Into the Woods
Mike Woods and I are on the train home from 4 weeks on the road at the Vuelta Espana. We run through some questions that you sent in, and we hear about Mike’s epic first Grand Tour stage win.
Author: lifeinthepeloton
Lawson Craddock – My Tour De France
Lawson Craddock was preparing and hoping that first of all he would get selected for this years Tour De France, and then secondly if he did get selected that he would be fit enough to do his job in the team and then ultimately arrive to Paris. But that all changed after the stage 1 when he crashed and fractured the spine of his scapula. From then on the Tour was turned on it’s head for him as he literally battled through every kilometre of each stage right to the finish in Paris. I watched him battle through on TV and now it was great to hear from him about his 2018 Tour De France.
The Ever Important Soigneur – With John Murray
Moving away from the riders in the peloton for a minute and looking at some of the staff we work with as professional cyclist. One of the pinnacle members to any cycling team is the Soigneur. Who can also be described as the helper, or masseur, or driver, or physio, or just what ever gets thrown at them and needs to get done. They are the often the glue that fixes any problem that may arise, or the ear to listen to any problem. I thought it would be interesting to listen to team swanny Englishman John Murray, who is a 25 year veteran at the job, about his take on being a soigneur and to hear about the ins and outs that goes into babying a pro cyclist.
100% Clarkey
We have known each other for our entire cycling careers. And in many ways have grown up together in the cycling world. Something I have always noticed and admired about Simon Clarke is that he is the ultimate professional. In everything Simon does, he…
MY GIRO MY TEAM – EP#6 – SACHA MODOLO
Our sprinter and our local guide . The Italian Stallion, Sacha Modolo. And my last recording on the race. He was ever so close this Giro to taking a stage win, being a 2 times Giro stage winner he knows how to be first across the line in his home race. It’s interesting to hear a Italian’s take on this years race.
MY GIRO MY TEAM – EP#5 – TVA
My room mate, my team mate, my group etto companion. The Belgian Tom Van Asbroeck. Things are getting tired here as we get ready for the final day in Rome today. Tom is a great rider, very handy sprinter himself, but has shown here how versatile he can be as a lead out man as well. It’s great to hear his battle stories of this final week of this years Giro and to learn a little bit about his past.
MY GIRO MY TEAM – EP#4 NATE BROWN
As the tour drags on, we are on to our next teammate. Introducing DownTown Nate Brown. The kind assassin. A power house teammate, and a brilliant guy to boot. Nate give us a inside to where we are at in the Giro at the final rest day as well as his story to where he is today as a cyclist.
MY GIRO MY TEAM – Episode#3 – Joe Dombrowski
Next up is Joe Dombrowski. A big character on our squad. A Baby Giro winner and now on his third Giro, so he know’s his way around the Italian roads. Joe quickly made his mark on the road cycling scene after switching form mountain biking and never looked back. He had a rough start to his professional career, but now tells us how he has clawed his way back on track.
MY GIRO MY TEAM – HUGH CARTHY
We found a moment on the second rest day here at the Giro d’Italia to sit down and have a yarn with English climber and breakaway specialist Hugh Carthy. Hugh in his 4th year as a pro and is starting to find his feet at riding Grand Tours, especially here in his 2nd Giro. We chat about his day up front in a long breakaway and about is less traveled road across to the European professional cycling circuit.
My Giro, My Team – Epp#1 Woodsy
I am on the road for the 1st Grand Tour of the year the Giro d’Italia, and in our team, EF Education First – Drapac Powered By Cannondale, we have a lot of different dynamics of charters. We will be spending a lot of time together out on the road as well as back in the hotels. Apart from talking about what is going on in the race I thought it would be a great chance to find out about everyone on my team in this Giro.
First up is Mike Woods. A Canadian who came late into the cycling game after being forced via injury to hang the running shoes up as a worlds class middle distance runner. He has a fresh view on life in the peloton both in the way that he races and in his over mind set. There is a lot to talk to Woodsy about, and today we only just scratch the surface. We talk a little bit about his story and a little bit about the Giro. Enjoy.
Fathers of the Peloton
12 months ago I became a Father. As did Kiel Reijnen 6 months earlier. And little did we know about being a father in general, let alone being a father while trying to race our bikes. After chatting to Kiel in the peloton I found out that I wasn’t alone with these feelings, and that we were among many others who were all in the same boat. It’s a juggle, but one that we enjoy immensely. It has brought fantastic prospective to the sport but also to our lives. This is something that Kiel and I chat about and relate to each others new challenges of being a Father of the Peloton.
Adam (MacGyver) Hansen
Can you fathom racing 21 days in a row? It would get pretty tough, physically and of course mentally. Well in the bike racing world, that is called a grand tour. And there are 3 that run through the cycling calendar year. The first being…
Phil Liggett – The Voice Of Cycling
He almost doesn’t need a intro, Phil Liggett is the voice of cycling. When I hear his voice it just takes me back to when I first fell in love with the sport watching the 6.30pm SBS highlights of the Tour De France, the Jan Ullrich Lance Armstrong battles. It was a real pleasure to be able to sit down with Phil and talk to him about his time behind the mic commentating over 44 Tour De Frances.
‘You Can Ask That’ with Kirk Docker Featuring Michael Hepburn
Long time coming but a new Podcast is ready. This time my brother Kirk is running things as I sit for the first time on the other side of the mike as he asked both Michael Hepburn and myself questions about life in the…
A Reflection with David Millar
David Millar’s career spanned over 2 decades, where a lot happened in cycling. A lot changed. David was a big part of the changes, where firstly his career was turned upside down after admitting to using EPO, a banned performance enhancing drug, in 2004. Then…
Question & Answer with Luke Durbridge and Mitch Docker
Luke and I found a bit of time this week between the big Classic races, Ronde Van Vlaanderen and Paris Roubaix, to answer all your inquisitive questions. Sit back and enjoy, cause we did recording and answering them!
Gracie Elvin – Life as a Female Pro
While obviously being tied up in the male professional peloton, I realised I don’t really have any idea about what life is like within the female peloton. Gracie Elvin is at the top of the female racing scene, especially when it comes to the tough style…
Marcel Kittel – I’m a Sprinter now
Marcel Kittel is a house hold name when it comes to the big bunch sprints today. He has won stages in all 3 Grand Tours, La Vuelta Espana, Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. But it is not so well known that when he…
The Psych – Craig Appaneal
We all worry about the physical training that needs to take place in order for us to perform on a given race day. But I think not enough attention is payed to the mental training that should take place to have us ready psychologically to…
Simon Gerrans – Making of a Champion
We are back for 2017, and what a way to start with Simon Gerrans. We all know him as an assassin on the bike, a winning machine, where it sometimes feels like he is winning more races than he is losing. But what I wanted to…
Graham Watson – Cycling from Behind the Lens
After always seeing him wiz by on the back of a moto bike snapping away during a race, I had the opportunity to pin Graham Watson down here at the last race of the season. It may come as a surprise but most often than…
Making the Jump – Nick Schultz
Nick Schultz is a young Australian making his way into the European Pro ranks. He has taken a road not so often traveled anymore by Australians into the Euro cycling world. He jumped in the deep end, and immersed himself in the French scene. He…
Matt Hayman – Part#2 The Day After Roubaix
So this is the big one! I am speaking with 2016 Paris Roubaix winner Matt Hayman. I caught up with him 1 month after on training camp up in the high mountains in Andorra. A very un-roubaix environment but the memory was still very fresh…
Matt Hayman – Paris Roubaix Part#1 The Night Before
Paris Roubaix is a cobbled stone classic one day race, it is one of the 5 memorials races in the year. It is a spectacle, it is a tough mans race. It is the best race of the year. It is my favourite race. Matt…
Mature View of Alex Edmondson
While I was back on training camp in South Africa I had the chance to sit down with Alex Edmondson for a what I thought was going to be a chat about the training involved for the Teams Pursuit in the lead up…
Sam Bewley & The Prologue
Fresh after the race, back in the hotel somewhere in the cold northern part of France in the proximity of Paris. I thought it would be great to capture the thoughts just after completing the Paris Nice Prologue, from my New Zealander team mate Sam…
Changing Countries Changing Teams
This time I have some fun talking with my new team mate Chris Juul-Jensen. And he is not all the apricot Danish he is made out to be. He turned professional with Saxo-Tinkoff in 2012, and has now made the move across to Orica-Greenedge for…
Scott’s Gold Medal Story
Had the pleasure to speak with my first idol, my old sports director and now friend, Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Mcgrory. I was lucky enough to be there the night Scott and Brett won the Gold Medal in the Madison at the 2000 Olympics…
Talking Classics with Luke Rowe
Speaking with the Welshman Luke Rowe. He has been riding on team Sky for the last 4 years and has developed himself into Belgium cobble stone spring Classics Specialist. Luke stepped up last year finishing 8th in Paris Roubaix and we take a moment while…
Podcast #1 – Luke Durbridge and Season 2016
For the inaugural Podcast, I decided to speak with my team mate and close friend Luke Durbridge. Luke turned professional with the Australian outfit Orica GreenEdge when the team started back in 2012. Now entering his 5th year as a pro, I thought he would be…
Start Of 2016 with Luke Durbridge
For the inaugural Podcast, I decided to speak with my team mate and close friend Luke Durbridge. Luke turned professional with the Australian outfit Orica GreenEdge when the team started back in 2012. Now entering his 5th year as a pro, I thought he would be…
