Professional mountain biker Payson McElveen sits down with some of the biggest names in sports and adventure to get an inside look at what sets them apart. With...
Brayden Johnson on his disastrous factory team experience in 2024 and taking the 2025 season into his own hands
Brayden Johnson landed his dream situation in 2024 when he signed a contract with a factory team. As a third-year U23 rider, it was a crucial opportunity on his way to the elite field. He had already shown his potential, winning National Champs and podiuming at World Cups. Soon after moving to Italy for the new team, however, Brayden started to notice some red flags. Before the end of the season, he was blacklisted from the team shortly before organization collapsed altogether. This year is his final year as a U23 and he’s taking it on as a privateer. He has a lot on the line. The opportunities for U23s to continue racing in the elite field are few and far between, but by accepting the odds and preparing himself for any outcome, Brayden has found the freedom to go all-in. Payson sat down with him in Bentonville this week to talk about the coming season, when he realized that things had gone too far with his previous team, his long-time friendship with Riley Amos, and how he's taking things into his own hands this season. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen
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1:09:12
Gwendalyn Gibson on her unlikely path to World Cup racing and bringing a fresh perspective to the 2025 season
Gwen Gibson is one of the best World Cup XCO racers in the world, but she almost didn’t make it into the professional ranks. In college, she juggled racing with a full class schedule and held down three jobs to make ends meet. When she graduated, she thought it was probably time to quit her dreams of being a World Cup racer and find a ‘real’ career path. But then she started showing up to races and beating some of her idols, and in 2022, she had a breakout season, winning a World Cup short track race and nabbing third place at the World Championships after breaking her kneecap midseason. Now, she races for Trek Factory Racing and has scored eight top 10 World Cup finishes since joining the team. Gwen sat down with Payson in Girona to talk about battling her way into World Cup racing after years of determination, her continuing battles with self-doubt, what it was like winning her first World Cup race, and how she's building up her mental game after the disappointment of losing out on the Olympics last year with one heartbreaking race. She also talks about her friendship with teammates Evie Richards and Maddie Munro and how she still manages to win races despite shying away from confrontational tactics. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen
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1:45:39
Rosa Klöser on joining Canyon-SRAM and the future of gravel
Reigning Queen of Gravel Rosa Klöser returns to the show to talk about some of the major developments in her career since we spoke with her after her surprise win at Unbound last year. That victory launched her into the spotlight as a major new player in the gravel scene, but her spur-of-the-moment decision to race German Road Nationals really brought her to the attention of the broader cycling world. After coming in 9th place in a stacked field, Rosa scored a contract with the WorldTour team and Tour de France Femmes champions Canyon-SRAM.She sat down with Payson in Girona last week to talk about how a disorganised and last-minute stop at German Nationals set her on a new path in the sport, her first training camp with Canyon-SRAM, and how she’ll be managing a privateer program on gravel with a WorldTour team on the road. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen
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50:14
Bjorn Riley on Scott-SRAM training camp, painting, and his near-fatal snake bite
Payson stops by XCO National Champion Bjorn Riley’s apartment in Girona to hear about his training camp in South Africa with his new team, the one and only Scott-SRAM. They also discuss the part of winning a race that people don’t often talk about: the terrifying moment when you decide to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Then, Bjorn pulls out some of the artifacts he’s found in abandoned buildings on rides in the Spanish countryside and recounts his experience of getting bitten by Europe's only deadly snake species while on a training ride last year and needing to get airlifted to a hospital. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen
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1:38:58
Sahara Gravel stage 4 recap with Petr Vakoč
The final stage of Sahara Gravel in Morocco ended in a sand pit that left some riders sprinting on foot across the line. Payson sits down on a windy sand dune to chat with stage winner Petr Vakoč about how the event went for him over the past four days -- the highs, lows, and his favorite type of tagine. He also talks about his plans for the rest of the season and his unconventional travel plans to get back to Europe from Morocco tomorrow. Instagram: @withpacepodYouTube: Payson McElveen
Professional mountain biker Payson McElveen sits down with some of the biggest names in sports and adventure to get an inside look at what sets them apart. With no script, the casual conversations are as diverse as the guests, with topics ranging from harrowing tales of survival, to debates on current events, to everyday tips and tricks and everything in between. As Payson travels the world for his two-wheeled day job, listen in as he rubs shoulders with and learns from some of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs, academics, and others as they chase and inspire greatness.
Netherlands