MABRA Radio

Canadian Sidney Swierenga is having a season most racers can only dream of. At 17 years old she became the youngest rider to podium the GC with second overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic and then repeated the feat at the Tour of the Gila a week later. The next youngest rider to pull off that double podium was Mara Abbott at 21-and she went onto win the Giro D'Italia twice in her career.  Sidney then won a major junior race in France, a result that made her the number one-ranked junior in the world. Sidney talks about beating pros in running races at 12 years old, drops hilarious hot takes on the World Tour, and what it means to take on the world and win. Don't miss this one.  Photo Credit: Brian Knox Tour of the Gila 

Lights, Live stream, action. We are back. Criterium racing is back. It is time to get 2025 started in a huge way. For the first time ever we brought competitors together to talk about how the race happened. Ok, when it comes to Will Hardin and Clever Martinez, it is hard to call either of them competitors, they are more like friends who want to push each other's physical and mental limits to the max. Either way, it is great to get the inside view from the guys who won the race. 

From the top of one of the tallest points in Arizona we join our hero, Tyler Stites, as he prepares to set out on a new journey across the ocean to a fulltime spot in the European peloton. For the last 3 seasons we've got to enjoy his racing on Project Echelon but now he's signed a two-year deal with Caja Rural and he's ready to spread his wings. Before he does, we got a chance to talk with him about where he's been and how he's enjoyed the ride along the way. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today! By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We are also brought to you by Properties on the Potomac, the boutique real estate firm for all your needs in Northern Virginia, Washington, and Maryland. Check them out at PotPhomes.com.

Alexis Magner 100% stands on her own when it comes to accomplishments. With a win at Acht van Westerveld, second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Ronde van Drenthe in 2018; along with third at Dwars der Vlaanderen in 2021 while racing for Canyon-SRAM you may be wondering, how did she end up on the American criterium scene? We've got those answers for you in this episode. Plus we have the story of how she parlayed back-to-back wins at her hometown Athen's Twilight Criterium into a new opportunity with the UCI Contintental squad Cynisca Cycling. It's a lot to pack in, but our man Jordan Cheyne is on top of it. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today! By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We are also brought to you by Properties on the Potomac, the boutique real estate firm for all your needs in Northern Virginia, Washington, and Maryland. Check them out at PotPhomes.com.

Seventy-five minutes of laughter, levity, cowboy hats, and some hot takes. It's Lucas Bourgoyne and he's 100% worth all of your time.  This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit  right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We also have a special guest sponsor this week, ! The cramp busting, hydration boasting, delicious treat that has 20X more sodium and 8X more potassium than normal sports drinks. With a new design and shot bottles coming, they've got you covered. Find them on Amazon or, this is amazing, at Walmart!!!

We are taking a step back in time to the original days of this podcast. Back in the heady days of 2018 and 2019, a team known as Elevate-KHS dominated the scene. Many of our guests, and even one host, came through that program, and even more were mentored and influenced by riders who had Paul Abrahams as their DS. Jordan talks with Paul all about that time and his experiences in the sport.  This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit  right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us!  

A discussion months in the making-- have we reached peak crit? The data has been compiled and the takes are all hot. It's time to give you the thesis and then let Allan Schroeder and Logan Jones Wilkins back it all up.  This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit  right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us!

One of our favorite Women's World Tour pros, and a true Canadian national treasure is back in the studio and ready to talk the Olympics, a full road and track season, and push-ups. So join Maggie Coles Lyster and Jordan Cheyne in this 100% pure maple syrup ride. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit  right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us!

Interview a classics PhD and another guest studying to get her PhD and you come up with intelligent titles with multi-tiers and meanings. The women of Work Hard Be Humble have risen, and turned what could have been the flaming wreck of a season into a meaningful quest and an opportunity to bond and grow. As a unit they have been born again, but born better.  This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit  right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We also have a special guest sponsor this week, ! The cramp busting, hydration boasting, delicious treat that has 20X more sodium and 8X more potassium than normal sports drinks. With a new design and shot bottles coming, they've got you covered. Find them on Amazon or, this is amazing, at Walmart!!!

The beauty of long-form journalism is that the person and the story evolve. You get to see and learn so much more because the time is dedicated, and we all end up better for it. The story of Chris Tolley is evolving and changing. The version that we interviewed in 2022 has given way to this more distinguished thought provoking one (that's not to say the 2022 version lacked anything in those categories). However, with more time we have more to work with, and we hope you enjoy the result. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We also have a special guest sponsor this week, Bob's Pickle Pops! The cramp busting, hydration boasting, delicious treat that has 20X more sodium and 8X more potassium than normal sports drinks. With a new design and shot bottles coming, they've got you covered. Find them on Amazon or, this is amazing, at Walmart!!!

Look up the road or at the front, that's where you'll find this week's guest Michael Garrison of NICH +SpeedClub. Singlehandly he animated, disrupted, and changed the outcome of races like Tulsa Tough this year. In a sport built around the best teams he has been a solo revelation and we are lucky enough to have him on the show. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you'll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us!  

5 years or 5 episodes, it's all about celebration and a learning curve. Jordan Cheyne and Rob Kelly sit down and talk about what they've respectively learned about podcasting and North American bike racing over their respective tenures hosting a podcast about it. And yes, Taylor Swift can fix all problems.

As a rider, Mike Creed raced on some of the most storied teams in North American cycling history, from US Postal to Slipstream to Optum Kelly Benefits. As a director, he guided the Smartstop team to one of the great underdog seasons in recent memory, featuring a win at Nationals. He now leads the charge at Aevolo Cycling, the premier US based development squad which will be part of the EF Education First organization starting next season. Mike has lived this sport for decades. Fortunately for us, he isn't afraid to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Tune in for insight, entertainment and some takes you won't hear anywhere else.

When have we lived up to our potential? A lot of us never really get to answer that question; but rather must deal with the pitfalls life throws in our way. Some of us are lucky, or stubborn enough, to push on beyond those pitfalls and create opportunities for themselves when none present. That is the story of Joe Laverick of Ribble Rebellion. When opportunities did not present themselves at the close of his U23 career Joe set out to make his own, and found a willing partner in Ribble. Together they've built an impressive bike racing team that has come to the US and taken the fight to all the best that we have here, and returned victorious. 

At a time when many American racers are taking to Europe to race, Cecile has done the opposite. Trading in Mt Ventoux and baguettes for Mt Lemmon and burritos, Cecile is making the bike racing dream work in North America from crits, to UCI podiums to gravel wins. Whether it is for the adventure, the laughs or the complimentary French lesson-you don't want to miss this one. 

New host, who dis?  Can our Criterium Nation survive a new host? And a Canadian one at that? We are about to find out as retired pro Jordan Cheyne takes the front. But what better guest than the lead out woman herself, Kimberly Lucie of DNA Pro Cycling. Kim is one of the few bike racers in the peloton who can actually say they are really, genuinely, 100% a Tucson, Arizona native. 

We are now at the end of the beginning and poised for a new phase of the domestic racing scene. That means it is a perfect time for us to check in on what has happened, identify some solid trends and talk about all the takeaways that we can from the first part of 2024.

On April 15 the National Cycling League shuttered its doors for 2024, and announced that it will focus on 2025. That has left riders and teams in limbo, and a lot of confusion as to what is happening. We are joined by journalist Logan Jones-Wilkins to help provide context and build a historical picture for what has led up to this point. 

Job, wife, child, pro bike racer. That's a full day and for Matt Zimmer that's his reality. He's come a long way since being the high schooler in Iowa who just raced bikes, and he is here to share that journey with us along with tidbits about racing in Europe and how we can make racing here more inviting.

Your reputation is who you are before you actually arrive. It's the version of yourself that stays behind long after you have left. It opens doors and definitely gets some doors closed very hard. In bike racing your reputation is just as important as the results that you put on your race resume. This episode we talk with retired pro and current stand up comedy star Jordan Cheyne about reputation.

There are a lot of firsts that are set to happen this year, one thing that we are very proud of is our effort to be the first to bring data into American bike racing. It's all in an effort to do what has not been done before which is to set basic standards within our community. By building a medal count and collecting data on who is winning the biggest events in the country we are poised to help the fans follow the sport closer and at a higher level of education than previous. So let's get this party started with Allan and me, sitting on a couch.

It's amazing to watch people grow and excel. This podcast has been fortunate enough to have had a myriad of incredible guests who have achieved tremendous levels of success. Now, for the first time, we have a World Tour Pro on the show in Maggie Coles-Lyster of Isreal Premier Tech Roland. One of our favorite alums is back to tell us about her adventures in Europe and the somewhat rocky road she had to take this year. However, it's not all rough because it ended with her solidly and comfortably going pedal-for-pedal with the best sprinters in the world.

We are fortunate to occupy this stage for only a brief period of time. What happens after we leave? How do we maintain the progress we've made and ensure that others can stand on our shoulders? It's a question that we must grapple with in criterium racing. We've made a ton of progress over the past couple years but when our current leaders have moved on who comes next is unclear because it is our obligation to train our replacements. Gabe Lloyd and Daniel Holloway from The Call Up just us for a discussion on this very topic. 

"To thine ownself be true"-- Billy Shakespeare, Hamlet.  Will Gleason of CS Velo and I went for a long bike ride among the crisp leaves of autumn in western Connecticut. We didn't do much leaf peeping but we did a whole lot of talking, reminiscing, theorizing, a touch of gossiping. Then we had a lobster roll, ice cream, and a beer before sitting down and pressing record on the microphone. This episode is what happened next.

A lot has happened since our last recap episode following Intelli. Good thing we've got fellow Wide Angle Podium contributor Bill Schieken to help us delve through the details of Littleton, the NCL, Momentum Indy, Gateway Cup and Bucks County. Yep, it's a lot.

Things may sound just a bit different because we are 100% live from Gateway Cup with Will Hardin from Project Echelon and Melanie Wong from ButcherBox. Our good friends from Urban Chestnut brewery in the heart of the Grove were gratious hosts and the environment was perfectly cozy. So join the audience, grab your favorite Zwickel, Schnickelfritz, or Dorfbier and get ready for some good times. 

Race promotion is a learned trade. There is a guide, but the real lessons are learned through trial and error, and with a lot of help and experience. Without good events our community is nothing but solo training and group rides. A great event can make someone's year and can become a focal point of a summer. In today's episode we talk with Graham Costa on how he and his team have brought together local interests and created a legitimate community event and bike race. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

We go north of the border for this week's episode to meet with the captain of the new squad UNC Lotto Max-- Logan O'Krafka. Despite their youth and newness to the scene, they really stamped their authority on Intelligentsia Cup. Logan gives us the scoop on the team and its mission, and also how one of the premier criterium series played out over 10 days of intense racing. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.  

Nationals, ACC, Boise, NCL, Salt Lake City, UCI Transgender Ban, and so much more. We cover a lot of ground in this episode. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

At its core the popular image of cycling in the United States is stage racing. Fortunate for us, every major American stage race comes complete with its own demanding and technical criterium. Meaning, when we talk stage racing we remain very much on brand. That being said, stage racing, as a whole, is still a fundamentally critical part of road racing. Now that we are beyond the pandemic, stage racing is seeing a resurgence in popularity. It is time for the media to get back behind it, and in today's show we discuss why we love it and what it'll take to push stage racing even further forward. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

We are going back to the original format-- bringing you a story about a rider you may not know much about, yet. For this story we go all the way down to the mountains of northern Mexico and the city of Monterey. It's there we meet the 22-year old Katia Martinez who races for Goldman Sachs ETFs. Now in her second year of criterium racing in the US, she's had a growing impact but still is trying to find her legs in the argie-bargie final laps. So come along and meet Katia.

It's the longest day of the year and time for the biggest party of the American cycling season, that's right it's time for Tulsa Tough. We are joined by Adam Mills of Source Endurance once again to break down all the action, startegy, and meaning.

Do what you need to, to stay in the sport as long as it brings you happiness. That may not mean the same thing for you as it does everyone else. What motivates different people is not a single universal truth. Rick Arnopol joins us to talk about the importance of letting people be themselves and to take joy from this sport in the ways that each individual sees fit.  We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

This episode was first aired on March 3, 2020, but when it comes to the central place that photography plays in criterium racing we believed that it was time to share it again. Photography remains the primary means by which the story of criterium racing is told. The photographers we have worked with over the past 3 years have helped us grow this show and tell these stories. Without them this sport would not be as inspiring or newsworthy. Bruce Buckley helped us launch this effort and we want to make sure everyone gets to hear what he has to say. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

Every year we put together groups of men and women from all over the country, and with potentially little connection to each other, on teams and expect them to go out and race together with a unified purpose and vision. How that is actually accomplished can be a mystery but when done right it is a thing of beauty. After years of being on a team with a consistent roster and a singular goal, Brandon Feehery has shifted to a new squad this offseason. Now he, and his teammates need to work some magic, and turn a disparate group of riders into a squad. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because Caldera Lab is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

There are a lot of things Project Echelon does very well that they are not supposed to be good at doing. They weren't supposed to be an elite team. They weren't supposed to win big races. They weren't supposed to win stage races. And, lately they weren't supposed to win a field sprint. Sorry to disappoint but these are all things they are doing...frequently. It seems Project Echelon is really just good at proving their critics wrong. This week we have Cade Bickmore, the sprinter, on to talk about doing what his team is not supposed to do...win by using his talents and his team's total committment. We are brought to you this week by Caldera Lab-- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because Caldera Lab is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

Kim Stoveld of Automatic Racing is new to road racing but she's already made an impact with her power and results. As her experience and skill continues to improve so will her spot on the podium. She's received a ton of advice from some very well meaning individuals; but sometimes that advice could be better timed and directed. In our effort to figure out how to encourage people into the sport and keep them in it, we look to the way we mentor inexperienced riders, and how that effort can be done better. Kim is our guide.  

We've been gone for a little while, sorry. While we've been out a lot has happened and we need to talk about it with you. The NCL had its first race. The ACC is starting going. And CRIT was announced with zero details. On top of that race tactics, good and bad, were on full display at Spartanburg. Bill Schieken from Cyclocross Radio joins me to talk about what's been going on and what it means for criterium racing. 

How do we talk about ourselves to others? How do we brand the sport? And what is the messaging that we choose to use? These are all critical questions and ones that we should look at as criterium racing angles to grow and attract fans and participants. So let's get some help and to do that we can turn to our friends in gravel racing to see how they have encouraged people to do insanely challenging races and have fun at the same time. We are joined this week by Michael Marckx, one of the creators of the Belgian Waffle Ride series of races. He and his team are looking at expanding into criterium racing and bringing the skils they have developed from unroad racing into this market. We should listen and learn because they are doing something right. We are brought to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching. 

Hopefully when you get to the end of this episode you know more than you do now. We are joined this week by Jonathan Crain to help crack the enigma that is the NCL. Information has slowly dribble out but our goal is to collect everything we've seen plus a bit more that we have been able to compile and present it to you in one place, so you can be educated fans. We are brought to you by Source Endurance, the premier destination for endurance coaching. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching.

Let's apply what we've learned about media from our last episode and do so by taking a deep dive look into the docuseries recently released by Cold Collaborative about the 2022 Life Time Grand Prix. Sure this has nothing to do with criterium racing; but it has everything to do with how we can gain and grow an audience through sharply produced post-event content. So join us as we go off road and a little bit outside our comfort zones.  We are brought to you by Source Endurance-- the internet's premier endurance athletic coaching company. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching. 

Let's start 2023 the right way by talking about how criterium racing can learn from other sports to make its media experience better and more comprehensive. When criterium racing's fans are more educated they are more engaged. When they are more engaged they are more likely to become hooked and follow the events, teams, and riders. Hooked fans are more likely to stir all the watercooler #critbeef on their own. No single person in criterium racing is more aptly placed than Brad Sohner, the broadcast voice of the sport, to talk us through how media is critical to developing the sport, what a mature media looks like, and where we are right now in that process. We are brought to you by Source Endurance the premier provider of endurance coaching. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching. 

Chris Tolley is here and we are so excited that it caused us to get introspective. Come with us on a thought experiment as we explore the inner workings of the mind of a man who has become an institution in Central Texas. He has become an advocate, a leader, a guide, but most importantly he has become himself. We are brought to you this week by Bob's Pickle Pops the Swiss Army Knife of hydration. It has what you need to keep going when the weather is hot and unforgiving. Find them on Instagram or Facebook @Bobspicklepops.  We are brought to you this week by Source Endurance the best endurance athlete coaching resource on the internet. Check them out and use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching. We are also brought to you by Hammerhead the creators of the Karoo 2, our cycling computer of choice for 2022. It's gotten better and better every day we've owned it. Use "CRITNATION" for a free heart rate strap.

Our friend, Prof. & Coach Adam Mills of Cycling University, is back in the studio and delivering a level 205 college course on how we need to learn the rules of criterium racing and then rethink them. Rules define a sport and help make it safe and stable. They can also alter the trajectory of a sport and can even turn the fortunes of failing sports around. It is high time we talk about them. We are brought to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" at checkout and save $50 off your first month of coaching.

We've done it, we've made it to Episode 100. We've got so much more work to do in this sport, but for the moment we will celebrate getting to this benchmark. This one goes out to all of you, the loyal fans and listeners; and that's why we turned to you to write and produce this episode. We pulled together comments and responses that you provided via Instagram about what road racing needs to do in America to improve. We organized, categorized, and made a plan, and now we present them to you with our thoughts.  We are brought to you by Source Endurance, the best in endurance coaching. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" at checkout for $50 off your first month of coaching services.

Ricky Arnopol joins us for the hour to talk about how coffee is so much more than just an addiction, racing in Europe and tattoos. But more importantly, we talk about salaries in bike racing and have a frank conversation about where we are now as compared to where other sports currently exist. Today's episode is brought to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching. We are also brought to you by Hammerhead and the Karoo 2. Use the promo code "CRITNATION" for your very own HR strap.

Positivity, optimism and having fun. Use the opportunity to train, race, and be alive for good. We learn this and a ton more in this week's episode featuring Clever Martinez of Miami Blazers. We are brought to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of the best in endurance coaching. 

He's the hero we need and this is his story. His name is Brandon Feehery but we call him Monk. In chapter 4 we bring you the Epic of Monk.  We are brough to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of coaching.

We catch up with "Crit" Ricky and Wünderkid Ethan Crane this week. Don't worry, there is a special Monkisode coming; but we've gone far too long between shows so we need to split things up. We are brought to you buy Source Endurance, the internet's premier location for endurance coaching. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" at checkout for $50 off your first month of coaching.

We learn from the best. We learn from those who come before us. We learn from each other. The key is that we learn and become better. We are joined by Peter Olejniczak and Adam Myerson to talking about their mentor-mentee relationship and how to do it yourself. We are brought to you by Source Endurance. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for $50 off your first month of service.

Tulsa Tough, we recap it. We are joined by Prof. Adam Mills from the criterium school of hard knocks who gives Allan, Céline, and I a graduate level course in how the races were won and what it means moving forward.