With Pace

In this second episode of our Cape Epic series, Payson is joined by Scott teammates Nino Schurter and Lars Forster. Nino is the reigning six-time World Champion with a few Olympic medals under his belt, and Lars is a multi-time Swiss cyclocross National Champion and winner of the 2018 European Mountain Bike Championships. Together, they won the 2019 Cape Epic and the 2020 Swiss Epic. They joined Payson a couple weeks ago at the end of their Italian training camp to talk about their memories of the Cape Epic from mechanicals to the after party, what races they wish they could participate in, their plans for 2021, and which of them is a half-wheeler. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Annika Langvad and Kate Courtney join Payson to talk about their experience racing as a team in the 2018 Absa Cape Epic, an eight day stage race in the Western Cape of South Africa spanning over 435 miles. When they teamed up for the race, Annika had won it three years in a row, while Kate was still an up-and-comer on the UCI circuit who had never participated in a stage race, let alone one that has the reputation of being the hardest mountain bike stage race in the world. From the first day, however, they were dominant, and went on to win the overall by 46 minutes. In this interview, they talk about their different levels of experience going into the Cape Epic, and how they managed to solidify their team dynamic from the first stage. They talk about mechanical mishaps, brutal press conferences, and their favorite memories from those eight days in the desert. They also talk about Annika’s recent transition to retirement and how she managed to complete a dentistry degree while competing as one of the top mountain bikers in the world. Kate also talks about preparing for the Olympics and staying sane, thanks to her dog, Monty. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Brian “Safa” Wagner has carved out a niche for himself within cycling as one of the fastest road descenders outside of the pro peloton. Through his Youtube channel, he shares films of his most nail-biting descents that see him maintaining average speeds of nearly 50mph over the course of 15-minutes. Safa started out as a bike messenger, navigating the crowded streets of cities such as London, Sydney, Glasgow, and Mexico City as fast as cycling allowed. Over time, he elevated this to an art form, and pioneered the bike messenging scene in Mexico City, where he lived for six years. He now lives in Los Angeles, producing films and pushing the limits of fast descents. In this interview, he talks about why he’s chosen to make Los Angeles his home, being passed over by potential sponsors who think his riding is too dangerous to promote, and why his new film, Pray for Speed, is a special one. He also talks about why he isn’t too fussy about bike setup, his thoughts on the UCI ban on the “super-tuck,” and why he thinks all cycling is equally dangerous.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Chris Cosentino is a celebrity chef and avid cyclist, best known for his many television appearances on shows such as Top Chef Masters (which he won), and for owning restaurants across the US. Chris first made an appearance on the podcast in episode 16, and returns this week to talk about the state of the restaurant industry. Perhaps no area of the economy has been hit harder by the pandemic, and Chris has experienced this first hand. Last fall, he made the decision to close his San Francisco restaurant, Cockscomb, which had been a labor of love since it opened seven years ago. Chris tells Payson about how he finally came to the difficult decision to close the restaurant, the painful process of letting go of such a major part of his life, and how long he thinks it will take the industry to bounce back. He also talks about how he’s learning to embrace the time away from the kitchen, some his new chef-related ventures, and how cycling his helping him move through it all.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Jolanda Neff is one of the most decorated cross country mountain bike racers in the world. In addition to winning the XC World Championship 2017, she has won 12 XC World Cups, five Swiss XC national championships, and competed in both XC and road races at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She now has her sights set on the 2021 season and the Tokyo Olympics. In this interview, she talks about how she got stuck in the Canary Islands following a successful winter training camp with the Swiss national team, and her misgivings about the next few months of racing. She tells Payson about her love of travel, and how she’s kept perspective during the pandemic despite suffering a career-compromising crash in early 2020. She also talks about why she decided to join Trek Factory Racing after spending much of her career moving teams every couple of years, and the pros and cons of having a partner who is also a professional cyclist. They also discuss her love of shopping, motocross, and Joe Rogan.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Ted King returns to the show to talk about the uncertainties of 2021, leaning into the Vermont winter weather, and why he isn’t stressing about perfect training conditions. He also tells Payson about his first bikepacking experience at the end of October when he won the 1,017 mile Arkansas High Country Race. They compare the battle scars they each sustained from their 2020 adventures, as well as their unshakable excitement to embark on even rougher bikepacking challenges in the future. They talk about how they’re strategizing for an unpredictable 2021 racing schedule, how Ted's life has changed since becoming a dad at the beginning of last year, and the time he caught a pass from Tom Brady. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

In this very special one hundredth episode, Payson, Justin, and Colin are reunited nearly a year after their first conversation on the show. They talk about their plan to revolutionize American cycling, and, of course, the moment that Payson, Colin, and Kate Courtney got to present  Justin with his Red Bull helmet (a day that featured celebrity cameos from Reggie Miller and Chris Froome). This full interview can be viewed as a film on YouTube beginning tomorrow, and includes footage from Justin's helmet presentation and more. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Pat Lemieux may be best known as the husband of Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen, but he has recently entered into a new role as an athlete agent following a request from pro cyclist Ellen Noble. He now works for athletes such as triathlete Lionel Sanders and cyclocross racer Stephen Hyde, and as the partnership manager for the entire Rally Cycling team. Even though he hadn’t planned on being an agent, he quickly discovered that his personality and experience both of his wife’s career and his own as a former professional cyclist make the new role an obvious fit. In this conversation, he talks with Payson about learning on the job, negotiation 101, and why he sees his role as serving first and selling second. They also discuss the trends in athlete/brand partnerships that have been accelerated by the pandemic, such as diversity of content creation and the ability to evoke emotion. They discuss which athletes can benefit from having an agent, when the numbers simply don’t add up, and why his wife will never been on his roster.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Maddie Munro is one of the brightest up and coming stars of the cyclocross scene. Following her bronze medal at the 2020 junior World Championships, she joined Trek Factory Racing and is currently competing in the Elite category at just 18 years old. In this interview, she tells Payson about why she decided to start college just as her racing career is taking off, what her first semester has been like during the pandemic, and how she’s adjusting to the excitement of professional racing. She also talks about what her cycling goals are, why she’s already planning for life after racing, and what it’s been like having her first pro season during the pandemic. She also tells the story of her first ever trip with the Trek team, when she found herself rooming with her hero, World Champion Jolanda Neff at a World Cup in the Czech Republic. Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

Anton Cooper is a fixture of the World Cup cross country scene. He won the U23 World Championships in 2015 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but perhaps his best known finish came in 2018, when he battled World Champion Nino Schurter for the top step of the podium in a sprint finish at Nove Mesto. In this interview, he talks about all the things that went right that day, and what he would have done differently to snag that final victory. He talks about why the pro field might be changing in the coming years, and what to expect from the other riders. He also discusses his love for bike packing adventures that take him far into the wildest parts of New Zealand and sometimes involve rock climbing and helicopter rescues. His adventures with his dad have led to some harrowing stories of survival in the wilderness and few near death experiences. In contrast, he talks about the way World Cup courses have changed over the past few years to accommodate spectators and media, and what he hopes to see in the future.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc