Podcasts about vollering

Three years to win the Tour de France Femmes? Not so much. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot had said that it would take that long for her to transition from World Cup MTB competition to the very different challenges of multi-day road racing, but stage 8 showed that she's far ahead of schedule. Andrew Hood and Shane Stokes discuss her historic performance on the Col de la Madeleine that saw the Jumbo-Visma rider tempo away from Vollering and the other GC contenders in dominant yet measured fashion, and Levy wonders just how much danger she was in after being distanced the following day. They also get into why the TdFF doesn't finish in Paris, adding more stages, and why it might be better to hold the Femmes race before the Tour de France. Further reading: ‘It Isn't What We Expect From Her': Vollering Cites Lack of Power During Tour de France Femmes Defeat Ferrand-Prévot Talks Up 2027 Retirement After Femmes Success: ‘It Could be Beautiful, Extraordinary' Tour de France Femmes Prize Money: Ferrand-Prévot Won Big, but It's a Fraction of What Pogačar Got How Mountain Biking Made Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Unbeatable at the Tour de France Femmes See the latest from the Tour de France Femmes from Velo

De Kopgroep kijkt met een vleugje weemoed terug op de laatste Touretappe. We nemen afscheid van een maand lang Frankrijk, maar genoten van opnieuw een dag vol koers. En dat mede dankzij Anna van der Breggen. De ervaren renster -maar Tourdebutant- besloot al vroeg in de aanval te gaan. Mart noemt het een wanhoopspoging, maar Ellen en Jip vinden het tactisch een goede zet. Als je het op kracht niet kunt, dan moet je op de verrassing spelen. Ook lof voor PFP of PauPau die de Fransen een Touroverwinning bezorgd. Maar het feestje bij de cermonie? Dat kan beter. Daarnaast aandacht voor Sarah Gigante. Haar -gebrek aan- daalkunsten zijn veelbesproken en kosten haar nu ook een plek in de top van het klassement. Ellen en Mart bespreken hoe bizar het is dat zij hier nu haatberichten op social media over krijgt. Jip en Ellen leggen uit hoe je wél de perfecte bocht neemt en wat je hieraan kan leren. Verder een terugblik op deze bewogen Tour en nog aandacht voor madame 69: Mischa Bredewold. Ellen weet uit eigen ervaar hoe sterk deze renster is en voorspelt: daar wij gaan we nog heel veel horen. Dat en meer in deze nieuwe aflevering, luisteren maar!

Verrassend, fantastisch & geweldig. De Kopgroep komt superlatieven tekort om het plan van Visma-Lease a Bike te beschrijven. Tekentafel wielrennen tot in de perfectie uitgevoerd, zegt Mart. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot kreeg hulp van rensters uit de kopgroep en plaatste vervolgens een verschroeiende demarrage op de Madeleine die haar -hoogstwaarschijnlijk- naar de Tourzege brengt.  Jip benadrukt dat zij met oogkleppen op, maandenlang specifiek op dit doel heeft voorbereid. Niet alleen op het domein van trainen, maar ook op het domein van voeding. Ferrand-Prévot kan snel afvallen voor een belangrijk doel, maar dat is niet voor iedereen weggelegd. "Don't try this at home" , waarschuwt Ellen. En wat over topfavoriet Demi Vollering? Ellen zegt dat het eigenlijk voor het eerst is dat Vollering op een klim als dit door een ander op waarde geklopt wordt. De etappe van vandaag ligt haar, dus mogelijk kan Vollering zich vandaag revancheren. Dat en meer in deze nieuwe aflevering, on y va! 

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot smijt met minuten op de Col de la Madeleine en neemt een enorme optie op eindwinst van de Tour de Femmes. Genoeg reden om deze aflevering van In Het Wiel (bijna) volledig aan haar te wijden. Niek Goedvolk heeft het met Roxane Knetemann over de renster Ferrand-Prévot, maar ook zeker over de mens. Roxane zat namelijk vijf jaar bij haar in de ploeg en heeft dus een paar mooie anekdotes voor deze podcast bewaard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Een Franse ritzege in de Tour de Femmes in een niet zo spannende etappe. Gelukkig deed de tactiek van FDJ-Suez de wenkbrauwen fronsen en kunnen we het daar nog uitgebreid over hebben in een nieuwe aflevering van In Het Wiel. Niek Goedvolk en Roxane Knetemann proberen te verklaren wat ze hebben gezien. Verder vertelt collega Daan Hakkenberg dat Puck Pieterse zich nog goed voelt en geeft Rox weer antwoord op een Vraag van de dag. Luisteren dus!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De eerste echte bergrit in de Tour de France Femmes zit erop. Maeva Squiban werd de verrassende winnares in Ambert en maakte grote indruk in de slotfase. Achter Squiban keken de favorieten naar elkaar. Hoe dat komt? Je hoort het in de WielerFlits Update met Julian Dubbeld en Maxim Horssels.De rit over de Col du Beal beloofde vuurwerk, maar uiteindelijk kwamen de favorieten in dezelfde tijd over de meet. Aanvallen zagen we alleen van Kasia Niewiadoma en Cedrine Kerbaol, maar zij kregen nauwelijks ruimte. Mogelijk waren de beklimmingen van woensdag niet zwaar genoeg om het verschil te maken. Of hebben we naar een tactisch steekspel zitten kijken.Er gebeurde in de eerste helft van de wedstrijd namelijk genoeg. Demi Vollering had twee rensters meezitten in de vroege vlucht, terwijl Niewiadoma Soraya Paladin had meezitten als satellietrenster. Voor beide ploegen was dat tactisch perfect, maar dé aanval bleef uit. Na afloop zei Vollering dat AG Insurance-Soudal daardoor Sarah Gigante al vroeg op kop moest zetten, die nog bijna tijd verloor.Vrijdag belooft het wel echt vuurwerk te worden in Frankrijk, met de Col du Granier als sluitstuk. Kunnen we aanvallen in de afdalingen verwachten, en zo ja, van wie? Je hoort het in de WielerFlits Update.

Een dubbelslag van Kimberley Le Court in de vijfde etappe van de Tour de Femmes. In een nieuwe aflevering van In Het Wiel met Niek Goedvolk en Roxane Knetemann gaat het onder meer over het bijzondere verhaal van de renster uit Mauritius. Verder moeten we het natuurlijk even hebben over het relletje tussen Visma-ploegleider Jos van Emden en het FDJ-Suez van Demi Vollering. Collega Daan Hakkenberg sprak met Shirin van Anrooij, die terugkomt na een operatie. De blessure die zij had is een veelvoorkomende onder wielrenners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De klassementsrensters moesten woensdag aan de bak in Guéret. Zeven rensters wisten zich af te scheiden op de laatste klim van de dag, waarna Kim Le Court een dubbelslag sloeg. Al moet gezegd worden dat Demi Vollering nog heel dichtbij kwam. Hoe liggen de verhoudingen nu? Je hoort het in de WielerFlits Update met Nick Doup en Julian Dubbeld.De vijfde rit in de Tour de France Femmes bracht het peloton naar Guéret, in de regio Nouvella-Aquitaine. Waar het vooraf ging over een mogelijke tweestrijd tussen Marianne Vos en Lorena Wiebes, zagen we de klassementsrensters gewoon aan het werk. Demi Vollering, Kim Le Court, Anna van der Breggen, Kasia Niewiadoma, Sarah Gigante, Pauliena Rooijakkers en Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lijken op dit moment de sterkste rensters in koers.Na afloop werden er de nodige pittige uitspraken gedaan over de onderlinge verhoudingen. Zo was Justine Ghekiere vol ongeloof over Le Court, die de hele dag in haar oortjes had gezegd dat ze zich écht niet goed voelde. Voor de camera van WielerFlits legde ze uit waarom dat zo was. En dan was er ook nog Kasia Niewiadoma, die zei dat ze op de limiet zat toen Sarah Gigante op kop ging rijden. Waar het na afloop van de rit ging over de klassementsrensters, ging het in de ochtend vooral over Jos van Emden, die bij De Telegraaf opvallende uitspraken over Vollering en manager Delcourt had gedaan. “Voor die commentaren heb ik geen enkel respect. Hij wil blijkbaar een pelotonnetje van acht rensters, met Demi erin, om in een gouden kooi verder te rijden. Ja hallo, dit is de sport hé? Er gebeurt niets wat niet kan. Hij is gewoon beïnvloed door Demi. Door het aanstelgedrag van Demi", zei hij onder meer.Een dag later praatten Delcourt en Van Emden het in het openbaar eruit. Zand erover? Of is dit pas het begin van de psychologische oorlogsvoering? Je hoort het in de WielerFlits Update.- De winactie van vandaag: Maak kans op een Active Extreme X CN SS-baselayer van Craft (t.w.v. €54,95)! Wil jij kans maken op deze prijs? Speel dan deze Tourzomer mee met de WielerFlits winactie. - Voor de Instagram-winactie van het Merci PouPou-shirt van Alpecin-Deceuninck klik je hier.

De vierde etappe van de Tour de Femmes leek wel een kopie van die van gisteren. Weer Lorena Wiebes tegen Marianne Vos, maar nu met een triple lead-out van Anna van der Breggen. Hoe knap is het wat SD Worx doet nadat de aanvankelijke plannen volledig overboord moesten? En is er een gebrek aan respect in het vrouwenpeloton? Niek Goedvolk bespreekt het met Roxane Knetemann in een nieuwe aflevering van In Het Wiel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Tour de France Femmes is in volle gang! Terwijl Maarten zich gisteren nog hardop afvraagt hoe het met Lotte Kopecky gaat, hebben Maxim en Jip daar vandaag intussen antwoord op! Suzanne, Mart, Jip en Maxim blikken in deze aflevering uitgebreid terug op de derde etappe van de Tour de France Femmes. Ook wordt vooruit gekeken naar de rit van vandaag. Tijdens de Tour de France Femmes zijn we er dagelijks in je favoriete podcast app. Als eerste op de hoogte zijn van een nieuwe aflevering? Volg De Kopgroep op Instagram, @de.kopgroep. 

De Tour de France Femmes draaide dinsdag om Demi Vollering. Elke stap die Vollering deed, werd door een stoet mensen gevolgd. Na de zware val van maandag, finishte de Nederlandse renster van FDJ-Suez dinsdag veilig in het peloton. Kan het dan tóch nog? Je hoort het in de WielerFlits Update met Nick Doup en Julian Dubbeld.Met een bang hartje stapte Vollering dinsdag op de fiets naar Poitiers, maar aan het einde van de dag kon er toch weer een lach vanaf bij de Nederlandse. Een dag later ziet de wereld er al een stuk positiever uit Vollering. Geen hersenschudding, geen breuken en een aantal kneuzingen waar - zo bleek dinsdag - mee te fietsen is. Nu is het te hopen dat de kneuzingen verder herstellen.Woensdag zal ze namelijk naar Guéret aan de bak moeten. De klim naar Le Maupuy is dan de scherprechter. Daar zullen we de klassementsrensters zeker gaan zien. De vraag is echter ook: hoe ver kunnen Marianne Vos en Lorena Wiebes op deze aankomst komen?Wiebes zelf verwees na afloop naar Marianne Vos, terwijl ploeggenote Anna van der Breggen dan weer naar Wiebes wees. Wordt het stiekem toch een aankomst voor de sprintsters? Hoe dan ook, het kan alle kanten op. Want de kleinere ploegen in deze wedstrijd hebben hun zinnen op een vlucht gezet. Het zal chaotisch worden, maar na woensdag zullen we een stuk meer weten over waar deze Tour de France Femmes naartoe gaat.En misschien ook wel welke rol Vos in de strijd om het algemeen klassement gaat vertolken. De Nederlandse geletruidrager zagen we tot nu toe veel voor eigen kansen gaan, maar gaan we de komende dagen zeker in een andere rol zien voor Ferrand-Prévot. Welke rol? Daar deed ze nog mysterieus over. Nick en Julian hebben daar wel een idee over in de WielerFlits Update.

Het leek maandag een rustige dag te worden in de Tour de France Femmes. Gewoon een sprintrit naar Angers, met Lorena Wiebes als winnares. Dat laatste klopte, maar rustig was het allerminst door de massale val op vier kilometer van de meet. Hoe gaat het nu met Demi Vollering? Je hoort het in een nieuwe aflevering van de WielerFlits Update met Nick Doup en Julian Dubbeld, die het stokje hebben overgenomen van Maxim Horssels en Nick Doup.De Tour de France Femmes raast na twee chaotische dagen in Bretagne verder. De derde etappe naar Angers werd er een die deze Tour de France Femmes diepe sporen achterlaat. Door een grote val kwamen onder meer Puck Pieterse en Demi Vollering ten val. Met Pieterse gaat het goed, maar Vollering moest naar de streep geduwd worden. Eenmaal bij de bus viel ze huilend in de armen van haar partner Jan de Voogd.Hoe het met Vollering gaat, is nog niet bekend. De ploeg wilde nog niet reageren. Een eerste goed teken kwam wel zo'n half uur na de finish, toen Vollering toch nog besloot uit te gaan fietsen en haar kersensap te nemen. Maar een goed teken is de val natuurlijk nooit.

Lance Armstrong, Mari Holden, and Alison Tetrick break down Lorena Wiebes' dominant sprint victory on Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift. They also discuss the ramifications of a late-stage crash involving GC favorite Demi Vollering, before previewing tomorrow's flat stage to Poitiers. Zwift: Zwift just made it easier than ever to get on the virtual roads. All Zwift-ready trainers come with the new Zwift Cog and Click installed, making them ready to ride from the box - no extras needed. Zwift-ready trainers start at just $299, meaning anyone can jump into world-class indoor training without breaking the bank. No excuses. Just ride! https://zwift.com Pique: Ready to optimize your recovery like a pro? Pique is offering up to 20% off for life, plus free gifts for our listeners, plus a 90-day money-back guarantee. Head to https://Piquelife.com/THEMOVE and experience it for yourself - because better sleep and peak recovery aren't a luxury, they're a necessity for every cyclist. You deserve to wake up clear, calm, and ready to take on your day.

Highlights from Stage 3 of the women's Tour de France. Thanks to Garmin and Van Rysel for supporting the show! Enter the Van Rysel competition here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepTMEjgmROEOQ1sjOaclxAJTu5KWxtAENgGO9_G2Eb4zD_fg/viewform00:00 Ad: Garmin gadgets 00:41 Ad: Win a Van Rysel RCR-F 01:53 UAE in trouble?02:30 Highlights07:05 Jersey standings07:21 Disaster for GC favourites?10:30 Doomed Jersey early entry12:52 Dead air (FUOTD)13:19 Mystic Bella's predictions14:35 Stage 4 previewJoin the CADE Tour de France fantasy leagues at velogames.com! Once you've made a team, go to “Join a Featured League” and select CADE Fantasy League from the drop down menu (or enter league code 728980319)You can check out the video versions of the podcast, plus more videos from Cade Media here:https://www.youtube.com/@Cade_Media/videosIf you'd like us to send in a question, story, some good news, things you'd like us to discuss or anything else, email us at wildonespodcast@cademedia.co.ukThanks and see you next time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorena Wiebes heeft haar favorietenrol waargemaakt tijdens de derde etappe van de Tour de Femmes. Maar in aanloop naar de massasprint was er een grote val in het peloton, waarbij ook Demi Vollering betrokken was. Roxane Knetemann legt aan Niek Goedvolk uit waarom een valpartij altijd net iets meer impact heeft op Vollering dan op anderen. En werkt die 5 kilometer-regel nou wel zo goed? Je hoort het in een nieuwe aflevering van In Het Wiel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Niet één, maar twee etappes om te bespreken vandaag. De Tour de Femmes is namelijk ook van start en daar was het meteen spektakel. In deze aflevering van In Het Wiel hoor je alles over de zege van Marianne Vos, want probeerde ze haar ploeggenote nou te laten winnen? Niek Goedvolk bespreekt het met Roxane Knetemann en Marijn Abbenhuijs. En in de voorlaatste etappe van de Tour de France kwam Frank ven den Broek heel dichtbij, maar was het wel zo verstandig om te gaan pokeren? Je hoort het in deze podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Een speciale aflevering van In Het Wiel als ultieme voorbereiding op de vierde editie van de Tour de Femmes, die zaterdag in Vannes van start gaat. Niek Goedvolk werpt met Roxane Knetemann een blik op het parcours en neemt de favorieten én dark horses met haar door. Wie pakt het eerste geel, is er iemand die het Wiebes lastig kan maken in de sprints en welke etappes lenen zich voor een late uitval? Je hoort het allemaal in deze podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Im letzten Jahr lieferten sich Kasia Niewadoma und Demi Vollering ein Herzschlagfinale für die Ewigkeit - mit gerade mal vier Sekunden Vorsprung gewann am Ende die Polin. Jetzt geht die Tour de France Femmes in die nächste Auflage - schafft Vollering die Revanche, verteidigt Niewadoma ihren Titel oder gibt es eine lachende Dritte? Die Redakteure blicken zurück und voraus, stellen die Strecke vor und analysieren die Chancen der deutschen Starterinnen. Vive le Tour, watch the Femmes!

Koersklappers: Gijs Van Hoecke, Stijn De BockParelvissers Gijs en Stijn kwamen praten over hun avondmaal, maar doken daarna meteen in de Dauphiné en de stoffige Vlaamse koersen van de afgelopen twee weken.Over Reusser en Vollering, maar ook over asperges met hesp, Pogacars tijdrit, Thijssens sleutelbeen en de jeugdsterren Haverdinges en Oosterlinck.Koop onze extreem limited edition wieleroutfit via https://www.linktree.com/radiostelvio.

Een nieuwe aflevering van In Het Wiel na de slotetappe van de Dauphiné. Over de week van Van der Poel, het afscheid van Bardet en de vorm van De Grote Drie. Wat zegt dat over de Tour de France straks? Niek Goedvolk bespreekt het met Roxane Knetemann en Daniël Dwarswaard. En als toetje gaat Roxane er met een gestrekt been in tegen de UCI, ze is het niet eens met een nieuwe regel die de internationale wielerbond gaat invoeren.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zo vaak zag de wielerliefhebber de laatste maanden een gebroken Wout van Aert na een belangrijke koers. Maar met de manier, waarop hij de spectaculaire negende etappe van de Giro won, rekende hij daar in één klap mee af. Hoe bijzonder is de wederopstanding van de Belg? Je hoort het in een nieuwe aflevering van wielerpodcast In Het Wiel. Vandaag met Niek Goedvolk, Roxane Knetemann en Marijn Abbenhuijs. Uiteraard bespreken we ook de valpartij van Primoz Roglic: hoort een gravelrit wel thuis in een grote ronde? En wat had Thymen Arensman gekund zonder materiaalpech?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juan Ayuso heeft in de Giro een eerste tikje uitgedeeld aan Primoz Roglic. Zat de Sloveen - die op een gat kwam te zitten - niet op te letten of was het een moment van zwakte? Je hoort het in een nieuwe aflevering van AD wielerpodcast In Het Wiel met Niek Goedvolk, Roxane Knetemann en Marijn Abbenhuijs. Verder hopen we op een 'epische klassieker' morgen en hebben we het over een bijzondere statistiek in de Ronde van Baskenland voor vrouwen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vi sammanfattar damernas Vuelta Espana och går på djupet med Giro d'Italias första etapper. Daniel har spanat lite enorma klingor på tempot och så presenterar vi en tävling ihop med SD Worx.

¡Nuevo episodio de BiciLAB el Podcast cargado hasta los topes! Esta semana venimos con un menú completito: repasamos toda la actualidad ciclista, analizamos la Rioja Bike Race que está a la vuelta de la esquina, y seguimos dándole vueltas a la cabeza con el coco en las semanas previas a competir.

In this special Arrivée episode, Rose Manley and Rebecca Charlton look back at the first Grand Tour of the year for the women's peloton, the Vuelta Femenina. The race marks the first World Tour stage race to see top rivals Anna Van der Breggen and Demi Vollering go head-to-head. Vollering may have had the edge so far this season but Van der Breggen has found further form since her comeback. And then there's fellow SD Worx alumnus Marlen Reusser who separated the two Dutch rivals on the podium at Setmana Valenciana earlier in the year. So where will the fabled red jersey land this time? Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it's after 11am). The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Já é galáctico? Mads Pedersen segue se afirmando como um dos grandes nomes da atualidade. Em três dias de Giro d'Italia, o dinamarquês venceu duas etapas e lidera a maglia rosa e a ciclamino. Na briga pelo trofeu Senza Fini, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - Bora) já está na dianteira. É o favorito e se impõs como tal nos três primeiros dias pela Albânia.Na Espanha, Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suex) foi soberana e conquistou a camisa vermelha pelo segundo ano consecutivo da Vuelta. Prova foi dominada pelas holandesas, com destaques para Anna Van der Breggen e Marianne Vos. Tudo isso e muito mais no Gregario RADIO dessa semana. Informação e opinião para quem é apaixonado por ciclismo.

Nederland heerste in de Vuelta voor vrouwen, met Demi Vollering als eindwinnaar. De tijdrit in de Giro draaide uit op een waar secondespel. Primoz Roglic miste weliswaar op een haar na de ritzege, maar neemt wel met één tel voorsprong de roze trui over van Mads Pedersen. Joshua Tarling boekte de grootste overwinning in zijn carrière. Had hij voordeel door vroeg te starten? Host Niek Goedvolk bespreekt het met co-host Roxane Knetemann en wielerverslaggever (en tijdritspecialist) Marijn Abbenhuijs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Koersklappers: Jonas Creteur, Stijn De Bock, Bieke PurnelleNa lange tijd zitten we terug in de schrijfkamer, waar we met menig kwinkslag en schaterlach de laatste twee Ardennenklassiekers analyseren.Over de Waalse Pijl en Luik, maar ook over de Abruzzen, Di Luca, de weldoener in Seixas, de afknapper in de ASO, het floppende Bora en de regelmaat van Tiesj.Steun Radio Stelvio

De nabeschouwing over de Amstel Gold Race kwam er uiteindelijk niet meer van. Eerste Paasdag werd gevierd met familie en er was inpakstress want Tweede Paasdag gingen we op vakantie. Maar we zijn er weer! Maar we zijn er weer! Voormalig professioneel wielrenster Vera Koedooder had voor de verandering vandaag weer eens een profwielrenster te gast in Koerage Koers van de Koerage Podcast: Femke Gerritse van Team SD Worx - Protime! Zij maakte haar podcastdebuut, deed dit geweldig en deed dit vanaf de bank thuis in Den Bosch. Vera deed dit vanuit haar vakantieadres in Chamonix. Femke reed gisteren de loodzware koers Luik-Bastenaken-Luik en ze start komend weekend ook in de Vuelta Femenina.Wat komt er o.a aan bod: Natuurlijk blikken ze terug op de koers van gisteren die verdiend werd gewonnen door Kim le Court, maar ook op het afgelopen voorjaar, voedingsstrategieën van Femke in de koers met Maurten sportvoeding en over het laatste uur in de bus voor de start en droomdoelen van Femke. Traditiegetrouw ook weer de vaste rubrieken Koerage Moment en de Voorspellingen. Maar dan in Femke style. Veel luisterplezier!De shownotes:- Partner van deze show: Maurten sportvoeding- NOS.nl: Le Court houdt Pieterse en Vollering van zege in Luik-Bastenaken-Luik- Uitslag op Procyclingstats.comSociale kanalen van Koerage:Website: www.koerage.ccInstagram: www.instagram.com/koerageFacebook: www.facebook.com/koeragecyclingconceptsTwitter: www.twitter.com/KoerageCCSociale kanalen van Vera:Website: www.verakoedooder.nlInstagram: www.instagram.com/verakoedooderFacebook: www.facebook.com/VeraKoedooderTwitter: www.twitter.com/VeraKoedooderLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vera-koedooder-oly-32704810Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7BxSZXsgZ7VDO33Wwl5wSociale kanalen van Femke:Instagram: www.instagram.com/femkegerritseFacebook: www.facebook.com/femkegerritseLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/femke-gerritse

Beware: this episode of Velo Podcast is a packed one. Amstel Gold has to be one of the best races of the year, and this year was no exception. While everyone thought Tadej Pogačar was gone, he sat up and started to soft pedal. And instead of blowing it all up at the last climb, Amstel Gold ended up being decided in a three-person sprint. The first two names–Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel–are to be expected. But Mattias Skjelmose? He seemed surprised to even be there, much less that he won. In this latest episode of the Velo Podcast, we talk about Skjelmose winning Amstel Gold, Mischa Bredewold taking the win at Women's Amstel Gold. They also preview Liège-Bastogne-Liège and discuss Remco's 100-percent win record at The Old Lady; two starts, two victories! Can he do it again against the likes of Pidcock, Pogi, and Van der Poel? Levy is a believer, whereas Hoody has his money on a certain Slovenian. And in the tech world, Levy and Tech Editor Alvin Holbrook talk about the newly-released Factor Monza aero bike, his latest gravel bike in for test, and Silca's Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump. We told you it would be a packed one! Topics of discussion: ‘Terrible Cold' at Flèche Wallonne Reminds Peloton That Mother Nature Is Racing's Toughest Rival Pogačar and Vollering vs. the Pack: Can Anyone Stop Another Rout at Liège-Bastogne-Liège? Giant-Killer Mattias Skjelmose Stuns Pogačar and Evenepoel to Win Amstel Gold Race The Factor Monza Road Bike Promises Pro-Level Aero and Stiffness at a (More) Accessible Pricepoint This Week In Tech: Silca's Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump, Strava's Strike on Fake KOMs, and Smart Kids Bikes Cannondale Revives The SuperX Name for Its New Go-Fast Gravel Bike 5 Trends and Takeaways from the 2025 Sea Otter Classic

Het klassieke voorjaar van 2025 nadert zijn apotheose. Met enkel nog Luik-Bastenaken-Luik voor de boeg maken we in de WielerFlits Podcast de eerste voorzichtige balans op. Vooral Visma | Lease a Bike heeft huiswerk gekregen voor de komende maanden. Ook is er veel aandacht voor het vrouwenwielrennen. Kortom: luister snel naar een fonkelnieuwe aflevering!Deze WielerFlits Podcast is mede aangeboden door MNSTRY, expert in sportvoeding. Dompel jezelf nu volledig onder in de volledige MNSTRY-beleving en ontdek de 3-in-1 Training Bundle. Verzeker jezelf van het voordeel dat het verschil maakt en breng je resultaten naar een volgend niveau. Dat doe je met de MNSTRY-sportdranken Slow Carb, Fast Carb en Recovery Shake. Gebruik de exclusieve kortingscode TRAININGWF15 en krijgt 15% korting bij het afrekenen!Na een ijzersterk voorjaar beloonde Puck Pieterse zichzelf eindelijk met een zege. Op de Muur van Huy in de Waalse Pijl verschalkte ze Demi Vollering. Maxim en Youri analyseren samen met collega Raymond - die aanwezig was in Wallonië - de koers en stellen andermaal vast dat Pieterse een uniek talent is. De gelijkenissen met Mathieu van der Poel zijn aanwezig, die Youri ook uitlegt op basis van het uitgebreide interview die hij met het toptalent had in de Wintergids van RIDE Magazine. Daarnaast staan onze mannen ook uitgebreid stil bij jonkies Nienke Vinke en Mijntje Geurts, die eveneens top-10 reden in de Waalse Pijl.Ook de mannenwedstrijd komt uiteraard voorbij. Raymond zag vanop de eerste rij welk punt Tadej Pogačar wilde maken, al heeft het ook voor een beetje vrees gezorgd bij onze mannen. Toch zijn het de Sloveense wereldkampioen en Remco Evenepoel die waarschijnlijk gaan uitmaken wie Luik-Bastenaken-Luik zal winnen komende zondag. Met name de strijd om plek drie belooft spannend te zijn, want er zijn meerdere mannen in vorm. Net zoals bij de mannen verwachten we ook een tweestrijd bij de vrouwen tussen Vollering en Pieterse, al schrijven we Pauline Ferrand-Prévot zeker niet af. Dat brengt ons wel bij Visma | Lease a Bike, maar dan weer bij de mannen. Het voorjaar van Wout van Aert was zeker niet slecht, maar toch waren de geelzwarten niet zo dominant als een paar jaar geleden. Daar moeten ze verandering in aanbrengen, maar hoe? Onze mannen laten daar hun licht over schijnen en wegen de opties af. Wat dat precies inhoudt? Luister snel naar een nieuwe aflevering van de WielerFlits Podcast en vergeet ook vooral niet de laatste tips op te slaan in je hoofd voor je selecties in de verschillende spelletjes voor de allerlaatste klassieker van dit voorjaar!

Radio Stelvio - S08 AFL05 (201) - Houterig sierlijkKoersklappers:  Jo Badisco, Wim LagaeJo en Wim geloofden hun ogen niet: keken we echt naar een nieuw kantelpunt in de geschiedenis van Milaan - San Remo? Tijd om erin te duiken, met ook nog omzwervingen via Bredene, Nokere, Turijn en véél andere koersen.Over de krak in Kubis, de sprint van Eddy, de 11 monumenten van Roger, de Q lichaamstemperatuur en crazy Cat Ferguson.Steun Radio Stelvio

Rose Manley and Jo Rowsell cast their eye over one of the most hotly anticipated races of the year, Milano-Sanremo Donne. The last time the race was staged for women was 20 years ago, leaving plenty of intrigue over how it would be approached by this current crop of riders. This season's battle of SD Worx versus Demi Vollering was expected to continue into this race. The Dutch team boasted both World Champion Lotte Kopecky and super sprinter Lorena Wiebes in their line-up, making them the team to beat. However, former alumnus Vollering – now of FDJ Suez – got the better of them at Strade Bianche and looked to do it again on the famous climbs of the Cipressa and Poggio.  There were plenty of contenders for the inaugural Milano Sanremo Donne title elsewhere too. Trofeo Binda champion Elisa Balsamo heads up Lidl-Trek, Elisa Longo Borghini looks to make a big impression as Italian champion and Kasia Niewiadoma races for the first time since her Strade Bianche crash. Arrivée is The Cycling Podcast's quick-fire race analysis show offering a first take on the biggest races. Join Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie as they discuss their first impressions of the opening Monument of the spring, the longest one-day race on the World Tour calendar, Milan-Sanremo. Who will triumph on the Via Roma and how did they do it? Sponsored by Laka The Cycling Podcast's coverage of the spring Classics is supported by Laka. Laka offers specialist bike insurance that goes further than you think. It's powered by a collective of cyclists who all have each others' backs. They won't charge a fixed sum, instead, they calculate your monthly contributions – up to a maximum capped amount – based on the collective's claims. There's no excess so you won't be penalised when it comes to making a claim. Laka is back as a proud sponsor of The Cycling Podcast. Listeners can get their first 30 days free by signing up with the code TCP30 at laka.co/tcp  TRIBUTE TO RICHARD MOORE AT GENT-WEVELGEM Friend of the Podcast Charlotte Elton is raising money to pay tribute to our friend and co-founder Richard Moore at Gent-Wevelgem by painting his name on the road. She's crowdfunding to pay for the paint and any additional funds will be donated to Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity. You can donate to the cause here. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it's after 11am). The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

With old grudges and new rivalries playing out on the gravel roads of Tuscany, Strade Bianche offered up plenty to talk about in this month's episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin. Rose Manley and Denny Gray are joined by cycling broadcaster Rebecca Charlton to discuss all the juicy details, plus they look ahead to the return of Milan-Sanremo with a mini-feature about the race's predecessor, the Primavera Rosa. Ever since Demi Vollering's move to FDJ-Suez and Anna Van der Breggen announced her return to the peloton last year, anticipation of a fierce rivalry between the pair has been rising. After Strade Bianche and their first meeting at Setmana Valenciana, it is fair to say that the match-up has already more than exceeded expectations. Van der Breggen has proven to be the only rider in the peloton capable of matching Vollering for power and tactical nous, although Vollering has thus far always come away with the spoils. Strade Bianche also saw former world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot take third place, in her first spring Classic since 2018. Plus the race was a welcome showcase for the top riders in the peloton after something of a stalemate at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad which saw a surprise victory for Lotte Claes.  In anticipation of the inaugural Milano-Sanremo Donne, we take a look back at the race's precursor – the Primavera Rosa – which ran for seven editions from 1999 until 2005. The race took place on the last 118 kilometres of the men's Milan-Sanremo, on the same day and included the same Poggio and Cipressa climbs and Via Roma finish. We offer up a potted history of those editions and hear some first-hand accounts from people that were there including Marion Clignet, podium finishers Chantal Beltman and Ina Teutenberg, 2005 champion Trixi Worrack and photographer Mario Prato. Also on the agenda, hippopotamus races, bumping into your ex with 30 toilet rolls and the battle of the names: Nienke Vinke vs Lotte Claes. Sponsored by Sports Tours International The Cycling Podcast is proudly sponsored by Sports Tours International. Whether you want to ride, or watch the best in the world in action, Sports Tours International can take you to the heart of some of the world's biggest cycling events. Choose from a VIP experience at the Tour de France or one of the major classics, or riding events such as the Etape du Tour or Marmotte, you can travel in style with Sports Tours International. Go to the Tour de France Grand Départ in Lille, or see the race in the Alps, Pyrenees or on Mont Ventoux with one of Sports Tours International's package trips. Alternatively, enjoy a VIP experience in Paris, or even a once-in-a-lifetime journey in an official Tour de France vehicle, getting you as close to the action as possible. Let Sports Tours International take charge of all the planning and logistics so all you have to do is enjoy the ride. Go to sportstoursinternational.co.uk for full details. EPISODE SPONSORS Indeed If you are looking to hire someone for your company, maybe the best way isn't to search for a candidate but to match with Indeed. Go to indeed.com/cycle now to get a £100 sponsored job credit and get matched with the perfect candidate fast. SEE AMARATERRA LIVE IN LONDON Cozze, by Amaraterra, has been the theme tune for our Giro d'Italia coverage since we began daily coverage in 2016. They are playing live at Brixton Jamm on Saturday, March 15 and would like as many podcast listeners to join them. You can buy tickets here. TRIBUTE TO RICHARD MOORE AT GENT-WEVELGEM Friend of the Podcast Charlotte Elton is raising money to pay tribute to our friend and co-founder Richard Moore at Gent-Wevelgem by painting his name on the road. She's crowdfunding to pay for the paint and any additional funds will be donated to Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity. You can donate to the cause here. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it's after 11am). The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Bike racing is back! With the UAE Tour and Volta in the rearview mirror, it's time to jump feet first into what looks to be an epic Classics season that kicked off with Omloop and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Then, it was off to the rolling white roads of Italy's Chianti region for the Strade Bianche, where the women's race climaxed with a duel between Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen up the steep final wall better known as Via Santa Caterina. And if you were watching the men's race and waiting to see if Tadej Pogačar could best last year's 80km solo breakaway for victory, he did exactly that but in a very different way, overcoming what looked like a serious crash to notch up his third Strade victory.  Today's podcast sees Mike Levy chat with Andrew Hood and Jim Cotton about what makes the Classics so special, how Pogačar could win Milano-Sanremo, and why more people need to think like Tom Pidcock.

Radio Stelvio - S08 AFL03 (199) - De heuphoekKoersklappers: Jo Helsen, Viktor VerschaeveCafé Welkom-icoon Jo Helsen is terug na bijna twee jaar afwezigheid! Samen met onze innovatieprofessor Viktor Verschaeve smeten we ons in heel wat marginal gains en analyseerden we het koersverloop van onder meer de Strade Bianche.Over de stijve heupen van Urska, een wielerkerk in Eindhoven, korte Chinese cranks, de afstand en de blessures in de Strade en onze gloednieuwe Wereldbeker.Vervoeg je bij onze minicompetitie in de Sporza-voorjaarspronostiek en win Bahamontes-magazines, Stelvio-sjaals, wielersokken en meer!Steun Radio Stelvio

Thijs en Hidde blikken uitgebreid terug op de Strade. Vollering wint na een boeiend duel met Anna van der Breggen, die in haar eerste World Tour koers reed na haar comeback. En Van der Breggen maakte indruk.Bij de mannen was de wedstrijd veel interessanter dan verwacht en dat kwam met name door Tom Pidcock. Hij kon zowaar Pogacar volgen. Het zorgde voor een wedstrijdje ver plassen wat voor Pogacar niet goed afliep.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Koersklappers:  Jappe Tooten, Jonas VergauwenJonas en Jappe fileerden het Franse en Vlaamse Openingsweekend. En ook nog een pak meer, want Matje rijdt Le Samyn, Bernal zit terug op de fiets en bij de vrouwen speelde men machtsspelletjes.Over die knotsgekke Slowaak bij de Tietema Rockets, maar ook over de ethische keuzes van Waerenskjold, het tegenvallende UAE, die eindsprint in de Faun Ardèche en de niet meer onbekende Lotte Claes!Vervoeg je bij onze minicompetitie in de Sporza-voorjaarspronostiek en win Bahamontes-magazines, Stelvio-sjaals, wielersokken en meer!Steun Radio Stelvio

Koersklappers:  Stijn De Bock, Ward RigoleZij aan zij in het Stelvio-salon: zo zaten Stijn en Ward tijdens onze best ordelijke voorjaarsbeschouwing. Meer structuur en minder chaos, al lieten heel wat koersen de wanorde en onveiligheid net iets te veel zien de laatste weken.Over Boplan en vluchtheuvels, maar ook over onze weelde aan sprinttalenten, de winsten van de Belgen en de 12 ruikers van UAE en hun voorlopig onklopbare kopmannen.Vervoeg je bij onze minicompetitie in de Sporza-voorjaarspronostiek en win Bahamontes-magazines, Stelvio-sjaals, wielersokken en meer!Steun Radio Stelvio(00:00) - Intro (09:00) - Sporza minicompetitie met veel prijzen (13:20) - De seizoensstart van de chaos (onveilige koersen + gele kaarten) (25:42) - Nieuwe nationale kampioenen, Pogacar in Roubaix, Sören Kragh Andersen(36:18) - Winstcijfers vrouwen en mannen + terugblik voorseizoen (1:02:33) - Patato di Caccia (1:08:01) - Cima Coppi (1:13:38) - Voorspellingen en voorbeschouwingen Omloop, Kuurne, voorjaar (1:27:20) - Aimabele afronding

Over drempels in volle finale, de strijd tussen Van der Breggen en Vollering en Pogacar op de kasseien.En Thijs & Hidde spreken met Frank van den Broek die nu in Portugal is om woensdag te starten in de Ronde van de Algarve. Van den Broek is begonnen aan pas zijn tweede seizoen in de World Tour maar zijn naam was na één Touretappe natuurlijk meteen gevestigd. Een gesprek over zijn ontdekkingsreis, de smaak van geel en over het zijn van de beste taxi van het peloton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Une équipe française vainqueure du Tour de France. Si la probabilité apparait maigrichonne concernant les formations masculines chez les filles en revanche un team tient la corde. Son nom FDJ-Suez, équipe qui saison après saison affirme un peu plus ses ambitions et se construit un collectif digne des meilleures.Créée en 2006 l'équipe managée non pas par Marc Madiot mais par Stephen Delcourt vient d'enregistrer un renfort de poids en la personne de Demi Vollering, la Néerlandaise vainqueure du Tour de France féminin en 2023 qui a décidé de rejoindre les rangs de la FDJ-Suez.  Et la Hollandaise ne sera pas la seule l'été prochain à viser l'excellence à ses côtés les deux meilleures grimpeuses tricolores Juliette Labous et Evita Muzik entendent elles aussi tirer leur épingle du jeu. Evita qui malgré ses 25 ans est celle qui connait le mieux la maison pour l'avoir intégré en 2018 et y progresser à pas de géante depuis. Mais quand on termine 4e et meilleure française de la grande boucle comment voit-on l'arrivée dans la maison d'une championne de la dimension de Vollering. Production : Roxanne LacuskaRéalisation : Julie Deroo

Koersklappers:  Jonas Heyerick, Stijn Steels, Alex ColmanNet als vorig jaar zetelden Stijn Steels en Jonas Heyerick in onze befaamde Kerstspecial, dit keer voor live publiek bij Bike Project in Zwijndrecht. Samen met Flanders Baloise-renner en kersvers vader Alex Colman worstelden ze zich door ons poulesysteem met 32 renners en kozen ze wie er telkens mocht doorstoten. Jonas Vergauwen en Ward Rigole gaven per poule hun inzichten via een straalverbinding met café De Karper in Gent, terwijl ook Bieke Purnelle haar licht liet schijnenop strafste renster van 2024.Inclusief vooruitblik op het BK strandracen, een onverbiddelijke publieksjury, hondje Dré'ke, Thibau Nys en een portie gemengd.Steun Radio Stelvio

Het was een WK waar een deken van rouw overheen lag door het dodelijke ongeluk van Murriel Furrer in de juniorenkoers. Ondanks dat ging het WK toch gewoon verder, een keuze die wij eigenlijk niet helemaal begrepen. De vrouwen maakten er weer een classic Loes Gunnewijk WK van. Vollering deed vrijwel alles fout wat ze fout kon doen en werd 5e, Kopecky reed een geniale koers en mag nog een jaar in de regenboogtrui shinen. Pogi leek ook een zeldzame fout we maken maar met zijn talent maakt dat blijkbaar helemaal niks uit. Wat een overwinning!

In aanloop naar de wegwedstrijd worden we de komende week verwend door van alles en iedereen op een fiets. Afgelopen weekend stond de tijdrit bij zowel de mannen als de vrouwen op het programma. Vooraf leek er maar 1 favoriet te zijn en die maakte het dan ook waar, Evenepoel. Maar gelukkig wist Ganna het wel spannend te maken door een knallend slot. Bij de vrouwen wisselden Vollering en Brown stuivertje maar viel het dubbeltje net de verkeerde kant op voor onze landgenote.

Een valpartij aan het einde van de rit van gisteren zorgt ervoor dat Demi Vollering haar gele trui kwijtraakt. Waarom werd er na deze val niet op haar gewacht door ploeggenoten? Nadat de Hongaar Vas gisteren de vijfde etappe wint, blikken Suzanne, Mart, Jip en Marijn vandaag vooruit op de etappe van Remiremont naar Morteau.  Onze madame 69 is vandaag de Cyprioot Antri Christoforou. De leden van De Kopgroep duiken weer in de geschiedenis van deze renster.  De Kopgroep is er dagelijks tijdens de Tour de France Femmes. Als eerste op de hoogte zijn van een nieuwe aflevering? Volg De Kopgroep op Instagram, @de.kopgroep. 

Nadat de rensters gisteren twee etappes in Nederland hebben gefietst, gaat de Tour vandaag verder richting België! Van Valkenburg gaat het peloton door naar Luik.  De leden van De Kopgroep kijken eerst nog even terug op de spannende massasprint van gisteren. In de eindstrijd gaat het tussen Kool en Wiebes om de ritwinst van etappe 2. Ook over de tijdrit waarin Demi Vollering het geel pakte, raken Suzanne, Mart, Jip en Marijn niet uitgepraat.  De Kopgroep is er dagelijks tijdens de Tour de France Femmes. Als eerste op de hoogte zijn van een nieuwe aflevering? Volg De Kopgroep op Instagram, @de.kopgroep. 

In this episode Patrick Broe and Benji Naesen preview the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.This show is sponsored by JOIN Cycling. Lanterne Rouge listeners can access JOIN Cycling with an exclusive risk free 30-day free trial period. Head over to our website for more information: https://join.cc/lanternerouge/Timestamps00:00:00 Intro00:00:55 2023 edition00:03:24 Vollering in 202400:08:34 Calendar overlap00:14:32 Team-by-team analyses00:55:39 Stage-by-stage analyses01:21:40 Picks01:25:36 OutroOur merch has dropped! Custom designs painstakingly crafted by Louemans on t-shirts, mugs and hats with all your favourite catchphrases from the podcast. Check it out at ⁠⁠https://shop.lanternerouge.com⁠⁠If you enjoy LRCP please support us by subscribing and leaving us a like and comment! You can also send us a tip here https://ko-fi.com/lanternerougecyclingpodcast

In the 10th episode of LRCP Weekly Patrick Broe and Benji Naesen recap the past week of the world of cycling and preview La Vuelta España Femenina.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:45 Race recap: Tour de Romandie00:24:36 Carlos Rodriguez & Team INEOS00:29:25 Recap: Vuelta Asturias00:32:30 Recap: Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic, Arnoud De Lie and Maxim Van Gils00:37:15 Recap: Tour of Turkey00:41:00 Preview: Vuelta España Femenina00:45:42 Vollering becomes Nike athlete00:48:15 Kopecky skips Tour de France Femmes00:50:40 Contract extensions 00:57:34 Tour de France Femmes wildcards announced01:05:55 Short bits & outroOur merch has dropped! Custom designs painstakingly crafted by Louemans on t-shirts, mugs and hats with all your favourite catchphrases from the podcast. Check it out at ⁠⁠https://shop.lanternerouge.com⁠⁠If you enjoy LRCP please support us by subscribing and leaving us a like and comment! You can also send us a tip here https://ko-fi.com/lanternerougecyclingpodcast

In the eight episode of LRCP Weekly Patrick Broe and Benji Naesen recap the past week of the world of cycling and preview the Fleche Wallonne & Tour of the Alps.This show is sponsored by JOIN Cycling. Lanterne Rouge listeners can access JOIN Cycling with an exclusive risk free 30-day free trial period. Head over to our website for more information: https://join.cc/lanternerouge/Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:00:50 Race recaps00:05:03 Alaphilippe hides and races with severe injury00:13:25 Uno-X quietly ditches U23 development team00:21:50 Patrick Lefevere's statement00:26:45 National Cycling League on hold00:32:15 Rider schedules updates and replacemtents00:33:20 Medical updates00:34:12 “Vollering transfers to FDJ-SUEZ and takes Specialized with her”00:40:23 Tour of the Alps recap & preview00:47:50 Preview: Fleche Wallonne00:53:45 Preview: Fleche Wallonne Féminine00:58:00 OutroOur merch has dropped! Custom designs painstakingly crafted by Louemans on t-shirts, mugs and hats with all your favourite catchphrases from the podcast. Check it out at ⁠⁠https://shop.lanternerouge.com⁠⁠If you enjoy LRCP please support us by subscribing and leaving us a like and comment! You can also send us a tip here https://ko-fi.com/lanternerougecyclingpodcast

Erwin Verveken, former professional cyclocross rider and organizer of the UCI World Gravel Championships, discusses the history and growth of the UCI Gravel Series. He explains how the series was created to provide a more diverse and competitive experience for riders, and how it has quickly gained popularity and attracted top riders from around the world. Erwin also shares insights into the qualification process, the different types of gravel courses, and the future of gravel racing. Episode sponsor: Dynamic Cyclist (TheGravelRide for 15% off) Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  Automated Transcription, please excuse the typos: Key Takeaways: The UCI Gravel Series was created to provide a more diverse and competitive experience for riders, with a variety of courses and race formats. The series has quickly grown in popularity, attracting top riders from around the world and expanding to include more events each year. Gravel racing is a unique blend of road racing and off-road riding, with courses that can vary in technicality and terrain. The UCI Gravel World Championships allows both elite riders and amateurs to compete together, creating a unique and inclusive racing experience. The series is constantly evolving, with new events being added each year and plans to expand to more countries in the future. [TRANSCRIPT] [00:00:00] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Erwin, welcome to the show. [00:00:02] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure of being here. [00:00:06] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): I'm excited to talk to you and learn more about the UCI World Gravel Championships and a little bit of the history there. But as always, I'd just love to start out with learning a little bit about you. I know you've got a, a strong history in the sport of cycling. So just a quick overview of how you got involved in the sport. **** - (): And then let's talk about how you got involved in. Kind of the event organizing side of the sport with UCI. [00:00:29] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. So I, I've been a pro rather mainly in cyclocross, uh, from 1995 till 2010. So a 16 year career in cyclocross, uh, uh, from the age of 22 to 38. And then when I retired from cycling in 2010, I started to work as a cyclocross and also a bit of model by coordinator at a lot. So lots of is a Belgian sports marketing company. **** - (): Um, uh, at that time we were, I wouldn't say small, but yeah, it's, it's, it's grown a lot in, in the last, uh, 15 years. Um, and so initially I was only doing. Cyclocross, uh, in winter and mountain bike in summer. And then gradually, uh, I got other projects and in 2011, we started to talk to the, to the UCI to, uh, well, to reform a bit, the, the masters road world championships. **** - (): So, um, yeah, everybody knows Ironman, Ironman, uh, and triathlon. You have to. Qualify somewhere in an arm and worldwide, uh, to get your ticket for the World Championships and, uh, well, the, the, the road Masters World Championships, uh, at the UCI, they were always organized in the same city in, in the same period for, for 20 years in Austria, uh, and there were some complaints of course, because the, the, yeah, always the same course, uh, the same type of riders, um, yeah, World Championships should move, uh, uh, you know, One day it should be a flat and fast race and then a race for climbers or for classical riders. **** - (): So we came with a proposal to reform it like in Ironman with the qualifier series, uh, which, which started in 2011 with seven qualifier events and then a world championships. And well, it moved from seven the next year to 20. And yeah, now for next year, it's. events. It's the biggest series we've ever had. **** - (): 2024. I mean, [00:02:26] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): curious, Erwin, when, when you expanded the qualification, the number of qualification races, did you end up expanding the number of athletes that could actually compete in the world championships for the masters? [00:02:38] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. Uh, so it has always been 25 percent per age group will qualify for the world championships. And so the results are major made up per age group. Um, and, and, uh, yeah. So from that, uh, point, uh, Uh, yeah. First year I think we had 700 drivers at the world championships. Uh, and then it grew to over a thousand thousands, 500, 2000. **** - (): And in the last few years, we are in between two and a half and 3000, which is still okay. Uh, one year we decided to lower the percentage of qualified rider from 25 to 20 because of safety. Uh, we, we got 3000 riders at the start of, uh. Of one single event on a day, uh, so the Grand Fonda World Championships, but then it was, uh, yeah, 2020, the COVID year, so, and, and, and afterwards, uh, yeah, it took some time for riders to start traveling again. **** - (): So we, we went back to 25%. And in that idea in 2019 at the end of the season in a debriefing with UCI, we proposed also to make up a similar series of gravel events. Gravel is big in the States. I think the first real gravel events date from 2005, 2006 or so. Um, and they, yeah, we saw in Europe and other continents, but mainly Europe, um, gravel has always been Uh, a bit more recreational, um, never competitive. **** - (): Um, and it's only, let's say the last five years that there's really competitive parallel events. Um, so, so yeah, and at the end of 2019, we proposed. A similar setup with the qualifier series, uh, leading up to a yearly world championships. Uh, which then, well, got postponed in 2020, 2021 because of COVID. Uh, so the, the, the first season was 2022 with 11 qualifier events. **** - (): Uh, and this year already 18. And next year 25. So yeah, it's growing very fast and especially the number of participants is growing very very fast. So um And and the big difference is in gravel in the gravel world cheers and also the gravel world championships also elite riders can participate. So Where the, the ground from the world series is mainly for masters and amateurs. **** - (): Uh, the gravel world series and the gravel world championships is, is for everybody. Uh, but still in the same concept where. In front there is a real battle amongst the best elite riders but in the back you as a recreational rider, you can also participate and if you're really fit and Keen and and also for the masters at a later age You can still qualify for the world championships and also right there together with well this year what for not more each? **** - (): Following they were all at the start So yeah, I can imagine if you if you start in the back end and you're just five minutes behind these riders Uh, at the start, uh, that it's an amazing feeling to, to be in the same race with all those top stars. [00:05:47] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, yeah, that's I remember speaking to Bruce from the Highland Gravel Classic in Arkansas, who's the the one US gravel race that's part of the UCI series this year and the coming year in 2024. And I remember walking away from that conversation with that same feeling that Despite what some people in the United States may think about, you know, high performance gravel racing, and as it may detour from their vision of a community style gravel race as people who are around the sport and like other aspects of the sport, just being able to line up at a, at a UCI event with the names you just mentioned would be a thrill of a lifetime. [00:06:27] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. I think so. Um, of course, gravel in the States, uh, is, is, is much older and has much more tradition and, uh, your biggest events are, are still bigger than, than the UCI events. Uh, our biggest event this year was 1700 and probably next year we will go over 2000, but yeah, if you speak about the real classics, uh, unbound and, and, and, and, well, you have several of them. **** - (): They are more than double than our biggest race at the moment, but I think we still have potential to grow. Um, I see that, um, what, what really excites me is that after all these events and especially after the world championships, you all, you hear all these top stars telling, Hey, this was fun, huh? Wout van Aert had big trouble, a flat tire, a crash at the world championships, but he still continued because he liked it so much. **** - (): And he yeah. Enjoyed. Riding a gravel race. So yeah, he is, by the way, my neighbor because he's living in the same city as me even. Well, if you count in miles like you do in the States, it's a bit more than a mile from where I live. And he called me and told, Hey, I want to do a UCI gravel race because I want to do the world championships this year. **** - (): So all of a sudden he was there at the Belgian qualifier event in August and then six weeks later at the world championships and he really enjoyed it. So And that's the good thing. They are pure ambassadors, not only for cycling sports in general, but also for gravel because, uh, they have a lot of fun. **** - (): Um, Valverde was there, Moritz, he said, well, it's my first gravel race I ever did, world championships. I always liked. Going off road, uh, mountain bike, but in gravel there's much more speed, it's much more fun. And, and yeah, I want to do this more next year, especially because of course he's wearing the nice rainbow jersey. [00:08:26] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): That's right. Yeah. I think it's going to be interesting to see how within the European Peloton, if it follows the U S. You know, in, in the early days of gravel as professional athletes started moving over like Ted King, for example, would dabble in it. And then I think he told some of his ex pro tour friends that, Hey, this is fun. **** - (): Plus you started to see them being able to make a career out of it. And obviously the likes of Wout van Aert is not going to leave the pro tour anytime soon, but it is interesting to think about. Riders who are later in their career, who still have power in their legs and enthusiasm in their heart to start seeing European gravel racing as a way to extend their career in a way that maybe gives them a little bit more joy than they had racing in the pro peloton after all those [00:09:16] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. No, for sure. Um, I think there are two types of writers. You have the real top stars, like Rod van Aert, like Moritz and Demi Vollering. And I'm sure they will probably do one or two events a year when it fits in their program. But their focus will never be on gravel, uh, during the season, but well, the position of the gravel world championships at the end of the road season, uh, is ideal for them to end their season. **** - (): And I'm sure that, uh, one day, uh, probably also, uh, Pogacar will be there. He was already there at the first world championships last year. but wasn't allowed from his team to take part, but he was in the, in the VIP area at the finish line. The day after he won the Tour of Lombardia, so the last classic of the season, it was on Saturday and the gravel world championships were, well, nearby. **** - (): It's only a hundred kilometer away. So, and he really enjoyed it and he said, well, I want to do this race. But, yeah, it's still, um, there's still like the feeling of, okay, this is a dangerous sport, uh, uh, you can crash, you can, yeah, whatever, and it can jeopardize your next season, but as it's at the end of the season, I don't see really a point, uh, you see some, some crashes and, and, um, Yeah, that's, that's probably part of gravel, but it's not like a major crash. **** - (): It's always in small groups. Uh, gravel is, is, is not to be compared with, with mountain bike or cyclocross. It's a, it's, it's an off road discipline, but the type of event is much more road race. Um, and that's what we also also see in the last two years. I'm having my background in cyclocross and cyclocross is very big in Belgium, but the real gravel, I know the real cyclocross specialists, like the ones who do the full season of cyclocross. **** - (): Uh, and not focus on the road. Yeah. They usually, by the end of the race, the last hour, they, they, they lose contact with the, with, with, with the, the road is, um, uh, gravel is much more a road race than it will ever be, a cyclocross or a mountain bike. It's not technical at all. Um, and, and yeah, in my opinion, it's, it's, it's for the pure. **** - (): Road specialists from the, from the spring classic said that the ones who like, uh, party rebel, we're like tour of Flanders, uh, those type of guys. They are the ones who are the real gravel specialists. [00:11:41] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. I think that makes sense. I think one thing that we've learned in racing gravel over these years is that anything can happen and it's your ability as a rider to deal with unpredictable situations. And to your point as a cyclocross racer. Every lap, there's an unpredictable situation that you have to deal with and you have to deal with nursing your bike and not being too hard on the equipment. **** - (): And there's certainly no, you know, there's no team car following you very quickly. Although in cyclocross, you can swap [00:12:09] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. You can switch bikes two times a lap. Um, and, and you can have it cleaned and everything. So, um, no, that's, that's, I think it makes. It's part of the story why it's, it's so popular because, uh, he lost 10 minutes at the world championships, but he still continued. And it's more like the epic, right? **** - (): Like you see in, uh, in Paris, uh, it's, it's kind of a survival race. Um, even though you have a lot of bad luck in the beginning, the race is never over. You can still continue. You can still make up and, and, and, uh, close gaps. And so. That feeling of, of, of, of like a real epic race in, in epic circumstances. At this moment, we, we had to ice the world championships in dry, in dry circumstances, but yeah, one day we'll also have them in, uh, in very wet circumstances, like you had, uh, I think unbound was this year in very muddy conditions. **** - (): So, and that will make it very epic. Uh, but to me it's, it's yeah, if you compare it with European. Cycling it's, it's, it's, it's, it's much more a copy of, uh, what Paris Roubaix is every year. [00:13:24] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, yeah, I was going to ask you to the extent in which you, you were there and understand the run up when that first world championships event happened in the qualifiers. How are you thinking about the criteria for the course and course construction? Were there some constraints that the UCI put on the event to make it in the mold of what they were expecting? [00:13:47] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Well, the first year, first of all, um, because of COVID and, and, and yeah. Let's say COVID ended, but, uh, yeah, everybody was still afraid to set up a new event and even the World Championships, uh, beginning of 2022. We had a few candidates, uh, to run the World Championships, but, uh, one after another, they decided, okay, maybe it's too early. **** - (): Let's skip 2022, but we'll focus on 2023 or 2024. Um, So we found an organizer rather late in Italy, so Filippo Pozzato, the ex pro rider. He did a good job because it was like on a short period. He had to prepare the World Championships, but the World Championships were not the typical gravel race. I know from from this doing this series for sure. **** - (): Not the typical gravel race you have in the States. It was like a 50 50 road gravel race and even the gravel was like, yeah, it was flat. It was Um, yeah, to me a bit too much of a road race. Um, um, um, but yeah, it was all last minute. I think that the, uh, the organizer was awarded two months prior to the race. **** - (): Uh, then yeah, the full process of having courses approved, having them checked and then getting the necessary approvals from the different towns. Yeah, it took some time and there was not really. to, to, to, to make an update, um, um, which was done this year, this year. Uh, we had to switch organizer and it was also, uh, only, only two months before the world championships, but the course, which was presented was much better than the first edition, uh, in percentage was more off road, more gravel, but also much more exciting, uh, flats, uh, yeah. **** - (): Paved sections in between, but also a lot of elevation, um, and a very beautiful course, I think very different from what you have in the States. Um, if, if I see the images and the, and the videos from, from Unbound and the American races, yeah, they are. Even more road racing, uh, on gravel roads, um, yeah, in percentage, much more gravel roads, but it's less technical than what we see as gravel events in mainly Europe, which are, um, I wouldn't say they are not more towards mountain bike for sure or not, but they are, um, not wide open big boulevards where you can ride the truck. **** - (): Uh, it's always a smaller, uh, Uh, yeah, forest roads, farm roads. Um, it's, it's more technical. [00:16:38] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think there's a wide diversity of gravel racing in the United States. Obviously, to your point, the Unbound may be on sort of dirt roads [00:16:48] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah. And that's maybe the image we have from, from American gravel racing. [00:16:51] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, yeah, no, it's very interesting to hear you say that because if I'm thinking about like what you might see from an unbound or an SVT gravel, that would very much be the takeaway. **** - (): I would have as well that these are, you know, sort of road racing style open, you know, wide roads that give a lot of opportunity for moving around. Um, but if you dig into the gravel cycling world, there are a lot of events that really push The capabilities of the bikes and really create sections that have a huge impact on the race based on one's technical abilities. **** - (): So, you know, they might go into single track, they might go into mud, they might have river crossings, all the types of things that would really push both the rider's skill levels and equipment. [00:17:37] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Well, for, for the UCI, uh, two things, of course, when, when we started up the, the UCI Gravel Series and the Gravel World Championships. Um, one of the first things we decided is, uh, you have a few of, of, of, uh, of very long, uh, endurance races, uh, a month is, uh, 300 kilometers or even more than 200 miles. Um, [00:18:00] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. 200 miles. Yeah, [00:18:01] - ():  Erwin Verveken: we decided to, with the UCI gravel world series to have like the typical, um, duration of a road race. **** - (): So five, six hours. Um, racing, not, not like unmount this, I guess, 10, 11 hours of racing. Uh, and that's what we are. We're not aiming for that. That's, that's like, yeah, a very big endurance race. Uh, our goal is to keep it in between 150 and 200 kilometers. Um, depending a bit on the elevation and on what is available. **** - (): Um, and then, uh, a second thing is so like single track. It is possible when there's no alternative, so to connect two sections, uh, with a small single track, uh, towards the end of the race. Yeah, it's not preferred, but if there's no other solution, then we allow it. But the big majority should be on wide open gravel roads where we can also ride a car. **** - (): That's the goal of the UCI Gravel World Series. [00:19:10] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. I certainly noticed in the, in the race coverage this past year, and certainly commentary from both the men and women on the U S team that the narrowness of the roads. And you hear this refrain, even when road cyclists go over to Europe, it's just another world when you're trying to pack 200 people into these, through these narrow villages. **** - (): And certainly the other big thing that stood out in some of the video I saw was, Some of the, um, the 180 degree switchbacks on the roads and trails that the riders had to navigate and the, the chaos that ensued around that and how that impact the race. [00:19:47] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah, well, I'm not sure about the 180 degree turns. Uh, you mean now in the last world championships? [00:19:55] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. There was one scene that I saw the riders cutting across the, the earliest part of the corner to get around and join the group. [00:20:04] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Yeah, there were some. Uh, well, it's, it's a famous YouTube video from, from the law at the first half an hour of the, of the gravel world championships in the elite category. Yeah. I don't know. I think it's from an American rider who filmed it with his scope. [00:20:18] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): yeah. I think it's from Payson McKelvin. [00:20:21] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Um, yeah, it gives a good idea of the hectic in the start. **** - (): Uh, and of course, well, our, our, our courses are not fence. They are just marked with science and everybody has a GPS device on his bike. Um, so that's, yeah. I presume it's also the same in the States, so you don't have, uh, uh, tape, uh, to, to, to, to prevent riders from cutting corners. So, um, I think that's, that's the spirit of gravel. **** - (): So, um, yeah, it's only in the, in the first. 10, 15 k in, uh, uh, in the course. Uh, but next year, because then we are ourselves, the organized, so the company I'm working for Goot, so is, uh, organizing the, the next world championships in Belgium. Um, yeah, it will hardly be impossible to, to cut corners there, uh, in the, in the first. **** - (): Part of the race and where it's possible. Yeah, we'll probably also try to prevent it Without making too much Yeah It's, it's, it's never the goal to make like a fenced cyclocross or mountain bike course. Um, that's, that's not our goal, but yeah, different type of racing. Uh, I've done, yeah, because I'm, I'm managing the, these, these races. **** - (): And, um, of course also ex pro rider. So I take my bike to a lot of these events and try to ride them. To get a good impression on the different type of events, uh, if I compare our events, um, uh, which are in the series, there's indeed a lot of different events. Uh, next year we will also, uh, organize the, the Belgian Gravel Championships, uh, which are. **** - (): Uh, very typical American style and Bond style, uh, gravel racing, which is very uncommon in Belgium. But yeah, in the north, there's like a section where, where we can have those kind of races. Uh, so. There's a bit of a difference, but, but yeah, uh, the good thing about gravel is that, uh, you can have very technical races, um, uh, but, but the majority are on wide open roads, fast, uh, uh, you don't need to be too technical. **** - (): If you see, um, more rich winning the world championships. Although I think he's very technical as a rider, as a roadie. Uh, but also Jasper Stavun winning the first European Championships. Um, I don't think he's very technical as a roadie. So, uh, yeah, it's, uh, it's something which, which can suit any, any, uh, any road specialist. [00:23:00] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Gotcha. And when you think about the courses in the men's courses and the women's courses, as I understand it, they differed in distance. Can you talk a little bit about the logic behind that? [00:23:11] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Well, I know that in, in, in, in the States and also let's say in, in, in general in English speaking countries, it's also the same in Britain and in Australia. There's a, there's a big movement to have women and men having the same distance. If you see it cycling, uh, in history, and then I mean, from 50 years back, and even now, all disciplines, uh, being cyclocross, mountain bike, road, uh, women and men have different distances for the World Championships and World Cups. **** - (): Uh, you can be, it's worth a discussion. I know that, uh, in, in. The English speaking countries, there's more, uh, a vote to have them equal, but I don't think there's, well, gender equality doesn't mean that they have to have the, the same distance. I think the media attention should be the same and, and the price money should be the same, but, uh, the, the distance, uh, if you have, uh, the women racing over 260, 270 kilometers, the road world championships. **** - (): It would give a totally different dynamic and it would mean a much more individual race by the end of the race because then it's pure endurance. Well, for the man. Uh, yeah, it's it's another type of race, so I'm not really convinced if they should have, uh, the same distance for men and women. Um, [00:24:42] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Are you thinking about it in terms of time? Are you shooting for a similar amount of time out there on the bike for [00:24:48] - ():  Erwin Verveken: no, not even time. Um, we did many surveys amongst the participants after the World Championships, uh, both in Gran Fondo and Gravel. And if you ask, uh, women if they prefer to have the same distance as men, probably Americans and, yeah, Australians, they would go for it. Yeah, the same distance, but it depends also a bit on what riders prefer. **** - (): Uh, everybody is, is, if you're somebody who has a great endurance, uh, you will pick the same distance as the man. If you're more explosive and you're more a tactic, uh, uh, yeah, a strong sprinter type of rider. You prefer a shorter course. So, but in general, we see that, uh, if we ask men, women directly, our participants, that the majority still prefers a shorter distance for, uh, for women. **** - (): Um, [00:25:41] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. I mean, I think it's an interesting debate and I'm certainly not one to opine too strongly one way or the other, but I do imagine that you have more dynamic racing in the shorter distances [00:25:53] - ():  Erwin Verveken: that's what I'm. [00:25:54] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): people complaining with me about this. [00:25:56] - ():  Erwin Verveken: So I, I don't know, women on the road, for instance, the, uh, the road, World Championships now in Glasgow for women. I don't know, but I think there were 150, 160 and men were 260. In general, they're around that distance. But if you have the women also on the 260, well, it will be a pure endurance race. **** - (): And by the end, they will be, there's a big chance that there will be one. One by one. So, um, and then on the meet, I'm floating can start racing again because she's she's a super strong rider who survives everybody by the end of the race when it's a very hard race. Um, so, yeah, um, it's worth the discussion. **** - (): But if you ask the riders, I think the majority will still prefer to have a shorter distance for women because it's indeed another dynamic. [00:26:51] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. When you think about, uh, and I do want to get into the master's element of this cause I think that's fascinating. And for our listeners who are non professional athletes, I think it's a great and interesting opportunity. But one final question at the elite level, how do you determine how many riders an individual country can bring to the event? [00:27:10] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Well, so the basic goal is that everybody should qualify. But, uh, in order to promote the first editions of the World Championships and, uh, yeah, to also have national teams and the federations involved, in 2022 and also this year, the UCI decided to grant 20 wildcards to every national federation. For riders, um, um, so in the past two years, now 2022, 2023, they could be used by any rider. **** - (): Uh, so also the Masters and, and, and, and the Age Group riders. Uh, for 2024, it will only be limited for the Elite category. And gradually, it's our goal to limit the number of wildcards. So riders should be really be encouraged to qualify. But on the other hand, first year we had Peter Sagan, we had Mathieu we had, uh, Greg van Auermaat all participating. **** - (): And without those wildcards, they wouldn't have been there. Uh, Pauline Ferrand Bréveau. This year Vollering, uh, Wout van Aert, uh, well, Wout qualified, but, uh, the other riders, Mohoritch, um, we were really happy with them at the start. So we want to keep a certain amount of, uh, of, of wildcards for the, for the top level riders. **** - (): And yeah, we'll see from year to year, uh, evaluate after every edition of the World Championships, if we have to stick to, uh, I don't know, maybe 10 wildcards, uh, maximum per country, or more wildcards for the bigger countries, uh, less wildcards for the smaller countries. But this year we also had riders from Guinea Bissau and from Barbados and, uh, yeah, like very exotic countries at the start. **** - (): Uh, and they wouldn't have been there without these wildcards, so, um. Yeah, I'm still in favor of having them, but maybe limit them a bit more. So the drivers really are encouraged to have to go to a qualifier. Yeah, [00:29:04] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): And you mentioned that that qualification, it sounds like it's standard across the board. If you finish at a UCI gravel world cup qualifier event in the top 25%, you've punched your tickets to go to the world championships. [00:29:17] - ():  Erwin Verveken: The only change next year is that, um. And the first two years, qualification was always per age group, but then we saw this year Verde. Yeah. He saw, uh, in the meantime, 42 years old. So he, he then had to qualify in the 40 to 44 age category and Okay. The, the two races he did were, were not the biggest one. **** - (): I think the, the one in, uh, the two in Spain, he won, were like five, 600 drivers at the start. So then it's still okay to to, to have him in the front. But well, as these events grow bigger and bigger, uh, we decided to also have the elite category as part of the qualifier series. So before every race, you have to choose, okay, I want to go and qualify for the world championships elite or for my age group. **** - (): Uh, so like a rider being 19 to 34 years old, if he chooses to sign up for the elite category, Of course, with an elite license, then he can only qualify for the elite category at the world championships. If he chooses to qualify or to sign up for the age groups, he can only qualify for his age group. Um, and that's what we decided this year to change. **** - (): Um, so that the elite category can also have older riders, uh, in their 30s, 35, 40 years old, like Valverde, like, uh, yeah, many of them will retire from road racing and like, uh, Jan Baklans, Nicky Terpstra, uh, yeah, probably also a lot of Americans who are over 35, but still want to race elite at a high level. **** - (): So, yeah. they didn't get the opportunity to race elite. [00:30:58] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): you'd, you'd may have mentioned this earlier, but just so I understand on race day are the amateur men lining up behind the elite men and starting kind of alongside them. [00:31:10] - ():  Erwin Verveken: at the qualifier events, uh, well, they're different options and we give a lot of freedom to the different organizers to set up or the setup of the start can either be man elite in front, followed by women elite. And then with a small interval, the age groups, uh, or we can have many leads followed by men age groups. **** - (): Let's say until the age of 50 and then the women elite with all with a small interval, but it depends a bit on the size of the field. And yeah, I think next year our biggest event will be over 2000. So then you have to make some. Rules to, to, to make a fair start and a fair reason. Uh, but we still give the opportunity, um, to riders without a license to qualify for the world championships in their age groups. **** - (): So it's only for the elite category that you need a license. If you want to race, uh, in the age groups, uh, you're 42 years old and you still want to do world championships. So you can go to a qualifier, take part, um, and then qualify for the world championships. And it's only. to sign up for the world championships that you need a year license, so not to qualify. [00:32:20] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah. Super exciting. Let's talk about the 2024 Trek UCI gravel world series calendar. You've expanded now to a total, is it a 26 events [00:32:31] - ():  Erwin Verveken: well there's uh in the 25 Qualifying for the 2024 World Championships and one was in October, uh, past the World Championships for the 2025 World Championships. So, uh, but yeah, we have been expanding with, uh, a lot of extra races. So if I look at the list, one extra in Austria, one extra in Italy. Um, I'm running off the list here now on my computer. **** - (): Uh, there's a new race in Kenya. There's a new race, a second year race in Germany, Switzerland, one in Wales in the UK. Um, and then by the end of the season, also a second new one in Spain. Um, and there will most likely be two. Uh, extra ones being added later, uh, which still are struggling with approvals. Uh, so yeah, there's, uh, there's, it's no secret that there's one candidate in Rwanda where the world championships on the road take place next now in 2025. **** - (): Um, and, and a second one in Switzerland, uh, they will most likely be added, uh, yeah, in the next few weeks. [00:33:48] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): when you, what does it take for an event to become part of the series and are these events typically events that have run in the past and then embrace the UCI series and come to you and say, yeah, I'd like to be part of it or are they events that happened from the ground up? With the sole intention of being a UCI qualifier. [00:34:07] - ():  Erwin Verveken: It's it's a mix. Um, we have existing events will have been run as a competitive event before we have, uh, fun events like, uh, leisure events like non competitive events with been switched to a competitive event. We have big organizers who have run professional road racing or Gran Fondo racing, like the race in Switzerland is run by the same team who has the UCI Gran Fondo for many years. **** - (): Um, yeah, so. New events will have all of a sudden started up, um, the second race in, in, uh, Germany, for instance, has run the motorbike marathon world championships five years ago or six years ago, 2017. Uh, so it's a mix. Yeah. Um, [00:34:59] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): And then, you know, obviously there's presumably an application process for the event to become part of the series. Do the events then need to take on that same kind of, uh, men will race by themselves. Women will race by themselves. The distance will be in it within certain parameters. Is that what the, how they have to adopt to the UCI landscape? [00:35:20] - ():  Erwin Verveken: yeah. Well, but as I told, we're not too difficult in these first years. We don't want to, the big criticism we had, uh, especially from, from, uh, from, from the States, uh, in the beginning is, well, you see, I will make it, uh, too much regulations and things like that. Um, well, we decided not to make, uh, any regulation. **** - (): So the bike is free, of course, no e bike, but, uh, If you want to raise a mountain bike, or a gravel bike, or a road bike, whatever bike you like, the perfect bike that fits best for that course is, is, is, is, is free to use. Uh, distance, well, there's a rule now, I think the minimum distance is 75k and the maximum 200. **** - (): Um, but for the rest, uh, there's no Regulation on tire width, uh, starting procedure is also quite flexible. Uh, we discuss it with every organizer, but, uh, yeah, we are pretty flexible in, in allowing things. [00:36:23] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Gotcha. What are the things that, that struck me when I looked at the 2024 calendar? Was we still only have one event here in the United States? Is that intentional? Is it just [00:36:35] - ():  Erwin Verveken: no, no. Because [00:36:36] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): for events? And [00:36:39] - ():  Erwin Verveken: let's say that we would like to have, um, in the, the, the big traditional cycling countries in Europe, two events, like we have now. Two in Belgium, two in Holland, two in Germany, two in Switzerland, two in Italy, two in Spain, uh, only one in France, two in the uk. And then for the big countries like the, the States, Canada or Australia, uh, we can go up to three events. **** - (): And I've been in very good context with, with potential, uh, uh, yeah. Interested organizers who have started the process of, yeah. Um, yeah, uh, having different online meetings with me, but also of course. On their side, getting the approvals, um, and speaking to their sponsors. And we have been very close with one organizer, um, yeah, to finally become the second qualifier. **** - (): And I'm sure that in 2025, we will have at least two, probably even three events. Uh, and also in Canada, I'm in touch with a second Canadian event, uh, which is likely to sign. And which I had expected to sign already for 2024. But yeah, the, uh, it's also the same in, in, uh, in Grand Fonda racing. Um, It's, it's, it's more challenging for me to convince, uh, an American organizer to, to join, uh, the series. **** - (): Um, a part of it is because, well, they, um, there is like, um, let's say, uh, uh, a general criticism in everything which is related to regulations and to federations within the states. That's what I learned from my different contexts. Uh, people don't like to be. To regulate it, although I think we are quite flexible. **** - (): Um, uh, and, uh, another big thing is in Europe, there is, uh, yeah, for organizing and we're speaking about the financial part of the, of, of, of, of organizing an event is in, in, uh, in the States, there's not such a system of, of government funding. So in Europe, but also in Africa, we have three African events to in Australia, uh, people organizers apply for fundings with the city, the region or an entity from the government, which puts in money to promote events of a high level, but also because they generate a lot of tourism. **** - (): If I see that this year, the European Championships, we organized ourselves, uh, uh, on the 1st of October. Well, we had 1, 700 riders coming from, I don't know exactly 30 or 35 different countries, but they all stay in the hotel for a few nights because they want to do a record right a few days before they stay after they go and have dinner, they buy a souvenir, they rent a car. **** - (): So there's a lot of economic return for the region. And that system doesn't really exist in the, in the States, as far as I know, from, from my country. [00:39:45] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. You know, it's true. I've talked about this on a number of occasions with different event organizers and it's, it is super interesting. Like there are some rural regions that are trying to reinvent themselves where you do get some of that interplay with the local city government and great deal of enthusiasm to bring riders in because having them. **** - (): Yeah. A thousand people and their families over a weekend is a great economic boom for those cities. And then in other cases, you have the exact opposite mentality, which is we don't want any more people coming here. We don't need athletes to come into our town. You know, particularly I live in the San Francisco Bay area [00:40:23] - ():  Erwin Verveken: which is really a pity. Um, I think. [00:40:27] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): very much [00:40:27] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Sports, sports in general, especially while I'm living in Belgium, which is probably the cycling country together with Italy and France, we have, uh, every little town has his own club and has at least a competitive rider and this, uh, yeah, uh, you have to drive maximum one hour to do a race on Saturday and Sunday, uh, in every discipline. **** - (): So that's, that's the good thing about, uh, well. living in a traditional cycling country, but also for organizers. Uh, excuse me. Um, so yeah, the, the, the fundings we have are necessary to set up big events and they are live on television. It's part of our culture. They generate, as I told you, a lot of. **** - (): Economic return, but not only economic return, it's also, yeah, promotion for the region if you have like a very nice, um, yeah, uh, area with, with a beautiful nature. It's a good promotion for, for, for the region to, to generate also other type of tourism. The race we now organized on the 1st of October, which will also fit us as a first, no, the next world championships next year in Belgium. **** - (): Yeah, it's, it's a, it's a national park. It's a big forest area. It's being promoted now through these kinds of events and the weeks before, but especially the weeks after. The European Championships we organized there. It was full of people, yeah, uh, hiking, uh, um, riding their bikes. And they also come and then, yeah, uh, it generates tourism and tourism means money for the region. **** - (): And, um, yeah, that's, that's the good thing about, uh, yeah, cycling in, in, in, in Belgium, for instance. [00:42:24] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah, yeah, if I was to sort of read the tea leaves, so to speak about the U. S. gravel cycling scene sentiment around the U. C. I. gravel world championships and the qualifier events, I would say, I. I'm reading a market change this year after the event, we sent some of our best athletes over there, there was good exposure. **** - (): Obviously we wish that the, the women's race was able to be televised, but I understand what happened there, but seeing the scene and seeing the camaraderie of the U S team, I believe has translated to a sort of a general uplifting of the UCI brand within gravel. And this idea that, you know, the racing is different. **** - (): It's, it's, it's different and unique in its own way. And the experience is quite powerful, you know, to go to a world level event where you're representing your country, whether it's at an elite level or at the master's level, it's just super exciting. And it's a feeling that compares differently to what it feels like to be at Unbound or SBT Gravel. **** - (): It's its own unique and special thing that I think more US riders are now aspiring to. [00:43:38] - ():  Erwin Verveken: No, I'm sure. So I'm not this. Well, uh, the biggest travel event worldwide and a long tradition and it's, it's, but it's still, uh, I guess a 90 or 95 percent based American event. Participants, uh, they come from many different countries, but The big majority is still American. If you're at the World Championships, you're, first of all, dressed in your national kit, which is fairly prestigious, it's very, yeah. **** - (): Riders are proud, and especially Americans are proud to wear their national colors. Uh, they ride in a team, they travel towards an event, uh, and then you're next shoulder to shoulder at the start grid, next to a British rider, an Italian, a Slovenian, a Belgian, uh, which creates a special atmosphere. Um, and yeah, the first year there was a lot of criticism on the course. **** - (): Um, I agree for a part of it. I was, I wasn't the best course. I was not also, also not a hundred percent convinced on the course this year. It was pure promotion for gravel. Uh, and, and The fact that, uh, yeah, also your best gravel rider, Keegan Swanson, was there. Yeah, it was also a good promotion for our world championships. **** - (): But, yeah, in the end, I'm sure that let him develop a bit longer in an international gravel scene. He'll probably, yeah, he can win the world championships for sure. And then he would be a great ambassador, uh, wearing the, the, the, the, the, the, the rainbow jersey also in the state. So, and our biggest goal is to still, because we have been in talks with USA Cycling to bring the, the World Championships, uh, to, to the States. **** - (): And there were some very interested, uh, organizers, uh, we were very close to a deal, uh, in the first year, but unfortunately, well, then, uh, they were a bit hesitating and, and decided to skip. For the next few years, but then given the very big explosion of gravel racing in Europe, all of a sudden, yeah, it was awarded until now, uh, 20, 28. **** - (): Uh, so it's, uh, uh, yeah, they missed an opportunity. Um, Yeah. [00:45:51] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Have you, so we know that 2024 will be in Belgium. Have you announced where the roadmap goes in the subsequent years? [00:45:59] - ():  Erwin Verveken: 2025 is France, Nice. So the South of France, uh, 2026 is, is, uh, the seven event in Western Australia. Uh, which is now already part of the, of the, of the UCR gravel. We'll see is 2027 is again, the combined world championships of the UCR, which now took place in Glasgow this past August, and they will then also have gravel. **** - (): Which is again in France, so the Haut Savoie region, which is the Alps. It's, uh, if you see the mountain stages of the Tour de France, so that area, there will be a lot of climbing. Um, that's 2027, and then 2028 is Alula in Saudi Arabia. Uh, which is a big sports city, and they have a big and huge budget, uh, to promote cycling, and especially gravel is one of their key. **** - (): So, um, and then 2029, I know there's a lot of interest. Um, um, and, uh, yeah, hopefully one day I'm sure that if we have a very good candidate in the States, uh, the UCI would be very happy to, to, to have the world championships awarded to, to the States, uh, uh, because, well, in the end, the history of gravel racing is, is, is in, in the U S Midwestern. [00:47:18] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Erwin, thank you so much for the time. I appreciate learning more about UCI's approach and everything you're doing to promote the sport. Very much appreciate it. [00:47:28] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Well, it's a pleasure. It's, uh, also it was nice talking to an American audience. Uh, uh, so, uh, yeah, happy to, to explain what we are doing and what our plans are for the future years. [00:47:42] - ():  Craig Dalton (host): Amazing. Thanks again. [00:47:44] - ():  Erwin Verveken: Thank you.