Podcasts about vollering

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.

Podsumowanie Strade Bianche 2025Przez większość sezonu śledź moje kanały:https://www.facebook.com/xoutedhttps://x.com/xoutedby nie przegapić autorskich komentarzy, analizy danych i trendów w wyczynowym kolarstwie.Materiał dostępny jest na youtube i platformach podcastowych, zachęcam do subskrybcji:https://www.youtube.com/@Xoutedhttps://open.spotify.com/show/7gl96wnEpdrvM8nJCYUhTx?si=f3lu63DhTbWWBaxv5daQeghttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xouted-marek-tyniec-o-kolarstwie/id1536016729

Ellen van Dijk, 38 jaar jong, heeft de Vuelta Extremadura op haar naam geschreven. Roxane liet die koers even aan zich voorbij gaan om naar Strade Bianche te kijken. Ze zat heen en weer te wippen op haar stoel van vreugde, want wat was het na Omloop heerlijk om naar deze Strade te kijken.Anna van der Breggen als vanouds, alsof ze nooit is weggeweest en Demi Vollering die ieder jaar wat beter wordt. We worden verwend.

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

Daar zijn we weer! Na onze afsluitende liveshow van het wielerseizoen 2024 tijdens het Nationaal Wielergala in het Beatrix Theater (21 oktober) is er alweer een nieuw wielerseizoen begonnen! En naast de rensters zijn ook voormalig profwielrensters Vera Koedooder en Eva Buurman uit hun podcast-winterslaap gekomen. Vera en Eva troffen elkaar enkele uren na de Omloop het Nieuwsblad online voor Koerage Koers #36! Niet een van de topfavorietes, maar voormalig duathlete Lotte Claes uit België reed na een super knappe lange ontsnapping met 3 medevluchters heel verrassend naar de overwinning door de Oostenrijkse Nerlo te verslaan in de sprint. Daarachter won Demi Vollering de sprint van Puck Pieterse om plek drie. Het was een hele merkwaardige koers, waarin de ego's vanuit de ploegleiderswagen de grootste rol leken te spelen. Veel luisterplezier!De shownotes:- NOS.nl: Vollering en Pieterse komen te laat, Claes wint verrassend Omloop het Nieuwsblad- 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 Eva:Instagram: www.instagram.com/eva_buurmanFacebook: www.facebook.com/eva.buurmanTwitter: www.twitter.com/evabuurmanLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/evabuurman

Wegkletsen is terug! Roxane en Ellen hebben, na stevige onderhandelingen, voor een jaar bijgetekend. Het wordt een bijzonder podcastjaar, maar daarover later meer. Eerst maar eens terugkijken op de aanloop naar het voorjaar. Met bijvoorbeeld die waanzinnige strijd tussen Demi Vollering en Anna van der Breggen in Valencia.Ellen bereidt zich voor op De Omloop. Roxane heeft een advies: wegwezen voordat Vollering eraan begint. Gaat dat zien zaterdag!

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

Het wielerseizoen 2025 is met een valse start begonnen. In de Volta ao Algarve ging het voor de vierde keer in een maand tijd mis met een koersincident. Daarnaast luisterde Anna van der Breggen haar terugkeer op met een prima prestatie tegen Demi Vollering, een duel waar we het de rest van het jaar over zullen hebben. En hoe staan de grote vijf er voor nu drie van hen aan het seizoen begonnen zijn? Je hoort het in een gloednieuwe aflevering van de WielerFlits Podcast!Het was woensdag best een grappig beeld: een sprintend peloton aan de linkerkant van de nadars, een plukje renners aan de rechterkant. Daarbij ook Filippo Ganna, een van de weinige coureurs die in de slotkilometer van de openingsrit in de Volta ao Algarve wél de goede kant van de rotonde koos. Dat had ook heel anders kunnen aflopen, omdat er ook fans aan de zijde van de spurtende meute stond. Wonderwel is het goed gegaan. Toch was het al voor de vierde keer in een maand dat het misging voor een koersorganisatie. Youri pleit voor veel zwaardere straffen.Ook het WK in Rwanda passeert in dat blok, want hij en Maxim vragen af hoe lang een WK in Kigali nog houdbaar is. Komende week gaan we veel leren, want dan vindt de Tour of Rwanda plaats. We zullen die koers dit jaar met bovengemiddelde interesse volgen, omdat drie etappes langs het conflictgebied lopen. Anna van der Breggen bezocht in december nog het WK-parcours en keerde vorige week na drieënhalf jaar terug in competitie. Daar deelde ze een eerste tikje uit aan haar grote concurrente Demi Vollering. Dat duel leeft, stellen we vast. En dat blijft het doen.Naast aandacht voor de nieuwe uitgave van RIDE Magazine, WielerFlits Ploegleider en de Alpecin Barbershop, bespreken onze verslaggevers ook de seizoensopbouw en -plannen van de grote vijf in het huidige mannen wielrennen: Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert en natuurlijk Mathieu van der Poel. Onze mannen hebben rondom de vijf verschillende verwachtingen. Op de vraag van Maxim wat Youri's advies voor de geblesseerde Evenepoel zou zijn, wijst hij naar de Wout van Aert-aanpak. Hoe dat zit? Luister snel naar de WielerFlits Podcast!BERICHT VAN ONZE PARTNERBeleef de volledige MNSTRY ervaring⁠ en ontdek het assortiment hoogwaardige sportdranken, gels en repen met de exclusieve kortingscode ⁠1WIELERFLITS50⁠ en ontvang 50% korting op de PROEFBOX ⁠⁠⁠https://mnstry.com/en/collections/bundles/products/probierbox⁠⁠⁠ 

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.

durée : 00:02:11 - Cyclisme : Demi Vollering et Evita Muzic reprennent la compétition en Espagne pour leur première course de la saison

Nuevo episodio de VOLATA RADIO en formato 3,2,1... centrado en el retorno de Egan Bernal y los debuts más esperados del World Tour femenino en la Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. Un podcast con el apoyo de ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buycycle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, la plataforma líder de bicicletas de segunda mano. Más información en ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buycycle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Si quieres vender tu bici o componentes en buycycle, con el código VOLATA30, te podrás ahorrar un 30% en la protección del vendedor. Podéis acceder a él a través este ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠3) ActualidadEgan Bernal vuelve a sonreír en ColombiaLo más destacado en la Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, en l'Étoile de Bessèges y en el Tour de OmánLos retornos más esperados: Pogačar, Vingegaard, Vollering, Van der Breggen y Niewiadoma*(El precio para ver ciclismo en TV)2) CombinadaEl sprint 'on board' del Unibet Tietema RocketsEl bidón del Euskaltel-Euskadi tras la DANA en la Comunitat Valenciana1) La pregunta¿Volverá a levantar los brazos esta temporada Egan Bernal?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*****VOLATA Radio, tu podcast de cultura ciclista. Un podcast de la⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r⁠⁠evista VOLATA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠| Presentado por Pau Mitjans y con la colaboración de Olga Àbalos, Isaac Vilalta y Álvaro Rubio.VOLATA, tu revista de cultura ciclista. Con más páginas, más contenidos, más internacional y más beneficios para suscriptores. ¡Únete a nuestra comunidad, suscríbete desde 6€ al mes y no te pierdas ningún número!Más información sobre todos los planes de suscripción ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aquí⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Envíanos tu feedback a: podcast@volatamag.ccInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ccvolata⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ccvolata⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Volata⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠¿Pedaleamos juntos?

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

Julian Alaphilippe chez Tudor, Tom Pidcock chez Q36.5, Demi Vollering chez FDJ-SUEZ... A l'heure de lancer la saison 2025 sur route, Matthieu, Hugo (HPRMP) et Johann (bullomaniak) passent en revue dans ce podcast Chasse-Patate les principaux transferts de l'intersaison dans le peloton masculin et féminin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luPmx2bF3_s Programme 0:00 - Introduction 1:59 - Le bilan du mercato hommes 4:00 - Alaphilippe et Hirschi chez Tudor 15:24 - Van Gils chez Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 28:21 - Pidcock chez Q36.5 35:21 - Les autres transferts marquants chez les hommes 50:57 - Vollering et Labous chez FDJ-SUEZ 59:33 - Longo Borghini chez UAE 1:02:19 - Les autres transferts marquants chez les femmes 1:09:27 - Le retour de Ferrand-Prévot et Van der Breggen 1:15:51 - Conclusion Merci à Clément de Peluda Production pour le nouveau générique Photos : A.S.O. / Thomas Maheux - Ronan Merot / Tudor Pro Cycling

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!

Twente-watcher van Tubantia Leon ten Voorde, oud-voetballer en analist Bram van Polen en Hidde van Warmerdam van de wielerpodcast In Het Wiel zijn te gast in het Sportforum van Langs de Lijn en Omstreken.

Koersklappers:  Ward Rigole, Jonas Vergauwen, Bieke PurnelleOmgeven door een huiselijke warmte palaverden Jonas, Ward en Bieke over het voorbije WK in Zürich. Met een jammerlijke ode aan Muriel Furrer, maar ook natuurlijk met spitsvondigetakes op wat de rest van het peloton allemaal toonde daar in Zwitserland.Over lepelend fietsen, rijmpjes, de pracht van Australië, de nieuwe Golden Crown en de snor van Simmons.Steun Radio Stelvio

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.

Koersklappers: Jo Badisco, Jonas Creteur, Bieke PurnelleNa de waanzinnige slotetappe van de Tour des Femmes moesten we wel naar de schrijfkamer van Bieke voor een grondige analyse van hoe ons Kasia'tje haar eerste grote ronde won. Samen met meesterstatisticus Jonas Creteur en de meest swingende koersklapper Jo Badisco lieten we ook nog ons licht schijnen op wat kortere rittenkoersen en pittig transfernieuws.Over Remco's wafel, Whatsappen met Abdoejaparov, de pech van Dylan en die miserieploeg uit Oezbekistan.Steun Radio Stelvio

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. 

Koersklappers: Jo Badisco, Jonas VergauwenEen kluwen aan koersen bespreken én een Vuelta voorbeschouwen? Vraag het gerust aan Jo en Jonas: de heren die kunnen fileren.Van Polen tot Noorwegen en van het Baskenland tot de Tour des Femmes en terug: over triples, pauweneieren, de duiven van Wellens, Monopoli, Poolse EPO en het grootste Vuelta-podium.Steun Radio StelvioAlle info en pronostiek

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

Koersklapper: Wim LagaeDe eerste tête-à-tête van het seizoen is een feit! Alleskijker en wielerminnaar Wim Lagae strooide over lof in het Stelvio-salon en besprak samen met Nico de afgelopen twee historische koersweken.Over ex-Pats, Bijbelse proporties, de gewiekste bondscoach, durfkapitaal en de nieuwe definitie van draften.Steun Radio Stelvio

De leden van de Kopgroep keken met plezier naar de spectaculaire wegrit bij de mannen en de iconische beelden die dit opleverde. Mart, Roxane en Maxim keken met plezier naar renners die normaal niet in het Europese circuit koersen, maar ze schoten pas echt overeind toen de finale losbarstte en Van der Poel een eerste vuurpijl afschoot.  Ze nemen de hoed af voor Evenepoel en feliciteren de Belgen met hun dubbele gouden medaille bij het wegwielrennen. Roxane vraagt zich wel af waarom niemand Evenepoel volgde toen hij aanviel: "je moet als Nederland op dat moment één man in de gaten houden. Eén man! Waarom zit Van Baarle niet bij Evenepoel?"  Verder kruipt De Kopgroep in het hoofd van Wout van Aert: zou hij nu wel of niet tevreden zijn? Zijn teamgenoot wint, maar voor hem is het weer net niet. Maxim denkt dat hij vanavond in bed nog wel met spijt terugdenkt aan weer een gemiste kans op een grote prijs.  Tot slot een blik op morgen. Dan strijden de vrouwen om eeuwige roem en maakt Nederland met het sterrenensamble Van Dijk, Vollering, Vos en Wiebes een grote kans op de winst! 

Duas semanas de Giro d'Italia e a cada dia a certeza de que todas as previsões estavam certas. Tadej Pogacar amassa os rivais nesta edição.Neste domingo ele venceu a etapa-rainha com uma exibição (dele e de equipe UAE) em um dia com mais de 5.500m de desnível acumulado. Junto com seu quarto sucesso, uma vantagem na geral que não se assistia há décadas.O RADIO fala sobe o Giro, os brasileiros esquentando os motores para antes do Pan, Vollering dominando na Espanha mais uma vez e muito mais...O Gregario RADIO é um oferecimento de Session Brasil (@sessionbrasil). We Make you Faster. Visite o site: https://www.sessionbrasil.com.brThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Duas semanas de Giro d'Italia e a cada dia a certeza de que todas as previsões estavam certas. Tadej Pogacar amassa os rivais nesta edição.Neste domingo ele venceu a etapa-rainha com uma exibição (dele e de equipe UAE) em um dia com mais de 5.500m de desnível acumulado. Junto com seu quarto sucesso, uma vantagem na geral que não se assistia há décadas.O RADIO fala sobe o Giro, os brasileiros esquentando os motores para antes do Pan, Vollering dominando na Espanha mais uma vez e muito mais...O Gregario RADIO é um oferecimento de Session Brasil (@sessionbrasil). We Make you Faster. Visite o site: https://www.sessionbrasil.com.brThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Na primeira não deu, mas na segunda etapa ninguém consegui acompanhar Tadej Pogacar. O esloveno confirmou sua superioridade na subida ao Santuário de Oropa e já veste a maglia rosa. Na Espanha, Demi Vollering conquista La Vuelta com muita autoridade. O Giro e a Vuelta são os dois principais assuntos do RADIO dessa semana que contará com a dupla Ana Lidia Borba e Ronaldo Martinelli. E ai, é só chegar até Roma para o Pogi?O Gregario RADIO é um oferecimento de Session Brasil (@sessionbrasil). We Make you Faster. Visite o site: https://www.sessionbrasil.com.brThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Zondag 5 mei - Pogacar wint vandaag wel en pakt het roze op Oropa. En ook Vollering won de etappe en pakte zo de eindzege in de Vuelta. Riejanne Markus reed achter haar ook een geweldige slotklim en reed zo naar een tweede plek in de eindzege. Hidde zit in zijn hotelkamer bovenop Oropa en belt met Thijs over de spaarstand van Pogacar en over die slotklim in Spanje.  Radio In Het Wiel - van Omloop tot Lombardije, elke dag een nieuwe podcast!Support the show: https://krant.nlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Na primeira não deu, mas na segunda etapa ninguém consegui acompanhar Tadej Pogacar. O esloveno confirmou sua superioridade na subida ao Santuário de Oropa e já veste a maglia rosa. Na Espanha, Demi Vollering conquista La Vuelta com muita autoridade. O Giro e a Vuelta são os dois principais assuntos do RADIO dessa semana que contará com a dupla Ana Lidia Borba e Ronaldo Martinelli. E ai, é só chegar até Roma para o Pogi?O Gregario RADIO é um oferecimento de Session Brasil (@sessionbrasil). We Make you Faster. Visite o site: https://www.sessionbrasil.com.brThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Zaterdag 4 mei - Niet Pogacar maar Narvaez in het roze en Vos wint in Spanje. Hidde van Warmerdam bespreekt vanuit Turijn met Thijs Zonneveld de eerste etappe van de Giro met een verrassende winnaar. En de Vuelta Feminina komt in een beslissende fase. Vos wist nog maar 's te winnen vandaag en morgen in de laatste rit lijkt Vollering de eindwinst te gaan pakken. Radio In Het Wiel - van Omloop tot Lombardije, elke dag een nieuwe podcast!Support the show: https://krant.nlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Giro d'Italia starting in Turin on Saturday, we turn most of our new episode over to a preview of the corsa rosa and ask the question: can Geraint Thomas — or in fact anyone — outfox the flying Tadej Pogačar?  We start with an extended interview with Geraint Thomas, beaten on the final weekend last year by Primož Roglič, who took the title by just 14 seconds. While acknowledging that Roglič's fellow Slovenian Pogačar is a class above his GC rivals for the maglia rosa, 2018 Tour de France winner Thomas tells us why he's backing himself to produce another sustained run for the Giro title and why he believes that he and his super strong Ineos Grenadiers team can be optimistic about their prospects. We also hear from another of Pogačar's likely rivals for the title, Ben O'Connor. The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider is targeting his first ever Grand Tour podium, and his spring form suggests it's more than possible. The Australian says he's relishing the chance to show what he can do on Italy's roads and that he's hoping to be celebrating a podium finish in Rome in three weeks' time. During the Giro, we'll have diary contributions from young Brits Lewis Askey and Harrison Wood, who are both making their debut in the race. Groupama-FDJ's Askey tells us that his primary job will be to help set up Kiwi teammate Laurence Pithie in the bunch sprints and that he'll be kicking back in the evenings with a dose of Jeremy Clarkson. Cofidis's Wood, meanwhile, is hoping that his pre-race reading of Roy Keane's autobiography will inspire him to knock over some big names in the hills and mountains. We also look at what promises to be a scintillating contest among the Giro sprinters, where the depth of talent looks as strong or perhaps stronger than it's likely to be at the Tour de France in July. There's Milan and Merlier, Ewan and Groves, Kooij and Jakobsen, to name just half a dozen of the fastmen who'll be aiming to amass stage wins and the ciclamino points jersey. As the first women's Grand Tour of the season, the Vuelta Femenina, got under way in Spain earlier this week, our newshound Chris Marshall-Bell took the opportunity to get the latest on defending Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion Demi Vollering's end of season exit from SD Worx and rumoured arrival at FDj-Suez for a cool one million euros a season. FDJ boss Stephen Delcourt and SD Worx manager Danny Stam offer their take on the Vollering transfer, which is sure to be biggest ever seen on the women's side of the sport. In our regular 'How to Make Cycling Better' feature, Visma | Lease a Bike's Vuelta a España champion Sepp Kuss explains how course design could be improved to make racing more exciting. This podcast is brought to you with the support of our sponsor, Saddle Skedaddle. Music provided by HearWeGo  Marion - High Hopes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

The spring Classics are over and the Grand Tours are looming, starting with the Vuelta Femenina, which kicks off this weekend. But before we get into the Vuelta Femenina and ask if Demi Vollering can win for the first time this season, there's another huge women's story in town: that of world champion Lotte Kopecky deciding to bypass the Tour de France Femmes in August — something which would have been unthinkable even a year ago — in favour of the Paris Olympic Games. We examine the reasons behind the world number one's decision to miss the biggest race of the season in order to target gold in three events at the Paris Olympic. We hear from her French rival Audrey Cordon-Ragot, who explains why she isn't surprised to hear the news about Kopecky's change of focus. This leads us on to a wider issue... With reigning Tour de France Femmes champion Demi Vollering reportedly set to move from SD Worx to FDJ Suez next season on a salary rumoured to be around one million euros, we ask whether this growth rate of women's cycling is sustainable? Is it going to create an even bigger divide between the rich and poor in the women's peloton? Next up is a preview of the week-long Vuelta Femenina, where Vollering will be chasing an elusive first win of the season. Movistar team director Tim Harris tells us what he's expecting from the season's first Grand Tour and also reveals his hopes for his own team, which will feature Movistar leader Liane Lippert for the first time this season after her recovery from a December leg break. Staying with the women's elite, we speak to Britain's Lizzie Deignan, another rider who's on the way back after breaking a bone, in her case an arm in a crash at the Tour of Flanders. The Lidl-Trek rider also has her focus on the Olympics, where she hopes to better the silver medal she won at London 2012. She outlines her programme leading into Paris, talks about her confidence in her ability to get into the form she needs, and about Britain's emerging strength as a road race power, which could benefit her this summer. In our 'How to Make Cycling Better' feature, we hand the microphone to French veteran stage racer and recent Liège-Bastogne-Liège runner-up Romain Bardet, who offers an intriguing proposal that he believes would help to reduce the control of the major teams on racing, making the sport more unpredictable and exciting. And, finally, was there ever a time when French financial services company Cofidis was not sponsoring a bike team? Once again, the team's contract has just been renewed, ensuring that there will be a Cofidis jersey in the peloton until at least 2028. So what's the secret of their staying power? We ask French journalist Pierre Carrey, the cycling correspondent Swiss paper Le Temps, about the French team and whether there's anything to those widespread rumours linking them with French star Julian Alaphilippe, whose contract is up at the end of this season. This podcast is brought to you with the support of our sponsor, Saddle Skedaddle. Music provided by HearWeGo  Marion - High Hopes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

This week, Christophe and Macka remember the late Marco Pantani, twenty years after his passing, and amongst other news discuss the potential first million-euro contract in women's cycling

Loren Rowney is back to discuss all the action from the UAE Tour with Gracie and Abby. They try to answer questions like: Will Kopecky's form impact Vollering's Classics goals, and what will that mean for SD Worx - Protime as a whole? And is there a cuter couple than Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (there isn't)?

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.