Half Wheelin' Podcast

Welcome to a new format that Burgess is playing around with.  The goal of this is to bring people from the cycling world to you, but in a format that is less formal. So why this? Well, often when I watch interviews with pro cyclists, they’re very focused on stats, or training, or diet, and to be honest, I find this a bit overdone. So I want to have a crack at something a bit different. Each episod...

We start by eulogising Pog's career, and paying our respects to what he gave us and the sport. Yes we're all grieving, deeply sad, and grateful at the same time. Big feelings, big meaning. We then shift into a conversation with Nick Owen! Nick’s a sports scientist and cycling coach, based in Melbourne, Australia. He works with road and track cyclists at Olympic, Paralympic, and World tou...

How far should you go? Is better, actually better? What’s your favourite home tool? Your best buy? If you’re even just a little bit into cycling you’ll know how much of factor “gear” is. Bikes, components, clothing, add ons, tools. A world inside a world. From being a critical determinant at the highest levels, to causing middle-aged weekend warriors delusions of salvation and grandeur, cycling ge...

In 2016, Keagan Girdlestone was an 18 year old, super promising pro with Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. The physiological watts/kilo indicators were there, as was his ability to produce results.   Then he had a horrific racing accident with his own team car. Things were touch and go for days, and for a period of time, he actually died.  The next couple years never really built  much racing momen...

What would it take to go Pro these days? And what’s it like once you’re racing in Europe on the start of your journey?  What’s a typical day like? Harder than being on the tools?   Well you asked and we delivered! (Well, Aidan did). He brought in Hugh Harvey, from the World Tour Arkea BnB Hotels development squad. The young Pro from Sydney, Australia, told us about things like: HIs winning start i...

So the highly coveted UCI Annual Half-Wheelin Awards* have been run and won, and weren’t we treated to a feast of celebrating the beauty of road cycling!?   Approved by the Half Wheelin’ ethics committee, categories were: Biggest Local Bunch Muppet Most "Fuck he’s Better than Bloody Good"  Never Thought We’d be Admiring Them!  Most Ferocious Shredding of a Race by One Team  Best Example...

Ok Half Wheelers, time to get real.    The Slovenian "Year of the Pog" continued at the final monument on the calendar, where Tadej won his fourth Il Lombardia IN A ROW. Predictable, simple and seemingly with unfettered ease, his dominance has moved into a new phase, and reactively, so have his opposition.    It's been the most dominant individual men’s season in history and everyon...

Well the Worlds in Zurich have come and gone, and weren’t we all left scratching our heads. Of course in this Chinese Year of the Pog, TP did normal TP things, but what about Belgium and The Netherlands? Seemed like they did almost no things. The boys also square up on the race prominent Dutch women’s team for demonstrating their recent reputation of being a team of champions rather than a champio...

It took us a while, such was his impact.  But don't worry Half Wheelers, we'd never let you down. We just needed time to make sense of what his dazzling time in the peleton meant to us all. Yes Peter Sagan has finished with road cycling, and after an incredible career, with an incredible win rate, will return to his MTB roots and perhaps where his soul has always been. Rosco and Scotty c...

Righto Half Wheelers! The boys are back casting their powerful observations, beginning with the recent Worlds in Glasgow and it's 50-turn city circuit of ridiculous attritional pain. MVDP is recognised, in the context of his victory and whole year, and of course, Wout gets a mention, with a "where to from here?" for the Belgian beast. There's a bit of forecasting for the undoub...

After a big Spring and Ardennes Classics season where Pog went ballistic only to be finally stopped by someone else bringing him down in a crash early in La Doyene, and Coolangatta Gold continued to add to his monument collection, the Half Wheelin' boys went back to altitude for a another training and preparation cycle.  They wisely avoided the filthy weather of the Giro, but still watched cl...

Righto Half Wheelers! The part of the season we all love best, has just finished with the recently completed Paris-Roubaix. The boys take a look back at all of the races, with fleeting reference to Strada Bianche (how long ago was that?!). Roubaix, Ronde, De Panne, Dwars, Wevelgum and E3 are all given random and passionate coverage. Who were the heroes, and who stood out? Who did the stomping, how...

After a painfully long off season, a brilliant CX season and some well meaning, but let's be honest, "different" feeling races in Argentina, the Middle East and even our beloved Down Under, real road racing finally revealed itself with Opening Day. Yes, recorded one day after K-B-K, the boys launch into Omloop and Kurne-Brussels-Kurne with the usual superb analysis, insight and cele...

Following the climax of being on location at the World champs in Wollongong, and of course producing brilliant shows, Ross and Scott are back to caress your cycling spirits, with an episode full of musings and mirth, bridging the road-seasons.  Initially it’s a reflection on Ross’s heroic recent Everesting and the reason why, and Scott shares a setback we’ve all experienced, when something we love...

Ross and Scotty take the opportunity while on the train, to discuss the experience of watching the women's and men's road races. A nice 20 minute breakdown for you!

Ross and Scott record this one in the car on the way to Wollongong (apologies for the sound being a bit tinny, couldn't get the $10,000 mic to work). It's a 9 hour journey, so let's just say there was plenty of opportunity for brilliant, expansive thoughts. Our previous episode reviewing Le Tour was accidentally deleted before being published, so we do a whirlwind review of the TdF...

No we weren't assassinated. Just dealing with a complex concoction of soul searching, being in high demand, considering offers from ASO and doing too much riding. We do a mid season flyover, spanning the Ghent-Wevelgem Classic in the brisk Belgian weather of late March, thorough to the opening stages of Le Tour in the July Summer. Also covered is the ongoing SBS cycling telecast saga. Not onl...

Despite the busy racing schedule of the world tour, as well as devoting time to their own heroic exploits on two wheels, Scotty and Rosco have found the time to link up for another chin wag about some of their favourite things of this magnificently exciting pro season so far.  They chat about what has caught their respective eye during the start of the Spring Classics and also the week-long stage...

Scotty and Rosco are back for another year of balls to the wall cycling, and they're bloody pumped to bring you some of their early season thoughts and insights - all from an educated bloke at the pub kind of wisdom! The boys chat about Egan Bernal's career threatening injury, Coolongatta Gold's similar body woes, and as per usual Wout had some love heaped upon him. They discuss the...

What a banger we have to finish off 2021! Scotty and Rosco were lucky enough to sit down and have an in-depth chat on Performance, Recruiting Decisions and Team Culture & Identity with one of Australia's leading voices on these topics, Cameron Schwab.  Cam is a CEO, leadership coach and strategist who holds an MBA & Master of Marketing from Melbourne Business School, has completed an...

On March 13th in 2022, the toughest one-day cycling challenge in Australia will be taking place in Victoria's  majestic High Country.  Peaks Challenge: Falls Creek, will again play host to thousands of cycling enthusiasts who are keen to extend themselves and take part in what can only be described as an epic day in the saddle. 235km, 4,000m+ of elevation, over the iconic climbs of Tawonga Ga...

The Road World Championships and Paris Roubaix have been run and won, and now you can just push them to the far reaches of your brain right? The same spot of your brain that sits the memory of the arse whipping you received on a bunch ride not long ago?  INCORRECT!!! This is the thorough review of those two simply epic races that you bloody need, right now...RIGHT NOW! And it's done in a way...

Rule #5 of The Velominati: The Keepers of the Cog is a simple and straightforward decree - Harden The Fuck Up.  It is this particular commandment that, as a cyclist, can be one that leads to fluctuating fortunes. With good intentions, we're always trying to display our very best 'hard bastard' characteristics and as Scotty and Rosco will chat about in this episode, the races that ar...

Hold on to your hats Half Wheelin' fans, Scotty and Rosco have some massive news for you in this episode. They have joined forces with Australia's biggest bike riding organisation to assist with the promotion and awareness of one of the country's most epic cycling experiences...listen to find out what that is! Also in episode 16, the boys discuss the final Grand Tour of 2021 - La Vu...