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Women of the Grand Prix, Part 1: Jenna Rinehart, Deanna Mayles, Iz King, and Leah Van der Linden Jul 08, 2023

Show notes

This year’s Life Time Grand Prix brought a host of new contenders to the women’s roster along with some familiar faces from last year. With such a stacked field, we thought it was high time to get to know the individuals behind the results. To kick off our series, we have four racers whose vastly different paths have led them to the Grand Prix, Jenna Rinehart, Deanna Mayles, Iz King, and Leah Van der Linden. Among them, there’s a bike shop owner, a test engineer for world-class construction equipment, a former Wall Street trader, and a pro skier. They tell Payson about their journey to gravel and their experiences in the Grand Prix so far.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Sepp Kuss on the Tour, finding his place in the pro peloton, and that viral mid-race battery change Jun 24, 2023

Show notes

Sepp Kuss is a cyclist for WorldTour team Jumbo Visma. In 2021 he won a stage of the Tour de France, and last year helped secure the victory for his teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Last month, he helped Primož Roglič win the Giro d'Italia.
In this conversation, Sepp reflects on how he’s grown as a rider since his first Grand Tour in 2018. He talks about this year’s Giro, how the team is approaching the Tour this year as reigning champions, and whether he has personal ambitions outside his role as a domestique. He also talks about that viral derailleur battery swap he did mid-race in the rain at 40 miles per hour, and offers some tips on how riders at this year’s Leadville can outsmart Alejandro Valverde, the rider he rode away from to seize his Tour de France stage victory in 2021.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Kristen Legan, 2023 Unbound XL winner Jun 18, 2023

Show notes

Kristen Legan works in PR and Communications with some of the biggest cycling brands in the world, including Shimano and Mosaic Cycles. But on race weekends, you can find her battling for the podium. A couple of weeks ago, she walked away with the win after tearing through the mud-drenched 350 miles of the Unbound XL.
In this conversation, Kristen talks to Payson about how surviving the infamous conditions at Unbound in 2015 prepared her for the miles of mud at this year’s event, her early career as a triathlete, and why she knows she isn’t cut out for being a professional athlete despite consistently performing at the top of the sport.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Unbound recap, with Carolin Schiff, Betsy Welch, and rider experiences Jun 11, 2023

Show notes

Unbound is always full of adversity, perseverance, and unexpected triumphs, and this year was no different. With plenty of inclement weather, mud, upsets, and drama, the race has reignited long-standing debates in gravel and elevated a few riders to a new level of prominence. In this recap episode, we hear from many of the riders who braved this year’s uniquely challenging course. Payson chats with Velo reporter Betsy Welch about wheel sharing, whether the race organizers should have re-routed around the mud, and the surprises in the men’s and women’s fields.
Payson is also joined by Carolin Schiff, this year’s winner. She talks about how she went from the brink of retirement last year to winning the biggest gravel race in the world, the race drama she put to rest with her commanding victory, and the bike shop she owns in her hometown in Germany. Payson also digs into the power files of two riders at the front of the men’s and women’s races to get a more detailed look at how the events unfolded.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Unbound preview with Betsy Welch Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

It’s raining in Emporia, Kansas and thousands of riders are about to head to the start line for this year’s Unbound Gravel. Payson caught up with Velo reporter Betsy Welch to talk about the emerging variables to look out for in the race, including the weather, a new format for the women’s start, a top contender lurking in the men's field, and spicy tactics. Plus, they take a stab at defining "gravel beef" and consider whether runners might have a leg up in this year's race.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Ivar Slik and Jasper Ockeloen May 29, 2023

Show notes

Dutch cyclists Ivar Slik and Jasper Ockeloen have been traveling to the U.S. a lot over the past few years. After successful road careers in Europe, they made the jump to gravel cycling and have thrown down some standout results. Ivar won Unbound last year, rocketing to a level of fame in the U.S. and Euro cycling worlds that he wasn’t expecting. Jasper won Gravel Locos last year and came second at Belgian Waffle ride, but after two years of bad luck, he's still waiting to do Unbound without a race-halting puncture. They’re both prepping for the event this year as top contenders.
Payson sat down with Ivar and Jasper in Bentonville last week to talk about their cycling careers and the sock business they run together, Sockeloen. Jasper talks about his growing frustration with Continental racing that pushed him to lean into Sockeloen, and how fellow Dutchie Laurens Ten Dam inspired him to get into gravel racing. Ivar talks about his now-legendary attack at Unbound in a rainstorm and what it was like to become the unofficial king of gravel with the win (and a course record). They also talk about their long-time friendship, the nitty gritty scientific data behind Sockeloen’s aerodynamic credentials, and Jasper’s ever-present gold necklace.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Justin Williams on his new crit series, expanding L39ion, and F1 May 21, 2023

Show notes

Justin Williams returns to the show to talk about the rapidly-evolving criterium scene. He pulls back the curtain on his decision not to take part in the newly-formed National Cycling League; his announcement about his own series, Circuit Racing International Tour (CRIT); and how going behind the scenes at an F1 race last year informed his ambitions for cycling. He also talks about whether criterium has a problem with aggressive riding, adding a third team to his roster after L39ion and the Miami Blazers, and a recent incident when he decided to address online criticism head-on.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Taylor Lideen on navigating depression and anxiety as a professional cyclist May 14, 2023

Show notes

Ever since he was a child, Taylor Lideen knew he experienced the world differently. Even before he knew that he suffered from depression and anxiety, he noticed that his emotions seemed to run higher than other people’s. As a teen, he struggled with his mental health even as he built a successful career as a cyclist. Over the years, he’s won 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and Unbound XL, and is competing in the Life Time Grand Prix for the second time this year. But his bouts with crippling depression have been a consistent presence in his life, both on and off the bike. Last year, he released a film, Shifting Mindset, in which he opens up for the first time about his struggles with mental health.
In this week's episode, Taylor talks about navigating depression and anxiety as a child, and how his love of cycling was both an escape and a trigger. He talks about how meeting his wife Mary in high school changed his life, how his relationship with his dad was caught up in his anxiety about attaining race results, and the therapy he credits with saving his life. Since speaking openly about his battle with mental health, Taylor says he’s felt a sense of relief. He tells Payson why he felt it was the right time to address his struggles publicly, and how he’s hoping others might benefit from hearing his story.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Caley Fretz, former Editor-in-Chief of CyclingTips and founder of Escape Collective May 07, 2023

Show notes

At some point during college, Caley Fretz realized that his aspirations of becoming a professional cyclist weren’t in the cards. By the time graduation rolled around, he was sipping limoncello on the coast of Italy while covering the Giro as a journalist. He never looked back. He went on to work as Senior Editor at VeloNews before becoming Editor-in-Chief at CyclingTips. While there, he shaped the outlet into a distinctive, often humorous, writer-driven voice in the cycling space. Late last year, he and many other members of the CyclingTips team were laid off by Outside, Inc., and he struck out on his own to create Escape Collective, a journalist-led, membership-driven antidote to mainstream cycling media.
In this conversation, Caley tells Payson about the gap in the market that Escape Collective is trying to fill and the state of cycling media that got him here. They talk about the investigative piece that Escape Collective published about the implosion of the Zaaf Cycling Team earlier this year and how he’s envisioning much more than road cycling for the future of the outlet. They also talk about the long shadow of Lance Armstrong, Caley’s unfiltered thoughts on Outside's takeover of cycling media, and Tom Boonen’s legs.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc

Sea Otter recap, with Betsy Welch Apr 30, 2023

Show notes

This week, Payson and VeloNews journalist Betsy Welch break down the first race of the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix. While there were few surprises at the front of the race, there were plenty of unexpected finishes and variables to suggest that we’re in for an exciting series. Payson and Betsy run through the leaderboard, discuss the riders that surprised them most, consider the implications of Keegan Swenson’s sprint finish with Russell Finsterwald, and highlight some serious mid-race comebacks in the women’s field.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen

Email: howdy@withpace.cc