Velo Podcast

Legendary Canadian racer Svein Tuft joins Mike Levy to chat about stories from his book, We Will Never Be Here Again. The two cover wild stories ranging from epic bike-packing trips while pulling Tuft's 60-lb dog named Bear in a homemade trailer, to winning stages at the Tour de France and Giro. Tuft has had an unconventional career and lived an unconventional life.

Tuft is likely also the only professional cyclist, active or retired, who has spent time train hopping. He gives Levy his best tips for traveling via railcar—like finding priority trains to cross the country quickly and hiding in the nooks of grain carts to avoid the authorities.

The two also dive into how being an introvert was a superpower for Tuft during his European road career before getting into a discussion of ultra-endurance racing. Tuft has advice for racing the Tour Divide, including getting heavier, and talks about how a severe sickness forced him to pull the pin once he reached Colorado during his own attempt.

Finally, the duo discusses Tuft’s unexplainable sighting while camping deep in the Canadian forest. Was it a UFO or something else? Whether it was an otherworldly encounter or just extreme exhaustion, it adds another incredible layer to Tuft's backlog of outdoor stories.

Listen to the full episode, grab his book, We Will Never Be Here Again, for the rest of the wild stories, and check out Tuft Camps if you're brave enough to try holding his wheel.

Show Notes & Chapter Markers:

[00:00:11] - Intro: Mike Levy welcomes 13-time national champion Svein Tuft.

[00:04:06] - Early bike-packing trips to Alaska with his dog, Bear.

[00:15:57] - The lost art of train hopping and finding "priority trains."

[00:21:47] - How being an introvert was a superpower in the European peloton.

[00:30:08] - Reflecting on the Tour de France and old-school cycling nutrition.

[00:42:37] - Svein’s Tour Divide attempt and knowing when to pull the pin.

[00:52:22] - Unconventional ultra-endurance advice: why you shouldn't show up too lean.

[01:11:01] - An unexplainable UFO sighting near Mount Rexford.

[01:14:51] - Tuft Camps: Riding gravel, road, and MTB in British Columbia.

We debate whether dumping half your pedal is actually worth the cash, unpack a terrifying lead-vehicle disaster at the Mid-South gravel race, and explain why buying price-point carbon is a mistake.

0:00 - Intro

0:00:35 - Welcome Logan and Mid-South

0:18:10 - Listener questions

0:34:18 - CAAD14 first impressions

0:45:34 - Otso Waheela R launch

0:58:27 - Single sided gravel pedals

There has been an alarming amount of physical assault and middle fingers flying in the pro peloton lately. Last weekend, UCI race officials disqualified NSN Devo rider Kiaan Watts after he reached out and struck a competitor in the head mid-race. Just days later, British time trial champion Ethan Hayter earned himself a $645 fine and a docking of 25 UCI points for flashing his middle finger to a TV moto at 54 kilometers an hour during the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Which begs the question: when was the last time you completely lost your cool mid-ride?

In this week's episode, Mike, Lisa, and I share our own stories of frustration, adrenaline, and bad behavior. These are not stories any of us—well, maybe Mike—are particularly proud of, but it happens. Lisa details her dark fantasy involving spark plugs, and I pretend like I might actually have the courage to remove a mirror or two. Mike confesses to standing in an intersection in full Lycra and kinda, maybe, definitely threatening a driver. We want to hear about your frustrated moments with cars, so jump into the comments and let us know.

This wasn't only a complaining episode, though. This past week was a massive week for road tech, and we had two incredibly different bikes to dissect.

First up is the fourth-generation Giant Propel. Giant is making a massive aero claim of 18 watts saved. Is that even possible? I break down the fine print after cross-referencing three different press releases, and I talk about why I think it's actually quite likely—but also why you might not even need a new bike to take advantage of those 18 watts.

The big news this week, though, is not about aero gains. I'm super excited to talk about the new Cannondale CAAD14 and why Cannondale is leading this launch with an apology. The latest model in this lineup is heavier than the last one, but that's not what the apology is about. There's also a showstopper brushed aluminum version, and we talk about why you can't buy it.

Finally, we tackle a question from Velo editor Jim Cotton: When you are completely bonked, shivering, and staring blankly into a gas station aisle, what is your desperation snack of choice? Lisa has a jersey pocket recipe of marinated chicken nuggets that's either genius or offensive, while I rain on the parade with a more clinical eye for my choices. No surprise if you listen regularly, Mike chooses Monster. I also share a story about a near-mythical vending machine I encountered outside Vienna, Austria, around 1 a.m. near the end of a 200-ish mile ride.

There's also some time spent on listener questions and comments where Lisa shares an absolutely outrageous opinion about downtube storage before Mike says he wants a leather-bound novel with his bike… or maybe just a paper manual. I also spend some time talking about the merits of the user experience as it relates to package design and high-end sunglasses, and we all confess to hoarding tires.

As you wrap it up, we definitely want to know your take on Lisa's recipe, what you would have chosen from the vending machine, and how you feel about downtube storage.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro and road rage
11:50 - Gas station snacks of choice
23:43 - Listener Questions
41:17 - 4th generation Giant Propel and the 18-watt aero claim
50:04 - Cannondale CAAD14

What does it take to be considered one of the greatest of all time? A boatload of major wins doesn't hurt, of course, but how a racer wins can be just as important. Tadej Pogačar's list of victories includes four Tour de France titles, two World Championships, and a remarkable ten Monuments, among many others. They're super-human performances, no doubt, yet it's the Slovenian's willingness to race with his heart and gamble it all that sets him apart, especially in this era of relatively risk-averse specialists.Today's podcast sees Levy speaking with Velo contrinutor Andy McGrath, author of "Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable," a biography of the modern era’s greatest cyclist. They dig into Pogačar's early days as a junior, his family life and his mother's concerns, and how he's able to remain so calm and positive even when it's not going to plan. Oh, and might Pogačar have a secret tractor collection?

Opening weekend in Flanders saw chaos, carnage, and the inevitable, with Omloop first-timer Mathieu van der Poel taking a dominating win and Demi Vollering showing some impressive early-season strength. This episode of the Velo podcast has European editor and race correspondent Andrew Hood breaking down all the action from Belgium and answering Levy's questions about how to stop MVDP's dominance at the classics, why there were so many huge crashes, and when a podium feels like a victory.Hoody and Levy also get into the action from Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, where 20-year-old Matthew Brennan's dominating sprint form has finally given Visma–Lease a Bike some good news. They also preview this weekend's Strade Bianche and weigh in on the chances of anyone beating Tadej Pogačar for his fourth win on the white roads, something that Tom Pidcock and Paul Seixas will be doing their best to prevent.