This week on the Velo Podcast, host Mike Levy is back with Alvin Holbrook and Will Tracy for the first official video podcast of 2025, and this week it’s all about reflecting on our favorite rides of the past year.  A favorite ride doesn’t have to be the longest, hardest, or have any certain superlative attached to it — it just has to be memorable in one way or another. But before recounting our favorite rides, which range from dream routes in far-flung locations to an overnight solo expedition, we discuss some news. Are AI coaching tools coming for the jobs of cycling coaches? We discuss Jim Cotton’s story about Team UAE's new AI tool called Anna, and the implications it may have on training and race strategies.  In the world of cyclocross racing, the defending world champion Mathieu van der Poel is still out with a bruised rib, while Wout van Aert is back to his winning ways. How are things shaping up weeks out from the world championship? And Betsy Welch has a story about politics in bike lanes in Toronto. A premier wants to take away bike lanes — but a video game designer is fighting back. Alvin also fills us in on what’s in the test pipeline for him: including an inflatable helmet and a gravel Brompton.

This week on the Velo Podcast, we have something a little different for you as former Pinkbike editor extraordinaire Mike Levy joins the show to talk gravel and road bikes. Some of you are no doubt asking yourself right now: “Wait, isn’t he the mountain bike guy?” Right you are. He’s a multi-faceted person though who has spent the last year exclusively riding road and gravel bikes and has fallen in love with the drop-bar world, taking on some monster rides along the way and learning what a carb is. In this special episode of the podcast, Levy is joined by yours truly Will Tracy, and tech editor Alvin Holbrook to discuss the pressing issues of our times in gravel and road biking. We start out with a discussion of some of the latest news, including what a possible SRAM smart trainer means for the market, the transition of Astana to Chinese manufacturer XDS bikes, and Alvin's review of the Factor Ostro VAM. Other topics include the emergence of carbon spokes and their impact on performance, as well as the unique features of the Kona Ouroboros and Santa Cruz Stigmata gravel bikes that the team has been riding recently. Finally, we get to the main segment: reflections on personal cycling experiences and the lessons learned throughout the year. We learned a lot on the bike in 2024 (or so we like to think) including knowing when to quit or solider on and how to maintain and in some cases rekindle the joy of cycling, as well as the importance of proper nutrition and fueling and the supportive community found in cycling.

This week on the Velo Podcast, Andrew Hood checks in from reporting on the Vuelta a España to catch us up on all the latest from the season’s final grand tour. It’s turning into an unpredictable race with major GC swings, and the next four stages will prove critical.  Joining Hoody for the discussion is retired professional cyclist Bobby Julich who raced the Vuelta a few times during his career.  The team also discusses Wout van Aert’s return to the top with a slew of stage wins, and how the Americans in the race are faring.  In the second half of the episode, we throw it over to Velo senior tech editor Josh Ross and tech editor Alvin Holbrook for a discussion about the 2024 MADE Show in Portland, Oregon. Josh attended the handmade bike show last weekend and found a number of fascinating bikes to talk about, including an aerodynamic 3D-printed titanium bike from No. 22, and perhaps the coolest kids bike you have ever seen.  As always, you can catch all the latest professional racing and bicycle tech news at velo.outsideonline.com.

The end of 2020 is finally here, and on this week's podcast we look back at the riders and stories that defined a most bizarre year. First up, we name our All-WorldTour team for 2020, comprised of the best riders for each eight spots on a grand tour team. Pogačar or Roglič? Wout or Mathieu? Annemiek van Vleuten or Anna van der Breggen? We argue and hash out each debate to come up with our list of top performers for the year. Then, we explore our favorite stories of 2020 and look back at the reporting that brought these stories to life on velonews.com and in VeloNews magazine. Thanks so much for listening to The VeloNews Podcast in 2020, and we can't wait to speak to you in 2021.

In this final VeloNews Tech Podcast of 2020, Dan Cavallari and Ben Delaney look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly from the year. We highlight the big gear trends of the year, reflect on our favorite bikes and products, and, luckily for you, refrain from singing Auld Lang Syne.

After running her own Continental team in the U.K. for 11 years, Cherie Pridham has moved over to Israel Start-Up Nationa as director sportif. For the cycling world, she is the first female director of a men's WorldTour team. For Pridham, though, she just sees the role as her job. On this episode, Bobby Julich and Gus Morton catch up with Pridham fresh off an Israel Start-Up Nation team camp to talk about 2021. Pridham also talks about her long road to the WorldTour, starting out as a girl in Cape Town, jumping in one of the biggest cycling events in the world, the Cape Town Cycle Tour. "So as an 11 year old, that was my first race," Pridham said. "And then things just went from there. I won my age category, and then won it again the year after that. And then I was completely hooked. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was adamant I wanted to be a pro bike rider."

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we take a dive into two of the bigger news stories from the world of cycling, and hear from U.S. rider Chad Haga. New circulated this week that Ineos-Grenadiers is interested in signing Wout van Aert for 2022. Andrew Hood breaks down why this news is circulating now, and what an Ineos-Grenadiers bid to sign van Aert could do to his value in the pro peloton. How much would Jumbo-Visma need to give up to keep the Belgian star? It's a huge question that could tip the balance of power in the WorldTour. Then, we break down the recent interview given by Wilco Kelderman about the 2020 Giro d'Italia. Kelderman said that Team Sunweb's tactics on the stage over the Passo Stelvio left him feeling isolated. Could Kelderman have won the Giro had Sunweb played its cards differently? One man who has a firm opinion on the matter is Chad Haga, who was part of that Sunweb squad at the Giro. Haga joins the podcast to take us inside the 2020 Giro, and explore whether or not Sunweb's tactics cost Kelderman the win. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast.

One day. Five hundred kilometers — inside. And one cause - World Bicycle Relief. On this special episode of Put Your Socks On, Bobby and Gus check in with Kieran Ronan, a longtime Nike executive and cyclist who is preparing to ride 500km — 310 miles — on December 30 as a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief. There are the numbers, and then there are the reasons behind the ride. PYSO digs into both. "It's just really an interesting way how somebody of my age has had to adapt, and how the virtual world on social media can actually do good," Ronan says. "And that's that's the big takeaway that I've had in a sense of community with a love of cycling, that can be transported across the globe and bring more people along." If you are interested in supporting or even joining Ronan for part or all of his Zwift ride, you can read more here: https://www.velonews.com/culture/the-grind-up-for-a-challenge-try-500km-on-december-30/

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we discuss the newest wrinkles in women's pro road racing. Then, we hear from all-around phenom Lucinda Brand, who is absolutely dominating the 2020 UCI cyclocross season. In pro racing news, the organizers of the Vuelta a España as well as the organizers of the Tour de France are reportedly both working on separate weeklong stage races for women. The races are slated to occur in 2022. Andrew Hood joins the podcast to discuss the significance of this news, and to discuss why the races could mark a cultural shift for ASO, the French production company that owns both races. Then, we discuss our decision to name Anna van der Breggen our International Cyclist of the Year for 2020, the biggest honor in the annual VeloNews Awards. Van der Breggen won six of the biggest races on the calendar, and her run of success was unmatched in either men's or women's racing this year. Then, we catch up with Lucinda Brand, who takes us inside the 2020 cyclocross season. Brand is leading the way in the women's races, however she has a cadre of young countrywomen nipping at her heels. And Brand has some thoughts on why these talented Dutch youngsters are having so much success at such a young age. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

Is the chain the most under-appreciated component on your bike? It sure takes a lot of abuse, and most of us neglect it. Yet the great chain keeps chugging along. Nick Murdick from Shimano knows all about chains — how they're made, how they've changed over the years, what makes a good chain and what makes a not-so-good chain. He joins VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari to give us all the info we need to choose the best chain and treat it right.

At the 2006 UCI world championships in Austria, a young Chris Froome walked into the manager's briefing meeting, sopping wet in his cycling kit. He was told he wasn't welcome - the meeting was for managers only. He said he was the manager, and he plopped himself down. And in fact he was. He was Kenya's sole representative in Austria. Earlier that year, Froome had impersonated the Kenya cycling federation president in email to enter himself into the races. There was no one else to support him. He had flown, alone with his time trial and road bikes, to Europe for the first time. He was figuring it out. Two days later, he started the U23 time trial and, just as he was getting underway, collided with a race official on course. Fast forward to today, and Froome of course has won seven grand tours and multiple Olympic and world championship medals. The young man from Kenya found a way. On this episode of Put Your Socks On, Froome checks in from California, where he is training four day a week at the Red Bull Performance Center. Froome talks about what is was like growing up in Africa, the obstacles he faced in breaking into a European sport, and his love for racing.

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we hear the story of L&M Tourers, one of New York City's first clubs for Black cyclists. The club was founded in the early 1970s by sisters Lucille Smith and Mildred Smith-Evans as a way to bring together the city's burgeoning population of Black riders. The club morphed from a social club into an organized group with regular rides, routes, and cycling mentorship programs. Eventually, the group changed its name to the Major Taylor cycling club. Today, New York City's Major Taylor Iron Riders club traces its lineage back to L&M Tourers. Mildred Smith-Evans and Mel Corbett, one of the first club members, join the podcast to tell the history of the club and explain how it grew into Major Taylor Iron Riders. The two discuss the racism and bias they faced as black riders on the roads of New York City. And, they discuss the ways in which cycling can make itself more available to Black cyclists in 2020 and beyond.

Riding indoors can certainly be a tedious affair, but the right gear beyond just your bike and the trainer can go a long way toward making your indoor sweat sessions not only just bearable, but also enjoyable. Ben and Dan discuss what to wear, what to eat, where to set up, and what accessories make the whole process tons easier.

This week we discuss the Tour de France Femmes and break down all the action from the closest edition of the Tour ever recorded. Then, we hear from Velo European correspondent Andrew Hood who is following the Vuelta a España in Spain.

The Lugano Charter, constructed in 1996, formed the UCI's basis for regulation of bike technology with a noble ideal: the rider, not his or her access to technology, should determine who wins a bike race. The devil, as always, is in the details. Now, Michael "Mick" Rogers, a three-time world time trial champion, is tasked with guiding the regulation of bicycle equipment and clothing as innovation manager at the UCI. Rogers got his start in big-time racing with Mapei in 2000. He proceeded to have a successful career with Quick-Step, T-Mobile, Team Sky and Saxo-Tinkoff before retiring in 2016. In addition to having world-class physiology, Rogers was also fascinated with the physics and mathematics at play in bike racing, whether that was in the mechanics of a long sprint leadout train, or in the interconnected variables of a fast time trial position. At T-Mobile, which became HTC, Rogers said "we were one of the the teams to really master the leadout train. If we go back into the mid ’90s with [Marco] Cipollini and Saeco, they revolutionized the leadout train. At HTC, we took that that one step further, we started to understand some of the mathematics. We started to understand that when we were riding on the front, with two or three kilometers to go, we're at 60 plus K an hour — the amount of energy that the riders behind us would would need to come up beside Mark Cavendish was going to have a massive effect on the actual sprint." Rogers' real-world studying later included time racing at Team Sky, a team famous for its analysis and methodical racing tactics. Rogers talks about how the team could be so effective when riding in coordination. "It just kind of came down to, we knew what we were good at as riders," Rogers said of being able to reel in breakaways and attacking riders with confidence. "Simple math — when we were riding at our threshold, the power values and very high power to weight ratios. We knew that anyone riding out over that threshold, to be able to open up a large enough gap, the amount of energy required to put in is almost for most people unbearable. When you're attacking on some of these climbs, you might have to ride at 600 650 watts for for 30 to 40 seconds. And there's only a handful of guys that can withstand that kind of intensity for anything longer than a minute. So it's simple math, they're going to come back." Now at the UCI, Rogers and his coworkers are tasked with keeping up to speed with a sport that is changing rapidly. "We are aware that cycling must progress. There must be evolution," Rogers said. How that looks, and how a level playing field can be enforces among teams and nations with varying levels of financial ability, will be an ongoing challenge. Tune in to this episode of Put Your Socks On to hear Rogers' thoughts on the challenges and the excitement of regulating bike racing heading into a new world of cycling.

The first ever UCI Esports world championships on Zwift is just one week away, and on today's episode we take a deep dive into the race. First up, Kristabel Doebel-Hickok of the Rally Cycling Team provides a helpful explainer on the basics of the race. Doebel Hickok is participating in the Esports world championship race, representing Team USA. What's the race's format? What does the course look like? What are the importance of the power ups? Who are the favorites to win? Doebel-Hickok gives us a crash course in what to expect in the race. Then, Dr. George Gilbert joins the show. Dr. Gilbert is the chairman of Zwift's Esports commission, and he helps write the rules of governance surrounding elite Zwift racing. Dr. Gilbert was involved in Zwift's recent sanctioning of two riders for data manipulation. He explains in basic terms why Zwift sanctioned the two riders, and discusses the importance of policing elite Esports racing for data manipulation. This week's episode is sponsored by OurCrowd, the investing platform that gives investors early access to exciting pre-IPO companies. For more information go to www.ourcrowd.com/velonews.

In this episode of Put Your Socks On, the legendary Fabian Cancellara weighs on on the socks. "Socks — they need to be short," says the four-time world time trial champion. "Rapha always comes up and says the socks need to be high. No! That look is not stylish. That look it's just a no-go. So I want to have my socks short. And then it's stylish." The two-time Olympic time trial champion also points out that high socks are now aero equipment. "They think socks can give an advantage of one to five watts," he says. "There is a lot of discussion, but you know what is good? I'm out of the game. I just don't want the tan lines for when I am at the beach." Cancellara chats with Bobby Julich and Gus Morton about his long and storied career, which included three wins at both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. The Swiss racer also holds the record for most days in the Tour de France yellow jersey — 29 — for a rider who never won the overall. Cancellara wrapped up his career in high style right after the 2016 Olympic Games — "a better ending of a career was not possible" - but he says that his Flanders win in 2013 sticks out as a career highlight because of how hard he had to fight back after a challenging 2012. hard 2012. "2006 to ’16, I had a lot of success, but also a lot of hard times," he says, from crashes to cheating allegations. "I mean, in three weeks I gained 10 kilos. Ten days after the Olympics, I went from hero to zero. I had to learn to grow a thick skin." "To be in the spotlight, it's not easy. But if you want to win bike races, it's part of the game that when the spotlight comes you need to adapt to it and you need to be able to handle it," he says. "I worked with a life coach. I didn't only work on cycling skills, I worked on my own to have this responsibility in my daily life."

On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Ben Delaney explains the latest controversy involving elite Zwift racing. The virtual cycling platform recently sanctioned two different elite riders on grounds that the riders had allegedly tampered with their riding data. The story, and the rebuttal from the riders, has left more than one cycling fan scratching his or her head in confusion. Delaney is here to take us inside this story and offer some explainers on how and why Zwift made this decision. Then, Andrew Hood discusses the strange offseason that Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar is about to have. While most TDF champions party in the months following their victories, Pogačar has been grounded, due to COVID-19. Will this allow him to regroup and focus on 2021? Finally, junior phenom Magnus Sheffield joins the podcast to discuss his recent record attempt at the 3,000-meter individual pursuit. Sheffield set a time that appears to be both a new U.S. and world record, and he discusses his motivation, training, and power numbers. All that and more on this week's VeloNews Podcast.

Skylar Schneider started riding bikes at age 4, and by age 18 she moved to Holland to race professionally. Now with three years at the powerhouse squad Boels-Dolmans under her belt, the American is returning to race domestically for 2021 with L39GION of Los Angeles, the expanding team run by Justin and Cory Williams. On this episode of Put Your Socks On, Schneider talks about learning her way in Holland as a teenager with the help of other racers — she now has Dutch residency — and how the opportunity with L39GION of LA came about. "I've admired what Justin and Cory are doing with Legion for a while," she said. "And this summer, Justin and I just got on the phone, and he had some good advice. At that time, Legion didn't really have a women's program. So he really liked the idea. And then we put together a budget. And from there, it moved pretty quickly. And I'm really excited about this opportunity to have a new adventure, but also come back to the U.S." In addition to her own racing, Schneider said L39ION represents a broader opportunity in the sport for others. "With 39ION, there was this new opportunity to do something really special within the sport. Their mission is to increase diversity and inclusivity. There's plenty of little girls that need a role model as well," she said. "Right now it's really small and just kind of starting, but I think it can grow into something really big. And that's ultimately why I was really excited to join." At the junior world championships in 2016, Schneider took silver in the road race and fourth in the time trial. Looking ahead, a win at the world championships remains a goal.

[This podcast was originally uploaded with last week's audio. We apologize for the confusion and have fixed the problem. - Ed.] On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, Fred and Andy discuss the bizarre 2020-2021 transfer season, which has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During a typical year, most riders would have their contracts signed for the coming season well before November. That's not the case this year, due to the season's delay amid the virus. And, the ending of CCC Team plus the unknown future of NTT Pro Cycling has sent many riders scrambling for jobs in 2021. How is this impacting the rider market, and what changes will this have on the 2021 season? We discuss all angles of the transfer season. Then, American rider Lauren Stephens of Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank joins the podcast to take us inside her topsy turvy 2020 season. Like all pro road racers, Lauren's season was derailed in March by COVID-19. Rather than wait things out, Lauren made a dramatic change in her racing focus, becoming the first ever woman to win the Zwift Tour de France. The change in focus had a dramatic impact on the rest of Lauren's season. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

Factor Bikes' Graham Shrive has helped design some of the fastest bikes in the pro peloton. He joins VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari on this episode of the VeloNews Tech Podcast to reveal the truth about frame flex: Do you really need the stiffest frame? Can frame flex be a benefit for certain riders? How do engineers tailor a frame for stiffness? Find out on this week's episode.

Stuart O'Grady has done more on the bike than just about any other rider. The Australian's 19-year pro career began on the track in the ’90s, where he racked up Olympic medals in the 1992 and 1996 Games. He then moved to the road where he wore the Tour de France yellow jersey and won Paris-Roubaix in the course of a long career. And now retired from racing, O'Grady has taken the helm at the Tour Down Under, the Australian stage race and traditional season opener. Put Your Socks On caught up with O'Grady to talk about his career, his aims with the Tour Down Under, and how the Australian race is coping with the various complications related to the coronavirus pandemic. PYSO co-host Bobby Julich raced with O'Grady twice in their careers, and he recalls how O'Grady had to leave the Tour twice, including once in a helicopter and once after riding the last 70km of a stage with a broken collarbone. The helicopter ride came in 2007 helicopter as O'Grady was doing 90kph down the Cornet de Roseland. "I went over the top in the front group," O'Grady recalls. "I went back to get bottles for [CSC teammate] Carlos [Sastre]. While coming back, [a rider] swerved to miss a hole as I was coming by, and took out my front wheel. I hit a pole, and that exploded everything. I had no feeling in my legs, and spent two weeks in the ICU." O'Grady also talks about some of his favorite moments from racing. "My lifelong ambition was the Olympics," he said, admitting that the Tour de France wasn't even on his radar early on. "I competed in six Olympics, which i think is a record for anyone who's not riding a horse. And riding solo into the Roubaix velodrome was pretty cool as well." As for the current state of racing, O'Grady says he is glad he is retired. "There's no real control [in the peloton]. You know, back in the day, there was a lot of respect for the kind of elder riders, especially in the classics," he said, alluding to a patron who would tell the riders when to ease off, or when it was okay to race. "These days is just it's like the gloves are off. You know, it's like a UFC cage fight. There's no rules. They attack at random moments. You see a group attacking and I'm like, what the hell are they doing that for? Next minute they got six minutes and they win the race." Now O'Grady is the race director for Tour Down Under, which was held with great success at the beginning of this year, but has already been postponed for 2021. "Being a part of the race from day one, the last couple of years of my career, I guess I started thinking, you know, I'd like to take on the reins of this, I think I can make a pretty cool race, because we haven't actually raced down a lot of the roads," he said. O'Grady and the TDU team looked into holding the race at its normal time in 201 with heavy quarantine protocols. But the logistics of that — plus the act that the UCI announced that the race next year would not be mandatory for WorldTour teams — meant that they decided to ultimately just postpone the race. Tune in to listen to O'Grady on Put Your Socks On.

The Vuelta a España wrapped up this weekend, with Primož Roglič surviving an onslaught by Richard Carapaz on the final mountain stage to win the overall. On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we digest the final grand tour of the season, and examine what the final result means for Roglič, Carapaž, and the race's other protagonists. Then, have you ever wondered what goes into a name change? The world's most visible gravel race just went through a branding change, switching its name from DK (formerly Dirty Kanza) to Unbound Gravel. We speak to the race's co-managing team of Kristi Mohn and Lelan Dains to go inside the name change, and discuss the process they went through to choose the new name. Plus, what were some of the names left on the cutting-room floor? Mohn and Dains share with us some choices that came up short. All that and more on this week's The VeloNews Podcast.

On this episode of the VeloNews Tech Podcast, tech guru Lennard Zinn joins tech editor Dan Cavallari to talk about his in-depth sunglasses clarity test. What makes a pair of sunglasses good? Is it the clarity? Is it the polarization? What about UV protection? Zinn breaks it all down for us, and gives us insight as to whether you actually need any of these things. Zinn also walks us through what he did to test many of the most popular sunglasses on the market. Be sure to listen to get a sense of what matters when you buy a pair of sunglasses, according to Zinn.

The Olympics are winding down, with only track events remaining, and it’s been quite an exciting period of racing. Velo Podcast host Hannah Knapp is joined by Velo European correspondent and former Olympic medalist Bobby Julich to discuss this Paris Games to remember. In the road races, American Kristen Faulkner secured an unexpected victory, while Remco Evenepoel reminded everyone how strong he is by winning the men’s race, a week after also winning the time trial.  The Olympics is more than road racing, though, and we dive into track racing as well and the impressive team pursuit title the American women secured on Wednesday. Then we preview the remaining events for the Americans. The Olympics wrap up this weekend, but the summer of cycling rolls on Monday with the Tour de France Femmes. We preview the eight-stage race and riders to watch. Stay tuned to Velo for all the latest updates from the Olympics and Tour de France Femmes.

Next year, 2021 should be the year of the postponed Olympics Games, and certainly will be the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. American diabetic Mandy Marquardt is on the long team for track, hopes to be in Tokyo racing in the stars and stripes. Marquardt has been racing at a high level since she was 10 years old, and has 18 national titles to her name. But she was a little concerned that she might be aging out of her prime shape. Then she placed ninth overall in the World Cup standings last season, then set a national kilo record, and was named to the US Olympic long team. "Representing my country next year at the Olympic Games would definitely be the pinnacle of my athletic career. And 2021 is the hundredth year of the discovery of insulin. In ways I'm like, are the stars aligning?" Marquardt is now 29, and certainly not past her prime. PYSO host Bobby Julich shared his own story of missing out on the Olympics as he got older. "I missed the Olympics in 1992. I missed the Olympics in 1996. I missed the Olympics in 2000. And then finally, at the age of 32, I made the Olympics in 2004," said Julich, who earned a medal in the time trial. "And so just... just never say never." In this episode of PYSO, Marquardt tells her story of being diagnosed with diabetes at age 16 and being told that she would never compete at a high level again. She talks about setting the U.S. kilo record, beating the time set by her friend and former national team roommate, the late Kelly Caitlin. She talks about the long and sometimes lonely road of a track sprinter, but how she is proud of having raced clean her entire career. And she talks about having a continuous glucose monitor is like "an SRM for my body." November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Tune in to Put Your Socks on.

The Vuelta a España has entered its thrilling final week, and we are breaking down the slugfest between Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast. The Vuelta's dramatic stage 12 up the Alto de l'Angliru produced a thrilling battle, with Hugh Carthy taking the win and Carapaz seizing the red jersey. Then, two days later, Roglič won the ITT to take the jersey back. We break down the action from both stages, and examine Ineos Grenadiers' new strategy of going on the attack. Then, we analyze the 2021 Tour de France route, which was announced this week. Next year's route serves up a classic battle, with two ITT races, three summit finishes, and a double ascent of Mont Ventoux. Then, we hear from two North American riders who are racing the Vuelta: Sepp Kuss and Michael Woods. Kuss takes us inside the Angliru battle with his perspective on the brutal fight. Then, Woods relives his stage 7 victory at the Vuelta, and explains why this Vuelta a España has helped him overcome the disappointment of being left off EF Pro Cycling's Tour de France team. All that and more on this week's podcast!

Gravel drivetrains now exist to accommodate the ever-burgeoning gravel market. The question is, do we really need them? VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari and editorial director Ben Delaney discuss the ins and outs of gravel drivetrains and help you decide whether you need one or not. Is a road drivetrain okay to use on a gravel bike? What are the benefits of a gravel drivetrain? Listen to this week's episode to find out.

It's been a strange year for Alex Howes, as it has been for everyone. The U.S. national champion hardly got to race in the jersey he won last year — but since nationals was canceled, he gets to wear it again until the 2021 nationals. Howes also flew to South Africa to race Cape Epic as part of EF Pro Cycling's alternate program that puts its pro roadies in adventure races. But... that race never happened. The soon-to-be-father recently got back to racing. On this episode of Put Your Socks On, Howes talks about his long road with Jonathan Vaughters' team — the only pro squad he has raced for. Even before turning pro, Howes races on Vaughters' junior development team, TIAA-CREF. Also on this episode, Bobby picks Howes' brain at length for gravel gear tips...

The 2020 Giro d'Italia has come to a thrilling conclusion, while the Vuelta a España heads into its mountainous midpoint. On today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we dive headfirst into the season's two other grand tours to offer our insight and opinion on the racing. First up is the Giro, which saw Tao Geoghegan Hart take the overall after a thrilling final four days of racing. What do we make of Geoghegan Hart's win for Great Britain and Team Ineos-Grenadiers? Does this win vault the 25-year-old Londoner into the the team's top leadership position, or is Ineos-Grenadiers still the squad of Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas? Then, the Vuelta a España is chugging into foul weather in northern Spain, and Jumbo-Visma saw its grip on the red jersey fall apart after its team leader, Primož Roglič, struggled to put on his rain coat at an inopportune time. How did this disaster occur, and what must Jumbo-Visma do now to rebound? Finally, we hear from Americans Sepp Kuss and Logan Owen, both of whom are racing the Vuelta a España. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast!

Eric Richter and Peter Curran from Giro join tech editor Dan Cavallari on this episode of the VeloNews Tech Podcast to answer the stiffness question. We all know we're supposed to ride the stiffest shoes for power transfer. But do we really need all that stiffness? Is a little bit of give actually good? And is there something else more important than stiffness, that we should focus on when shopping for shoes? Listen to this episode to find out!

The Giro d'Italia is in full swing, and what a race it's been. The unpredictable nature of the Italian grand tour this year reminds Bobby and Gus of another remarkable year, where Ryder Hesjedal took and lost and took the pink jersey, finally winning the overall in a nail biter of a final time trial. So we rang up Ryder to hear about that year at the the Giro, and to get some insight into his interesting career in professional cycling. Ryder got his start in bike racing with mountain biking in his native Canada in the ’90s. By the time he was 15, he was racing the MTB world championships, and his trajectory just continued from there, for a time blending mountain and road racing. A stint with the Rabobank development road team led to a contract with U.S. Postal Service — which he was still using as training for mountain biking en route to the Olympics. After some trial and error, Ryder found his sweet spot with Jonathan Vaughters' Slipstream team, where he enjoyed being a driving force in the scrappy upstart squad. An excellent 2011 year saw him finish seventh overall in the UCI rankings, and with the team's directive to focus on the Giro for 2012. Here is the story of how he did exactly that. It's time to Put Your Socks On.

The busy 2020 WorldTour season continues, and this week we have two grand tours and one monument to discuss! Over the weekend the Tour of Flanders was held on empty cobbled streets in Belgium, and both the men's and women's editions produced plenty of drama and action. The men's race saw newcomer Julian Alaphilippe force the day's decisive move with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The stage was set for a three-man battle to the finish, and then Alaphilippe struck a race motorcycle and crashed. We discuss the crash and its impact on the finale, which saw van der Poel win the sprint by inches. Could Alaphilippe have upset the two cobbled crushers in the final 35km? What impact would he have had in the sprint, or on the ascent of the Paterberg? Our resident Alaphilippe expert, James Startt, provides some expert opinion. In the women's race, Boels-Dolmans used its superior team tactics to set Chantal van der Broek-Blaak up for the win. We wonder what could have happened, however, if Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten would have continued their attack, instead of sitting up with 25km to go. Then, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España are both going strong, and we break down the action from both races. What do we make of Chris Froome's dismal performance on the opening day of the Vuelta? And, is Wilco Kelderman really the favorite to win the Giro now? Finally, we have interviews with American stars at the grand tours. First up is Sepp Kuss, who is leading Jumbo-Visma's domestique ranks at the Vuelta. Sepp discusses the Tour de France finale as well as his Vuelta ambitions with us. Then, we hear from Brandon McNulty, who is racing for GC at the Giro d'Italia. Brandon just scored a third place finish in the Giro's long ITT — an amazing result for a grand tour debutant. Today's episode is brought to you by flobikes.com, your home for live streaming action of the Giro d'Italia for U.S. and Canadian viewers. Flobikes.com is also broadcasting the Vuelta a España in Canada. To sign up, go to www.flobikes.com/velonews.

Joe Friel and Jim Rutberg join VeloNews tech editor Dan Cavallari to get you fired up for indoor riding season. Friel and Rutberg have co-authored a book called "Ride Inside," which gives you tips and tricks to do exactly that. But the book doesn't stop there; get the most out of your indoor training sessions, learn how to race on Zwift, and even get the skinny on what gear you need to make the most out of your indoor miles.

The 2020 Giro d'Italia has been thrown into chaos this week by a slough of COVID-19 positives. On this week's episode, we discuss the news with James Startt, who is attending the race. James places the Giro's COVID-19 news into historical context, and explains how riders and directors at the race have been reacting to the news. He also explains how it has changed the racing dynamics at the event. Then, we hear from American rider Chad Haga, who is attending the race. Chad explains how the hotel protocols during the race's early stages in Sicily made riders feel uncomfortable, due to the presence of the general public. Chad also discusses his team leader, Wilco Kelderman, and why Kelderman often flies under the radar at big events. This week's episode is sponsored by Flobikes.com, which is your go-to destination for live broadcast coverage of the Giro d'Italia and Tour of Flanders, among other races. To sign up, go to www.flobikes.com/velonews.

The Olympics are in full swing in Paris, and we’ve already been treated to some incredible racing in the time trial and cross country mountain biking. On this week’s episode of the Velo Podcast, former Olympic medalist in the time trial Bobby Julich and Velo European Correspondent Andrew Hood, currently in Paris for the Games, take us through all the racing, and preview what’s to come in the road race and track events. We’ve already had some great performances from the American athletes, with Haley Batten and Riley Amos getting the best ever results in Olympic mountain biking for Team USA. And in the time trial, Chloe Dygert took home a bronze while Brandon McNulty powered home to fifth. The conversation transitions to the upcoming road races and track cycling events, discussing the favorites and potential dark horses for each event. The road race is shaping up to be a monster day on the order of a monument. Also on this episode, Bobby discusses how different being part of the Olympic atmosphere is for cyclists compared to the rest of the season, as well as how different the strategies are between the Olympics and and a regular pro road race.

Richie Porte has been a successful stage racer for a decade, winning the overall at the likes of Paris-Nice, the Tour Down Under, and the Tour de Romandie. And while he has raced the Tour de France 10 times, it wasn't until this year that he stood on the final podium in Paris as third overall. Although Porte has raced for many of the top WorldTour teams, he started out at the bottom, finishing dead last in his first stage race. But slowly he worked his way up from a Tasmanian team to small Italian teams to the top of the sport. Richie and Bobby first worked together at Saxo Bank, where Richie came on as a neo-pro and rode his way into the leader's jersey at the Giro d'talia in his first attempt at the Italian tour. In this episode, Bobby and Gus catch up with the typically media-shy star on his remarkable career that began on the roads of Tasmania.

Betsy's back from the wilderness of Colorado, and she's got plenty of stories to tell about her high-alpine adventures! She emerged from the trail after 11 days of bikepacking through some of the most stunning and harsh landscapes Colorado has to offer. And even though it was August, she still got snowed on. That's Colorado weather for you. Hear all about what gear Betsy ended up bringing with her, what performed well, and what could have used some improvement. And hear about one valiant pair of socks — the only pair Betsy brought with her.

Race every race like it's your last. We've all heard that kind of a cliche in one form or another during our lives. However, for the women's peloton in 2020, no sentiment could ring more true. Today, we sit down with Kasia Niewiadoma from Canyon//SRAM to hear from her just what it's like to be approaching each race day as if it's your last.

The 2020 Giro d'Italia has begun and VeloNews is on the ground it Italy for all of the action. On today's episode we link up with reporter James Startt who is attending the race for insight on what it's like to actually be at the event. Startt takes us inside the race's COVID-19 safety protocols, and he discusses the biggest differences between the Giro and the Tour de France. Then, Startt breaks down all of the GC action from stage 3, the summit finish to Mt. Etna. Then, American rider Brent Bookwalter joins the podcast for an update from the Giro. Brent is riding for Simon Yates at this year's race, and thus far it's been a tough start for Brent. He crashed on stage 2 and injured his back, and Brent explains the metal and emotional challenges that a rider faces after suffering an injury this early in a grand tour. Brent has some opinions on the race's COVID-19 safety protocols — or lack thereof — and he explains what it's like behind the scenes at the race. Today's episode is sponsored by a new training supplement called MitoQ. MitoQ is a unique form of the antioxidant CoQ10 that is designed to get inside our cell's mitochondria to help create energy and neutralize free radicals. For more information go to www.mitoq.com/powerupcycling.

Bobby and Gus sit down with UAE Team Emirates director Allan Peiper to find out how he overcame his own personal battles with cancer to go on to help his rider Tadej Pogacar win the Tour de France.

Pro racing continues to chug along, but this week we're taking a break from the WorldTour to catch up with the Major Taylor Iron Riders cycling club in New York City. Major Taylor Iron Riders is comprised largely of African American, Latino, and Asian-American club members, and it is one of the larger cycling clubs in New York City. We spoke to five board members of the club in June about how they have experienced explicit and implicit bias in the cycling community. Today, we follow up with the club's board to understand the impact of that initial podcast episode. And, we dig into the club's game plan for helping new riders develop a deeper love and appreciate for cycling. Major Taylor Iron Riders has a detailed plan to help novice riders rise up the ranks to become competitive cyclists. It's a blend of inclusivity, attention to detail, and tough love. Today's episode is sponsored by a new training supplement called MitoQ. MitoQ is a unique form of the antioxidant CoQ10 that is designed to get inside our cell's mitochondria to help create energy and neutralize free radicals. For more information go to www.mitoq.com/powerupcycling.

Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso have launched a brand new bike brand, Aurum Bikes, based on all the features they wanted to see on a race bike during their careers. Contador and Basso join tech editor Dan Cavallari on the VeloNews Tech Podcast, all the way from Madrid, Spain to give the details about and inspiration behind Aurum Bikes. Contador and basso talk about the technical details, from testing in the wind tunnel to determining the componentry and spec details, but the pair also talks about their hopes for the brand in the years and decades to come. Can Aurum become a legendary brand like Colnago? It may be a dream now, but Basso and Contador hope to make it a reality.

Hindsight is 20/20 — and that's exactly what PYSO is bringing to this special episode reflecting on the 2020 Tour de France. Co-hosts Bobby Julich, himself a podium finisher at the Tour, and retired racer Gus Morton look back at the highlights, the lowlights, and the surprises of this year's race. In the plus column, for starters, there was a Tour de France — and it made it all the way to Paris. In the year of Covid, just the existence of the race was a success. But then the race turned out to be filled with drama all the way until the end of the Stage 20 time trial. Bobby and Gus break down their favorite stages and performances, explain how the green jersey competition played into the overall race like never before, and analyze what Jumbo-Visma did right and did wrong. Bobby also speculates on what all this means for former Tour winners Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, both of whom sat out this edition. "It's going to be difficult for both of them," Bobby says. "And they're probably two of my favorite riders ever. I have the ultimate respect for them. But this new generation of such young riders being kind of steered in the correct way of doing things, I think it's gonna be really hard, just from a recovery standpoint, because when you're racing against guys that are 12 to 14 years younger than you, I mean, logic says they're going to be able to recover a little bit better." Tune in for a 20/20 take on the 2020Tour de France.

It's our final VeloNews Podcast episode of the 2020 Tour de France, and there are so many twists and turns to address. The Tour de France overall was upended in the final ITT, as Tadej Pogačar overcame a 57-second deficit to leapfrog Primož Roglič into the yellow jersey. On today's episode Fred Dreier and Andrew Hood break down all of the action and perspective from Pogačar's historic win. How did he pop such a big ride, and what happened to Roglič? What does the victory mean for Pogačar, and what does the defeat mean to Jumbo-Visma and its leader? Fred and Andy offer their perspective on the big news. Then, what impact did the 2020 Tour de France's media restrictions have on the stories we read throughout the race? Andy offers his perspective on what type of storytelling was lost and gained during this very strange Tour. Today's episode is sponsored by a new training supplement called MitoQ. MitoQ is a unique form of the antioxidant CoQ10 that is designed to get inside our cell's mitochondria to help create energy and neutralize free radicals. For more information go to www.mitoq.com/powerupcycling.

Wheels have changed drastically just in the last several years. They've gotten wider, deeper, hookless, tubeless, and more aerodynamic. Princeton CarbonWorks made its play into the wheel market with something completely different: a sinusoidal rim shape. What the heck is that? Basically, it's a wavy pattern that lends a host of advantages to your riding. And yes, it looks like Zipp's sawtooth pattern, but Princeton's wheel is its own beast entirely. Listen to the episode to find out how.

Tour 2024 Tour de France is wrapped, and now it’s time to ease the post-Tour hangover. This week’s episode of the Velo Podcast is all about looking back at the 2024 Tour de France. What were the best moments? Who were the big winners and losers? Where does it rank all time? All this and much more on the latest episode of the Velo Podcast.

It's our penultimate episode of the 2020 Tour de France, and Jens Voigt joins the show to talk about the action on stages 18 and 19 of the race. Jens provides insight into the two breakaways that succeeded on these two tough stages, and what the riders did correctly (and incorrectly) in the big moves. Ineos Grenadiers won a stage and boosted Richard Carapaz into the polka dot jersey. Is this enough to salvage the squad's 2020 Tour de France? Jens and Fred analyze the high expectations for the team in the race. Then, what are riders planning to do for Saturday's individual time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles? Some riders are planning bike changes on the course, and Jens explains why this could be a huge gamble. We catch up with Sepp Kuss at the finish of stage 18 to hear about his super domestique duties at the Tour, and see whether or not Sepp has any intentions of one day leading a team to the Tour de France Then, James Startt and Andrew Hood sit down with French journalist Pierre Carrey of the publication Liberation to discuss how the French population is viewing the 2020 Tour de France. The race's controversial running amid the COVID-19 pandemic has created split opinion in the host country, and Carrey discusses the various storylines swirling around the event in France. Today's episode is sponsored by a new training supplement called MitoQ. MitoQ is a unique form of the antioxidant CoQ10 that is designed to get inside our cell's mitochondria to help create energy and neutralize free radicals. For more information go to www.mitoq.com/powerupcycling.

This year has posed unique challenges for everyone in pro racing, and TV commentators have not been immune. In this episode of Put Your Socks On, retired pro Matt Keenan talks about his preparation process for calling the Tour de France. In short, a lot of homework is involved. This year, instead of commentating for ASO in France at the Tour, Keenan is calling the daily action for SBS from his native Australia. "Commentating remotely, you lose a couple key things about the feel for it," Keenan says, adding that he misses being able to drive the end of each day's course and being able to talk with journalists of other nationalities to get the latest news and gossip. "I like to be able to inform people when I'm commentating about stuff that they can't find from Dr. Google," Keenan says. "The upside of commentating from home is I get to see my family each day. Normally I spend maybe five months or so in a hotel bed. So that's been one of the positives." This year Keenan has also been training during the Tour, thanks to the legend Graeme Brown coaching him. "Graeme said, 'you're going to be at home, why don't let me coach you through the Tour and see if I can get you fitter at the end than what you are at the start?'" Keenan says. And Keenan breaks down his method of preparation on each of the riders at the Tour. "I have two start lists," he says. "I have a start list with a really brief set of stats on every single rider: their age, where they're from, their height, their weight, couple of key results, how many times they've ridden the Tour. So if they appear in the breakaway, I've got a really quick reference point on them. And then I've got another I list, an extensive database [with all the notes on their background]." "Then each day during the Tour, I spend about an hour and a half or so going through the book that tells us the details about the churches and all that sort of stuff. And you've got no idea how much feedback we get on that. We get more feedback on that than we do on the race." Tune into Put Your Socks On to listen to one of the key voices of the Tour de France.

The peloton rumbled up the Col de la Loze on Wednesday, and the soaring mountain did not disappoint. On today's episode, Fred Dreier and Jens Voigt break down all of the action from the big day in the Alps. What were Primož Roglič and Sepp Kuss up to in the final 3km of the race? Jens breaks down the action. Then, we hear from American Sepp Kuss about his Tour de France debut and the role he's been playing for Roglič throughout the Tour. Finally, James Startt and Andrew Hood file their dispatch from the Col de la Loze. James was on a race motorcycle for the soaring climb, and he takes us inside the race. All that and more on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast! Today's episode is sponsored by a new training supplement called MitoQ. MitoQ is a unique form of the antioxidant CoQ10 that is designed to get inside our cell's mitochondria to help create energy and neutralize free radicals. For more information go to www.mitoq.com/powerupcycling.