he considered quitting cycling altogether and moving back to his hometown in Washington. He credits his girlfriend and teammate Savilia Blunk with inspiring him to keep racing. He also tells Payson about how he's viewing his future now that he's pursuing a full gravel schedule, and the races outside of the Grand Prix lineup that he's most looking forward to.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc