The Adventure Stache

Chef Biju Thomas made a major impact on cycling when he co-founded Skratch Labs with his friend Allen Lim, but these days, you're most likely to find him cooking for cyclists at large events. For example, he was part of the squad that fueled the US cycling team at the Paris Olympics last summer. More recently, he was busy making several thousand meals at Sea Otter. Biju sat down with Payson in Bentonville to chat about the logistics of cooking for Olympic athletes from such different disciplines of the sport, why meal times were so important for the riders to grow as a team, and what it was like watching them win so many medals. He also answers some listener questions, talks about his favorite moment at Sea Otter, and explains why he has Kasia Niewiadoma's Little Sugar trophy on his windowsill.Watch episode 2 of Ride With Pace here: https://youtu.be/3rMbJDoCxeQ?si=-gZU8TtFSrBa46PZGet tickets for the premiere of 'Crossing New Zealand' here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crossing-new-zealand-film-premier-and-social-ride-tickets-1350916600919?aff=oddtdtcreatorInstagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen

Anneke Beerten was one of the top mountain bikers in the world for a decade, starting her career as a two-time BMX world champion before dominating the 4 cross circuit with three world titles. She's gone through many career transitions over the years, embracing Enduro and Crankworx to earn even more accolades. In early 2020, just after finishing her best season in enduro racing, she was in a car accident that forced her to retire from racing. She spent years in rehab, moved states, and started over in Bentonville. Now, she's one of the most sought-after skills coaches in the business. Anneke sat down with Payson this week to talk about the many disciplines she's excelled at over the years, the car crash that ended her racing career just as she was at the top of her game, and how she transitioned into coaching some of the top mountain bikers in the world. She also gives a few tips on how everyone can work on their technical skills no matter where they live and discusses another new chapter in her career.You can find out more about Anneke's skills coaching here: https://www.crankitupmtb.comInstagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen

The Life Time Grand Prix is back, which means we've got a whole new season of recap episodes on the way. To kick things off, we've got South African rider Hayley Preen and Swiss rider Simon Pellaud here to take us inside their races. Hayley just won the South African Gravel Nationals shortly after grabbing third place at the Cape Epic and is on her second go-round of the Grand Prix. Last year, she had to drop out after a broken wrist, but she's started off this season strong with a fourth-place finish at round one last weekend. Simon is a Grand Prix newcomer but he's been pretty busy over the past few years. He gives us a quick rundown of his career so far, which includes racing in the WorldTour for Trek, racing for a US Conti team, and breaking his WorldTour contract in order to join the Swiss ProTeam Tudor Pro. Now, he's racing for the Chinese Conti team Li-Ning Star on the road while holding down a gravel career on the side. He talks about his days lining up for the Vuelta and the Giro, using his breakaway skills at Sea Otter, and how he's planning to balance his globetrotting schedule this year. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen

Today, Allied Cycle Works released its long-awaited ABLE gravel bike. Payson has been test riding it for a year now and is pretty sure it's going to redefine gravel racing. He sits down with Allied CEO Drew Medlock and Director of Product and Engineering Sam Pickman to break down exactly what makes the bike so different, including that 57mm tire clearance, and how they developed it from idea to factory floor. They also talk about the input from Payson that was integrated into the final design, the ideas he had that he's glad they ultimately didn't include, and get nerdy about geometry. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen

Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen

Brayden Johnson landed his dream situation in 2024  when he signed a contract with a factory team. As a third-year U23 rider, it was a crucial opportunity on his way to the elite field. He had already shown his potential, winning National Champs and podiuming at World Cups. Soon after moving to Italy for the new team, however, Brayden started to notice some red flags. Before the end of the season, he was blacklisted from the team shortly before organization collapsed altogether. This year is his final year as a U23 and he's taking it on as a privateer. He has a lot on the line. The opportunities for U23s to continue racing in the elite field are few and far between, but by accepting the odds and preparing himself for any outcome, Brayden has found the freedom to go all-in. Payson sat down with him in Bentonville this week to talk about the coming season, when he realized that things had gone too far with his previous team, his long-time friendship with Riley Amos, and how he's taking things into his own hands this season. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Gwen Gibson is one of the best World Cup XCO racers in the world, but she almost didn't make it into the professional ranks. In college, she juggled racing with a full class schedule and held down three jobs to make ends meet. When she graduated, she thought it was probably time to quit her dreams of being a World Cup racer and find a ‘real' career path. But then she started showing up to races and beating some of her idols, and in 2022, she had a breakout season, winning a World Cup short track race and nabbing third place at the World Championships after breaking her kneecap midseason. Now, she races for Trek Factory Racing and has scored eight top 10 World Cup finishes since joining the team. Gwen sat down with Payson in Girona to talk about battling her way into World Cup racing after years of determination, her continuing battles with self-doubt, what it was like winning her first World Cup race, and how she's building up her mental game after the disappointment of losing out on the Olympics last year with one heartbreaking race. She also talks about her friendship with teammates Evie Richards and Maddie Munro and how she still manages to win races despite shying away from confrontational tactics. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Reigning Queen of Gravel Rosa Klöser returns to the show to talk about some of the major developments in her career since we spoke with her after her surprise win at Unbound last year. That victory launched her into the spotlight as a major new player in the gravel scene, but her spur-of-the-moment decision to race German Road Nationals really brought her to the attention of the broader cycling world. After coming in 9th place in a stacked field, Rosa scored a contract with the WorldTour team and Tour de France Femmes champions Canyon-SRAM.She sat down with Payson in Girona last week to talk about how a disorganised and last-minute stop at German Nationals set her on a new path in the sport, her first training camp with Canyon-SRAM, and how she'll be managing a privateer program on gravel with a WorldTour team on the road. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Payson stops by XCO National Champion Bjorn Riley's apartment in Girona to hear about his training camp in South Africa with his new team, the one and only Scott-SRAM. They also discuss the part of winning a race that people don't often talk about: the terrifying moment when you decide to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Then, Bjorn pulls out some of the artifacts he's found in abandoned buildings on rides in the Spanish countryside and recounts his experience of getting bitten by Europe's only deadly snake species while on a training ride last year and needing to get airlifted to a hospital. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

The final stage of Sahara Gravel in Morocco ended in a sand pit that left some riders sprinting on foot across the line. Payson sits down on a windy sand dune to chat with stage winner Petr Vakoč about how the event went for him over the past four days -- the highs, lows, and his favorite type of tagine. He also talks about his plans for the rest of the season and his unconventional travel plans to get back to Europe from Morocco tomorrow. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Stage 3 of Sahara Gravel in Morocco was harder than pretty much anyone was anticipating. Despite seeming to have hardly any climbing, it proved to be the toughest day yet and the first stage that took the riders deep into the Sahara Desert. Payson sat down with British rider Maddy Nutt, who has been battling for first place with Luise Valentin since day one. She talks about getting caught in the sand, how this race stacks up with Migration Gravel, and why she avoids events with a certain type of professional rider. Then, we get an Adventure Stache first: five interview subjects in one conversation. The self-titled Girl Group consists of five friends from around Europe and the UK — Laura, Sam, Sophie, Josie, and Claire, who are taking the race at their own pace and enjoying the heck out of it. They talk about how they met each other and started doing events as a group, and their highlights and lowlights of the race so far.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

It's day two of Sahara Gravel and the general consensus is that the scenery was pretty mind-blowing on this 68 mile mountain stage. Payson sits down with Oti Zolati, the only Moroccan in the race, to talk about being a tourist in his own country and his bikepacking trip across Africa that got him hooked on cycling. Then he talks to the founder of the race, Janosch Wintermantel, about how he went from living in Switzerland and working at Scott to event organising in Morocco. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

It's stage one of the four-day Sahara Gravel stage race in Morocco and Payson is sitting down with the stage winners Luise Valentin and Matteo Fontana. They tell us how their days unfolded, what they do when they're not training (Luise is an engineer in Zurich and Matteo is a former triathlete and bike fitter outside Milan), and how they're feeling about the race so far. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

If you've seen two-time Olympian Alison Jackson in the media, chances are she was either dancing, standing on top of the Paris-Roubaix podium, or both. The EF rider won Roubaix in 2023 and quickly became a fan favorite for her joyful social media presence and finish-line celebrations. She caught up with Payson in Girona this week shortly after breaking her arm at a race, and somehow seems to be as optimistic as ever. She talks about growing up on a bison farm in rural Alberta, why she goes out of her way to seek novel experiences wherever she goes, and how she's managed to prove that power numbers don't hold a candle to a winning attitude.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Growing up in Ethiopia, Tsgabu Grmay was inspired to start riding by his father and older brother, who were both cyclists. As a teenager, he was selected to go to the UCI's World Cycling Centre in South Africa and signed with his first UCI team in 2012. Since then, he raced 12 years on the WorldTour with teams including Lampre-Merida, Trek-Segafredo, and Jayco-AlUla. He retired from road racing at the end of 2023, but joined Team Amani as a rider and coach. This year, he's on the roster for the Life Time Grand Prix. A lot of former WorldTour riders who turn to gravel are looking for a smooth offramp to retirement, or, at the very least, are hoping to professionalize the sport and bring more teams into the fold. But Tsgabu is fired up about all the things that make gravel different from road racing. He sat down with Payson in Girona this week to talk about his childhood in Ethiopia, the challenges he faced when he moved to Europe and joined the WorldTour, and why being on Team Amani and fostering cycling in East Africa is even more of a dream come true than racing the Tour de France.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Geerike Schreurs spent nearly a decade as a WorldTour soigneur, taking care of some of the best riders in the world. Now, she's their teammate. The Dutch rider officially signed to SD Worx-Protime to race a combination of gravel and road this season, and even though she had a breakout season last year and snagged second place at Unbound, she says that this is the first time she's finally feeling like a pro.Payson caught up with Gee in Girona earlier this week to talk about how she made the transition to racing after so many years as a soigneur, what the team got up to during the non-training part of training camp, and her friendship with Anna van der Breggen. She also explains why being a soigneur is more physically challenging than being a pro cyclist, and discusses a gruesome injury she sustained last summer that she's still navigating.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Emilly Johnston was wondering if she was going to have a team for her first Elite season when she got a call from Scott-SRAM team director Thomas Frischknecht. Shortly after she signed a contract with the team, she placed third at Worlds, rounding out a triumphant 2024 season that marked her as one of the most promising up-and-comers in the women's field. Emilly sat down with Payson in Girona earlier this week to talk about landing a spot on her dream team, the chaos of racing last year's combined U23 and Elite World Championship, and throwing down tricks mid-race. She also talks about sharing an apartment with two of cycling's most fashion-forward men (longtime teammate Bjorn Riley and XC photographer Piper Albrecht), and why they describe her first and foremost as “very Canadian.”Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Throughout his 12 years in the World Tour, Thomas De Gendt was known as one of the preeminent breakaway specialists of the century, winning five Grand Tour stages including the infamous Queen Stage of the Giro on the Passo dello Stelvio. Recently, he announced that after 16 years as a pro on the road, he would be switching to gravel. This week, Thomas sat down with Payson in Girona to talk about his illustrious road career, including that now legendary surprise stage win at the Giro in 2012, stumbling upon the benefits of altitude camps long before they became standard practice, and how the collapse of a team nearly forced him into retirement when he was at the top of his game. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Riejanne Markus is a Dutch WorldTour rider who is currently racing with Lidl-Trek. She went professional over a decade ago and has moved from strength to strength, nabbing three national titles and finishing second overall at last year's Vuelta a España. Riejanne sat down with Payson in Girona this week to talk about her decision to join Lidl-Trek after four years with Visma-Lease a Bike, growing up in an athletic family (her dad and younger sister are speed skaters, and her other sister, Femke, races for SD Worx), and why she's still a staunch defender of race radios. She also talks about the highly publicized defeat of the Dutch team at the road World Championship last year, and how she broke the news of her team transfer to longtime teammate Marianne Voss. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Bond Almand was just 20 years old when he rode the nearly 13,500 miles of the Pan-American Highway from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina in 75 days, beating the previous record by nearly 10 days. That feat is even more impressive considering that the last rider to hold the record was a professional racer who did it with a support crew, while Bond did it all self-supported between semesters at Dartmouth.Bond sat down with Payson to talk about confronting months of intense loneliness, riding without a shirt for a week, clenching his teeth so hard they cracked, and getting to hug his dad at the end of the journey. He also talks about the beauty of the Andes, riding at 62mph in the dark on a road full of potholes, and the assumption people make about the ride that he wants to dispel. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

In an extended outtake from our previous episode, Payson and Hannah chat about how they're preparing for the upcoming season, whether they're changing anything, and how they're balancing the Grand Prix schedule with non-Grand Prix events they love.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

This week, Payson is joined by Hannah Otto to run down the women's roster for the 2025 Grand Prix. They talk about the five new riders, the riders who won't be returning, and how the slimmed-down field might affect the overall series. They also go deep into the weeds on whether the Grand Prix is now geared toward mountain bikers (spoiler alert: they're biased), talk about why they want more rules rather than less, and speculate about how all the drop races and surgeries in the women's field this past season might offer a glimpse of things to come. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Big changes are coming to the Life Time Grand Prix in 2025. Among them are fewer events, fewer riders, less altitude, and an extra mountain bike race. There are new riders, riders who were absent for a season but are coming back, and riders who have featured heavily in the series who won't be returning. Payson unpacks all the changes on the men's side, including the new riders, the most painful omission on the roster, and why some racers decided to sit this season out. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Haley Batten spent years preparing for the Olympics, and it all came together this summer when she walked away with Silver. She sat down with Payson last month to talk about where it all began, when she was a 14-year-old with a printed resumé approaching pro racers at bike events. Eventually, one of them took notice and gave her her big break. She talks about how she built a career with the help of other women in the sport without trying to copy a blueprint of success, and the times (one of which was very recent) that she thought about quitting. She also talks about coming back from a flat during the Olympics, and why she thinks that going to college has made her more secure than ever in her commitment to professional racing. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Earlier this week, Payson completed his latest ultra-endurance crossing challenge following his Crossing Iceland and Crossing Tasmania projects from previous years. This time, he connected three of New Zealand's best-known routes — the Paparoa, Old Ghost, and Heaphy trails on the South Island. With a few unexpected twists, he managed to complete the 241 miles and 24,587 feet of climbing in under 24 hours. Payson sits down with the crew who helped bring the project (and the upcoming film about it) to life. Filmmakers Thomas Woodson and Joey Schusler, editor Aidan Haley, local guide Callum Wood, and coordinator-in-chief Nichole Baker join him to talk about their highs and lows from the trip, mechanicals, wildlife sightings, hallucinations, over-fueling, and much more. Watch Crossing Iceland here.Watch Crossing Tasmania here.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Ryan Standish has had a tough year. During pre-season training in Madeira, he split open his knee during a crash and had to put his entire season on hold. The crash ended up going viral thanks to the GoPro he was wearing at the time, and he found himself in the middle of an unexpected internet news cycle. Ryan sat down with Payson over the Big Sugar weekend to talk about the crash, how it shaped his season, and the project he undertook recently to combine the Kokopelli and White Rim trails into one 310-mile FKT with 25,000 feet of climbing. He talks about why he decided not to put it off even though he was still recovering from his injury, and the video he produced about the experience.Click here to watch Ryan's film ‘Why Wait? Attempting a Kokopelli and White Rim Trail FKT.'Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Kelsey Urban's time racing the World Cup circuit has been anything but smooth. After years of suffering from a mysterious health condition that mystified doctors and forced her to pull the plug on her 2023 season, she was finally able to begin the long journey back in the UCI points this year. In the first World Cup of the season, she made it clear that she was a top contender by finishing 8th, and she rounded out the year by winning XC nationals in July. Kelsey caught up with Payson in Bentonville after racing Little Sugar to talk about why Nationals was bittersweet, the emotional rollercoaster of watching the Olympics from afar, and her friendship with teammate Jenny Rissveds. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

And that's a wrap on another round of the Life Time Grand Prix. Payson goes over the final points breakdown and talks about the changes that have been announced for the series for next year. He also talks to Matt Beers about their tie-breaking sprint for second place overall, and Alexis Skarda, who, after a five-week break in the middle of the series due to injury, still managed to come away with fourth overall. We also hear from listeners who attended the race.00:00:00 Introduction00:04:07 Listener experiences 00:08:40 Grand Prix points overall and series changes for 202500:26:23 Matt Beers01:13:33 Alexis SkardaInstagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

There was a point when Payson thought there were two Heather Jacksons racing the Grand Prix. How could one person excel in so many sports? The former hockey star who landed a spot on the Olympic track cycling team is now known mostly for her career as a star triathlete on the Ironman circuit. Lately, however, she's transitioned into gravel racing and ultrarunning, competing at the highest levels of both at the same time. Heather sat down with Payson before the final round of the Life Time Grand Prix to talk about why she started racing off-road events, what gravel racers can learn from ultrarunners, and how on earth she trains for two completely different sports simultaneously. She also talks about her early career as a hockey player, studying political science at Princeton, and why she still gets imposter syndrome on the start line of races. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

When Justinas Leveika raced the Tour Divide for the first time last year, it was, according to him, “a disaster.” But despite having done almost no preparation, he emerged from two weeks in the wilderness in second place behind Ulrich Bartholmoes. His bike barely made it, and he resolved to put the event behind him. This year, however, he returned, and not only did he win the race, but he beat the official record that has stood for nearly a decade. All this is just par for the course for Justinas, who says he prefers to race with heart rather than numbers and forge his way through chaos rather than planning. He sat down with Payson to talk about heightening the adventure of every race through minimal preparation, stopping to take in the view every so often, and whether he considers “the real world” to be the time he spends off the bike or on. He also talks about his favorite gas station food, getting disqualified from the Colorado Trail Race this year on a technicality, and why he's going for the Triple Crown anyway. You can follow his dot on the third and final installment, the Arizona Trail Race, starting this Thursday. Register to attend Payson's free Red Bull event in Bentonville, Chasin' Payson, here.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

On this week's episode, we're covering round five the Life Time Grand Prix which took place last weekend in Trinidad, Colorado. We hear from listeners who attended the race followed by Payson's breakdown of the current points standings and some of the possible podium scenarios that could unfold in the final round in Bentonville later this month. Payson also chats to two breakout riders at the Rad, Finn Gullickson and Cecily Decker. At just 24, Finn decided to step away from pursuing a road career in Europe to pursue off-road racing in the U.S. He talks about why he left road racing, the frustrating middle part of his 2024 season, and how he managed to place sixth overall and fifth in the Grand Prix points in Trinidad. Cecily is also a recent convert to gravel. Having been medically retired from ski racing while still in college, she quickly learned she had a talent for cycling. She tells Payson about when she knew she was fast on a bike, how a crash at Chequamegon dashed her hopes of a mid-season reset, and how she placed 3rd at the Rad. Before all that, however, Payson provides some life (and podcast) updates and shares some thoughts on this weekend's Gravel World Championships in Belgium.00:00:00 Introduction00:03:35 Life/podcast update00:08:30 Gravel World Championships 00:17:39 Listener recaps from the Rad00:23:01 Points analysis00:40:34 Finn Gullickson1:03:50 Cecily DeckerInstagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

In just two short years, Rosa Klöser went from never having ridden a gravel bike to winning the biggest gravel race in the world. Between her first gravel ride in 2022 and standing on the top step of the Unbound podium in 2024, she also managed to spend some time as a visiting researcher at MIT as part of her PhD work on the green transition of the maritime industry. Rosa catches up with Payson this week to talk about how she discovered her talent for gravel by accident during a trip to Girona, how she balanced her PhD studies with late night training rides, and why her area of research has implications for all of us. She also takes us inside her rocky Unbound experience and explains why she was, uncharacteristically according to her, cool as a cucumber by the time that nine-person sprint rolled around. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Another Chequamegon 40 has been and gone, and we're here to recap it all with the help of 7th place finisher John Borstelmann, 8th place finisher Anna Hicks, and the listeners who sent in their reports on the race. And because this was a Grand Prix race, Payson and Nichole also do some serious number crunching to figure out where the current standings lie (including drop races) and see how wide open the chase for a top 3 overall is in both the men's and women's fields. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

When Brennan Wertz lined up at Gravel National Championships last weekend, he was coming off of a bad case of covid and wasn't sure if he would make it to the end of the race. When he came across the finish line, he was National Champion. Brennan sat down with Payson to talk about his last-minute decision to attend the race and how it all went down, from the cagey tactics to his surprise attack that snagged him the victory. He also talks about how working with coach Dennis Van Winden has transformed his skills this season, and what he has planned in Europe over the next couple of months. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Anna Greetis is a mechanic and race technician for SRAM and one of the unsung heroes who helps athletes stay on track during big events. She travels around the world to gravel events like Unbound and the Traka, road events like the Tour de France Femmes and Paris-Roubaix, and occasionally to cyclocross races and triathlons where she is the point person for athletes whose bikes need fixing. Anna sat down with Payson last week after the Durango Derby to talk about what it's like being a female mechanic in a male dominated sport, why even she feels unwelcome at bike shops sometimes, and some of the on-the-fly fixes she's done over the years that she's most proud of. She also talks about the equipment she recommends everyone bring to a race, her experience at Migration Gravel in Kenya this year, and her not-so-secret horticultural skills.  Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

When Christian Bagg crossed the finish line at the Leadville 100 this year, he became the first rider to complete (and start) the notorious high alpine race with a handcycle. He did it with a bike he created through his company, Bowhead Corp, the leading purveyor of adaptive mountain bikes. Taking part in Leadville was part personal challenge and part broader statement — he wanted to make it clear that cyclists with mobility disabilities can race alongside able-bodied riders at the toughest events in the world, no matter the terrain. After an injury left him paralyzed from the waist down in 1996 at the age of 20, the machinist from Calgary spent over a decade contemplating how to design a bike that could handle narrow singletrack, loose ascents, and rutted descents. Nearly two decades and countless iterations later, he and his team have done just that. Christian sat down with Payson to talk about the long road to designing the bike, racing the Sea Otter Fuego XL to get into Leadville, and how he managed to assuage the race organizers' fears that he might not be able to complete the 100 miles and nearly 12,000 feet of climbing that Leadville covers. They also discuss the potential controversy of para-athletes using motor-assisted bikes in competitive events, why having one is necessary, and why he wants to be the first line of defense in the debate. Donate to Howard Grotts' recovery here:Howard Grotts' road to recoveryHoward Grotts recovery fundInstagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

There are many riders who dream of winning Leadville, but few if any have spent as much time working toward it as Melisa Rollins. She's done the mountain bike race seven times, the stage race twice, the Leadville Trail Marathon once, and the back-to-back 50-mile running and mountain biking races. She even completed the Leadville 100 running race in 2018. She was the very last racer on the course for that one, making her perhaps the only participant to have finished first and last at Leadville events. This year, she conquered the mountain bike course for a decisive victory. Melisa sat down with Payson less than 24 hours after finishing the race to talk about her extensive history with Leadville, how taking a year to race exclusively on the road helped her finally win the off-road race, and what it was like passing her parents (who were also racing) on the way back to the finish. Use code adventurestache20 at Maurten.com for 20% off. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

To recap this year's Leadville, Payson sits down with two riders who had some of the most impressive results on the day, Michaela Thompson and John Gaston. Michaela rode to third place this year, a full hour faster than her time last year. She talks about returning to Leadville ready to change the narrative, gives a play-by-play of the race, and talks about the emotional moment she shared with Sofía Gómez Villafane at the finish. John Gaston placed second at Leadville, even though cycling isn't his main sport. He tells Payson about his aspirations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in skimo, how racing with the Grand Prix riders fulfills one of his childhood dreams, and how he managed to place second despite riding solo for much of the day. We also hear from listeners about their experiences at this year's race.Watch the Leadville race highlights here.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Dr. David Spindler has been working as a high-performance cognitive specialist for over 25 years, helping top-level athletes unlock their brain chemistry and reach new levels of achievement. Cyclists he's worked with include Mark Cavendish, Sam Gaze, and recent podcast guest, Riley Amos. Last week, Dr. Spindler stopped by the podcast studio in Durango to talk about why he prefers to spend time with athletes on their training rides instead of just in an office, what cycling teams can learn from Formula 1 about accountability and trust, and how he helps athletes balance their professional goals with personal fulfillment off the bike. Later, Riley hops on the mic to recap his seventh-place finish at the Olympics, how his work with David helped him achieve the result, and how they're looking ahead to World Championships and his first Elite season. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Just a few days after returning home from Paris, Savilia Blunk sits down with Payson to talk about her experience competing in the XCO race at the Olympics. After years of targeted preparation, she had a lot riding on the race. In the end, she was disappointed with how it all went down. In this conversation, she tells Payson about the things she sacrificed to make it to the start line in Paris and whether, in hindsight, she thinks it was all worth it. She also gives her verdict on the course, talks about the athlete's village (including those viral cardboard beds), and gets candid about how it felt watching US teammate Haley Batten win silver. Later, her partner, Cole Paton, jumps on the mic to talk about what it's been like to watch Savilia chase the Olympic dream and how they've navigated their respective cycling careers (and relationship) from different countries. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

After going nearly undefeated on the World Cup circuit this year, U23 XCO rider Riley Amos returns to the show to talk about the season and the lead-up to the Olympics, which have just gotten underway in Paris. He talks about the heated points pursuit that the U.S. team undertook to snag two Olympic slots, and how this goal was at times in conflict with his personal quest to qualify. He talks about what it's like having his first elite race be the Olympics, why going home to Durango was an essential part of his preparation, and how he and fellow Durango local Chris Blevins avoided the awkwardness of Olympic qualifications to punch their tickets to the big event. Riley also tells Payson about how his strategic skills have improved over the past year, and why he thinks he'll never match the hunger and tenacity he had when going head-to-head with the top domestic pros when he was a kid.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Sarah Sturm is back, fresh off of winning Migration Gravel in Kenya. As usually happens when she and Payson start chatting, the conversation covers a broad range of pressing topics. Did Sarah watch Cole Paton ride to his doom in a rainstorm just before recording the show? Will Cole reply to Payson's texts? Why did the runners at Hardrock 100 wear bucket hats? Will Payson make his dinner reservation? They also talk about the grueling, exhilarating experience that is Migration Gravel, including the white-knuckle van ride to the start of each stage, beautiful cows, and the "princess palace" that the pro men stayed in. Sarah also talks about why she almost skipped the Grand Prix this year to focus on the Gravel Earth series (which she's currently leading), how she's managing to pursue both, and her latest efforts for Protect Our Winters. But first, Payson recaps the race that wasn't -- Crusher in the Tushar -- which was canceled due to wildfires. He talks about where the cancellation leaves the Grand Prix standings, who benefits and who suffers, and how changing the points structure from best of 7 races to best of 6 will make the final event in Bentonville all the more exciting.Register for the Rad Dirt Fest here. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Dylan Stucki has dabbled in just about every bike-related career out there. He's worked as an equipment tester, mechanic, and race promoter, and even found the time to do some pro racing along the way. These days, one of his main roles is team manager/mechanic/and all-around support system for his fiancée, Sarah Sturm. Payson caught up with Dylan this week to talk about what it's like maintaining a personal and professional relationship in the non-stop world of pro racing, his trajectory from bike shop grom to cycling Renaissance man, and racing alongside Sarah at Migration Gravel in Kenya last month. He also gives a glimpse into the stress of manning aid stations at Grand Prix events, talks about the merciless battle he waged to bring Single Speed World Championships to Durango in 2022 (shock collars and hot dogs were involved), and how he and other members of the Durango cycling community are trying to revitalize mountain bike racing with the Durango Derby, which takes place in September. You can register for the Durango Derby through July 15th at durangoderby.comInstagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

New Zealand cyclist Samara Sheppard has found success in multiple disciplines, including cross country (she won a U23 World Cup in 2012 and is a multi-time New Zealand and Oceania champion), road (she nearly landed a contract with one of the most prominent WorldTour teams in 2019), and marathon (she's placed 5th and 6th at the marathon world championships). This year, she's taking on a new discipline — gravel. As one of the new riders in the Grand Prix, she wasted no time in showing that she is one to watch when she placed second at Sea Otter in April. Despite her many successes, however, Samara's career has been full of near-misses. From seeing her long-held Olympic dreams dashed when the cross country spot was given to a reserve track racer to losing out on a road contract at the last hurdle, she has had to constantly find creative ways to pivot. Samara sat down with Payson in Durango this week to talk about chasing World Cup success by herself in Europe as a teenager, getting a Master's Degree in Public Health when racing stopped in 2020, becoming the first athlete from Oceania to podium at the Cape Epic, and how the online riding platforms Zwift and MyWhoosh have provided some of the biggest opportunities of her career. She also talks about why she had everything riding on a top result at Sea Otter and why she chose not to race Unbound. Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

As co-founder of SkratchLabs and co-author of the FeedZone cookbooks, Chef Biju Thomas has played a major role in how cyclists fuel themselves. He and his family emigrated from a rural part of Southern India to Colorado when he was 10. As a teenager, he fell in love with cycling right around the time he started working in restaurants, and dreamed of combining his two passions. Decades later, he's done just that, cooking for top cyclists, authoring cookbooks that have changed the way the cycling industry thinks about fueling, and starring in his own TV show for Outside. Payson caught up with Biju in Bentonville earlier this month to talk about moving to the U.S. as a kid, falling in love with cycling after the 1984 L.A. Olympics, and finding a kindred spirit in future business partner Allen Lim. You can follow Biju at @bijuthechef on Instagram or find out more about his latest projects at chefbiju.com.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

A year and a half ago, Paige Onweller was working as an emergency PA and racing bikes on the side. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she won Big Sugar. Recognizing that she had a fraction of the racing experience that her competitors had, Paige quit her job, built out her sprinter van, and got to work racing weekend after weekend around the country. She tried everything from time trialing to mountain biking, eventually deciding to commit to gravel and the Grand Prix. At Unbound this year, despite having spent barely any time on the bike since undergoing major ankle surgery, she placed third overall and first in the Grand Prix. Paige sat down with Payson in Bentonville shortly after the race to talk about how her nerdiness and curiosity have helped her go from amateur to top pro within a mere 18 months, the rare ankle injury she suffered during a crash in February that brought her season to a standstill, and how she played to her tactical strengths during Unbound to ensure she would stay at the front despite having almost no training under her belt. They also talk about how groundbreaking the race was for the women's field and how the past four months have taken her to the darkest and brightest places of being a professional athlete. Paige's YouTube video: How to Survive Unbound GravelInstagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Lea Davison thought long and hard about her retirement, but even when she finally decided to bring her mountain biking career to a close, she didn't have any intention of slowing down. During her racing career, she won a silver and a bronze medal at the World Championships, placed third overall in the 2015 World Cup series, and went to the Olympics twice. Now in "retirement," she's working as a race commentator, mountain biking coach, and public speaker. Last year, she traveled more for work than she did at any point during her racing career. Payson caught up with Lea at Unbound earlier this month to talk about how busy her work has been since stepping away from the World Cup circuit, why she was devastated to miss out on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team, and how racing Unbound in 2022 forced her to confront the weight of her retirement. She also talks about a turning point a few years ago when she decided to go all-in on advocating for women in cycling, the difficulty of coming out as one of the few openly gay athletes in the sport in 2018, and her elaborate routine for preparing for the grueling 15 hour day of commentating for Unbound. Get 15% Dometic.com with code PAYSON15Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Trains, a moto crash, the hero pull of the day, and two peeing mishaps are just some of the crazy moments from Unbound that make the cut in this episode. As the race expands every year, so does the potential for chaos within the peloton. Payson rounded up some of the most striking examples that you didn't see in any on-the-day coverage. Click to WIN: TIME XPRO 12 SL Pedals + Sockeloen x Payson Aero SocksYou can find out more about TIME pedals here Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

This year's Unbound was one of the most dynamic and exciting in the event's history, featuring two new winners, separate starts for the elite men and women, and a nine-up sprint at the women's finish. Payson caught up with two of the top riders to get the lowdown from inside the men's and women's fields. We also hear from some of the riders across the other categories, from 50-milers to the Unbound XL.Payson and Pete Stetina discuss how the men's race played out, including Lachlan Morton's crowd-pleaser of a win, how Gravel World Champ Matej Mohorič ended up being less of a threat than expected, and why starting separately from the amateurs and elite women actually impacted the race in a big way. Lauren De Crescenzo joins Payson to talk about her ill-fated solo breakaway, why the new rules for the women's race didn't go far enough, and which Grand Prix riders over and under-performed. Watch the Unbound race highlights hereClick to WIN: TIME XPRO 12 SL Pedals + Sockeloen x Payson Aero SocksYou can find out more about TIME pedals here Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

Jasper Ockeloen started racing on the road in the Netherlands when he was 8 years old and took up cyclocross not long after. The combination has come in handy now that he's turned his focus to gravel and the increasingly popular discipline of beach racing, where he's a two-time European champion. This month, he's back in the U.S. to tackle Unbound for the fourth time. In addition to racing, he runs the aero-sock brand Sockeloen, which he founded more than 10 years ago while racing for the Rabobank development team and doing a degree in commercial economics. Today, Sockeloen's aero-socks are favored by some of the world's top pros.Jasper sat down with Payson in Bentonville last week to talk about their predictions for Unbound, how the race has changed since he and fellow Dutchie (and 2022 winner) Ivar Slik started attending, and why, despite some impressive road results, he never went to the World Tour. They also talk about how Jasper and his fellow members of the so-called “Dutch Mafia” are helping to make Euro tactics mainstream in American gravel, and how witnessing Ivar's recent crash first-hand has made him re-evaluate the safety of the sport, especially in relation to his wife, Visma Lease-a-Bike rider Riejanne Markus.Click to WIN: TIME XPRO 12 SL Pedals + Sockeloen x Payson Aero SocksYou can find out more about TIME pedals here Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen

At 46, Kateřina Nash has been racing bikes for three decades and continues to compete at the highest level. Originally from the Czech Republic, she competed in skiing throughout her early life, even competing in two Winter Olympics before discovering a love for mountain biking. She was part of the first cohort of the groundbreaking LUNA Pro Team in 2002, and stayed with the team for more than two decades. In that time, she won seven Cyclo-cross World Cups, competed in three Summer Olympics, and, for the past few years, has served as a Vice President of the UCI and President of the Athletes' Commission.Payson caught up with Kateřina in Bentonville last week to talk about growing up behind the Iron Curtain, moving to the U.S. on a ski scholarship, and why she still can't believe she got to sign with the LUNA Pro Team. She talks about how her training has changed as she's gotten older, why she still loves professional racing, and how she's managed to stay so fast for so long. She also talks about how her roles within the UCI came about, and the phone call she received last year that is an athlete's worst nightmare. Use code PAYSON20 for 20% off at voler.com through May 30th.Instagram: @theadventurestacheYouTube: Payson McElveen