Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the full episode. To listen to the whole thing — and get access to future Chronicles — become a PODIUM Member (our foundling tier) via our Substack.

👉 https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/about

 

Sitting down and having a yarn with my mate Sveino is one of my favourite marts of the month. Sharing a huge chunk of my pro career with Svein and travelling the world racing our bikes together feels like a lifetime ago now, and sometimes we land on a topic that really brings home just how far the sport has come in the time since we both hung up our racing wheels.

 

This month is no different. Guys, welcome back to the Life In The Peloton Chronicles, exclusively for you Pelo members.

 

After knocking out an epic 240km ride as part of MAAP’s Equinox Experience and Curve’s Border Run on the weekend that saw me absolutely creeping up to the Victorian border with New South Wales, I wanted to talk about nutrition in bike racing.

 

Fuelling in cycling - more specifically, how much carbohydrate riders can consume every hour - has transformed in the last few years. Back in my day, we’d have a gel here, a bar there, and sip on a couple of bottles throughout a stage - don’t want to eat too much, right? Might get fat…

 

Nowadays, pro cyclists are getting through 120g of carbohydrates an hour - or even more. It’s totally changed the game. Riders have more energy, so they can push harder day after day after day. Who would have thought having more energy would make you go better on the bike?

 

I caught up with an old mate of mine - Kevin Poulton. Kevin is my old coach, and now plies his trade at UAE Emirates XRG with some of the best riders in the world. Kev’s been in the sport for over a decade, and has a really good head on how fuelling has evolved at the top level, and some of the misunderstandings about the golden 120g/h number that we hear so much about these days.

 

At the end of the day, it’s all about training. Just like how you train your legs, you need to train your gut as well. There’s some gems in this ep, and hopefully you learn a thing or two - as well as enjoy hearing Sveino and I spin a yarn and swap stories from our time in the bunch.

 

Guys, as you know, these episodes are exclusive to you Pelo members. As always, I want to give you all a massive ‘Chapeau’ for pulling this bunch along and supporting me and the Life In The Peloton team. If you like what we do tell your mates and get them across to join this paceline.

 

Until next month!

 

Cheers

Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

 

This year’s Milan San Remo might be the craziest race I’ve ever seen. All the tension and build-up, the favourites crashing with just 30km to go, the epic chase back from Pogi, and the fantastic duel for the win on the Via Roma. What. A. Race. Where do we even start to unpack all that?!

 

Fortunately, as always, I’m joined by World Tour Pro, Luke Durbridge, and EF Education EasyPost Sports Director, Tom Southam, to dig into what we’ve just seen at San Remo, look ahead to the rest of the Spring races, and, of course, share a few good laughs along the way. 

 

Obviously, this episode kicks off with Southam, Durbo, and me digesting the men’s Milan San Remo that saw a battle-scarred Tadej Pogačar clinch victory in the sprint against Tom Pidcock, with a resurgent Wout Van Aert hanging on for 3rd behind, ahead of a raging Mads Pedersen leading home the bunch. There were so many absolutely crazy moments and amazing rides from heaps of different guys in the bunch - I can’t even begin to wrap it up here; you’ll just have to hear us yarn all about it.

 

This month’s PeloChat is all about bunch positioning. Durbo gives us his insight into how important a rider’s positioning in the peloton is, and the best ways to avoid the chaos and carnage. It was surprising to hear him say that the back of the bunch isn’t actually as bad as we all thought…

 

Southam’s Talking Tactics focus this month is…well…talking tactics! How do sports directors and team leaders communicate their plans amongst the riders, and how do they ensure other teams don’t find out before crunch time? Southam tells all.

 

Our new segment returns: “Yeah…nah…”. This month is all about Cafe culture. Pre-ride coffee stop? Helmet on at the cafe? Lunch in your knicks? Yeah….nah.

 

Finally, of course, it’s the CommuniQuiz. This month it’s Durbo’s turn to be quiz master, and it’s a full-on ‘Ashes’ edition; Australia VS The UK. I take on the role of Shane Warne, and Southam has a go at being…I don’t know, some Pommy. 

 

Guys, monument season is well and truly here, and what a way to start it on the weekend with a truly historic Milan San Remo. Not long to wait until Holy Week and everyone’s favourite races; Flanders & Roubaix. I. Cannot. Wait.

 

Cheers,

Mitch.

 

The Race Communiqué is brought to you by TrainingPeaks!

Track, plan, and train smarter - just like the pros. Get 20% off TrainingPeaks Premium now at trainingpeaks.com/litp

Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper - home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too!

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

 

Oh boy, we are just days away from Milan Sanremo. La Primavera, the first monument of the season, La Classicissima - whatever you want to call it - this race is guaranteed action every single year. 

 

This month’s episode of Life In The Peloton is an absolute bumper sized deep dive into this perfect bike race from the people who know it better than anyone. We’ve got previous winners, podium finishers, and passionate riders that dedicate their season to this race - plus experts who know the history of this monumental affair better than anyone.

 

We kick off with some context from master stat man - Dr Cillian Kelly. He teaches me a thing or two about the history of this race, where it sits compared to the other monuments, and why it is - statistically - the perfect bike race. 

 

Next, a guy who is possibly the most passionate person on earth about Sanremo; Max Sciandri. Max raced MSR 13 times as a professional, and has driven the race as a sports director at least the same number of times. His best finish as a rider was an agonising 4th place behind Colombo in 1996, but he dedicated his career to trying to win this beautiful race. Is there anyone who knows the 300 odd kilometers between Milan and Sanremo better than Max? I don’t think so.

 

OK That’s the cruisy first 150km of the ep - now we’re over the Turchino and onto the coast for the build up to the finale; it’s time to hear from some riders. John Degenkolb, Matt Goss, Heinrich Haussler, and Michael Matthews. If you know Sanremo, you know that these guys are total legends of the race. Between the 4 of them they’ve got 2 wins, 4 podiums, and 5 other top 10 placings. What’s the key to getting up there on the Via Roma? These guys will tell you.

 

Guys, this is an episode I’m so excited about because it really feels like it takes you inside the Peloton. I only raced San Remo 2 times in my pro career, so talking to these guys who are so experienced in and passionate about this beautiful, iconic race was really eye opening. 

 

This ep will take you from your first espresso of the day right through to your evening aperitivo and tell  you everything you need to know about the first monument of the season to get you hyped up for the weekend. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. 

 

Cheers,

Mitch

 

This episode is sponsored by JOIN Cycling. Train smarter with adaptive plans and efficient workouts. Maximise progress, avoid overtraining, and seamlessly connect with favourite apps and devices. Perfect for cyclists of all levels.

 

For 30 Days JOIN Cycling FREE, head across to join.cc/litp

 

A reminder too that we’ve started a new chapter for Life in the Peloton on Substack.

 

It’s a home for deeper stories, longer thoughts, and conversations that don’t have to fit into an hour-long pod — from Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts to my own Pelo Journal. Some of it’s always free, and if you want a bit more, the paid membership is really just like shouting Tom or me a pint once a month to help keep Life in the Peloton rolling: https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the full episode. To listen to the whole thing — and get access to future Chronicles — become a PODIUM Member (our foundling tier) via our Substack.

👉 https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/about

 

Guys welcome back to the Life In The Peloton Chronicles - exclusively for you Pelo members who go that extra mile supporting me.

 

I love getting the chance to sit down and have a yarn with old Sveino, and this month’s episode is a real banger. It’s a long one, but well worth it.

 

Svein and I were both professional athletes for a bloody long time - about 30 combined years experience between us. One thing you really need to be in control of when you’re an athlete is your ego, and when you retire, it’s something you need to learn all over again; keeping the old ego in check and not getting too big for your boots.

 

Ego is one thing, stubbornness is another - and the two are different sides of the same coin. If you’ve read Sveino’s book ‘We Will Never Be Here Again’, you’ll know about his absolutely epic, totally crazy trips up into the Alaskan wilderness when he was a younger man before his career as a bike rider. Living in cabins, having run ins with grizzly bears, really pushing his limits because it was what he wanted to do. That’s stubbornness in a nutshell.

 

Take that mentality on to racing, combine it with natural talent - which Sveino had in bucket loads - and you’ve got a dangerous combo; the stubborn headed work ethic applied to training and mixed with physical ability is a recipe for success.

 

We’ve got some great guests on this ep. High level sportsmen from different sports to get their take on what’s required to be an athlete at the highest level, and how you can learn from that in your everyday life. Chris Collins - a local AFL legend - Alec Janssens, former elite speed skater.

 

But before we get to them, Sveino and I kick things off with a good old catch up. As always when we sit down together, it quickly turns into a pretty wide ranging yarn. From skunks causing chaos at Sveino’s place over in Canada, to both of us realising that even though the racing days are behind us, that competitive instinct never really disappears.

 

We start digging into that mindset and where it actually comes from. Is it something you’re born with? Is it something that gets built into you over years of sport? Or is it just stubbornness that gets reinforced over time?

 

Even now we both catch ourselves slipping straight back into that mentality. Whether it’s a ride with mates, a parkrun on a Saturday morning, or a climb that suddenly turns into a bit of a test. You tell yourself you’re just going to roll around and take it easy, but the moment someone pushes the pace that little switch flicks and you’re racing again before you even realise it.

 

That’s really what this episode is all about. Trying to understand that competitive mindset a bit better, and hearing how athletes from other sports have experienced it as well. What drives people to keep pushing themselves, where that stubborn edge comes from, and how that mentality carries through long after the professional career is finished.

 

Like always with these Chronicles episodes it’s just a relaxed yarn between mates, digging a little deeper into the mindset behind sport and the experiences that shaped our time in the peloton.

 

Thanks heaps for supporting the Pelo and getting behind me and the team here at Life In The Peloton. You guys are the real super domestiques, putting Nils Politt, Victor Campanaerts, and Carlos Verona to shame. The real MVPs.

 

Cheers,

 

Mitch

Here we go then, guys, this is Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio presented by SHOKZ.

 

Opening Weekend was a total monster start to the Spring Classics! It had everything: dramatic moments, dominant performances, and a healthy dose of that beautiful Belgian charm we’ve all missed over the winter. Man, it’s good to be back…on my sofa watching.

 

Whilst I was at home catching the replay on the TV with a coffee (I’m looking forward to a cleansing Jupiler when I’m there in person for De Ronde), my old mates Harry Dowdney and Stuart Downie were right there on the ground getting in amongst the action for Race Radio. They crossed the English Channel, braved the Flemish weather, and got stuck in across the weekend at Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne to bring you this amazing first episode of this new and exciting series, and I’m pumped to share it with you. 

 

Here’s what you can look forward to in this episode, from the men behind it themselves:

 

Harry: I love the smell of cobbles in the morning! Especially after a wakeup call from our old friend Juan Antonio Flecha, surely the best Spanish classics rider of all time, and an absolute gentleman to boot. But there’s more – we met a couple more legends of the sport on our now-customary pitwalk, but I won’t spoil that just yet. We also had a bit of fun putting together a dramatic re-enactment of an edition of Kuurne that you’ll probably never see the likes of again.

 

Stu: What a way to start the year. I purposefully avoided watching anything live, knowing that my first fix was going to be live and direct into my eyeballs at Opening weekend, and it did not disappoint. I know some folks think MVDP turning up at the last minute is dull, but I totally disagree – there’s nothing like seeing a living legend surf a wall, against one of the sport’s most iconic backdrops. Unbelievable scenes. It also helps to have a boss who can point you in the direction of a really good beer, so this was truly a great start to a year of racing. We hope you love it as much as we did.

 

Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio presented by SHOKZ is taking it up a level this year; the boys are going to be right there at the roadside throughout the year, soaking it all in and sharing it with you guys. The coolest races, for the real bike racing fans. I loved listening to this episode; it really did take me back to the Motherland. I could almost smell the frites and taste the grit in between my teeth.

 

Of course, none of this would be possible without support from our presenting partner SHOKZ. If you’re after the best sports headphones - be it for cycling, running, or even swimming - get across to SHOKZ’s website, and enjoy a cheeky discount for being a LITP listener. 

 

Also, if you want to be in with a chance to WIN a pair of SHOKZ headphones, fill in the survey below and you could bag yourself one of three pairs up for grabs: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQjNx-Xyc1jjj8cqVrWLrORQq-VDa6WZIniD_x4R__BYx3tg/viewform 

 

Guys, I know I always say this, but I really hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I do. If you live and breathe all things Flandrien and loved hearing about it from Harry & Stu, drop the boys a line at [email protected] and let them know! Harry & Stu’s next outing will be in May to one of my favourite races – the hipster’s Paris-Roubaix, Tro-Bro Léon. I can’t wait.

 

Cheers,

Mitch