Velo Podcast

The grand finale of the cobbled classics is nearly here! The hardmen are headed south to take on the so-called "Queen of the Classics," Paris-Roubaix. The gnarliest cobbles on the WorldTour await on Sunday, with defending champ Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), world champ Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), and a stable of powerful Quick-Step riders set to do battle on the pavé one last time this spring. The Re...

Coming to you from the classics heartland of Belgium, we've got ample analysis and opinion on Tour of Flanders. Some riders surprised, impressed, and amazed us. Others... not so much. Dane Cash and Andrew Hood look back on the biggest race in Belgium and what it meant for the key classics riders. Tune in for lots of post-race interviews with key players of the peloton, recorded on site in Oudenaar...

This episode is all about POWER. First, we’ll touch upon the history of power, and how it has fundamentally changed the sport of cycling and, more importantly, how we train. When did the use of power meters and power analysis first appear? Which athletes were the first to use them? And how did the pioneers of power revolutionize training methods over time to create the many sophisticated metrics w...

All the "tune-up" races are in the rearview mirror. The big kahuna of the Flemish classics awaits. The Tour of Flanders — De Ronde van Vlaanderen for the faithful — rolls out from Antwerp on Sunday. In contrast to recent years that saw Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen bidding the cobbles adieu, the conversations at the classics in 2018 have not revolved around "last hurrahs." Instead, all the focu...

Go inside the Belgian spring classics with our team of reporters who are on the ground (er... cobbles) at E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem. Dane Cash, Andrew Hood, and Gregor Brown discuss the racing action. Just how good was Quick-Step at E3? Is Sagan's win at Gent-Wevelgem an indication of bigger things to come? Why did American Coryn Rivera go off the front in Gent-Wevelgem instead of waiting for...

We receive tons of compelling questions from Fast Talk listeners, and now it is time to give you the answers. On this first edition of "Ask Fast Talk," we discuss the following: the importance of aerobic threshold training and the physiological adaptations that take place from doing so; should FTP be based on one's very best race effort or on a test; dealing with muscle soreness after weight train...

With a daring attack over the final climb, Vincenzo Nibali wrote himself into Milano-Sanremo history with a solo win. Did he get lucky, or was this a result of careful tactics? Which sprinters' teams blew it in the final chase? We unpack all of the takes and analysis from the first monument of the season and talk to reporter Gregor Brown who was on the ground in Italy. Plus, Spencer has a rundown...

When it comes to exercise, can there be too much of a good thing? In this episode we take a deep dive into heart arrhythmias in endurance athletes, and the details of how and why long-term endurance exercise could cause a variety of heart arrhythmias. We’ll analyze the research, discuss warning signs, and give you an idea of how hard your heart is working when you’re doing that set of intervals or...

With the season's first monument just around the corner, the show is switching gears for a deep dive into Milano-Sanremo via the Recon Ride, back with the VeloNews podcast for the spring classics! The Recon Ride is a race preview show with more analysis and commentary than you ever knew you needed. On this week's show, hosts Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash take a closer look at the route and favorite...

This week's Tirreno-Adriatico race got us thinking: What would Team Sky do without Chris Froome? The four-time Tour champ had a rough outing at the one-week Italian stage race. We analyze the action from there and also consider the takeaways from Paris-Nice. Plus, Fred talks about his recent article on virtual racing. Will bike races of the future take place on trainers, in front of sell-out crowd...

Strade Bianche was a muddy masterpiece of bicycle racing. We've got takes on how the racing action went down, and what we can expect in the classics this spring. Then, we unpack the never-ending Team Sky saga, which again has Bradley Wiggins in the hot seat, defending his reputation and his time as Britain's standard-bearer in the Tour de France. Is his reputation tarnished forever? We discuss. Al...

Is aging as bad as everyone thinks it is? Are our rides doomed to slowness and pain after 35? Don't despair, on this podcast we give you some answers. Throughout, we talk to Ned Overend about how he's managed to stay fast into his 60s. We first address what the research says, and why even past research painted a much grimmer picture than reality. We’ll explore the science with Dr. Jason Glowney an...

Astana impressed at the first cobbled race of the season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. How did young Michael Valgren pull off this big win? We analyze the race and also look at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, where Dylan Groenewegen confirmed that he's a top sprinter to watch. Plus, American Alexis Ryan found the podium in the women's Omloop. Also on this podcast, Andrew Hood talks to Paris-Roubaix winner Greg...

If you've ever ogled a handbuilt steel frame, you should thank Tom Ritchey. Founder of the eponymous brand, Ritchey was one of the pioneers of modern framebuilding. He also was integral when a band of Californians decided to take their bikes off-road on the trails around Marin. This interview covers all of that and much more with a living legend of American cycling.

Can you feel that? The cobbled classics kick off this weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad! We look ahead to that race and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Who is riding well? Why did Sagan decide to skip these fun early spring openers? Plus, we call up European correspondent Andrew Hood for an inside look at the crazy media scrum that was Ruta del Sol. Ruta del Sol? Yep, it was Chris Froome's debut race, an...

It's time to unlock the mysteries of fatigue. Is it just lactic acid pooling in your legs, as your high school coach probably told you? No, that’s not it. The answer is actually a lot more complex than you'd think. In fact, some of the most exciting theories have only recently been proposed. This episode reveals those exciting revelations and explores the foundations of fatigue. First, we’ll discu...

They might look like skinny superheroes, but pro cyclists grapple with fear just like the rest of us. In this podcast, we talk to Andrew Hood about his recent article in VeloNews magazine, "Fear Factor." He explains why the pros are afraid of some unexpected things. (Hint: Crashing isn't one of them.) But before that, we analyze scads of early season bike races from Dubai to Colombia to this week'...

This week, the Fast Talk podcast went live! Hosts Trevor Connor and Chris Case fielded questions on Facebook from podcast listeners like you. Here are a few (of the many) topics we covered: - How does oatmeal compare to other grains? - What type of riding should I do to prepare for a gran fondo with 7,400 meters of climbing? - Is compression clothing beneficial? When and for how long should I use...

American Olympian Ruth Winder is headed to the Netherlands to race for Team Sunweb. We talk to the up-and-comer about what it's like to make the big move to one of Europe's top teams. Also, Winder talks about her experience as an alternate on the U.S. team pursuit squad at the Rio Olympics. Did she snag selfies with sports celebs? Do alternates win medals too? Why does track cycling make you so go...

With brutal mud on a gnarly course, 'cross worlds didn't disappoint... and neither did the U.S. women's team. We recap and analyze the battle between Sanne Cant and Katie Compton. Then, we try to make sense of why the tables turned in the ongoing rivalry between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Of course, the podcast wouldn't be complete without an update on Chris Froome. Turns out, he's go...

NOTE: This is an updated version of episode 37. We apologize for uploading the previous, rough cut of this podcast. This is the one you want ... Thanks for listening! We take on the always-controversial subject of nutrition. Why is it so controversial? First, it’s very personal: Many people, trained or untrained, have strong opinions on the subject, and a lot of heated debate revolves around what...

Rainbow jerseys are on the line this weekend at cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands. We consider the top favorites and look back at the treacherous final round of the World Cup last Sunday in Hoogerheide. Road season is also underway with early season races in Argentina, Mallorca, and Australia. Trek-Segafredo came out swinging this week with five wins worldwide. One of the men to raise his arms...

Compton and Keough went one-two in the Nommay 'cross World Cup. We look back on a memorable race for the Americans and puzzle over Mathieu van der Poel's seemingly nonchalant approach to winning. Then, Fred Dreier calls up Andrew Hood for the inside line on Tour Down Under. From the heat to the surprise winner, to the cuddly critters, Hoody gets us up to speed. Plus we consider who was off the fro...

Is climbing as simple as power-to-weight ratios? Not so much. In the January/February issue of VeloNews magazine, we dug into the rarely explored science of climbing. This podcast goes behind the scenes of the making of that article, and the many fascinating discoveries that came out of it. Co-hosts Trevor Connor and Chris Case turned themselves into mad scientists and convinced WorldTour pro Sepp...

With Compton crushing her 14th title and Hyde battling Powers for his second title, CX Nats was an instant classic. We look back on the key races, and what's ahead for the best American cyclocross racers. Also in this show, we discuss the 2018 Women's WorldTour. Some key riders have moved to new teams, but will that stop Boels-Dolmans from winning nearly any race? The Dutch powerhouse team looks a...