Spin Cycle

Johnny Long and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to discuss the Vuelta, Remco Evenpoel, transfers, and more from around the cycling world.

Kit Nicholson and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz to discuss the heat and a big transfer at the Vuelta and a supermarket sweep in Germany. Plus, Joe Lindsey joins to chat Di2 hacking.

This week's Placeholders recaps one of the greatest Grand Tour stages in history, goes into the history of the race radio debate, and discusses nationality swaps of Olympic athletes.

On this week's Placeholders, Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson talk transfers, Dane Cash pops by to preview the Vuelta a España, and Ryan Simonovich provides the lowdown on Leadville.

Abby, Loren, and Tilda had a long day, but not as long as the team staff. Two stages in one day, two winners and a whole lot of drama. With audio diaries from Quinty Ton (Liv AlUla Jayco), Noemi Rüegg (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Lea Curinier (FDJ-Suez).

Abby, Tilda, and Loren are on the ground in Rotterdam for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. All the fastest Dutch women wanted the first stage victory, but only one rider could pull on the first yellow jersey. The stage was not without some controversy, some ice cream needed, and some of that first stage hype.

Two absolutely incredible Olympic road races lead this week's show, and we bring in somebody with a truly unique view of all the action. Zac Williams shot photographs from a motorcycle all weekend and takes us through what he saw and what goes into getting the shot. For more on the photo in question, check this story on the site.

We're back from the Tour de France but the racing hasn't stopped. The Olympics are on and Caley, Jonny, and Dane discuss two thrilling mountain bike races, some very wet time trials, and look ahead to this weekend's road races. Plus, Iain Treloar jumps in to update us on some of his Capital J Journalism and its impact.

One last Tour de France Daily podcast, delayed by some lost luggage but finally here for your ears. An annual tradition, the Awards Episode looks back over a highly enjoyable Tour de France and hands out the most prestigious awards that we hand out.

The end of the Tour de France. Tadej Pogačar is now a three-time champion and the first to do the Giro/Tour double since Pantani. Caley, Jonny, Iain, and Ronan talk through the biggest storylines of the month, plus a bit of tech from the paddocks in Monaco. Thank you to everyone who listened along this month, we hope you enjoyed this Tour as much as we did.

The final road stage of the 2024 Tour de France is behind us. Caley, Iain, Jonny, and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal talk through Romain Bardet's last road stage, Tadej Pogačar's win record, and much more.

The fight for the yellow jersey is over. Tadej Pogačar now has over five minutes, Jonas Vingegaard conceded it won't happen for him this year. Richard Carapaz has come close to locking the polka dots, and Biniam Girmay is close to making history. Caley, Jonny, Iain, and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal digest and discuss the Tour's high water mark atop Isola 2000, and then catch up in Nice to bring you inside the race.

The crew discuss the cleansing power of Dad Watts, the fireworks that await, and dig into the listener mailbag.

The Tour Daily crew breaks down a stage 17 that finally saw a breakaway stage winner in the mountains – but that still featured attacks from Tadej Pogačar. Plus, the crew ponders whether someone on the Internet actually has special insight into what goes on behind the scenes at UAE.

Jasper Philipse edged closer to the green jersey as Biniam Girmay suffered a nasty crash, and we're about to head back into the Alps for a tough end to this Tour de France. Caley, Jonny, and Iain discuss all that plus a very flat rat, some live-on-TV swearing, carbon monoxide, and Cav's last sprint stage. To get the bonus After Dark segments at the end of each show, sign up now at escapecollective.com/TDF for just $1.

Welcome to the second rest day of the Tour de France. The boys have taken a pilgrimage to a site of lore on the Tour Daily pods, the river through Carcassonne, where the tarps came arf and many listener questions were answered. For access to the whole Rest Day episode, sign up at escapecollective.com/TDF for just one dollar/euro/pound.

Jonas Vingegaard tried. He used a hard stage in the best way he and his team knew how, but it wasn't enough. Caley, Iain, and Jonny talk through a battle on Plateau de Beille, plus break the chip story wide open, discuss Pogačar's press offensive with the French people, and wonder why anybody would run up a mountain in flip flops.

Cracker of a stage, that was. The GC lit up on Pla d'Adet as Pogačar improvised and attacked his way into time gains. Caley, Iain, and Jonny talk through the stage and consider where the race stands near the end of its second week.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Iain Treloar are in Pau after stage 13 of the Tour de France to break down Jasper Philipsen's win and the Pyrenees ahead, and Ronan Mc Laughlin joins the podcast to discuss the use of carbon monoxide during altitude training.

Fresh to your ears from the finest finish line-adjacent Campanile, where Caley, Jonny, and Iain are pleased to find they'll be spending the night lulled to sleep by the low whir of Ineos' trucked-in air conditioning units. The trio discuss Bini Girmay's third win, Primoz Roglič's terrible luck, and the sad isolation of a caravan Haribo vehicle away from its flock.

Jonas Vingegaard is here to play. Dropped but not gone, he fought his way back to Tadej Pogačar and set up tight GC battle ahead of the Pyrenees. Caley, Iain, and Jonny chat through the narratives around Pogačar and Vingegaard, plus what they heard at the busses after the stage about Remco, Roglic, and the French football team.

Finally, Jasper Philipsen gets his stage win. Caley, Iain, and Jonny discuss the sprint, what it means for the green jersey, and then add a bit of Adrie van der Poel parking woes, an alpaca update, and a cheat sheet for the random things we like to talk about.

It's a beautiful rest day in Orléans and Caley, Jonny, and Iain bring you a week one vibe check plus a big ol' bag of mail. For the full episode, sign up at escapecollective.com/TDF or, if you're already a member, click here.

The third different gravel world championships took place in Troyes, or TRWA!, on Sunday. Caley, Iain and Jonny sat down over a 4/10 pizza to discuss the race for the win and the fight behind between the GC guys.

Biniam Girmay made it two and the fight for the green jersey looks like it will go all the way to Nice. Caley, Iain, and Jonny break down the day and then peruse their notebooks for other stories of the day.

Time trial day at the Tour de France. That means marginal gains, aero hacks, speedy suits and, of course, nutritional birthday cake. Caley, Jonny, and Iain discuss the day's racing plus a visit to a birthday boy and lots more.

Another sprint stage and another sprinter crosses the line first. Congratulations Dylan Groenewegen, but the big story today was the relegation of last year's four-time winner Jasper Philipsen. Caley and Jonny are joined by none other than Iain Treloar to talk through the stage, plus all the strange things spotted throughout the rest of the day.

Well, he did it. Win number 35. Mark Cavendish, already the greatest sprinter of all time, now has more Tour de France stage wins than any other rider. Caley and Jonny chat through the sprint, talk to Cav's coach, his leadout man, and his whisperer, and then bring together a pile of other strange things that happened today in France.

The question before the stage was simple: would they go for it? Would today be the true kickoff in the fight for the yellow jersey? The answer was an emphatic yes. Stage four took in the mighty Galibier and the race for the GC is officially on. Caley and Jonny come to you from the finish town in Valloire, where they speak to Jonas Vingegaard, chat about Pogačar's wheel selection, and break down how the best of the rest all faired.

The Tour always throws up a few good surprises, and stage 3 came with two. Caley, Jonny, Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal, and then Ronan (accidentally) on in Torino and chat Biniam Girmay, Richard Carapaz, and Mark Cavendish.

Jonny can't stop talking about Harry Kane but luckily Caley and Ronan watched the bike race and run through the biggest storylines from Stage 2 of the Tour de France. The race is officially on, and we now know who wants to win it.

Stage 1 of the Tour de France and the home nation, if not the host nation, already have something to cheer about. Caley, Jonny, Ronan, and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal come to you from a coastal restaurant in Rimini to talk through Romain Bardet's big day out front, Mark Cavendish's rough day out back, and what the next few days might look like.

It's the eve of the first stage of the Tour de France and Caley, Jonny, and Josh Robinson of the Wall Street Journal (#JRotWSJ) are joined by a live audience in an alley of Florence. On the docket: Visma's new van, press conference vibe checks, a brief mailbag, plus a chat between Jack Haig and Fred Wright. Finally, we have José Been's first cultural instalment.

Buongiorno from an Italian start to the Tour de France. Caley and Jonny stop at a lovely seaside town en route to the Grand Depart and discuss the contenders and storylines of the upcoming Tour de France. For complete access to our Tour de France coverage, become a member for only $1 this month. You'll get bonus episodes and members-only interviews, no paywall on the website, access to our hopping Discord full of fellow cycling fans, and lots more.

A plan to “ride around Australia” is just one of many nuggets from Lachlan Morton on this week’s Performance Process podcast. The 2024 Unbound Gravel winner also spoke of how his training changed in preparation for this year’s Unbound, all the tweaks and hacks he made to his bike and why he is constantly adjusting his position as he gives us an insight into his incredible versatility and unique take on bike racing. Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

It’s time to geek out. This week Brad Copeland, Ronan McLaughlin, and Dave Rome are on the pod to talk all the major news in the world of tech and what’s on their minds.There’s a new road bike from Pinarello, and a new head unit that promises to be self-sustaining, and a more affordable full suspension race bike from Specialized. Plus Dave and Brad share some things on their minds.Forward warning and an apology as the sound quality on this one doesn’t meet our usual standard. Dave was already under the weather, and if that weren’t enough, he then had mic issues. The information is there, it’s just Dave sounds like virus-riddled bot!Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.Time stamps:2:24 - New Pinarello Dogma11:50 - Coros’ entry into head units22:05 - More new alloy from Specialized, this time the Chisel FS28:33 - Spoken has been run, a bonus episode is incoming29:25 - Spare seatpost length is on Brad’s mind33:30 - Dave explains why he’s a reformed chain waxer43:50 - Quick tech bite in the form of Giant’s new kids bike50:05 - Brad shares a tip for getting tips

On this week's Placeholders, Caley Fretz, Kit Nicholson, and Jonny Long discuss Tadej Pogačar's fueling at the 2023 Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel's floor needs, and more.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

We’ve got a two-parter for everyone this week. The first is Loren and I breaking down Tour de Suisse, who will look back on the race happy with their form and who will have a lot of questions with only two weeks to go to the Giro. In the second part Matt de Neef’s calls up Ruby Roseman-Gannon.Obsessions: Loren – Her new gravel bike!, Abby – Our Tour de France Femmes coverage plans!And as we noted in the episode, starting next week Wheel Talk will only be available on its own podcast feed. If you’re not subscribed, now is the time to do it! This will help us expand our content and offer you more bonus episodes in the future plus we have our own space, hooray!Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

An *IMPORTANT NOTE* to start: Moving forward, the How the Race was Won Podcast will only be available either on its own solo feed or on the members-only podcast feed. If you've been listening on the non-members Escape Collective feed and want to keep getting the podcast, search for "How the Race was Won" wherever you get your podcasts, or go here on Spotify or here on iTunes.This week, Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash discuss the Tour de Suisse, where Adam Yates, João Almeida, and UAE Team Emirates dominated the competition in a show of force ahead of the Tour de France.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Welcome back to The Rest Day with Jack Haig. This is another solo episode, a life update of sorts, as Jack prepares to take on the 2024 Tour de France.

This week's Performance Process podcast is a TT special as we trial a new format. First we kick off with a performance news round up and then delve into an interview with none other than Stefan Küng. We ask the former European and Swiss TT champion if "watt monsters" are an endangered species in time trialling, if he is actually a TT specialist, and if time trialling is now just an arms race and too dangerous. Plus, we get an update on his lost wedding ring.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

The tech never stops. This episode Brad Copeland and Dave Rome discuss a handful of new dropbar bikes, a recall, common mistakes with fitting chains, and their favourite… grease. Oh yes, it’s Geek Warning!Those new bikes include the fascinatingly simple Specialized Crux DSW, a refreshed Bianchi Arcadex gravel bike, and OBED’s entry into the endurance road space. Meanwhile the geeks discuss Ellsworth’s recent return and entry into gravel.Following a repair during the week, on Brad’s mind is how chain direction matters and it spurs a larger conversation about other common chain-related mistakes. Then Dave asks the hard hitting questions, asking Brad to pick a single grease of choice.The episode wraps with a recall from Kuat and a tease for the upcoming Spoken Show (formerly Handmade Bicycle Show Australia) in Melbourne, Australia.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.Time stamps:5:25 - Specialized’s new alloy bike and why simple wins20:00 - Bianchi new Arcadex and why UDH is now the common feature in gravel26:48 - Ellsworth returns to the dropbar world33:00 - OBED RVR is another option with a taller stack height39:25 - Chain direction is on Brad’s mind46:40 - Pick one: Grease. Yes, grease.53:50 - Roval releases a Team version of its Rapide CLX II road wheels58:32 - Kuat has a recall that impacts 86,000 racks1:01:30 - High-fives await in Melbourne

With the release of season 2 of Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained, the Unchained Binge podcast is back. In this first episode of the year, Kit Nicholson, Jonny Long, and Caley Fretz dive into the first episode, which sets the scene for another season of drama behind the scenes at the Tour.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

On this week's Placeholders, Jonny Long and Kit Nicholson join Caley Fretz to do a form check of the big contenders ahead of the Tour de France and field a few questions from members.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

This week Abby is joined by Matilda Raynolds and a very special guest - Shawn Clarke, DS for Liv AlUla Jayco. They chat Tour of Britain, how teams decide which DS goes to which race, the transfer market, and more.Obsessions: Abby - Fall Guy, Shawn - Tour de Gatineau and Bike Race Ottawa, Tils - Timeshifter appEscape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

A €9,000 frame, a €27k build, and €22K spent on developing the bottle alone… Wilier has a new TT bike.Escape Collective had exclusive access to the development of this new bike in a seemingly impossible time frame. Leading the design project was Marco Genovese, Head of Design at Wilier Triestina. With 14 years of experience in developing over 100 frames, Genovese knows a thing or two about carbon frame design. Escape Tech Editor Ronan Mc Laughlin sat down with Genovese to deep dive on all things frame design to discuss everything from brainwaves in the shower to initial concepts and from modern design tools to made-up UCI rules.The Supersonica may be a time trial bike, but this bonus episode of the Geek Warning podcast is for anyone who has ever wondered how bikes are designed.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash break down the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné, where Primož Roglič narrowly held off Matteo Jorgensen to win the overall title, and discuss what it all means ahead of the Tour de France.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

It’s been said that Kona is 'The Smallest Biggest Bike Company in the World'. They’re best known as the quintessential North Shore bike brand, yet their global head office is just down over the border in Ferndale, Washington.The quirky company stood out with outrageous bike model names such as the Stinky Dee-Lux, Sex One, Sex Too, and, Jackshit, which placed them well and truly as the "alternative" bicycle company.The business was founded by Dan Gerhard, Jacob Heilbron in Vancouver, BC along with mtb hall of famer Joe Murray as their designer.With a rich history of iconic bikes and factory race teams, it was all overshadowed by the recent events of their former owners, Kent Outdoors, who were responsible for running Kona into the ground (my words, not theirs) before the original founders bought the company back last month. Only a few weeks after Dan and Jake bought the company back, I spoke to Jake about Kona’s founding story that dates back to 36yrs ago in 1988, the sale of the business to a private equity-backed company, and what happened that led them to buying Kona back. If you like this podcast and want to hear more, please support our work by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/

A lot has happened in the world of cycling tech over the past week. The Dauphine has teased new bikes getting dialled in for the Tour. While Unbound has shown that gravel tech is still progressing at a rapid rate, including wider tyres, new 1x drivetrains, and aero-shaped suspension.There’s a full cast of geeks to chat about it, with Ronan Mc Laughlin tuning in to discuss what’s new in the road space, while Dave Rome and new-old voice Brad Copeland discuss the rest.Of course the geeks discuss something on their mind which should prove helpful for anyone with a stuck crank. The episode closes with tech news including Fulcrum’s new Sharq wheels, a new gravel race handlebar from Pro, a well-priced mountain bike shifter upgrade from SRAM, and more.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.Time stamps:4:26 - A swarm of new road bikes are coming from Canyon, Willier, Pinarello, and more24:00 - A corrections corner24:51 - New tech seen at Unbound Gravel, including things from SRAM, wider wheels, aero Fox suspension, and new bikes42:20 - On our mind: stubborn crank bolts and methods for overcoming them55:00 – Bianchi’s ribbon-cutting ceremony has us giggling58:20 – Fulcrum’s new wavy-shaped Sharq wheels1:02:40 – Pro Bike Gear’s new Discover Aero Carbon handlebar for better GRX integration1:08:10 - SRAM’s new Pod Rocker upgrade for AXS

Dane Cash and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to discuss Unbound, Unchained, and the unmistakeable approach of the Tour de France as the Critérium du Dauphiné gets underway.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.