Beyond the Peloton Podcast

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter and Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast are joined by the RIDING WITH newsletter/podcast creator Jonathan Kaplan to preview the start list and course for this weekend's upcoming Giro d'Italia, and go into the main storylines, including whether anyone can possibly beat Tadej Pogačar, how the GC battle will play out, and which currently low-profile riders could breakout during the race. Read Jonathan's RIDING WITH Newsletter Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down Tadej Pogačar's dominant Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory, what it means for his place in the pantheon of all-time greats and his Giro d'Italia/Tour de France double ambitions, before reflecting on if the trend of a few ultra-talented riders steamrolling their way through the sport's top races is compelling for viewers. They also get into a wide range of topics, from the future of Gravel racing in the US and the potential for a Tom Pidcock/Wout van Aert GC battle at this summer's Tour de France. BTP In-Depth Liège-Bastogne-Liège Breakdown Get access to ad-free episodes with a BTP premium subscription Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

With regular co-host Andrew Vontz away on an in-depth investigative assignment, Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter sits down with Israel-Premier Tech rider Riley Sheehan (12:40) to discuss his breakout Classics season, his current tenure at a high altitude camp, how pro riders and teams optimize their training and nutrition, why his IPT team is having such a strong start to 2024 and what he wants to accomplish during the rest of his neo-pro season. BTP In-Depth 2024 Amstel Gold Breakdown Get access to ad-free episodes with a BTP premium subscription

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down Mathieu van der Poel's dominant ride at Sunday's Paris-Roubaix to win his second straight Roubaix title, complete the coveted Flanders/Roubaix back-to-back and sixth career Monument, as well as dissect how the Alpecin team has become the sport's premier one-day force and how Van der Poel has matured from a talented, yet mistake-prone prospect into an unshakeable Monument-winning machine who rarely puts a foot wrong. In addition, they discuss how the recent spate of high-speed crashes will affect the rest of the season and what, if anything, can be done to improve rider safety. BTP In-Depth Paris-Roubaix Breakdown Get access to ad-free episodes with a BTP premium subscription Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down Mathieu van der Poel's dominant ride at Sunday's Tour of Flanders to win his fifth career Monument, what it means in the context of his career-long rivalry with Wout van Aert, and what the race would have been like with Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel present before they get into the ongoing Itzulia Basque Country and the upcoming cobbled showdown at this Sunday's Paris-Roubaix. BTP In-Depth Flanders Breakdown Get access to ad-free episodes with a BTP premium subscription Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down how Wednesday’s massive crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, which has sidelined Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven, and injured pre-race favorite Mads Pedersen, will affect one of the biggest one-day races of the season, Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders). They briefly discuss what the recent cobbled races, like E3, Gent-Wevelgem and Dwars, could tell us about Flanders, and if any of the recently crowned winners, like Visma’s Matteo Jorgenson, could potentially challenge Mathieu van der Poel, which is an extremely tall task considering he appears to be in great form and is one of the most consistent Tour of Flanders competitors of all-time.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast discuss how Jasper Philipsen and an incredibly cohesive Alpecin-Deceuninck team defeated the much stronger Tadej Pogačar at Milano-Sanremo before breaking going into Pogačar's training numbers, his ongoing dominance at Volta Catalunya and their thoughts on the return on the superstars to the cobbled Classics this Friday at E3. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

In a departure from their usual format, Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast are joined by Riding With's Jonathan Kaplan, who turns the table on the hosts and asks them a series of questions, including the ever-important issue of Daylight Savings Time, the BTP Podcast origin story, what bikes they would buy and their ideal, and current, training regimen. Read the RIDING WITH Newsletter Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down what we learned during last weekend's Classics, what they expect to happen during this weekend's flurry of top-quality matchups between some of the sport's best riders (as well as making the questionable decision to spend a considerable amount of time talking about Strade-Bianche, which will probably be over by the time this episode is played), and how rival teams and riders can potentially thwart Visma's dominance in the coming weeks. They also discuss the rumors that One Cycling, which was revealed just a few months ago, is already in peril of dying on the vine. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast touch on the recent early-season racing, discuss what they expect to happen at the upcoming Spring Classics kick off this weekend at Omloop before attempting to make sense of Patrick Lefevere's strange public lashing out at his star rider Julian . Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Professional runner Aisha Praught-Leer, 2x Jamaican Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games Champion (3000m Steeplechase), sits down to talk about her obsession with WorldTour cycling, her thoughts on what the sport could learn from the high-performance training used in professional running and how top-level athletes prepare for a life after sport. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast dive into the latest rumors on the breakaway One Cycling league while attempting to discern the ultimate vision behind the project before touching on how Red Bull's surprise acquisition of the Bora-Hansgrohe team will affect the immediate future of the team, and the sport, before getting into some light Spring Classics speculation. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast discuss the trend of major WorldTour stars like Matej Mohorič building top gravel events into their racing calendars and how it could affect the existing ecosystem and if it could potentially spell the end of the privateer model. Then they break down the early-season racing action and go through what we can take from events like the recent CX Benidorm WC and Tour Down Under. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast go through a list of topics to kick off the 2024 season, including, but not limited to, Mathieu van der Poel's unprecedented dominance in Cyclocross, Andrew's theory about Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock emerging as GC threats in 2024, and Ineos' takeover of Manchester United and how it may diminish the program's cycling division. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) on Twitter/X & Spencer (@spencersoward) on Threads with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast sit down with recent Paris-Tours winner Riley Sheehan to discuss his breakout 2023 season, which saw him rise from a US-based criterium racer to winning a major professional European race. They also talk about his newly signed three-year deal with the Israel-Premier Tech team, how his life has changed over the last few months, and his goals for the 2024 season and beyond. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast break down the news that the fantastic GCN+ cycling-specific streaming service is being shut down in December and dive deep into the potential reasons for this sudden ending. They speculate on what platform, if any, will allow Americans to watch non-ASO races in the 2024 season, as well as touching on Wout van Aert's apparent plan to race the Giro d'Italia over the Tour de France in 2024 and Geraint Thomas' interesting off-season admissions. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast go over the reports that Jumbo-Visma CEO Richard Plugge is leading a new cycling breakaway league and the rumors that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF, is providing financing. They break down how credible the reporting is around the deal, the implications for the sport the league would have if it actually came together, and why we've seen so many failed attempts at this in the past. At the end of the episode, they identify a few troubling trends around the US gravel racing scene and tie up a few loose ends around their BWR Kansas participation. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

In a departure from the normal program, Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast discuss their experience racing at the recent BWR Kansas event (Wafer distance), what they learned about prepping for gravel events with vague course instructions, their gear setups and how they view the discipline after having competed at a high-level gravel event. BWR Kansas Wafer Strava File Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast sit down with Jumbo-Visma Managing Director/CEO Richard Plugge to discuss how he transformed the down-and-out Rabobank team into the modern winning machine that is Jumbo-Visma. They go through how he went from being the team's communication officer to owner/CEO in just six months, how the team slowly built a framework to identify and develop the sport's best young talent, the financial future of both his team and the sport, the team's decision to send both Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič to the Vuelta a España and much, much more. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.

Spencer Martin of the Beyond the Peloton Newsletter & Andrew Vontz of the Choose the Hard Way Podcast attempt to figure out what is going on behind the scenes after hearing the news that the Jumbo-Visma/Soudal-QuickStep merger has been called off and that Primož Roglič is headed to Bora-Hansgrohe for the 2024 season. They also give their predictions for the upcoming Il Lombardia race and Gravel World Championships, along with their continued preparation for the upcoming BWR Lawrence event. Get in-depth race breakdowns with the BTP newsletter Listen to Andrew's Choose the Hard Way Podcast Hit up Andrew (@vontz) & Spencer (@btpcycling) on Twitter/X with your questions, opinions, and anything else cycling-related.