Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

The boys are back in town for the second episode of Race Radio! Harry & Stu have passed their probation and been let loose on the mic once again to talk about what they’re most excited for in the 2025 season. These boys are fanatical about pro cycling, and their enthusiasm is infectious, so it was great to hear them giving their overview of the coming season.

As always, Harry’s given me a blurb for the episode so you know what you’re in for: 

“Are you excited for the road racing season to start yet? In the latest episode of Life in the Peloton’s Race Radio, we’ll get you ready for another rollicking, rollercoaster year of pro cycling with our top ten things to look forward to in 2025. 

From the new stars set to shine, the first women’s Milan-San Remo, comeback Queens, the first ever road world championships to be held in Africa, and much more, we guarantee that this’ll get you ready to rock and roll. Let’s go!”

I do love the Tour Down Under as the kick-off for the racing season, but the lull between TDU and Opening Weekend has always been a tough one to fill. This definitely got me even more excited for the big races to kick off - as if I wasn’t buzzing already.

I hope you love this one as much as I did and, remember, you can drop the boys an email at raceradio@lifeinthepeloton.com to let them know what you think of this ep, what you want to hear them discuss, or just to tell them you think they’re handsome young-ish men!

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

One of the things I love most about being at the Tour Down Under is getting to catch up with people in person and record podcasts live. The chemistry is just so much better than a video call, and I love being able to pick up on those little tidbits of information or body language that you miss online. 

With that in mind, I was absolutely stoked to sit down with one of the most enigmatic, exciting, and down right nuts bike riders out there; the legend that is Lachlan Morton. To make it even better, we were joined by Rachael Peck - Lachy’s wife and a key part of his support team - and the hardest working bike mechanic, swanny, driver, logistics manager, and a million other things in the whole industry, Tom Hopper.

Back in 2024, Lachy broke the record for riding a lap of Australia. Just think about that for a second. An entire lap of Australia. With support on the road from Rachael and Tom, Lachy covered 14,200kms in a little over 30 days riding. A quick bit of maths, and that’s over 450kms a day…A DAY! That’s more than I ride in a week (more like a month) these days! I cannot get my head around what Lachy’s achieved so I loved being able to sit down with him and hear more from the man himself and the team behind him about what went down out there on the road. 

This is a banger of an episode, and I loved being able to capture this yarn to share with you all. Lachy’s a really humble guy and a great story teller. Rachael’s only ever followed Lachy’s crazy challenges from behind a laptop watching his dot tick along - so this was a totally new experience for her to be there on the ground by his side as he embarked on his record attempt. If you don’t know Tom Hopper, the word ‘Legendary’ doesn’t even begin to describe him. He’s the mastermind behind EF’s alternative racing programme, as well as all of Lach’s wild adventures, and hearing about the details of what goes on behind the scenes of a project like this was eye opening. 

I also just had to ask Lachy what’s next. Rumours have been circulating for a little while now that this lap of Australia was a practice run for an around-the-world record attempt, and I had to find out if these rumours are true! I won’t give away his answer here, you’ll have to listen to this ep to hear what he says! 

Guys, you’re going to love this one. Sit back, relax, crack open a Coopers - just like Tom Hopper did whilst we were recording - ,and enjoy!

Cheers!

Mitch

This episode is supported by our friends at JOIN.

JOIN Cycling is the #1 cycling tool that sets you up with dynamic and flexible training plans based on your goal, availability and training history.

Head over to join.cc/litp to get your 30-day free trial now!

And also by our friends at Wahoo Fitness.

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The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Where do you sit in the PELO? Come and join the Life in the Peloton membership.

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo. You won't want to miss these exclusive chats dropping throughout the 2025 season!

It’s been a long, cold winter, but Svein and I are back for the 2025 season with a fresh ep of Life In The Peloton: Chronicles for you - the Pelo members. 

Just like when we were pro cyclists, which feels like a long time ago now, we had ourselves a little off season to reset, freshen up, and make plans for the next year. It was great to catch up with Sveino for the first time since October, and this month we’re talking all about kicking off a new season as a rider. That mental reset is just as important as the physical one, and after a little break, Sveino and I are itching to get going!

Things have changed a lot since we were riders. Back in our day, we had a relaxed start to the racing season; plenty of base miles over the winter, then rock up to Tour Down Under ready to get some intensity in the legs and build towards the first “real” races in the Spring. Sveino even rode 2000km from Canada to California for an early season team camp in 2003 to build some fitness after a winter relaxing out in the snow and skiing rather than riding! I love hearing Sveino’s wild, adventurous stories - he’s like the original Lachy Morton.

Nowadays, early season races like the Tour Down Under are real targets for a lot of riders. Whether it’s a team hunting UCI points to avoid relegation, neo pros that need to start getting experience in the bunch with the big boys, or legendary riders targeting San Remo in March that want some race KMs in their legs before their competitors back in Europe.

We’ve just had the 25th edition of the race, and I was down in Adelaide getting stuck into the action in the commentary booth, at the roadside, and - of course - behind the pod mic, catching up with some old mates. Svein and I listened back to some great chats with our old mates Michael Hepburn, Luke Durbridge, Sam Bewley, and Aaron Gate about the Tour Down Under and how it can set a rider up for the season ahead. 

I also caught up with a guy I used to love spinning a yarn with in the bunch; the president of the CPA, Adam Hansen. We spoke about the new UCI rules that will impact the races this season. New feedzone regulations, changes to time gaps if you crash in the final, and the introduction of yellow cards for multiple infractions - it’s going to keep the riders on their toes this year, that’s for sure.  

As always, Svein and I chat about a heap of other topics - with plenty of anecdotes from our time in the bunch and the years since we both hung up the race wheels. I love telling these stories, and I hope you love hearing them.

Cheers!

Mitch

Well, it’s finally here. I’m really excited to share with you the first episode of a BRAND NEW Podcast series here on Life In The Peloton. This is Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio and, for the first time in 10 years, this pod isn’t hosted by me! 

That’s right, this is two best friends - Harry Dowdney and Stu Downie - taking a look at the sport we love from the perspective of the fans. These funny British lads started producing this podcast themselves a year ago, and I’ve been a fan since day one, so I’m so pleased to bring them in under the Life In The Peloton umbrella and share their chemistry, banter, and opinions with you. These guys have captured those cycling chats you have in the pub and turned them into a great podcast, and I really hope you love it as much as I do. 

I asked Stu to give me a bit of a blurb for you all so you know exactly what you’re getting into, and this is what he said: 

“Harry and I are unashamed adult besties that started out seeking fun at the fringes of the WorldTour. Since then, we’ve made films and written stories for the biggest teams, athletes, and brands – from a clapped-out campervan tour through cycling’s history to the heady heights of the WorldTour – and we’ve never lost their fascination with the sport and its characters along the way. Race Radio is a fan’s eye viewthat celebrates the spirit of the sport and doesn’t hold back, telling stories from the serious or strange to the sublime.”

In this first episode of Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio, the boys turn the mic on me! We talk about how our paths first crossed and some of the adventures along the way. Then, they wrap up the Tour Down Under, and talk about what makes the race so great - and my old mate Mike Woods drops in for a bit, too. 

It’s a great ep and a perfect introduction to Harry & Stu all in their unique style that’ll leave you laughing just as much as I did. I really hope you enjoy this new addition to the Podcast family. 

Cheers,

Mitch

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The 2025 road racing season has kicked off down here in Adelaide at the Tour Down Under, and that can only mean one thing; it’s time for The Race Communiqué! It’s been a long off season, but Southam, Durbo, and I are back on the mics having a yarn about bike racing, and boy is it good to be back.

TDU is a special race. Not only is it my “home” race, but it’s also one of the only times of the year that EF Education Easypost DS Tom Southam, newly crowned Aussie natty champ Luke Durbridge, and I are all in the same place. So, for the first episode of 2025, we decided to kick the pod up a gear and record it LIVE! We’ve also recorded a video podcast which you can find over on Life In The Peloton’s Youtube channel - so make sure you go and give that a watch!

Durbo, still riding high from his epic victory in Perth a few weeks back, kicks off the pod by talking us through his incredible ride that secured him the green and gold bands. It was a show of amazing team tactics, a little bit of luck, and a hell of a lot of hard work from Turbo Durbo - and it’s awesome to get his insight on how the race played out.

Obviously with the launch of MAAPs awesome collaboration with Jayco Alula, we discuss the new team kits in the peloton in ‘Pelo Chat’. We talk about how the style of the peloton has changed over the years, and how a good team kit can totally redefine a team’s identity. 

Tom’s ‘Talking Tactics’ segment dives into the new UCI rules that have changed the way riders will feed in the bunch this season. Trust me, it’s way more interesting than it sounds, and will make a huge difference to team strategy this season. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be The Race Communiqué without the Communi-Quiz - a TDU special hosted by Southam. 

I’m also stoked to announce that for the 2025 season, The Race Communiqué will be presented by TrainingPeaks. TrainingPeaks is a great piece of software for coaches, professional athletes, and amateurs alike that Tom, Luke, and I have all used religiously throughout our respective careers. It’s great to have them on board helping bring The Race Communiqué to you guys this year. 

Sit down, grab yourself a brew, and give this a listen; it’s a great start to 2025. 

Cheers!

Mitch

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction
• 00:09:49 - Part 1: Mitch's Race Recap
• 00:25:19 - Part 2: Luke's Pelo Chat
• 00:33:59 - Part 3: Tom's Talking Tactics
• 00:53:21 - Part 4: Communi-quiz

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The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Watch Life in the Peloton's FIRST EVER video podcast here. Each episode of Race Communique this season will be coming to you in both audio and video. Stay tuned to our YouTube Channel for more episodes and clips throughout the season.

This episode is supported by our friends at Training Peaks.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

For 2025, I’m bringing back a fan favourite. That’s right, Talking Luft is BACK! When the mood is right, I’ll be dropping a classic Talking Luft episode a few days after the main Life In The Peloton pod drops, just to give you guys an extra bite of the cherry. This is where we try to find a bit more out about special guests though some short rapid fire questions.

I’m kicking off with my first guest of the season; Lucy Bartholomew. We had a great day out going for a ride, a cheeky brew, and a bit of a run - just to really get to know more about her and what makes her tick. 

Obviously Lucy’s best known for her running exploits, so this Talking Luft is going to have a bit of a trail running twist, but the old classic Talking Luft questions are in there too. Talking Luft is always great fun to record, and this ep with Lucy is no different. She won’t mind me saying, I had to explain what Luft even is, so if you’re new around here this is a great place to start.

Have a listen to me and Lucy chatting all things Luft to kick off the 2025 season.

Cheers!

Mitch

Chapters

• 00:01:17 - Introduction
• 00:02:40 - What is a luft?
• 00:04:46 - Cafe and coffee stop preferences
• 00:06:08 - Bunch direction dialect
• 00:06:57 - Running fashion
• 00:11:39 - Favourite training loop
• 00:12:37 - Mitch’s running scenario
• 00:15:25 - War story
• 00:16:52 - Why do you do it?

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The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

Happy New Year! Life In The Peloton is back, and I’m really excited to kick off 2025 with one of the brightest stars in the Ultrarunning world; Lucy Bartholomew.

A Melbourne native, Lucy’s been competitively trail running since she was 16, when she lined up at a 100km race along the South Coast of Victoria with her old man. Since then, she’s gone on to win Ultra Trail Race Australia in 2022, set the FKT on the truly epic 231km Larapinta Trail up in Northern Territory, and competed over in Europe at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. As if she wasn’t already hardcore enough, in 2024 just a few weeks after finishing UTMB, she jetted off to Nice to tackle IronMan World Champs…just for fun! 

Ultrarunners are known for their resilience and determination, and Lucy completely epitomises that. I loved chatting to her about how she trains for 100km+ races, what it takes to make it in the ultrarunning world, some of her wild experiences out on the trail, how her parents - her dad, Ash, in particular - have helped drive her ultrarunning journey, and how she finds the mental strength to push through the tough moments. It was a really inspiring conversation that I think you’re going to love.

I was super excited to record with Lucy in person back home around my old area. We actually kicked off the pod by heading for a bike ride up Kinglake, before ripping back down for a quick brew. Then, we laced up the runners and headed out for a little 10ker, and chatted along the way. Needless to say, I kept the questions short to save my breath for running next to one of the most experienced ultrarunners in the world.

I want to continue to explore even more new Pelotons in 2025, and the Trail Running space feels like the perfect place to start. It’s a sport that’s fascinated me for a while, having dabbled in a few ultra runs myself, so I wanted to bring you all inside a discipline that may not be so familiar to the cycling fans amongst you but shares a deep sense of challenge, performance, and adventure. I was fascinated to learn more about the psychology of ultrarunning and find out how similar it is to cycling. Lucy’s been at the top of her game in the running space for the best part of a decade now, and it’s so cool that she’s now crossing over into our world and giving cycling a go.

I hope you love listening to Lucy as much as I loved chatting with her. She’s an all round legend, and might just inspire you to give trail running, or even an ultrarun, a go if you haven’t before. We even recorded a cheeky ep of Talking Luft, so keep your ears peeled for that later this week!

Chapters

• 00:00:00 - Introduction
• 00:08:08 - Part 1: Ride up Kinglake
• 00:34:15 - Part 2: Coffee shop chat
• 00:57:27 - Part 3: Running the trails
• 01:10:23 - Outro

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This episode is also supported by our friends at JOIN.

JOIN Cycling is the #1 cycling tool that sets you up with dynamic and flexible training plans based on your goal, availability and training history.

Head over to join.cc/litp to get your 30-day free trial now!

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

Well, this is it, guys. It's the end of the road season, and if you're a long-time listener, you'll know it's the end of the season for us here at Life on the Peloton.

For the pro peloton, it's time to take a break from cycling. Just thinking of it takes me back to my racing days, as the 'offy' was always a bit of a special time, especially when you first arrive back in Australia. You’ve got time to rest, have a bit of a party, and reconnect with home before it's time to get back into training for the new season.

Before we shut down for a little break, we've got a really special guest to close out not only our season but her career too. None other than the current Olympic and World T.T. Champion, Grace Brown!

I've been holding off on chatting with Grace online this year because I wanted to have this conversation in person. Little did I know Grace was going to have the epic season she's had, capping it all off with the ultimate mic drop: calling it a day on professional racing while winning at the highest level.

After all that amazing success through a season that saw her become Australia’s first female monument winner, I managed to catch up with her, still a little jet-lagged from the flight—or her career (we weren’t sure which was catching up with her!). Grace was kind enough to meet me for an afternoon coffee in her adopted hometown of Melbourne to have a good old-fashioned yarn for this pod.

We talked about her career, the Olympic Games, her experiences there, retirement, relationships, and of course, how to bow out in style.

For the final time this season, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Cheers!

Mitch

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The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

The Race Communique is exclusively brought to you by The Escape Collective. Check out the new and improved BikeGrid which now goes all the way back to riders from 2001! Go and check it out and let me know how you get on.

Hey everyone, just like that, the 2024 World Tour season has nearly wrapped up. Even though there's still racing happening in China, here at Life in the Peloton, we're calling it and diving straight into the final Race Communiqué of the season.

I'm joined by Luke and Tom, just days into their offseasons, to unpack what has been one of the best seasons of racing I’ve ever seen. Not every year you get to witness a Grand Slam or experience the kind of non-stop action and long-range attacks we had in 2024.

In this Race Communiqué, we’ve got much more than just a seasonal wrap-up. Tom jumps in early with his Talking Tactics segment, and then we settle into Luke's Pelo Chat, where he shares insights on the future of the U23 category and how the UCI might look to enhance youth racing moving forward.

We’ve also highlighted some of our favourite rides, riders, races, and memorable moments from the year. With our different opinions, you'll hear some fantastic stories that emerged during our conversation.

To top it all off, we have the end-of-season Communi-quiz, which is crucial for determining who will be shouting the beers during the offy!

I really enjoy putting these Communiqués together, and this one was a blast to make. It’s a shame we can’t do more for now, but for 2024, this is your final episode of The Communiqué.

We hope you've enjoyed listening along. We'll be back after a well-deserved break (with a few cold ones) for an even better 2025. So stay tuned, and for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Cheers,

Mitch

It might only be Wednesday, but this week is absolutely massive for us at Life in the Peloton. It’s the week of the Dirty Docker—our inaugural cycling and running festival happening up in my hometown of Lancefield this weekend!

With such an exciting event on the horizon, I thought, why not dedicate this entire podcast to the Dirty Docker? This event has been over a year in the making, and I can’t wait to share all the details with all of our listeners. Even if you can’t make it to Lancefield, whether you’re overseas or just tied up, I want you to feel like you’re part of the action.

We’ll be diving deep into what the Dirty Docker is all about. From cross-country running to cyclocross, and of course, our premier event—the Cobawsome Gravel Ride—there’s something for everyone.

But that’s not all. We’ll also be exploring each of these disciplines with the experts who helped bring them to life. You’ll get to understand the roots of cross-country running, the history of cyclocross, and the unique aspects of our Dirty Docker cyclocross course, including a nod to the iconic Cross Vegas course. Plus, my good mate and the voice of the Dirty Docker, Paul Van Der Ploeg, will join us for a deep dive into the gravel phenomenon—where it’s been, where it’s going, and what makes it so special.

So, whether you’re gearing up to join us this weekend or just tuning in from afar, this episode is packed with insights and excitement to get you pumped. I’m really excited for this one, guys. 

Give it a listen and get ready for an epic weekend!

Cheers, Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Well, I don’t know about you, but here at Life in the Peloton, we are still absolutely buzzing from yesterday’s World Road Race Championships! I think we witnessed one of the greatest performances ever.

I’m delighted to say that we’ve got a hot-off-the-press Communiqué pod for you. Joining me are Jayco Alula rider Luke Durbridge and EF Education EasyPost Sports Director Tom Southam. Together, we dissect the race faster than a group of Spanish commissaries heading to dinner…

We couldn’t wait to dive in and analyze the race, and what a race it was. As always, the Communiqué brings you our unique triple-pronged take on the event. I offer my armchair pundit’s view of the action, which this time came from the commentary box in Australia, giving me a great vantage point.

We’ve also got Durbo’s ‘Pelo Chat’ segment, where Luke explores interesting technical details and hot topics within the peloton, such as the impact of riders racing without radios and what that meant for the race.

And of course, there’s Tom’s ‘Talking Tactics,’ where we hear the DS perspective on the race’s tactical intricacies, especially given the complexity of the national team format and how the peloton dealt with one of the greatest of all time.

Just like a real communiqué wouldn’t be complete without a page of fines, our Life in the Peloton Communiqué wouldn’t be complete without a Communi-quiz. We have a special edition of that too.

Don’t wait for this one—grab your brew, sit back, and give it a listen.

Cheers!

Mitch

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This episode is supported by our friends at The Escape Collective.

Check out Escape Collective's Classifieds section of their website where thousands of used bikes, parts and accessories are being sold every day.

It's free for anyone to use, not just members.

The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

This week on Life in the Peloton, we’ve got Lael Wilcox back on the pod. As many of you know, Lael has just become the Guinness World Record holder for cycling around the world. She rode an incredible 29,000 kilometers starting from Chicago, circumnavigating the globe in 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes.

I was so excited to get Lael back on the pod this week. I loved following her journey around the world through her podcasts and videos. Lael is full of energy, and what really drew me into this adventure was how she managed to make something so difficult and challenging sound like so much fun to manage to involve so many people.

In our chat we spoke about what it was like to complete this adventure, to cross the globe, to ride in all these amazing places, and to do so with so many people joining in and following along.

Her record attempt was followed by thousands of people, many of whom took the time to join her on the ride, offering gifts, places to stay, and help along the way, as well as the occasional diversion to improve her route!

I was particularly keen to hear what it had been like riding across Australia, but I love to hear how people see my country and be able to see it through fresh perspectives. Lael actually reached out for a route, and I was really happy to be able to help out - at the last minute! And then to hear what this adventure had been like.  

Lael is so inspiring to talk to, her story and approach to riding her bike is fantastic, and we loved having her back on the pod.

Take a listen to this episode—it’s an amazing trip around the world, not to mention a new world record, and something that’s inspiring for so many cyclists.

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Mitch

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Listen to my previous chat with Lael - Lael Wilcox - The best of the best in Ultra Endurance Cycling

This episode is also supported by our friends at Wahoo head over to wahoofitness.com to check out their awesome bike computers and trainers.

The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

Regulars to the pod might be familiar with the story of Christian Meier the cyclist, the teammate, or the Girona resident and coffee shop owner. But, inspired by organising my first running event - the ‘Pub to Pub’ in Lancefield, this instalment Life in the Peloton is all aboutChristian Meier: the ultra-runner.

After retiring in 2016 and setting up his Girona coffee shops, Christian hasn’t sat still, and instead has found a new athletic passion that has led him to some quite incredible heights!

For most ex-pros finishing their career means they wind down and gradually do less sport (or none at all). Christian has broken that mould and found a new love for Ultra-running that in his mind eclipses even his feats as a professional cyclist riding the Tour de France, Giro of Vuelta.

I’ve been loving getting involved with running since I stopped racing, even starting up the Lanny Run Club here in Lancefield. Interestingly in the past few years, we’ve seen more and more professional cyclists turn to running as part of their training and fitness regimen, even during the race season, something that was unthinkable for a pro rider just a few years ago.

Christian was a fascinating guy to talk to on the subject (I ran out of time to get all the tips out of him that I wanted!) but I did get to ask him about what it was like making the transition, what he loves about ultra-running and the similarities and surprising differences between the two endurance sports.

We also went over his incredible win in the TDS, an ultra-running race of 145km that takes in over 9000m of climbing in the Alps. I’ll leave you guys to have a listen to hear what the man himself has to say about that!

Cheers!

Mitch

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The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. 

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

Hey everyone, we’re back this week with another Talking Luft Top Six Most Influential! This week I’m joined by one of the most recognisable and talented cycling commentators, Rob Hatch to talk all about our most influential World Championships.

The World Road Race Championships is not only one of the most prestigious races of the year, but it’s also unique in pro racing being the only race of the year where professionals race for their national teams, for that coveted rainbow jersey! 

I was lucky enough to race a couple of worlds for Australia and I can tell you it is a pretty special experience to be able to represent your country in your sport. I loved racing for Australia and I pick out some of my experiences for this pod, including helping Micheal Matthews to the silver medal in 2015, and that rain in Yorkshire! 

My guest Rob Hatch has been covering pro racing for well over a decade and has been following cycling for even longer. His voice has accompanied some of the most epic racing moments in recent years - and many of those non-epic hours that fill our TV screens too! 

Rob has an incredible, and in-depth knowledge of cycling and he’s as passionate as any anyone I know on the subject. We talked about some fantastic Worlds from Chambery to Harrogate via Richmond. The Worlds really does cover so many different places and characters that it was always going to be hard work to get things down to just (over a) handful of editions! 

If, like myself and Rob, you can’t wait for the worlds to roll round (now that the Vuelta is old news!) then have a listen to this one, and get in the mood for the big WC. 

Cheers! 

Mitch

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The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. 

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

Life in the Peloton has been cooking up something a bit different for you this week, I’ve thrown my press badge back on, and jumped in on the rest day press-conference action, to bring you the very first “Hot Off The Press”, Life in the Peloton’s Virtual Press Room from the Vuelta España. 

With so much action and suspense at the Spanish Grand Tour, which - I keep reminding everyone, was a favourite race of mine, I figured why not get on the phone, dial in to the pelo, and get the freshest possible take on what is going on. 

I was lucky enough to speak to some of the most important characters from this year’s race, including the current red jersey wearer, Ben O’Connor, stage winner Mike Woods, Richard Carapaz’s sports director at EF, Juanma Garate, as well as top domestiques Robert Gesink and Carlos Verona. 

Make no mistake this is a brutal edition of the Vuelta, and our guests fill us in on everything from what it takes to try and win at the race, to what it feels like to try to survive, and everything in between. 

This pod is a new one for us at Life in the Peloton and I’m delighted to be bringing you all these  hot-off-the-press takes as we head into the third week, where we can expect plenty of action from our guests and the rest of the Vuelta peloton. 

Sit back, relax and tune in before it cools off! 

Cheers! 

Mitch

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It’s Race Communiqué time at Life in the Peloton, and this week Luke Durbridge, Tom Southam and I, are once again covering all of the latest action from inside and outside of the peloton as we move into the final big phase of racing for the year. 

First up, we dive into the latest news from the Vuelta a España. It’s been a thrilling race so far, and along with my take on all of the action from the commentary box, we also have some great behind-the-scenes info from Tom who has just come back from a stint at the race. From the breakaways to the brutal climbs, we break down all the key moments and what they mean for the GC contenders.

Next, we catch up with Luke Durbridge, who’s been on a rollercoaster ride to recovery. Luke opens up about his journey back from injury, the challenges he’s faced, and how he’s gearing up for the rest of the season. We also talk about how riders manage to return to racing and what it takes to come back from setbacks and injuries. 

Tom also takes us through the latest transfer news. The cycling world is buzzing with big moves and surprising switches, and we all share our opinions on who’s going where and what it means for the teams involved.

To top it all off, we’ve got a super special edition of the Communi-quiz - all about a rider who will close the curtain on his career very soon, the one and only Rigoberto Uran. 

So, grab your coffee, settle in, and join us for another epic episode of Life in the Peloton. 

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Check out Escape Collective's Classifieds section of their website where thousands of used bikes, parts and accessories are being sold every day.

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This week’s episode of Life in the Peloton is a treat for all the tech fans out there as we’re talking to Josh Poertner. Currently, Josh is the owner of iconic cycling brand Silca, where he has been doing some really cool stuff in the past few years, but he’s also one of the minds behind some of the most interesting changes in tech in pro cycling in the last decade.

Coming from a motorsport background, Josh was introduced to cycling through at Zipp where (amongst other things) through his work with Fabian Cancellara at CSC, he changed the way that, my favourite race, Paris Roubaix is raced, showing the world that the cobbles could be conquered on carbon wheels.

These days it might not even sound that revolutionary to think about tackling a race like Roubaix on deep section carbon wheels, but as someone who raced it back in the late 00’s on 36 spoke box section rims this was a real revolution. Small changes like this make huge contributions to the speed of races and the way that the peloton moves these days.

To be honest the wheels at Roubaix, although a huge talking point for me obviously, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Josh’s work in pro cycling. His is one of the minds that has led to the revolution in aerodynamics, lowering rolling resistance, ceramic bearingsand a host of other seemingly small but game changing ideas that has sped up the sport in the past decade.

I was pumped to sit down and talk with Josh about all of this, and of course recount the pretty funny tale of when we first met in 2019 and he had to go and pick up the race bike I’d left on a baggage carousel the day before Roubaix!  

Sit back and have a listen and get to know one of the people who has really changed the sport for the better!

Cheers!

Mitch

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The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. 

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

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This week Talking Luft’s Top Six Most Influential is from one of my personal favourite races with one of my best mates from the peloton: it’s the Vuelta España with Sam Bewley. 

Sam had a great career on the road, riding all three Grand Tours in his thirteen-year pro career and is now a successful DS at Israel Premier Tech. We were teammates at Green Edge and rode a couple of our Vuelta’s together back in the day, which made making this pod even better! 

Each Grand Tour has its own characteristics, and the Vuelta would have to be the wildest of the three. We both raced there in the 2010s when the race was settling into its current format with the super tough finishes and more open racing than we were used to at the time. 

As always, our selection of the most influential parts of the race includes some of the action from the stages, but also the stories, the climbs, crosswinds, routes, and riders that have made this race so special. There are even a few first-hand accounts of some of those key stages and some nice bits of detail that you would certainly never have seen on TV! 

I loved having Sam back on the pod and being able to chat about some of those stages and moments, as well as one superb post-race beer session (post our race - if not the race…) which I have to say is my absolute favourite moment from any of my Grand Tour experiences; a special memory and a great story to tell. 

This one is a blast, and on the eve of the race itself, I hope it leaves you thirsty for a bit more Vuelta action!

I have teamed up with Elderton Wines to bring you the Life in the Peloton x Elderton Shiraz! It's full-bodied, rich and classic and I can't wait for you to try it!

The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up for the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. 

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

This week on Life in the Peloton we get away from skinny tyres and dive back onto gravel with Haley Smith and Rosa Klöser, two stars of the privateer gravel scene

Many of you will have seen the epic finish at this year’s Unbound Gravel, which ended in a gripping nine-rider sprint in Emporia.

Both Haley - who is a former winner of the Lifetime GP overall, and Rosa - the eventual winner that day, were in that group fighting for the win in the most prestigious gravel event on the calendar.

While Haley made the switch to gravel racing after representing Canada in mountain biking at the 2021 Olympics, Rosa is relatively new to competitive cycling - having taken up racing just a couple of years ago.

We kicked off our chat going into some great detail about that final in Unbound, but I also wanted to understand the importance of the race as an event and what it means to win it. We also got to discuss how the women felt that the race had benefitted from differing start times for male and female athletes in 2024.

Like ourselves here at Life in the Peloton, both Haley and Rosa are supported by MAAP, and even though Haley and Rosa are rivals, I wanted to take this opportunity to have a chat about but how the world of privateering works for these athletes, and what being a privateer really means.

It felt like the hour flew by for me, I love learning more details about the world of gravel, the races and these athletes through different perspectives.

As ever - sit back, relax and enjoy.

Cheers,

Mitch

The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. 

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

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This week on the pod I managed to catch up with one of the revelations of the season and one of the big players of last month’s racing at the Dauphiné and Tour de France, Matteo Jorgensen.

2024 has been a huge season for Matteo. After four years knocking at the door at Movistar, last winter he made the switch to Team Visma Lease-A-Bike and he hit the ground running winning both Paris-Nice and Dwars Door Vlaanderen back in March, before coming back into top form for the summer months. 

I first met Matteo back in 2020 when I was still racing and I was so happy to get this chance to get to chat with him at this stage of his career, because in many ways his development is the perfect example of how the sport has changed in a short time.  

It was fascinating for me to hear some of the inner workings of Visma Lease-A-Bike compared to a more traditional outfit like Movistar, and to learn how the riders and teams need to work in order to perform in 2024. The changes and improvements in diet, training and race preparation are really eye-opening and I loved hearing the detail of all of this. 

When I spoke to Matteo he was between the Tour and Olympic Games where is representing the USA. Not only was it pretty cool to manage to get some time between the two races, but it also gave us the chance to chat about how you go about balancing two huge goals like the Tour and the Olympics. 

We covered a lot of ground in our chat, Matteo is a really great and open guest who happens to be literally at the top of the game! 

There is so much here to unpack that I’ll leave you to sit back, relax and enjoy! 

Cheers!

Mitch

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A little later than usual, but we are back this week with a hot-off-the-press Race Communiqué. 

The Tour de France is the only race on the calendar where, myself and my two regular podcast guests, Luke Durbridge and Tom Southam are all on the ground at the same time. 

After a month on the road doing our respective jobs at the race, we sat down and caught up on all of the action and shared our perspectives on the race. 

While I was hitting the road every day with the press and sometimes doubling up doing the odd bidon hand up, Luke was guiding his team sprinter Dylan Groenewegen to his 6th TDF stage win for Jayco Alula, and Tom was behind the wheel of the team car helping Richard Carapaz and EF Education Easypost light up the race in the mountains in the final week. 

It was an eventful race for all of us, and we wanted to catch up about the things that had stuck in our minds, from the great tactics, to the mood and the dynamics in the grupetto plus of course, plenty of insight on the things that you wouldn’t have seen on TV or read about in the press. 

This pod is always a fun one to make, but this one is packed with great stories, not to mention revealing our strategies for the Escape Collective Fantasy Tour, and of course, no Race Communiqué would be complete without a quiz. 

Time to grab a cold one, and finally relax after an action packed month. 

Cheers! 

Mitch

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This episode is brought to you by our friends at Zwift Ride. Throughout the Tour de France and beyond Zwift are running rides across Europe.

Sign up here to get your free ticket to one of the events listed below.

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This episode is supported by our friends at The Escape Collective.

Life in the Peloton listeners get 2 months of free access to Escape Collective. Just head to http://escapecollective.com/LITP and claim your 2 months free to get a feel for what the community and content is all about.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

This year’s Tour de France will tell many great stories; Biniam Girmay becoming the first black African stage winner, Mark Cavendish’s 35th record breaking stage win, and it’s looking likely that Tadej Pogacar will complete an epic back to back Giro-Tour double. But, behind all those headlines is another milestone; it will be Simon Geschke’s last Tour de France as he decides to call time on his 16 year career.

Back in 2009 I arrived in a small town called Deurningen in Holland. I lived in a massive house organised by my first pro-team, Skil-Shimano and, from time to time, my new team mate Simon Geschke would stop in for a night or two on his way from his home in Berlin to races in Belgium.

We had some great memories living in that big team house together, but couldn’t help but feel like the team were keeping too close an eye on us and breathing down our necks. So, the following season, me and Simon moved in together into an apartment in Kelmis, Belgium.

Kelmis was a great base for me and Simon. We were close to most of the team’s races, had some great training roads right on the doorstep, and felt a lot more relaxed away from the watchful eye of our team managers. We were like two students living together at university as we started our journey as professional cyclists in that tiny apartment in the south of Belgium.

I left Skil Shimano in 2011, but Simon and I have remained great mates ever since. Those bonds you make earlier in your career really stick with you, and I always found time to chew Geshcke’s ear off when I found him in the bunch over the rest of my career. Simon’s always made time for me, and since retiring and giving this journo lark a go, he’s been really helpful giving me some great interviews here and there - so I was chuffed to catch up with him at the start of the year and share a cheeky beer in his hotel room at the Tour Down Under.

Simon’s career is reflective of the type of professional he is. He’s always been one of the hardest working guys in the pelo, and has ridden 19 Grand Tours - including 12 Tours de France! In 2015 he cemented his place in history by winning stage 17 of the Tour with an epic 50km solo ride on a mountainous stage to Pra-Loup, and in 2022 he was cruelly denied winning the polka dot KOM jersey on the final mountain stage by Jonas Vingegaard. What a legend.

His career started in 2009 with me at Skil Shimano and he rode for that team - as it changed to Argos Shimano, Giant Shimano, and eventually Sunweb - for 10 years! He moved over to CCC for 2 years before signing for Cofidis in 2021, and he’ll wrap up his career riding for the French squad at the end of the 2024 season.

I loved catching up with my old mate at the start of the year, and I’ve loved following him as he rides his final Tour de France this July. He’s known for his amazing work ethic, calm demeanour and, of course, that luscious beard. So give this pod a listen, guys, and find out more about one of the nicest guys in the bunch. Simon; congrats on a great career mate - I can’t wait to share a couple of cold ones with you on the other side of the barriers next season!

Cheers!

Mitch

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Zwift Ride. Throughout the Tour de France and beyond Zwift are running rides across Europe.

Sign up here  to get your free ticket to one of the events listed below.

Europe - Tour Fever Events

Nice - Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st July - BrewDog Nice

Rotterdam - Sunday 20th, Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th August - BrewDog Rotterdam (Witte de Withstraat)

This episode is also supported by our friends at Pillar Performance head over to pillarperformance.shop and use the code LITP for 15% off your first order. Or for USA listeners head over to thefeed.com/pillar.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

This is a short excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo.

It’s finally here! The Big Show! The Tour de France. The biggest bike race in the world is about to kick off, and to celebrate the spectacle Svein and I are talking all about Grand Tours on this week’s Chronicles. 

21 stages of racing over 3 weeks with millions of eyes watching; Grand Tours are the toughest races in cycling. Between myself and Svein, we’ve been on the start of 21 Grand Tours! Although I never made it to Le Tour, I did a handful of Vueltas and a couple of Giros, too - so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what it takes to suffer around a country for the best part of a month.

Sveino and I wanted to share our own experiences of racing Grand Tours throughout our own careers, but I also wanted to draw on some riders from earlier generations to see how much they’ve changed over the years. 

I wanted to speak to someone who has seen what it’s like at the front of a Grand Tour first hand, so first up I chatted to an Aussie legend; Phil Anderson. Phil turned pro in 1980 with team Peugeot and spent a day in the Yellow Jersey in his first Tour de France! The next year he finished 5th overall, bagged himself a stage win, spent 9 stages wearing the leader’s jersey, and went home with the White Jersey for the best young rider! He went on to finish in the top 10 for 5 years in a row, and completed 13 Tours de France over a 15 year career. 

It’s safe to say there aren’t many people out there with more experience than Phil. We chatted about racing Grand Tours in the 1980s and 90s, and I was surprised to hear how much more relaxed it was back then.

Next, I spoke to Stuart O’Grady. Stuey’s a rider I really look up to, and his career was just winding down as mine was kicking off. I was even lucky enough to call him a team mate for a year on Greenedge in 2013. O’Grady won 2 road stages of the Tour, and 2 more in the Team Time Trial but, as a Sprinter, he had to spend the rest of the time muscling over mountains to make time cut. 

Svein and I also chat about our own experiences. From the stress and excitement of our Grand Tour debuts, to the moment it all ‘clicked’ and we figured out how to get the most out of a ‘grandie’. The sanctuary of the team bus, the chaos of traveling around for a month as a small part of a big rolling circus, finding the best cannoli and parmesan in Italy or the best jamón in Spain, and heaps more. 

This ep is packed full of stories, and I loved reliving some great memories with my old mate. Get yourself in the mood for Le Tour and give this a listen! 

Cheers!

Mitch

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It’s time for another Top Six! This week, I’m joined by my old mate - the creator of Greenedge’s infamous ‘Backstage Pass’ series - Dan Jones, and we’re talking about the biggest race of them all; the Tour de France. 

It doesn’t get bigger than the Tour. I’ve been watching it since the 1990s, but its history dates back to 1903! There are countless memorable moments from the race's history, and Dan and I do our best to whittle our favourites down to just six each. 

Our Top Sixes don’t need to be the most famous riders or most controversial stories, they just have to be moments of the Tour’s rich history that matter to us. It could be the first year we remember watching, a friend of ours from the pelo’ getting a result, or a small detail of a specific edition that makes the race stick in our memory. I bet everyone listening would have a different Top Six, and that’s part of what makes the Tour so amazing!

I never raced the Tour as a pro, but I’m out in France as we speak getting involved with the race from the other side of the barriers with the journos for the 3rd year in a row. Although he was never a rider, Jonesy made his debut at the race in 2005 and has covered 13 editions with Fox Sports, SBS, and Greenedge. We’re both massive bike racing fans as well so, between the two of us, we’ve got plenty of Tour de France memories to sift through as we each sum up our top six moments.

With Pogačar heading towards a historic Giro - Tour double, Vingegaard proving he’s recovered well from his crash in the Basque country, and young Remco Evenepoel making his Tour de France debut, it’s safe to say there’ll be plenty more memorable moments added to these lists over the next couple of weeks! 

If you’ve not heard one of these ‘Top 6’ episodes yet, I get together with an old mate from my time in the pro cycling circus and run through our top 6 editions of one of the biggest races on the calendar. Most influential editions, best riders, historic wins, we cover it all to give you a personal insight into our most memorable editions of the races we all love. 

I’ve covered the top 6 editions of Paris-Roubaix with Matt ‘Gossy’ Goss, Milan-San Remo with Dave ‘Macca’ McKenzie, and the Giro d’Italia with director and creator of EF’s original Rapha ‘Gone Racing’ series, Harry Dowdney. If you’re new to the ‘Top 6’ episodes, go back and give those a listen - I’m sure you’re gonna love them!

Get your ears around this one, guys. It doesn’t get bigger than the Tour and there are some amazing moments that Dan and I dive into.

Cheers!

Mitch

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Zwift Ride. Throughout the Tour de France and beyond Zwift are running rides across Australia and Europe.

Sign up here  to get your free ticket to one of the events listed below.

Australia Zwift Ride Events:

Thursday 11 July - Melbourne

Europe - Tour Fever Events

Nice - Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st July - BrewDog Nice

Rotterdam - Sunday 20th, Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th August - BrewDog Rotterdam (Witte de Withstraat)

This episode is also supported by our friends at Pillar Performance head over to pillarperformance.shop and use the code LITP for 15% off your first order. Or for USA listeners head over to thefeed.com/pillar.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

In this week’s episode of Life in the Peloton, I’m learning more about one of the most important parts of life; sleep.

When I retired from the professional peloton a few years ago, we were already wearing sleep tracking devices and starting to tap into how we can improve our sleep and, therefore, our performance. Since then, professional cyclists have stepped it up another notch and are hunting out those 1% gains to help improve the quality & quantity of their sleep.

I spoke to Dr. Ian Dunican - an expert on the topic - to find out more about how important sleep is, what we can do to get better quality sleep, and what happens to us if we neglect it.

Dr Ian’s a keen ultra distance swimmer and practices jiu jitsu, so he understands the importance of recovery and sleep better than most. We spoke about the increased societal awareness of sleep, and how humans today are so much busier than they were a few decades ago - stretching themselves even more thinly and putting even more onus on getting good quality shut eye to keep ourselves healthy.

Sleep science is a relatively new discipline, and Dr Ian talked to me about the different phases and cycles of sleep, various sleep disorders that a huge percentage of the population struggle with, and seemingly minor environmental factors that can have a massive bearing on how well we’re sleeping.

I also wanted to know about sleep and pro cycling. Sometimes you’re so tired from a stage race that no matter how long you sleep for you never feel truly wide awake. Dr Ian gave me some great tips about optimizing sleep around competition, and debunked a lot of popular myths around wearable devices and biohacking - which I found super eye opening.

Next, I spoke to my old team mate; Lawson Craddock. Lawdog currently rides for Jayco AlUla and is one of the first riders I remember seeing pick up a wearable sleep tracking device and look more closely at his own sleep and what changes he could make to improve it. We spoke about how much things have changed in the pelo’ in just a few years, and how things Lawson was doing earlier in his career have become the new normal amongst other pro riders.

I was blown away by how much there is to learn about sleep, and what a massive difference it can make. I’ve always been someone who thinks they can get away with 5-6 hours sleep a night and still function pretty well throughout the day, but, after chatting to Dr Ian and Lawdog, I need to rethink my sleep schedule.

Cheers!

Mitch

This episode is supported by our friends at Pillar Performance.

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

This episode is supported by our friends at The Escape Collective.

The Tour de France is here, and this week’s Race Communique podcast is our Tour preview with a difference!

I’m joined, as always, by Luke Durbridge and Tom Southam, who’d literally just got their fresh TDF haircuts, to discuss our takes on the race. 

Luke will be on the start grid of his 10th Tour in a row, and Tom will be hopping into his air-conditioned team car and directing what will be his 8th. 

The two of them have a huge amount of experience in and around the race, and we get right in behind the scenes as a rider and a DS at the big show! 

Before we got into the details of the Tour, there was plenty of action to catch up on in recent races, and I asked what their take was on the performances they had seen at the warm up events in France, Switzerland and Slovenia. 

Luke also took us through what it takes to get ready for the race and how it feels to make selection for the Tour, which is something every rider wants but not everyone gets to do. 

Meanwhile, Tom explains how this process works from the other side of the fence, what influences decisions and how it is to make the calls on who is at the Grand Depart and who isn’t. 

As well as our Tour tips and a hint of our tactics for the Escape Collectives Fantasy Competition (which we will be hoping to smash the armchair pundits in!), we also bring you the Communi-quiz, where Tom managed to find a board game to help him out as quiz master. 

We recorded right before we all hopped on flights to the Tour, so it’s as fresh as the boys Tour haircuts! 

Have a bit of fun with this one, and get involved in the Escape Collective Fantasy league here.

Cheers!

Mitch

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

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This week on Life in the Peloton we have a dead set legend of a guest, Geraint Thomas might be a Tour de France winner, but the Welshman is also, so, so much more. These days you could think of him as a Grand Tour guy, but ‘G’ has not only had an incredible career, but an amazingly varied one.

He went from being a young Olympic trackie, to a (very good) Classics rider by the time he was in his mid-twenties, finishing in the top ten at Flanders in his second attempt at the race. But while, like me, he is a passionate classics man, unlike me, he has also had the energy and skills to win almost every major stage race going, including of course the Tour de France!

We’ve seen him do some amazing things on the bike, not just winning for himself on all sorts of terrain - he’s won at E3 and on Alp d’Huez… but also pulling some truly exceptional leadouts for others, doing things in the bunch the rest of us could only dream of. Most recently, we’ve seen those measured efforts that keep him right at the pointy end of racing in the world of modern cycling, scoring two Giro podiums in the last couple of seasons.

I loved the chance to speak to someone who has had such an incredible career, and has adapted to the changes in the sport over such a length of time. His story is exceptional for his longevity and also his ability to adapt and just get on with things in his own - pretty cool, style.

To top things off G also has his own Watts Occurring podcast with Luke Rowe, and he’s handy at that too, which meant he was a great guest. This really is a bumper pod, and I am stoked to bring it out for you all this week.

Cheers!

Mitch

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

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I’ve been loving doing the Top Sixes on this show lately, but this week I thought it would be fun to go back to the old-school style of Talking Luft! So this week it’s back to the rapid-fire questions, having some fun and putting our guest under a bit of pressure while we work out what their cycling style is all about.

We were lucky again to have grabbed Aussie star Jack Haig for this one. You will know by now that he loves a top ten in a ridiculously hard stage race, but at Talking Luft we wanted to get the really important stuff out of him: how does he wear his cassette? What is his all-time favourite kit? Who does he think is the most stylish rider? (Of course, he just went for a tall redhead!)

Talking Luft is always great fun to record and listening to this reminds me why I love making these episodes so much. Aside from the important questions on style, I also got to hit him up about some of the things that he loves and hates in the races; turns out he’s not a fan of echelons in the neutral… And we also got to share a great war story of his hardest day on the bike - which incidentally I shared with him in a grupetto in Poland (what feels like) a long time ago!

Anyway, I’ll let you have a listen. It’s a really fun little blast through a few of the things that I love about the sport with a great guest!

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Cheers,

Mitch

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Jack Haig is one of only a handful of Australian riders to have stood on a Grand Tour podium. An almost accidental pro who fell into a career on the road whilst surfing and mountain biking back in his home in Australia as a teenager, he has been a constant presence in the biggest stage races in the world since his breakthrough ride, winning the Queen stage of the 2017 Tour of Poland as a second-year pro.

While his consistency as a stage racer is pretty standout (he’s been fifth at the Dauphiné three times, which is eye-opening when you know how bloody hard that thing is!) his story off the bike is just as - if not more, fascinating.

There can be a lot of pressure to conform in professional road cycling but there is something a little bit unique in a lot of pros, and the best ones are the ones who accept that part of their character and embrace it to be a better rider.  With Jack, it’s been clear since the very early days (when we were teammates at Orica) that he was a rider who did things his own way and didn’t feel the need to fit into what was expected.

I love getting behind the scenes with characters like Haigy here on the pod. These are the guys, the opinions, and the stories that make the peloton such a fascinating place, and prove that you can do things your own way off the bike whilst being hugely successful on it. 

As well as the big results, Jack has dealt with some pretty serious setbacks too, crashing out of the Tour in 2021 when in the best form of his life. We talk about how he dealt with this and other setbacks, as well as what keeps him coming back to be in the mix in those super hard week-long stage races that he loves (watch out Dauphiné - he’s currently lurking just outside the top ten of this years edition…)

It’ll hopefully be a big European summer for Jack so chuck the pod on and get to know one of the peloton’s true characters!

This episode is supported by our friends at HVNM.

The team at HVMN have an offer for all Life in the Peloton listeners with a whopping 30% offer for orders when you visit hvmn.com/lifeinthepeloton.

Head across to RESTRAP.com to check out all their amazing products, and use the code Pelo10 for a cheeky discount.

RESTRAP have now opened an Australian-specific store! For Aussie listeners AU.RESTRAP.COM.

Cheers,

Mitch

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After a short pause, this week we’re back with another episode of The Race Communiqué!

We’ve had an absolutely bumper month of racing with the first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro d’Italia, wrapping up in Rome just a few days ago.

Racing is what this pod is all about and we are going to be driving right into the heart of all the recent action with current pro Luke Durbridge and sports director Tom Southam helping me pick apart a brilliant few weeks of cycling.

Before we get into the action on the road though, the big news is the results of our first attempts at our sponsor - The Escape Collective’s, brilliant fantasy league game are in! We all had a bit of fun with this one here at the pod, and I’ll let you have a listen to see how we went. I would say though, that given the experience and knowledge on this podcast panel, you may be surprised by some of the performances in the league!

As well as covering the big stories at the Giro we each nominate our revelations of the race. As ever, a lot of the best bits of the race were the stories behind the headlines, and there were some cracking sub-plots going on with revelations like Georg Steinhauser and Guilio Pellizzari turning a few heads.

There has been plenty going on in the peloton outside the Giro as well. Luke gives us some insight into how the UCI points ranking is already a huge topic for riders and teams at the mid-point of the three-year cycle. Tom looks at the complications of even just getting into the breakaway these days before the super teams hoover up all the wins on the road, and why that will be a big influence on the way the racing goes in the rest of the season.

It’s great to get back to chatting about what is happening in the pro peloton and really get behind the scenes with a lot of the stuff that is new to me these days. I hope you guys enjoy this one.

Cheers,

Mitch

This is a short excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo.

In this month’s Chronicles Sveino and I have gone for probably our deepest dive yet - back to where we first got to know each other, taking a look at the formation of Australia’s first ever World Tour cycling team, GreenEDGE. 

Most of you will know the team - which is now known as Jayco Alula, already, and many of you may remember those first few years and big wins. These days it’s easy to take it for granted but when this team arrived in Europe it was fresh and very new, and it delivered right from the start - taking out thirty races, including Milan San Remo with Simon Gerrans in its first year of existence! 

As well as performing on the road the team had an amazing presence with guys like Dan Jones working to create the image of a real Australian team, and having a lot of fun along the way with a few unconventional ideas - like that infamous ‘Call Me Maybe’ video from 2012. 

For myself as an Australian being part of a team like GreenEdge was huge. It was as close as you could come outside of the World Championships to racing for Australia. The team represented a country and a culture, and for the international riders on the team like Sveino it was a chance to be brought in to the Aussie way and to be a part of a really special team. 

As riders we had both experienced the team from the inside, and it played a huge role in our careers, so for this episode we wanted to really get behind the scenes and understand how the team was built, what was the idea behind it, and how and why it worked the way it did. We wanted to cover all angles and hear about the parts that even we didn’t see or understand at the time. 

We were lucky to get hold of the son of the founder and the man who helped make it all work, Andrew Ryan, as well as head DS Matt White, star riders Simon Gerrans and Daryl Impey and our good mate Luke Durbridge who is now in his thirteenth pro season with the team. On top of all of that we spoke to the man behind bringing a lot of that fun hardworking (occasionally pie-eating) Australian culture videographer Dan Jones. 

Of course, Sveino and I also chip in with our own stories and experiences riding for and being a part of the team. 

This is a really special episode for myself and for Sveino. GreenEDGE formed a huge part of our racing career and there are so many memories there that this was a real gift to be able to record. We both really hope that it comes through to you guys and you take the time to give it a listen, it’s a big one but it’s a good one! 

Cheers!

Mitch 

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This week on Life in the Peloton we have a rider who really is one of a kind - possibly the first person to combine Enduro MTB racing and bike packing; Matthew Fairbrother.

For those of you that don’t know, as an 18 year-old Matt headed over to Europe to race in the Enduro World Series (now EDR), and ended up on an unplanned bike-packing adventure, riding between rounds as far apart as Scotland and Slovenia. 

Like a lot of people, I can remember hearing about Matt at the time - this crazy kid who was riding a massive Enduro MTB between races - and then still competing for results in a competition as difficult as Enduro, which (as I’ve learned) requires some amazing technical skills on the MTB. His adventures really caught on, and since then he has managed to travel the world with the support of the MTB community, making his a really incredible and unique journey with the bike. 

As I’ve gotten to know Matt, I thought it was the perfect time to dive in to his story and to understand how this concept of mixing bike-packing and Enduro MTB came to be, and, interestingly for me, what it was like to be totally alone with just a bike and a few dollars in Europe. For many of us roadies who think that travelling to Europe to race for a team is a lonely experience - you really have to check this pod out and hear how tough things can really be! 

Above all else Matt has a really cool outlook on life, and I’ve had such a great time learning from him, and of course having the chance to make this pod!

Cheers!

Mitch

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What else could we be talking about on Talking Luft Top 6 this week other than the Giro d’Italia!

My guest on this episode of the pod is one of the many people who keep the sport looking and sounding so cool from the other side of the lens, film producer and director, Harry Dowdney.

Harry has been behind the camera in some of the most memorable cycling films of the past few years - on more than one occasion he had me dressed in retro gear retracing the steps of riders from some insane ride from another era.

More than that though, Harry is an expert cycling fan who loves the Giro – if you ever needed any proof of that go and check out who is currently leading the Escape Collective Fantasy Giro competition!

The Giro is a race that people love, it sums up the feel of racing in Italy; the style, the passion, the food, the mountains, and the people – it all adds up to being a special race and it made choosing our own personal top 6 most influential things a lot of fun.

This week we had some great picks, we go through some classic editions of the race and get to discuss some of those iconic Italian mountains that we love (or hate - depending on if you’re riding). Of course, any Giro chat wouldn’t be complete without throwing in some of those larger-than-life icons of Italian cycling too. We had so much to work with – I could have done a whole pod just on our favourite Cipollini looks to be honest!

I was so happy to have Harry on for this pod – he clearly loves the race and his knowledge of the details of so many Giri is incredible. I was buzzing after making this one, so chuck it on when you settle down for one of those sprint stages and enjoy!

Cheers!

Mitch

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This episode is supported by our friends at Pillar Performance.

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After dipping my toes into MTB Enduro on the pod a few weeks back, in this episode of Life in the Peloton I dive right in, at one of the best Enduro events in the world, the NZ MTB Rally.

The NZ MTB Rally is a six-day Enduro event that takes place around Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand. Nelson is the place to head to for a lot of the Kiwi Enduro riders, and each day promised some absolutely incredible trails, as well as amazing scenery (even if I didn’t have much time for that). 

As much as the NZ MTB Rally is a race - the overall feel was that the organisers had gone out of their way to fit as much of the best stuff they could into every day, so every competitor would get the most out of their experience.  

As is the format of Enduro racing each day was broken down into four to seven timed downhill stages, and the nights were a chance to kick back and catch up with everyone over a few beers.

For someone who was very new to the sport it really was a challenge to take part in an event like this. There is nothing quite like waking up and seeing you’ve yet another double black ++ trail ahead of you… but I really wanted to discover what it was about this intimidating area of the sport that makes it so addictive to the people who take part in it. 

While I was there, I spoke to a huge cast of riders and racers from all over the world, as well as many of the locals who know and love these trails, in order to get the best possible idea of what it was all about. 

After my lessons from Paul Van Der Ploeg back in Australia, and thanks again to some help on the road from Matt Fairbrother, I was able to not only enjoy the riding but also to become part of the community that makes the sport what it is. 

It is one thing to learn to ride some DH but to actually be a part of the event, taking the helicopter rides up the mountain, committing to dropping in (and trying to work out why downhill mountain bikers wear their helmets at dinner) was really a fantastic experience. 

If you’re curious about what these events are all about, or even if you just fancy following along on my journey way out of my element, then give this a listen. It opened my eyes and I hope that it’ll do the same for you - and maybe make sliding off the side of a mountain something you give a go for yourself! 

Cheers!

Mitch

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Where do you sit in the PELO? Come and join the life in the peloton membership in Echelon or back in Doom line.

Well, we are coming towards the end of an absolutely action-packed month of pro racing, which can mean only one thing; it’s time for another Race Communiqué!

As you all know by now, this is my chance to dive back into the pro peloton with current Jayco-Alula rider, and former teammate, Luke Durbridge and my former DS (and even teammate - way, way back in the day!) EF Education - Easypost D.S. Tom Southam. 

Both Tom and Luke have just arrived back from the Ardennes where they each had their own take to share about their experiences there. Luke can tell us what is like to race one of the most epic Flèche Walloons in recent history in freezing snow and ice, and Tom can tell us all about his struggles to get the heating just right while he was sat back in the comfort of the team car! In all seriousness, it was a crazy week of racing to wrap up the Classics and we had a great chat about the experiences at the Ardennes whilst wrapping up what we saw earlier in the month at the Cobbled Classics. 

As well as the racing chat we have our usual segments, with Luke putting his theory on the table that the days of the old-school feed zones are over for good, and Tom gives us a rare glimpse at one of the most important parts of some real race communiques: UCI fines, who is getting what and why - you may be surprised to hear what goes on back there! 

With the Giro only a few weeks away we also took some time to preview the upcoming action in Italy, as well as start to get ourselves ready for the Escape Collective's Fantasy Competition, which we will all be taking part in next month in the special Life in the Peloton league which you can of course join and take all three of us on whilst the race is going. 

Catching up with these guys is always so much fun, and even though I don’t miss the stress of getting rain jackets or feedbags in the races, I do I love hearing the insight as to how the peloton keeps evolving. 

Sit back, relax and enjoy. 

Cheers, 

Mitch

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Since retiring from the pro pelo, I’ve been itching to dip my toes into as many different cycling disciplines as possible. I raced on drop handlebars and skinny tyres for over a decade, now I want a heap of new challenges to tackle on the bike. 

I love getting out and exploring on my gravel bike, and I’ve tried my hand at some gravel races; but the bikes and bunch dynamics feel a little too similar to road racing sometimes. I want to get out of my comfort zone! 

Cross-country mountain biking was the natural next step. I started out by exploring my own backyard on the rowdy moto tracks in the Cobaws, then some races in Aussie events like Otway Odyssey, Reef to Reef, and Cape to Cape. Every time I got on the XC bike I felt like my skills were improving and I was growing more and more confident - the same feeling I had all those years ago when I first got into road cycling as a youngster. It was new, challenging, and I could feel the progression with every ride. My cross-country journey hit new heights at the end of last year as I took on the creme de la creme of XC MTB; the Cape Epic, alongside my good mate and fellow retired road racer, Ian Boswell. 

Despite completing one of the biggest mountain bike races on the planet, I still feel like there’s more to explore in the world of flat handlebars, chunky tyres, and suspension. I want to keep working on my skills and pushing myself in areas other than pure fitness. That’s why I’m diving headfirst into the world of Enduro.

Enduro is the perfect next step on my mountain biking journey; there’s some pedalling, sure, but it’s more about technique, skill, and balls! In Enduro racing it’s all about the downhill - only the descents are timed. Nobody gives a fuck how fast you can climb, you just need to get to the top so you can send the next trail. Riders race multiple stages throughout an event, and at the end the lowest cumulative time wins.

I started by chatting to Paul Van Der Ploeg. A great bloke, and a fantastic mentor to show me the ropes and teach me the basics, Paul and I headed out to Mount Macedon so he could critique my technique and give me some pointers. Paul has raced all sorts of bikes over the years, and even became a world champion himself in the Cross Country Eliminator in 2013, but was humble enough to strip it all back and teach this newbie some basics.

Next, I spoke to Matt Fairbrother. Only 20 years old and hailing from Christchurch in New Zealand, Matt is a ripping Enduro racer who made a name for himself by bikepacking his way between the races at the Enduro World Series - sometimes thousands of kilometres at a time! Matt and I had a chat on the road to the New Zealand MTB Rally; a brand new event that I’ll be taking on to help me better understand the world of enduro. Despite being almost half my age, Matt’s one of the most experienced riders out there and shared a lot of his wisdom with me on a road trip down the coast of the South Island from Christchurch to Nelson. When we arrived we had a couple of days to spare before the racing started, so Matt took me out to some of his favourite trails in Nelson City and Cable Bay to show me the race course so we could pre-ride, re-ride, and then free ride!

We also spoke about the tech side of enduro. I’ve not got much clue when it comes to tyre selection or suspension settings - so I spoke to Paul and Matt about the bikes to get some pointers. I even learnt that my bike’s got a mullet just like me! 

There’s so much for me to learn about all things mountain biking, but I’m loving being a beginner again and soaking it all in! Have a listen to me talking to some real experts as I send it into the world of enduro.

Cheers!

Mitch

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We’re back this week with another Talking Luft Top Six. This week it’s the turn of special guest - and Monument winner, Matt Goss, who shares his Top Six Most Influential from Paris Roubaix! 

As those of you who caught the last edition will know, we’ve mixed things up with Talking Luft this year,  focusing on a single event each month, talking through the most influential, editions, teams, riders styles and stories from that race. 

It’s a lot of fun, and this week is a bit of a special edition for me. I get to discuss my most influential moments from my favourite race of all, Paris - Roubaix. Not only that, I get to do so with Gossy, a former teammate of mine - but perhaps more importantly, a former teammate of Roubaix greats like Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O’Grady at the mighty CSC team. 

Of course the dust is still settling on this year’s edition of Roubaix. Gossy and I couldn’t avoid spending a bit of time dissecting the race, and chatting about the changes that have happened even in the few years since we both left the peloton. 

There are so many influential moments at each Roubaix and it is itself such an influential race that one of the hardest parts of this show was actually narrowing things down to just six (…to be honest we did end up making it more of a top seven!), but being a couple of Aussies from the same generation there are some moments at Roubaix that neither of us could leave out. I’ll leave you to have a listen to what those moments were and why they were so influential to us. 

As always everyone should have a different top six - so let me know what you guys are thinking: does anyone else love Tafi throwing his cut off cap away? Which is your best Boonen moment? Is now a better Roubaix era than the 90’s!? 

Give it a listen, and enjoy! 

Mitch

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In this week’s Life in the Peloton pod, I’m taking a dive into the topic of ketones.

Ketones arrived in the peloton just a few years ago, and to many people they are seen as a sort of wonder fuel, but to others they are still a grey area supplement.

To get stuck into the subject I was lucky enough to chat to Michael Brandt, the co-founder and CEO of H.V.M.N, the ketone partner for team Visma Lease A Bike.

Michael is a pretty handy athlete himself (with a 2:40 marathon time!), an all-round endurance sports nut and is one of the leading voices on the subject.

In a similar way to when electrolytes first became commonly used in sports drinks just a few decades ago, Michael believes that it is only a matter of time before ketones are seen and used in the same light.

As a pro rider I had previous experience using ketones at races and talking to Michael allowed me to finally be able to break down what the product really does and the science behind how and why they work.

Michael also helps tackle the questions around the perceived taboo around ketones and gives some interesting insight as to why he thinks this came about in the first place.

I also caught up with a good mate of mine George Bennett, who was fresh off the back of a very hard Volta Catalunya and was happy to chat about what ketone use is like for the guys inside the peloton.

Having been a professional for over a decade in some of the world’s biggest and best teams, George is perfectly placed to explain the way that the trends have changed in the bunch with ketone use in the past few years, and to recount his own experiences using the supplement.

It is an interesting subject, that needs more attention as we seek to understand what keeps the peloton improving and pushing the limits of performance.

Whether you know a little or a lot about ketones, it is definitely worth giving the pod a listen to see how they are being received and used in today’s professional peloton.

And if that is not enough, then as an added bonus, the team at HVMN have an offer for all Life in the Peloton listeners with a whopping 30% offer for orders when you use the code LIFEINTHEPELOTON with your order!

Cheers!

Mitch

It’s full gas racing season in Europe, so I’ve been really looking forward to catching up with Luke & Tom for what I knew would be a pretty action-packed Race Communiqué!

The boys have been on very different schedules; Luke has been with Jayco-Alula at Paris-Nice and then on to the cobbled classics, which he dialled in from this week. Meanwhile, Tom is on the Ardennes program with EF Education - Easypost (obviously avoiding having to drive his car over cobbles) in stage races in Spain and Italy.   

For my part, I’ve been loving spectating and seeing the races that used to make up such a big part of my season from the comfort of my armchair at home. It’s a different view from the outside, so it was great to catch up with these two and get the inside line on what is happening in the pelo at the moment.

As usual, I take us through the races from the past month and get some insight on how things went down on the road, and what we all think that means for the big races that are coming up.

Luke has some fascinating insight into race nutrition plans, and how riders are currently working to fuel in races whilst also keeping track of their race weight. I found this section fascinating, as it is eye-opening how much the sport has moved on in the short space of time since I retired.

In Tom’s segment, we go behind some of the more impressive tactical moves that he’s noted down this spring, and there is even time for a gripe about UCI fines!

It wouldn’t be the Race Communiqué without our famous quiz and this month it was Tom’s turn to be quiz master, pitting Luke and I against each other in a Classics death match quiz – with a cricketing twist!

This was a real blast to make and I’m sure you guys are gonna enjoy it too!

Cheers,

Mitch

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It’s Classics season! It’s my favourite time of the cycling year and I am so stoked to be able to bring you an absolute legend of the Classics, a Flandrien legend, and a true king of the cobbles, Tom Boonen. 

When it comes to the Cobbled Classics, Tom’s palmarès are mind blowing: he is the joint record holder for wins at both Flanders (3) and Roubaix (4) as well as being the out and out record holder for the most wins in E3 (5). Just one of those wins would be enough for most riders, but he can also count three Ghent Wevelgem’s, a couple of Schelderprijs… and we may as well mention his world championship for good measure. 

This is an extra special pod for my personally, as Tom’s career wound up in 2017, meaning that I spent a good portion of my racing career at the classics getting my legs blown off by his attacks, and knowing that his was the wheel that everyone wanted to be on when the races got serious (I managed it once - have a listen to see how that went…).

I was lucky enough to sit down with Tom at his home in Mol and really get in to chatting about the races that we both love so much. Tom is a fantastic interviewee, and I got a real buzz from the excitement that he obviously felt recalling the ups and downs of his career and the details of some of his most incredible wins and defeats. 

As well as getting some great takes on the races that have become legendary in the last decade, I got to ask some of the other questions that I’d always wanted to know about; what was it really like being a superstar in such a cycling mad country? How did he handle the pressure of being a 24 year old world champion? I also got to ask about a comeback story that is remarkable in that it has always been overshadowed by Matt Hayman’s own incredible tale around the 2016 Paris Roubaix. 

Amazingly after such a successful career, Tom hasn’t sat back and just smoked cigars since 2017. He’s now a racing car driver and he talks as passionately about his new career as he does his old one.

Honestly, I would have stayed chatting about the microscopic details of the Arenberg forest sector  of Roubaix for hours if I could. There is so much in this pod, I really hope you guys enjoy listening to this as much as I did making it. 

Cheers!

Mitch

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Ok guys, here we go, Classic season is almost here and to get things going we’ve torn up the old Talking Luft script, and come up with something new! 

So then, let me introduce Talking Luft’s Top Six… 

In this new format, we are going to focus on a single race with our guests and discuss the six most influential rides or editions that each of us can remember from that particular race. 

It doesn’t need to be the most famous or prestigious win that makes it, but instead some of those rides that made that race (or winner) stand out - either to the world or even just to our guest. 

I bet almost everyone has a different top six for every race out there. It could be the first edition that someone remembers, a year where a rider won against the odds or with real style, it could be a win that launched a rider’s career or changed the way race is raced. 

With the first Monument of the season just around the corner, I thought what better way to kick things off than to start with our Top Six Most Influential at Milan-San Remo. For this first edition, I was lucky enough to be joined by a very familiar voice for our Australian listeners, Dave McKenzie. 

Macca as we all know him, was a pro for nearly a decade in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s - and he knows a thing or two about racing in Italy, as he has a Giro stage win on the palmarés! These days he is best known as one of the most highly regarded cycling commentators in Australia. 

Macca was a great guest for this first-ever edition of the top six, he’s just that bit older than me so we cover a couple of generations and - like me, he also loved the challenge of nerding out on such a cool race. 

Even though I raced San Remo a couple of times myself, there was still a heap that I learned from hearing someone else view on which riders and how they had shaped a different person’s opinion of such an amazing race.

So if you want to find out what we started with, which editions and riders we agreed and disagreed on (and why it is a top six and not a top five) then give it a listen.

Cheers!

Mitch

This is a short excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo. 

For our second subscriber special, in this episode of Life in the Peloton’s Chronicles, Sveino and I take a deep dive into the hot topic of sauna life. 

Saunas were something that both of us got into at a young age and also found ourselves getting into during our racing careers, and since then (but not because of us!) more and more people are being drawn to the many benefits of a good sweat followed by a duck into some freezing water. 

Even though we both knew that saunas were ‘good’, we weren’t ever really aware of why or how. This episode of Chronicles allows us to get stuck in to a really interesting topic that could have a benefit for every single cyclist out there. 

To kick things off, Sveino has gone native and talks to his good friend, and former racing buddy, Marsh Cooper about the culture of the sauna. Marsh is Canadian by birth but now lives in Finland where the sauna is as much a part of life as the pub is in Australia! He explains the many social functions of the sauna and how its use as part of daily life benefits millions of Finns every year. 

Going deeper into the potential benefits for athletes, I then spoke to EF Easypost’s Director of Sports Science Dr Kevin Sprouse. I asked him exactly what is happening in the body when you take a sauna and how this can help an athlete. I found this whole conversation fascinating. We discussed the how’s and why’s as well as the best way to implement using a sauna to benefit your own performance. 

Finally, staying local, I spoke to a neighbour of mine here in Lancefield, John Simpson the owner of Hello Sauna who actually builds saunas! I got to sit down (and have a sweat) while we talked about how they are constructed, the best wood to use to build them, and the actual process of making a sauna. 

‘Sauna life’ as Sveino and I have often called it, is a fast developing culture in the UK and Australia, going hand in hand with wild swimming and other healthy and simple pursuits that not just sportsmen but also the general public are getting the benefits from. 

So, whether you fancy working a bit of sauna action to your training program, if you are already on it and you want to know exactly what benefits it can have, or even if you are already on the verge of getting your own one built, then I think there is something in this pod for everyone. 

Sit back, chuck a bucket of water (or beer) on the coals, and enjoy! 

Cheers!

Mitch

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In this episode of Life in the Peloton I get to have a chat with one of the most interesting (and interested) people I’ve met in the world of cycling, co-founder of Skratch Labs, Allen Lim.

Dr Lim… Allen… or Al (as you can call him) may not be the first person who springs to mind when we think of the transformation of the sport over the past couple of decades. However, as he explains in this pod, his thinking and approach to the sport helped cycling move forward beyond a very traditional world to a much healthier and professional sport, from the use of power meters at Phonak to the development of the bio-passport at Garmin - Slipstream.

I first met Allen whilst riding for EF Pro Cycling after a huge day in the saddle at training camp. I was blown away by how he managed to stand in front of a bunch of tired bike riders and an hour later have the whole room wide-eyed listening to his story. He is so passionate about helping athletes improve. What is more his own story is genuinely fascinating and includes some of the most important characters and periods in the sport in recent times.

Allen is a guy who has made a career from listening to people and finding ways to solve what he calls the ‘bottlenecks’ to performance. I love chatting with Allen because he asks questions that others don’t seem to be able to ask, and his philosophies around nutrition are based on real food and supplying what athletes really need.  This is pretty much the exact reason that he ended up making sports nutrition after spending one race in Ireland having to feed the riders with only boiled potatoes!

As well as discussing his background with me, Allen also took the time to answer some of your questions at the end, and - as you’ll hear, his answers as always are worth a listen!

There is a lot in this one: whether you love the details of sports science & nutrition, the history of cycling, or even just a great story. Sit back relax and enjoy.

Cheers!

Mitch

We’re back this week with the Race Communiqué; getting the inside track on what is happening in the pro peloton with myself and my good mates Luke Durbridge and Tom Southam.

The last month has been a busy one for the pro peloton. We’ve had the first European races, some stage race action in the Middle East, plus of course the most important bit - the classics season finally got going over the weekend in Belgium, at Het Niewsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. 

Naturally we had a load to catch up on and we managed to pack a heap into this pod. As well as the racing news, I ask what we can really learn from Opening Weekend - what it feels like to ride it, and whether it is worth skipping if you want to win big later on? 

Durbo – who was fresh (or as fresh as you can be) off racing the Opening Weekend himself, has some great insight as to what happens when a race is impacted by severe weather and what the process looks like to change a race on the go. It’s something that fans rarely get to hear about but something that impacts everyone involved – including those of us watching at home. 

Talking of harsh weather, Tom has just returned from O Grand Camino in Galicia, where he saw up close the condition of defending Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard and draws a few conclusions from the action there – as well as nominating his favourite tactical ploy of the month.

There was so much to chat about, and we covered much more in our conversation but most excitingly (for me) we have a new format for (the newly retitled) Communiquiz!

As well as a new name Durbo also takes over this month as question master – meaning that I get to go head-to-head with Tom in the new format. I’ll leave it to you to have a listen and see who comes out on top!

We had a lot of fun with this, and we hope that you guys do too.

Cheers!

Mitch

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The Melbourne to Warrnambool is a race like no other. It may not get a huge press outside of Australia, but the 129-year-old event truly is an iconic race.

Starting off as a handicap back in 1895 the race route has never included any major climbs, instead it is a race that is shaped by its brutal length and frequent crosswinds. In years gone by it was the biggest race of the year for generations of domestic Australian professionals, in recent years it has been a direct stepping-stone to the professional world for riders like Cam Scott and Jensen Plowright.    In this edition of Life in the Peloton we get stuck in to all the things that make this great race so special. I tracked down and spoke to some absolute legends of the race; Tim Decker, Peter ‘Bulldog’ Besanko and Simon Gerrans.    There was so much great stuff that came out of what these three very different riders had to say about the race. We covered some of Bulldog’s wild stories from a much different era in the handicap events in the seventies and eighties – when the riders used to do the three hundred kilometres on three (yes three) bidons!    Tim explained how he was probably the last of a generation of riders who used to prepare specifically for the event, and what the race meant to him. While Gerro – who turned pro off the back of beating some top Euro pros at the race in the early 2000s explains what an impact winning the race can have even now.    But that isn’t all! Not content with never having done the race myself, I managed to get ‘hands on’ in this year’s edition behind the wheel of a team car as DS for Team Duda, a local Melbourne outfit.  It was a great day out in the team car (my first one behind the wheel!) and it finally gave me a great taste of what this race really is about.     The passion and the history of this race really comes across from everyone I spoke to for this pod, and I just love some of the stories that came out. It really is epic stuff. It may not be a Monument in the context of the big five European Classics, but I think that it is a race that has earned the title: The Aussie Monument.

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We’ve got a bumper edition of Talking Luft for you this week, as I had the chance to hit up the 2024 World Tour peloton with some of our favourite - and most important, questions from the show, at the Tour Down Under.

The TDU starts are famously laid back, so it was the perfect place for me to mill about and get some answers from some World Tour heavyweights, lightweights and everything in-between. We’ve got the likes of Bernie Eisel, Bauke Mollema, Dan McLay, George Bennett, Danny Van Poppel and Kellan O’Brien, to name just a few of the amazing group that we got for this pod.

I hit them up with the big racing issues of course; what are the best (and worst) parts of a race, and why? What is it like starting the season Down Under - and why is it so good? Being Talking Luft, I also cross examined the guys on some key style issues like, how do you wear your casquette? And shoes, black or white?

You’d think that in 2024 everyone would know not to wear their cap swimming hat style, or not to choose black shoes and white socks… but you’d be surprised!

As always this was a really fun one to make, with some great names from the peloton.

Have a listen, enjoy and judge the sock choices as harshly as you like!

Cheers!

Mitch

Chronicles is a new podcast that I’m excited to be bringing as exclusive member content for 2024. This is a short excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo. 

For this series, I’ve got together with my good friend and former team (and room) mate Svein Tuft. As a few of you will know, ‘Sveino’ is a fascinating guy, with a unique perspective on pretty much any subject out there. 

Both Svein and I love to dive into new topics – take them apart and discuss ideas, theories, and trends from every possible angle. Back in our racing days, we would spend hours - in the saddle or hotel rooms, chewing over ideas, challenging each other, and looking at ways to learn and develop our understanding of the sport. 

This is what we wanted to recreate with Chronicles. It’s a chance for us to get together and get stuck into the topics that interest us in and around pro cycling. We’ll be listening to people’s stories, asking questions, doing the research, and gathering the information that allows us and you to get to grips with these key parts of the sport and the wider culture of pro cycling. 

First up, this month we started with a question that we have both been looking for the answer to: how do you turn professional? 

This was something that jumped out at us when we thought: why us? How did we make it, and not others? What did we do so differently or well? Or was it just luck? 

To unpack this subject, we wanted to get as many angles of the conversation as possible, and we have a whole host of people with a range of opinions and expertise. 

We kick things off with a man who wrote the book, ‘How to Become a Pro Cyclist’, Jack Burke and asked the question, if turning pro really is something that you can engineer, or if it’s too random even for people who ‘get’ how the system works? 

Svein spoke to a key figure in the US racing scene Jonas Carney, the former manager of Human Powered Health, to discuss what a team looks for when selecting riders, whilst I spoke to my old boss Matt White of Jayco Alula about how teams work with agents to find new talent. 

Sticking inside the teams, we also caught up with Sebastian Langeveld from EF Education Easypost who oversees scouting riders for EF and asked him if it was all numbers and data these days or if there is such a thing as the X factor. 

We also spoke to two current riders, James Whelan of Q36.5 and Riley Sheehan of Israel Premier Tech, who gave us opposing stories of what happens when you get to the World Tour too easily and how hard it can be to have to battle through the ranks. 

Just as we hoped there was so much great stuff that we could get stuck into here, turning pro and how you do it is a massive topic that certainly doesn’t have a simple answer. And as always with Svein, the fun part was exploring the subject! Have a listen as we do our best to understand all about it. 

Cheers!

Mitch

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As things are wrapping up on a fantastic Aussie summer of racing, I’ve got one more piece of Australiana for the pod: three-time Aussie national road champion Luke Plapp. 

This was a really cool pod for me to record. Both Luke and I are members (and started out) at the Brunswick Cycling Club, here in Melbourne. I happily took the opportunity to go back to the Brunswick Velodrome to catch up with Luke a few weeks ago, in what was the early phase of his build-up to what he hopes will be a breakout season. 

Even though he’s still only twenty-three, it seems like ‘Plappy’ has achieved a lot in a short space of time. Before turning pro with Ineos in 2022, he was a decorated track cyclist, picking up Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals, as well as a junior world title. 

It’s been such a fast rise, I was really keen to get the whole story from Luke: going from a sports-obsessed kid in Melbourne, his time on the track, and turning pro with one of the biggest teams in the world. 

I also wanted to know about how he’d adapted to life as a pro in Europe and to hear about the challenges that he faced having turned professional with limited exposure to racing and living over there. 

Like a lot of champions, Luke has a great ability to recognise and work on the things that will help him improve. It was really eye-opening for me to have such a humble conversation with someone in his position. I think it’s a great listen because of this, and there is a lot in his approach that could be of real interest to you guys at home. 

Indulge in the last rays of the Aussie summer, and give this a listen; you’re gonna love it!

Cheers!

Mitch

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Welcome to the first Communiqué for the 2024 season!

First off, I’m delighted to say that my good mates Luke Durbridge and Tom Southam are back with me for another year.

If you haven’t heard it yet, the Communiqué is our pro racing specific podcast, and I couldn’t think of a couple of better guys to have on board to get some great insight into the races.

As well as being good friends of mine these two have years of experience in pro cycling with Luke currently racing for Jayco Alula and Tom who is a DS at EF Education Easypost.

All through the racing season we will be diving inside the pelo with Luke, hearing the view from the team cars from Tom and, of course, I’ll be providing my own armchair style take on the racing!

For this first episode we’ve got an early season theme. After a good few weeks at home Luke is well settled in Perth, getting ready to start racing without having done any racing back in Australia – something he’s – amazingly – never actually tried before!

He reflects on the difference between starting early at races like TDU or kicking off in the more traditional European style.

We discuss our thoughts on the way that the top riders tackle the off-season these days (or don’t!). He also has some cracking tales from his legendary local bunchie - which I’ll leave for you to enjoy. 

I’ve been on the ground at the Tour Down Under of course, and I’ll bring you up to speed with the latest racing news, as well as a few of the things that grabbed my attention at the first World Tour race of the season.

It’s also been a busy period for Tom, who was DS-ing the early season Australian races. He takes us a bit deeper into the world of the DS and talks about some of the tactical detail of the recent races, as well as getting our thoughts on the why recently retired riders do so well in the team car. 

It was really great to get things going again making this pod. We all love the racing, whether we are doing it ourselves, talking about it, or even just watching and reading about it.

Getting back together and getting into talking about the races was really exciting after the short break. Let’s hope it’s the start of a big year to come.

Sit back, relax and have a listen to The Communiqué.

Cheers!

Mitch

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We’re right in the middle of the Aussie cycling summer so - keeping with the local theme - for Talking Luft I caught up with my riding buddy Pat Drapac, down in Adelaide’s central market during the Tour Down Under.  

If you’ve not had a listen to the podcast about the adventure that Pat and I had riding across from Melbourne to Adelaide, then go and give it a listen! Pat’s a great talker with a huge range of interests, and he’s also one of Melbourne’s most well-known cycling figures. 

He’s been a rider, a team owner, a team sponsor and as well as many other things, he’s the son of Michael Drapac, whose team I began racing for in 2006, and who went all the way to the podium of the Tour de France as a sponsor of the Cannondale Drapac team. 

Like me, Pat is a child of the nineties and like me, he’s big into his food, so he’s just about the perfect guest for Talking Luft! 

What I loved about Pat’s interview was hearing just how much he goes against the grain of a lot of current riders. He’s also a former chef, so he has the booze questions pretty well covered too! It’s a refreshing listen, and an interesting take on the sport and the surrounding culture. 

So, check it out, and enjoy.

Cheers!

Mitch