Stay ConnectedOh Watts Occurring! Professional cycling from the inside.
Geraint Thomas, Luke Rowe, Emma Finucane and Manon Lloyd share their perspective on the personalities and everyday realities of life in cycling at the highest level. From the biggest races to what happens between them, expect honest opinions, personal stories, tales from within the teams and plenty of laughs along the way.
For cycling fans who want more than the result.
We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout).
If you listen to the GTCC, then you'll know Matt Stephens. One of the most likeable men working in cycling, Matt needs no introduction.
Yet his cycling journey started many moons ago, before the sport in the UK became the force it is today. He battled to make it pro in the 90s, eventually getting there with the infamous Linda McCartney Team. After one solid year, the team unexpectedly folded - leaving Matt with no job, and no way of paying the mortgage.
His story is a fascinating one, and Tom and G were delighted to welcome him to the GTCC. Indeed, the chat was so interesting and went on far longer than usual - so we've cut it into two parts. Here's part one - and we will release part two on Friday!
Enjoy.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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We've welcomed a new partner to the GTCC this week! Visit https://hvmn.com/GTCC for 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ (discount automatically applied at checkout).
We always love welcoming the people who work away behind-the-scenes at INEOS with G to the GTCC, and this week's guest is one of our most interesting ever: it's team chef, James Forsyth!
What's it like cooking on a Grand Tour? How demanding are the riders? How specific are their nutritional needs? G, Tom and James got stuck into all of those topics, loads of listener questions, and much more besides in this week's show.
James started out working in Michelin-starred restaurants before taking on the challenge of cooking for Dave Brailsford's men back in 2016. God only knows how much rice he's cooked in that time.
Elsewhere, you lot came through with some incredible suggestions for a cycling phonetic alphabet and G is enjoying life back on the training regime.
We'll be back next week with a very fun guest. More on that one soon!
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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Welcome (back) to the GTCC... Laurens de Plus!
Our much loved Watts Occurring Ambassador De Pluski has become a regular on the pods this year - so we thought it was time to sit him down and let our GTCC members get to know him a little better.
Tipped for huge success as a young rider coming out of Belgium, Laurens enjoyed an incredible start to his career: racing for Quick-Step, Jumbo, and then INEOS. But a viral illness and burnout wiped out almost his entire 2020 and 2021. The road back was a long and uncertain one.
But he made it. And he's become G's right-hand man (after Luke, of course) along the way. A starring ride in support of G at the Giro this year showed the cycling world that LDP is back to his best and he's revving up for a big 2024.
Meanwhile, Tom and G think it's about time we had a GTCC phonetic alphabet. Can you help? Hit us up on social or email GTCC@crowdnetwork.co.uk with your suggestions! It's also time for G to finally climb right to the top of Mount Teide. Let's see if he's true to his word this time round.
We'll be back next week.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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Happy new year to all of our GTCC members! We're back with a bang to kick-start 2024 - by welcoming Egan Bernal to the GTCC.
Latin America's first Tour de France winner joined G and Tom to chat about his road to recovery after his life-changing accident.
In January 2022, Egan was riding at 60km/h when he hit the back of a parked truck. He broke 20 bones including his spine, femur and kneecap, and his lung collapsed. He was lucky to be alive. Doctors initially warned there was a chance of paralysis.
Remarkably, Egan returned to racing eight months later, at the Tour of Denmark. In 2023 he raced both the Tour de France and La Vuelta.
And now, he's eyeing up an improved 2024 as he continues his journey back to the racer who changed the sport when he burst onto the scene in 2018.
We'll be back next week.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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Merry Christmas GTCCers! G and Tom are back with a little festive bonus pod for you all to enjoy in the classic Christmas lull between the big day and New Year's Eve.
Back at the start of December G spent some time with the charity Best Buddies and welcomed the founder of the charity, Anthony Kennedy Shriver, to the GTCC. Best Buddies is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Cam Wurf, Chris Froome, Magnus Sheffield and Tom Pidcock have all helped Best Buddies in the past and this year G was privileged to lend his own support to the charity. He spoke to Anthony about the charity's work and much more besides.
We'll be back in early 2024 with some more brilliant guests on the GTCC. See you then.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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Well for our final regular GTCC episode of 2023, we thought it was time to bring out the big guns - and cycling guns don't come much bigger than MVDP himself, Mathieu van der Poel.
The newly-crowned world champion joined G and Tom to talk about that remarkable ride in Glasgow, his two Monument wins at Milan San Remo and Paris-Roubaix - plus so, so much more. We've wanted Mathieu on the pod since day one of the GTCC and the Dutchman didn't disappoint.
In other news the Thomas household is getting very excited about Christmas and Producer George is prepping for a pre-Christmas Zwift on Wednesday's GTCC ride - come and join him at 6pm UK time: https://www.zwift.com/events/series/geraint-thomas-cycling-club/view/3825884
We'll be back on January 2nd to kick-start 2024 - although we might have a cheeky bonus pod next week to tide you over. See you then.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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It's time for our Annual Watts Occurring Awards Show which means that yes, Luke is back! The boys had a lot of fun at their Mallorca training camp reflecting on a pretty remarkable 2023.
And in typical Watts fashion, it's not very polished - with Tom Pidcock making an impromptu appearance and Cam Wurf chipping in from a nearby massage table. Don't worry, we'll never change.
The boys run through: Win of the Year, Race of the Year, Rider of the Year, the controversial Flop of the Year, Team of the Year, Grenadier of the Year and Breakthrough of the Year.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know on Twitter @Watts_Occurring!
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When we asked our listeners who they wanted to hear from on the GTCC this season, one answer came back again and again: Sepp Kuss.
Well, we couldn't let you down could we?! The Vuelta a Espana winner dropped in to chat to G and Tom about his amazing 2023, which culminated in that remarkable win in Spain.
The guys chatted Roglic and Vingegaard, G tried to get him to move across to INEOS, and Sepp let everyone know what his plans are for 2024. Will we see GC Kuss activated once again?
Meanwhile Tom's celebrated his 50th and enjoyed some friendly messages from our GTCC members while G's been trucking on at training camp. We'll be back next week.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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We last spoke to Chris Froome midway through 2021 on the GTCC and, well, a lot has happened since then! G thought it was time to get his old mate back on the pod for an update from Froomey.
And when they caught up at the Best Buddies Camp in Malibu, Chris sounded as determined as ever - and ready to keep pushing hard out on the road in 2024. He also announced very exciting plans for a Chris Froome Academy in Africa (we think that's a GTCC exclusive...) and gave his thoughts on INEOS' current position three years after he left the team.
What do you think - we will see Chris back at the sharp end of bike races again? We hope so.
In other news, G is getting ready for INEOS' December Mallorca camp and has promised us he will make at least one GTCC Zwift ride while he's there. We would love you to join him - just search for GTCC Weekly Ride on Zwift, and we'll see you at 6pm UK time, every Wednesday.
We'll be back next week - and all being well, we'll have one of our biggest guests yet. Watch this space.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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This week's new member of the GTCC is a bonafide cycling icon: the Lion of Flanders, Johan Museeuw!
A three-time winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix - as well as the 1996 world champion - Museeuw is the first rider G can remember watching growing up, and he loved welcoming him to the GTCC.
With Tom busy, G recruited our Watts Occurring Ambassador Laurens de Plus to help him quiz one of his idols, and the two Belgians got on like a house on fire.
Speaking of Watts Occurring, we've released our first-ever line of Watts merch this week, just in time for Christmas! Head to www.gtccstore.com/collections/watts-occurring to get yours.
In Zwift news Producer George is delighted to have completed his first weekly ride and G is planning to join him in two weeks, on December 6th. Come and join the fun.
We'll see you next week.
Music courtesy of BMG Music Production
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