Watts Occurring

The boys have been busy - G racing the Giro, Luke repping the pod live in studio on Eurosport, and there's three big days of racing to recap. It's been pretty smooth since the rest day but, as always, Grand Tours are like a swan swimming across a pond. There's always a hell of a lot happening under the surface. G filled us in on the peloton's antics, reflected on Julian Alaphilippe's incredible stage win today, another big ride from Johnny 'Bravo' Narvaez, and previewed stage 13's sprint test, before looking ahead to a brutal weekend of climbing. Strap yourselves in. The Giro 'starts' this weekend. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's rest day number one at the Giro, so you know what that means: it's time for a pod. There's a lot for G and Luke to catch up on. That tricky time trial, the latest summit finish, what's coming up this week, and we even had some time for a few of your questions. Pippo Ganna even popped by. We can't wait for week two - and we'll be back with another pod in a few days. Come on G! Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on the eve of the second weekend at the Giro d'Italia and Luke and Tom are here to recap the first time trial of the race - and it was a cracker. G battled hard to a solid top-10 finish while Pog put in a big ride to pip Pippo Ganna to the stage win by a matter of seconds and strengthen his grip on the maglia rosa. There's plenty for the boys to catch up on - yesterday's gravel stage, a special ride from Luke's friend Michael Valgren, more #PinkPanther analysis and - as always - a lot more. Luke and Tom will also be providing alternative commentary live on Eurosport tomorrow, for stage 8 - tune in to @eurosportcycling or @gtcyclingclub on Instagram from 2pm UK time to hear their thoughts on the race's latest mountaintop finish. G will be back on the pod on Monday. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did anybody think the first three days of the Giro would be that exciting? We didn't. An INEOS win on day one, a classic Pog ride on day two, and then a wild attack from G and Pog on day three! It's been a tasty ride. So, it was time for a pod. Luke joined G to chat about that crazy first weekend, INEOS' tactics, how our Welshman's feeling in Italy and what's left to come this week. The boys will be back soon - and we're hoping G carries on his cracking start. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 January, 2012. The day that Luke Rowe became a professional bike rider, pulling on the immortal colours of Team Sky for the first time. 13 years later, after a career that he dreamt of as a young Maindy Flyer, growing up in Cardiff and riding round the famous outdoor velodrome, Luke's decided to hang up his pro wheels at the end of this season. What a journey it's been. He sat down with G this week to bring you, our Watts Occurring listeners, the news first. It's not been an easy decision. Following his crash and concussion in E3 back in March, regular listeners will know that Luke's recovery hasn't been as speedy as expected. As he explains, following medical advice and long discussions with his young family, Luke has decided that this season will be his last. He still hopes to race this season - did someone say Tour of Britain? - but will need to see how his recovery progresses. For now, it's time to pay tribute to Luke, and start planning his retirement party. It's been fun, eh? Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys are back and yes, it's finally here - it's Giro week! It barely seems like five minutes since G lost out on that epic final day to Primoz Roglic last year, yet here we go again. It's time for G to pack his bags and head off for a lap of Italy. Tom joined the lads for this bumper preview - and he'll be back throughout the race for plenty of Giro pods - as they talked G's chances, made some big predictions, and made sure that Sa will be giving him a haircut before he boards the plane for Italy. We'll be back later this week for a very special bonus show (more on that in due course), and then as always we'll be bringing you regular updates from the frontline of the first Grand Tour of the season. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport NOTE: We'll let him off as he's got a big month ahead, but G's microphone had a few issues during this record. Apologies if you pick up on that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

G's prep for the Giro is very nearly complete. Tour of the Alps was his last racing hit out before he heads for Italy and he breaks it all down for Luke in this week's Watts. Luke himself is finally on the mend, following his concussion back in mid-March. Fingers crossed he'll be back on the bike with a vengeance soon. He's keeping himself busy though, with two commentary stints on Eurosport over the past week. First up he called compatriot Stevie Williams winning Fleche Wallonne, and then was on air as Pogi decimated the field in typically stunning fashion at Liege. G reckons he's now on Merckx level. What do you think? Let us know on Twitter: @Watts_Occurring. We'll be back in a week's time for a bumper Giro preview... and then Grand Tour number one of the season will begin. Bring it on! Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, day one at the Tour of the Alps was a cracker wasn't it - and after a tasty, attacking finale, G came home sixth, three seconds back on teammate and stage winner Tobias Foss. He jumped straight on the massage table, called up Luke, and gave him the rundown. Meanwhile the boys are fresh from their first alternative commentary with Eurosport - head to @eurosportcycling on Instagram to relive the boys' commentating efforts on the Amstel Gold Race! And after they came off air, INEOS Grenadiers put on a show, setting up Tom Pidcock for his first (well... maybe second) Amstel title. Luke and G analyse that win and look ahead to Fleche and this Sunday's final spring Monument, Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Before that, G's got a few Alpine mountains to summit. Send him your best. We'll be back next week - if not before... Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys are back to discuss the fastest ever edition of Roubaix, won in serious style by world champ Mathieu van der Poel. Yes, that's the bloke who won Flanders too. He is untouchable right now - although, of course, if Luke wasn't suffering from concussion, he'd have taken it to the Dutchman... Speaking of Luke's concussion, he's got a bit of bad news on that front. He's still suffering after his crash in E3 and is back off the bike. He's hoping to be back to normal soon, but there's no rushing an issue like this. G is trucking along happily in Sierra and should be back in action at the Tour of the Alps this time next week. See you then for a racing update from our elder statesman, who is now less than a month out from the Giro. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys are back - and we've got some news: Watts Occurring is now powered by Eurosport! We're delighted to welcome Eurosport as our new title sponsor for 2024. We've got lots of exciting things planned, including Luke, G and Tom doing a spot of alternative commentary... More details on that soon. Before then the boys are back with the first Watts Occurring of 2024 - and there's lots to catch up on. Luke's overcoming his concussion, G's been training with Pog in Sierra Nevada and the boys do a deep dive looking back on an incredible Flanders. It's good to be back. See you next week for a Roubaix recap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we ask our GTCC members for guest suggestions, one man often comes up: Mr Luke Rowe. Of course Luke is a part of the GTCC family and a familiar voice to you all as half of Watts Occurring, but for the final GTCC episode of season four we thought we'd shine the spotlight on our other Welshman and dig into his career over the past few seasons, his plans for this year, and what life might look like when he's hung up his competitive wheels. 2023 wasn't kind to Luke. He lost his Mum, Alyson, in April and - as anybody can imagine - cycling took a back seat for a while. But, having penned a fresh two-year contract at the end of the season, he's hoping for a big 2024. And so after another incredible series, we call time on the GTCC! We'll be back next week with the first Watts Occurring of 2024 - and back in October for GTCC S5. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get this in your ears the next time you go for a ride. It’s like Blue Planet, in podcast form. Wildlife filmmaker and TV personality Hannah Stitfall wants to take you the world below the waves. She’ll be chatting to freedivers, marine biologists, submarine pilots and more, hearing mind-boggling stories about the oceans-deep and its inhabitants. We explore The Lost City. We hang out with your favourite animals. The hypnotic sound design and storytelling will drop you right there. Oceans: Life Under Water is brought to you by Crowd Network and Greenpeace UK, which is how these stories can be told so beautifully but also responsibly. To hear more, search for Oceans: Life Under Water in your favourite podcast app. Or click here: https://linktr.ee/oceanspod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're delighted to welcome a BIG guest to the GTCC today - G's boss and the head of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe! A huge cycling and sports fan, Jim is one of the most talked about men in the sporting world right now, following his investment into Manchester United. The INEOS Sport portfolio continues to grow and, over an hour and a cup of coffee in his Monaco office, Jim was more than happy to chat to Geraint and Tom about how he's ended up owning one of the world's largest cycling teams, an America's Cup sailing team, two other football clubs, a stake in the Mercedes F1 team, become a major sponsor of the All Blacks, and so much more. There's also an excellent anecdote about being crashed by Chris Froome - yes, really - plus a lot of chat about Jim's plans for returning United to the top of English and world football. We hope this gives you a great insight into Sir Jim and a better understanding of his sporting investments. Meanwhile G's straight back to work - this time in Catalunya, as he continues his prep for the Giro. We'll see you next week for the last GTCC of season four! We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

G had to be on best behaviour for this week’s guest - because it’s the man who sets him his training day in, day out! Conor Taylor has been working with G for more than two years now and has played a major role in G’s longevity at the top of the sport, helping him to that incredible second place at the Giro last year, and Tour podium finish in 2022. The thinking behind cycling training and the nutrition to support it has changed beyond all recognition in recent years, with G himself happy to admit that he’s had to adapt with the times to stay relevant. Conor came to the GTCC with plenty of fascinating insights for our GTCC members - there should be something for every cyclist in this episode. In other news, G, Tom and Producer George have been working on something very exciting to end the series - so get ready for that one, if it comes off. We shall see. We’ll see you soon. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lucy Charles-Barclay needs no introduction - although the first time G met her, he could have done with one! You'll hear that story here, as well as how Lucy went from being a star swimmer and just missing out on Olympic selection to the absolute top of the Ironman world. Her journey has been remarkable and we loved getting to know one of Britain's world endurance stars for this week's GTCC. And, of course, G managed to get plenty of advice out of Lucy as he plans his Ironman attempt in retirement. Tom might even join in too! There's also a Strade recap, an ode to Pog, and a deep dive into Jumbo's beautiful new aero TT helmet. See you next week for a fascinating chat with G's coach. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know what you're thinking: HOW did it take this long to get Julian Alaphilippe on the GTCC?! We don't know. But he's here now, and everyone's favourite Frenchman certainly didn't disappoint. Julian has been unfortunate with injury over the past two seasons and cycling waits for no man. Yet he's started this season with a spring in his step and nobody would doubt him adding to his frankly ridiculous palmares. Two-time world champion. Multiple Tour de France stage winner. Strade Bianche. Milan San Remo. Polka dot jersey. And, of course, the winner of a lot of hearts. Here at the GTCC we're also super excited to see Julian line up alongside G at the Giro this year, for the first time in his career. They'll also both be at Strade Bianche this weekend - although G's prep for that hasn't been the smoothest... he reveals all in the intro. We hope you enjoy Julian. We'll be back next week with a star of the triathlon world... We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's guest is one of the most remarkable we've ever welcomed to the GTCC. We are used to having guests who climb mountains - and, of course, G does it almost every day - but, well, not like this guy. Kilian Jornet is one of the most incredible athletes to ever walk this earth. Aged 24, he'd won basically every ultra endurance and trail race there is to win. Since then, he's secured his status as the greatest trail runner of all time by climbing and descending numerous major mountains in scarcely believable times. Most notably, he climbed Mount Everest twice in five days back in 2017. Completely alone and without supplementary oxygen or climbing ropes, Kilian tackled the world's highest peak and returned to Base Camp in 17 hours. And yes, you read that correctly. He did it twice in five days. He's also a huge cycling fan and loved chatting to G. We're sure you're going to enjoy this week's pod. Meanwhile, G's back up a mountain of his own - he's spending a couple of weeks in Sierra Nevada before racing Strade Bianche, off the back of the Volta ao Algarve, where he made his debut for the year. Tom got the lowdown from him. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

G's been a busy boy lately. Not only are we deep in the midst of GTCC season four, but he also joined mountain bike legends Rob Warner and Eliot Jackson to kick-start season two of Red Bull's cycling podcast, Just Ride. Rob and Eliot were very excited to welcome their first Tour de France winner to Just Ride and set about quizzing G on his plans for 2024, what it's actually like in the peloton, how racing has changed and so much more. Just Ride is the cycling podcast you never knew you needed. Journeying through almost every cycling discipline you can imagine, Eliot and Rob chat to a huge cast of stars from the world of cycling. As well as G, Luke joined the guys in season one, and they have some incredible guests lined up for the rest of this series! So here's a little clip from G's appearance - and if you want to listen to the rest of the episode, then search for Just Ride wherever you get your pods or follow this link: https://pod.fo/e/21cb04 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carlos Rodriguez joined INEOS aged just 18. Nowadays, that's par for the course. But four years ago it was relatively unprecedented in elite level cycling. There was a sense of intrigue around this young Spaniard who, it emerged, was also studying for a degree in engineering. How would he fare? Well, it's safe to say, he's done really rather well. Now a Tour de France, Tour of Britain and Tour of the Basque Country stage winner, Carlos also won the Spanish national road race championships in 2022. He's gone from strength to strength and looks set for an incredible 2024. Starting his year up in Tenerife with G, the duo sat down, gave Tom a call, and had a fascinating chat about his career to date. G had a lot of questions about his win on Caerphilly Mountain too. Meanwhile G is starting his season this week in Portugal - and he'll be racing alongside Luke for the first time in a while! We can't wait to see our Welsh duo back in action. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aged just 20, Emma Finucane turned up to a home Worlds in Glasgow with a dream. She left it in a rainbow jersey, GB's first female track sprint world champion in a decade. Her rise has been meteoric and now she has her sights set on this summer's Olympics. A compatriot of Geraint's, she grew up in Carmarthen and, having discovered cycling, she spent her teenage years travelling to and from the velodrome in Newport - yes, that's right, the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales. We loved welcoming Emma to the GTCC and we're sure all our GTCC members will love hearing her story. We'll be back next week with another cracker. We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). You know the drill: it's Six Nations week, so GTCC rules dictate that we must welcome a rugby player to the show. Well, G pulled out all the stops this year, ringing up his old mate Ken Owens to join him and Tom on the pod. A long-term captain of Wales with an incredible 91 caps to his name, it was our pleasure to hear from 'The Sheriff'. Ken and G swap notes on the similarities between what they both do - despite all the obvious differences - and share some great stories from years gone by. Elsewhere, G has been enjoying himself in Tenerife. But has he finally made it right to the top of Teide? Tom has been dying to find out... See you next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Few people in cycling can talk like Matt Stephens - so we split his chat with G and Tom into two parts. Here's part two, a continuation of Tuesday's part one. In this section, Matt talks about his career in the Police force, branching out into the media, racing against G and being a two-time Junior Tour of Wales winner. Yes, that's two more times than Geraint. We really hope you've enjoyed our chat with Matt. He's one of the good guys! We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been the question on everyone's lips... (OK, not quite. But indulge us for a moment.) Where's G racing in 2024?! Well, we have the news from the man himself and without spoiling it, it's pretty bloody exciting. All being well, we're in for another cracking year watching G do his thing - and, of course, there'll be plenty of pods along the way. In the meantime, we'll be back Friday with part two of our chat with Matt Stephens. And don't forget, we've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). If you listen to the GTCC, then you'll know Matt Stephens. One of the most likeable men working in cycling, Matt needs no introduction. Yet his cycling journey started many moons ago, before the sport in the UK became the force it is today. He battled to make it pro in the 90s, eventually getting there with the infamous Linda McCartney Team. After one solid year, the team unexpectedly folded - leaving Matt with no job, and no way of paying the mortgage. His story is a fascinating one, and Tom and G were delighted to welcome him to the GTCC. Indeed, the chat was so interesting and went on far longer than usual - so we've cut it into two parts. Here's part one - and we will release part two on Friday! Enjoy. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC this week! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout). We always love welcoming the people who work away behind-the-scenes at INEOS with G to the GTCC, and this week's guest is one of our most interesting ever: it's team chef, James Forsyth! What's it like cooking on a Grand Tour? How demanding are the riders? How specific are their nutritional needs? G, Tom and James got stuck into all of those topics, loads of listener questions, and much more besides in this week's show. James started out working in Michelin-starred restaurants before taking on the challenge of cooking for Dave Brailsford's men back in 2016. God only knows how much rice he's cooked in that time. Elsewhere, you lot came through with some incredible suggestions for a cycling phonetic alphabet and G is enjoying life back on the training regime. We'll be back next week with a very fun guest. More on that one soon! Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome (back) to the GTCC... Laurens de Plus! Our much loved Watts Occurring Ambassador De Pluski has become a regular on the pods this year - so we thought it was time to sit him down and let our GTCC members get to know him a little better. Tipped for huge success as a young rider coming out of Belgium, Laurens enjoyed an incredible start to his career: racing for Quick-Step, Jumbo, and then INEOS. But a viral illness and burnout wiped out almost his entire 2020 and 2021. The road back was a long and uncertain one. But he made it. And he's become G's right-hand man (after Luke, of course) along the way. A starring ride in support of G at the Giro this year showed the cycling world that LDP is back to his best and he's revving up for a big 2024. Meanwhile, Tom and G think it's about time we had a GTCC phonetic alphabet. Can you help? Hit us up on social or email [email protected] with your suggestions! It's also time for G to finally climb right to the top of Mount Teide. Let's see if he's true to his word this time round. We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy new year to all of our GTCC members! We're back with a bang to kick-start 2024 - by welcoming Egan Bernal to the GTCC. Latin America's first Tour de France winner joined G and Tom to chat about his road to recovery after his life-changing accident. In January 2022, Egan was riding at 60km/h when he hit the back of a parked truck. He broke 20 bones including his spine, femur and kneecap, and his lung collapsed. He was lucky to be alive. Doctors initially warned there was a chance of paralysis. Remarkably, Egan returned to racing eight months later, at the Tour of Denmark. In 2023 he raced both the Tour de France and La Vuelta. And now, he's eyeing up an improved 2024 as he continues his journey back to the racer who changed the sport when he burst onto the scene in 2018. We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merry Christmas GTCCers! G and Tom are back with a little festive bonus pod for you all to enjoy in the classic Christmas lull between the big day and New Year's Eve. Back at the start of December G spent some time with the charity Best Buddies and welcomed the founder of the charity, Anthony Kennedy Shriver, to the GTCC. Best Buddies is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Cam Wurf, Chris Froome, Magnus Sheffield and Tom Pidcock have all helped Best Buddies in the past and this year G was privileged to lend his own support to the charity. He spoke to Anthony about the charity's work and much more besides. We'll be back in early 2024 with some more brilliant guests on the GTCC. See you then. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well for our final regular GTCC episode of 2023, we thought it was time to bring out the big guns - and cycling guns don't come much bigger than MVDP himself, Mathieu van der Poel. The newly-crowned world champion joined G and Tom to talk about that remarkable ride in Glasgow, his two Monument wins at Milan San Remo and Paris-Roubaix - plus so, so much more. We've wanted Mathieu on the pod since day one of the GTCC and the Dutchman didn't disappoint. In other news the Thomas household is getting very excited about Christmas and Producer George is prepping for a pre-Christmas Zwift on Wednesday's GTCC ride - come and join him at 6pm UK time: https://www.zwift.com/events/series/geraint-thomas-cycling-club/view/3825884 We'll be back on January 2nd to kick-start 2024 - although we might have a cheeky bonus pod next week to tide you over. See you then. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for our Annual Watts Occurring Awards Show which means that yes, Luke is back! The boys had a lot of fun at their Mallorca training camp reflecting on a pretty remarkable 2023. And in typical Watts fashion, it's not very polished - with Tom Pidcock making an impromptu appearance and Cam Wurf chipping in from a nearby massage table. Don't worry, we'll never change. The boys run through: Win of the Year, Race of the Year, Rider of the Year, the controversial Flop of the Year, Team of the Year, Grenadier of the Year and Breakthrough of the Year. Agree? Disagree? Let us know on Twitter @Watts_Occurring! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we asked our listeners who they wanted to hear from on the GTCC this season, one answer came back again and again: Sepp Kuss. Well, we couldn't let you down could we?! The Vuelta a Espana winner dropped in to chat to G and Tom about his amazing 2023, which culminated in that remarkable win in Spain. The guys chatted Roglic and Vingegaard, G tried to get him to move across to INEOS, and Sepp let everyone know what his plans are for 2024. Will we see GC Kuss activated once again? Meanwhile Tom's celebrated his 50th and enjoyed some friendly messages from our GTCC members while G's been trucking on at training camp. We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We last spoke to Chris Froome midway through 2021 on the GTCC and, well, a lot has happened since then! G thought it was time to get his old mate back on the pod for an update from Froomey. And when they caught up at the Best Buddies Camp in Malibu, Chris sounded as determined as ever - and ready to keep pushing hard out on the road in 2024. He also announced very exciting plans for a Chris Froome Academy in Africa (we think that's a GTCC exclusive...) and gave his thoughts on INEOS' current position three years after he left the team. What do you think - we will see Chris back at the sharp end of bike races again? We hope so. In other news, G is getting ready for INEOS' December Mallorca camp and has promised us he will make at least one GTCC Zwift ride while he's there. We would love you to join him - just search for GTCC Weekly Ride on Zwift, and we'll see you at 6pm UK time, every Wednesday. We'll be back next week - and all being well, we'll have one of our biggest guests yet. Watch this space. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's new member of the GTCC is a bonafide cycling icon: the Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw! A three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix - as well as the 1996 world champion - Museeuw is the first rider G can remember watching growing up, and he loved welcoming him to the GTCC. With Tom busy, G recruited our Watts Occurring Ambassador Laurens de Plus to help him quiz one of his idols, and the two Belgians got on like a house on fire. Speaking of Watts Occurring, we've released our first-ever line of Watts merch this week, just in time for Christmas! Head to www.gtccstore.com/collections/watts-occurring to get yours. In Zwift news Producer George is delighted to have completed his first weekly ride and G is planning to join him in two weeks, on December 6th. Come and join the fun. We'll see you next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's new GTCC member is a good friend of G's and one of the nicest guys in the peloton: Larry Warbasse! Larry has had a fascinating career and he regaled Tom and G with his tales of domestique life, collecting bottles, chasing contracts, and much, much more. Meanwhile G is upping his training in LA, prepping for his first Thanksgiving, and Tom's battling on in his winter cyclocross league. He wouldn't mind a bit of G's sun. We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

G was very nervous for this week's guest... mainly because he's spent most of his career on the other side of the mic, answering her questions! Yes, that's right: welcome to the GTCC, Orla Chennaoui! From reporting on Team Sky for Sky Sports to ruling the roost at GCN and revolutionising mainstream cycling coverage, Orla has become one of the most recognisable faces in the sport. She's also incredibly open about her own struggles with anxiety, and has launched a project called 10 Times Braver, which she told G all about it when they sat down and chatted in Ibiza, at the Le Blanq Weekender. In other news, Tom and G are back from our live tour and already planning next year's, while G is off to LA shortly to kick-off his 2024 training in style. We'll be back next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WE'VE GOT A NEW GTCC KIT! With the fourth season well underway, we spoke to our friends at Bioracer and decided it was time for a fresh look. Head to www.gtccstore.com to pre-order our new orange GTCC jersey - but be quick! The pre-order window closes on Friday 10th November. And now... on with the pod. Could Jasper Philipsen be the fastest man we've ever had in the GTCC? That's hard to say, but one thing is for certain: the Belgian was by far and away the quickest man at this year's Tour de France. Four stage wins, a comfortable green jersey win, and the world knew that the nickname 'Jasper Disaster' was a thing of the past. With Tom away, G rung up our old mate and Watts Occurring ambassador Laurens de Plus to make his GTCC debut, and get you all the inside scoop on his compatriot who is taking the sprint world by storm. They discussed leadouts from Mathieu van der Poel, a podium place at Paris-Roubaix, and winning on the Champs-Elysees. Meanwhile, we have PLAYED OUR FIRST LIVE SHOW! G and Tom recorded the intro to today's show after Monday's first-ever live GTCC Show at the Cadogan Hall in London. We'll be in Cardiff tonight (Tuesday) and are already making plans for 2024. Bring it on! We'll see you next week with a full debrief on the live shows and another big guest. Watch this space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has won 12 world titles - in FOUR different disciplines! A teammate of G's at the INEOS Grenadiers it was our pleasure to welcome the Frenchwoman to the GTCC and ask her all about how it's possible to win the rainbow bands across so many disciplines, slotting in at INEOS, her ambitions for next year's home Olympic Games and so much more. Meanwhile, G and Tom are getting ready for next week's live shows, and Producer George has been tackling Zwift for the first-time ever. For all concerned, let's hope the live shows go better than his early attempts on Watopia. Wish us luck! We'll be back next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Dumoulin was one of the world's very best road cyclists. A Giro d'Italia winner, Tour de France runner up (behind a certain Welshman...) and almost unrivalled on a time trial bike. And yet, that success, and the lifestyle necessary to perform at that level, came at a cost for Tom. In 2021, he shocked the world by announcing a sabbatical from the sport. In 2022, aged just 31, he walked away from competing completely. He's been on our list of dream GTCC guests for a long time, and it was incredible to get Tom's perspective on life in retirement, while he and G enjoyed reminiscing over some of their old battles. Not bad for the first guest of season four, hey? We'll be back next Tuesday. See you then. G, Tom and Producer George Want to join our weekly GTCC Zwift rides? Jump on Zwift every Wednesday at 18:00 and come join the club. Here's the link for this week's ride: https://www.zwift.com/events/series/geraint-thomas-cycling-club/view/3825870 Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've got a little bonus pod to kick-off the week - because G has some good news! He's re-signed with the INEOS Grenadiers for TWO more years. Yes, that's right, there's plenty of life left in our Welshman yet. He had a chat with Tom about the process behind signing the contract, his reasons for carrying on racing, and what his ambitions are moving into next season. We'll be back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled programming - a new GTCC chat with a HUGE guest. You'll wanna be back here for that one. See you then. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello! Yes, that's right, the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club is officially back open for the winter. We've opened up the clubhouse, pumped up plenty of tires, and we're ready for the next few months of club business. As is tradition, we start with a look back at G's season - from the highs of the Giro, to the lows of the Vuelta. Like always with G it was a bit of a rollercoaster - for him on the bike and for the rest of us watching along at home. He's already in the swing of his off-season and looking ahead to next year though... and a potential return to the Tour. We'll have to wait and see on that one, but you can be sure GTCC listeners will be the first to know. We'll be back next Tuesday with our first guest of season four - and trust us, it's a cracker. See you then. G, Tom and Producer George Want to join our weekly GTCC Zwift rides? Jump on Zwift every Wednesday at 18:00 and come join the club. Here's the link for this week's ride: https://www.zwift.com/events/series/geraint-thomas-cycling-club/view/3825869 Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After our last episode saw us end up on Belgian TV, we're back with a few more rumours for the clickbait hunters across the cycling media landscape. You're welcome. Luke's back from a mega week of racing in Croatia and getting prepped for a trip to China, G's finding 'normal life' more tiring than a Grand Tour, and the pair of them put together an absolutely textbook preview for the final Monument of the season, Il Lombardia. And yes, that's right - the season is nearly over. We'll be back next time with a season review, before we wave goodbye to Watts Occurring for a few months... but you can guarantee we'll pop up with a bonus pod here or there. See you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

G's just about recovered from his idyllic Spanish holiday, Luke's been racing up a landfill site in Holland and is ready to rumble at the Tour of Croatia, and there's a big old juicy cycling rumour for the lads to get their teeth stuck into. We also put a load of listener questions to the boys considering it's been a little while since the last pod. Enjoy - and we'll see you all soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke's been doing a spot of moonlighting - but who can blame him? Invited onto Red Bull's new Just Ride podcast a couple of months back, he joined legendary downhill mountain bike hosts Rob Warner and Eliot Jackson to chat all about Grand Tours, and the weird and wonderful world of road cycling. Just Ride is the cycling podcast you never knew you needed. All about cycling, full stop, Eliot and Rob have chatted to stars from all walks of every cycling discipline imaginable, including former Geraint Thomas Cycling Club guest Evie Richards and Luke and G's INEOS teammate Cameron Wurf. Here's a little clip from Luke's appearance - and if you want to listen to the rest of the episode, then search for Just Ride wherever you get your pods or follow this link: https://open.spotify.com/show/03zN67ToY8kd5Rq1zGsQln Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all the cycling world is talking about at the moment and, as a man who won the biggest Grand Tour of them all by starting as a domestique, who better to weigh in on the Jumbo situation than Geraint Thomas? Luke's got his own thoughts too - the man loves an underdog - while he recovers from stage nine of the Tour of Britain. Yes, that's right, stage nine. It'll make sense when you listen. G thinks he's got a cracked rib but Luke still wants him in the break tomorrow, as the INEOS boys hit the final straight of the Vuelta. We'll be back to recap this weird and wonderful Spanish Grand Tour soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back by popular demand, G finally tracked down the world-famous Watts Occurring ambassador Laurens de Plus and gave him a call to see how he’s been getting on since his horrible crash on day one of the Vuelta. The ‘Carrot of Ninove’ has already started his rehab programme and – of course – has been keeping a very close eye on the Vuelta. He’s here to give G a morale boost ahead of a gruelling final week in Spain, while G’s keen to keep battling on. Can INEOS win another stage in the last week? We shall see. We’ll be back in a few days with a Tour of Britain debrief from Luke… if he’s made it off Caerphilly Mountain, that is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the eve of the Tour of Britain heading up the famous Caerphilly mountain - where Luke and G learnt their trade - Luke grabbed his Tour of Britain roomie Magnus Sheffield to be the latest impromptu Watts Occurring guest. The boys are enjoying racing on British roads, although INEOS lost Tom Pidcock today to a nasty injury - you'll need to listen for all the details on that one. In Spain, G's come close to that elusive stage win and is determined to keep fighting. There's also the small matter of a podcast GC battle with our old friend Wout Poels. Who cares about GC Kuss? It's all about G & Wout. We'll be back on Monday catching up with G and Ambassador De Plus on the Vuelta rest day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, if you're a teammate of G's at a race that's been as tough as the Vuelta and you win the stage... You're coming on the pod. Five-leg Pippo and housewives' favourite Filippo Ganna won the stage 10 time trial at the Vuelta today ahead of Remco (the little bastard), Roglic and all the other big hitters, hopefully signalling a turn in INEOS' fortunes. When he'd made it back to the hotel after guzzling champers on the podium, G tracked him down on the massage table for a quick chat. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's rest day in Spain and we've got an upbeat(ish) G on the massage table. Things can only get better right? He's been battling crosswinds and climbs but his hopes are higher as the Vuelta heads into the second week. Luke's loving life at the Tour of Britain and hoping to plot a course towards victory for his INEOS team leader, Tom Pidcock. He's been getting lots of love - and thanks to everyone who has given him a shout out about the pod! We'll be back in a few days with another update from Spain and Britain - and who knows, we might have a win to talk about... See you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well since we last heard from G he's been unlucky to hit the deck a few times, but in typical fashion he's battling on in Spain. The GC challenge looks like it's over, but the boys are plotting for G to slip into a breakaway next week. Fingers crossed. Luke's bringing the good vibes on the eve of Tour of Britain and is very excited to race on home roads. If any Watts Occurring listeners are heading out to watch the race, make sure you say hello. We should be back on Monday for a rest day update from G and a British update from Rowey. We'll see you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another day at the Vuelta and another unexpected bout of typical Spanish chaos. A huge break went up the road, we've got a new red jersey leader and a big GC shakeup. Luke was on the edge of his sofa watching it all unfold and, as we wanted to give G the night off, we gave our old mate Tom Fordyce a call to break it all down with Rowey. With the Vuelta news out the way the guys got stuck into the upcoming Tour of Britain, with Luke buzzing to race on home roads next week. G will be back this weekend as this cracking Vuelta continues. See you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices