Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP The Race Communique is exclusively brought to you by The Escape Collective. Check out the new and improved BikeGrid which now goes all the way back to riders from 2001! Go and check it out and let me know how you get on. Hey everyone, just like that, the 2024 World Tour season has nearly wrapped up. Even though there's still racing happening in China, here at Life in the Peloton, we're calling it and diving straight into the final Race Communiqué of the season. I'm joined by Luke and Tom, just days into their offseasons, to unpack what has been one of the best seasons of racing I’ve ever seen. Not every year you get to witness a Grand Slam or experience the kind of non-stop action and long-range attacks we had in 2024. In this Race Communiqué, we’ve got much more than just a seasonal wrap-up. Tom jumps in early with his Talking Tactics segment, and then we settle into Luke's Pelo Chat, where he shares insights on the future of the U23 category and how the UCI might look to enhance youth racing moving forward. We’ve also highlighted some of our favourite rides, riders, races, and memorable moments from the year. With our different opinions, you'll hear some fantastic stories that emerged during our conversation. To top it all off, we have the end-of-season Communi-quiz, which is crucial for determining who will be shouting the beers during the offy! I really enjoy putting these Communiqués together, and this one was a blast to make. It’s a shame we can’t do more for now, but for 2024, this is your final episode of The Communiqué. We hope you've enjoyed listening along. We'll be back after a well-deserved break (with a few cold ones) for an even better 2025. So stay tuned, and for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Cheers, Mitch

It might only be Wednesday, but this week is absolutely massive for us at Life in the Peloton. It’s the week of the Dirty Docker—our inaugural cycling and running festival happening up in my hometown of Lancefield this weekend! With such an exciting event on the horizon, I thought, why not dedicate this entire podcast to the Dirty Docker? This event has been over a year in the making, and I can’t wait to share all the details with all of our listeners. Even if you can’t make it to Lancefield, whether you’re overseas or just tied up, I want you to feel like you’re part of the action. We’ll be diving deep into what the Dirty Docker is all about. From cross-country running to cyclocross, and of course, our premier event—the Cobawsome Gravel Ride—there’s something for everyone. But that’s not all. We’ll also be exploring each of these disciplines with the experts who helped bring them to life. You’ll get to understand the roots of cross-country running, the history of cyclocross, and the unique aspects of our Dirty Docker cyclocross course, including a nod to the iconic Cross Vegas course. Plus, my good mate and the voice of the Dirty Docker, Paul Van Der Ploeg, will join us for a deep dive into the gravel phenomenon—where it’s been, where it’s going, and what makes it so special. So, whether you’re gearing up to join us this weekend or just tuning in from afar, this episode is packed with insights and excitement to get you pumped. I’m really excited for this one, guys.  Give it a listen and get ready for an epic weekend! Cheers, Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Well, I don’t know about you, but here at Life in the Peloton, we are still absolutely buzzing from yesterday’s World Road Race Championships! I think we witnessed one of the greatest performances ever. I’m delighted to say that we’ve got a hot-off-the-press Communiqué pod for you. Joining me are Jayco Alula rider Luke Durbridge and EF Education EasyPost Sports Director Tom Southam. Together, we dissect the race faster than a group of Spanish commissaries heading to dinner… We couldn’t wait to dive in and analyze the race, and what a race it was. As always, the Communiqué brings you our unique triple-pronged take on the event. I offer my armchair pundit’s view of the action, which this time came from the commentary box in Australia, giving me a great vantage point. We’ve also got Durbo’s ‘Pelo Chat’ segment, where Luke explores interesting technical details and hot topics within the peloton, such as the impact of riders racing without radios and what that meant for the race. And of course, there’s Tom’s ‘Talking Tactics,’ where we hear the DS perspective on the race’s tactical intricacies, especially given the complexity of the national team format and how the peloton dealt with one of the greatest of all time. Just like a real communiqué wouldn’t be complete without a page of fines, our Life in the Peloton Communiqué wouldn’t be complete without a Communi-quiz. We have a special edition of that too. Don’t wait for this one—grab your brew, sit back, and give it a listen. Cheers! Mitch ----more---- This episode is supported by our friends at The Escape Collective. Check out Escape Collective's Classifieds section of their website where thousands of used bikes, parts and accessories are being sold every day. It's free for anyone to use, not just members. The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP This week on Life in the Peloton, we’ve got Lael Wilcox back on the pod. As many of you know, Lael has just become the Guinness World Record holder for cycling around the world. She rode an incredible 29,000 kilometers starting from Chicago, circumnavigating the globe in 108 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes. I was so excited to get Lael back on the pod this week. I loved following her journey around the world through her podcasts and videos. Lael is full of energy, and what really drew me into this adventure was how she managed to make something so difficult and challenging sound like so much fun to manage to involve so many people. In our chat we spoke about what it was like to complete this adventure, to cross the globe, to ride in all these amazing places, and to do so with so many people joining in and following along. Her record attempt was followed by thousands of people, many of whom took the time to join her on the ride, offering gifts, places to stay, and help along the way, as well as the occasional diversion to improve her route! I was particularly keen to hear what it had been like riding across Australia, but I love to hear how people see my country and be able to see it through fresh perspectives. Lael actually reached out for a route, and I was really happy to be able to help out - at the last minute! And then to hear what this adventure had been like.   Lael is so inspiring to talk to, her story and approach to riding her bike is fantastic, and we loved having her back on the pod. Take a listen to this episode—it’s an amazing trip around the world, not to mention a new world record, and something that’s inspiring for so many cyclists. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Mitch ----more----   Listen to my previous chat with Lael - Lael Wilcox - The best of the best in Ultra Endurance Cycling This episode is also supported by our friends at Wahoo head over to wahoofitness.com to check out their awesome bike computers and trainers. The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here. The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.