With Pace

Haley Smith has been on one factory team or another since she was in her teens. In that time, she spent a decade as a World Cup XC racer, went to the 2021 Olympics, and won the inaugural round of the Life Time Grand Prix. But this year, she’s embarking on a new chapter as a privateer. She’s also doing it while completing her PhD. 
Haley caught up with Payson in Girona this week to talk about the challenges and opportunities of privateering, including why it was the best way forward for her and how she’s pieced together her program. She also talks about the all-star coach she’s been working with since November and why she felt that now was the time to continue her academic work. 
This episode was made possible by:
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Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
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Mads Würtz Schmidt might be a newcomer to gravel, but he’s already established himself as one of the best in the world. The 31-year-old Danish rider went all in on the sport last year with little financial support and ended up winning the Traka, becoming the European Gravel Champion, and snagging fourth at Unbound. This year, he’ll be racing alongside Keegan Swenson and Matt Beers as part of the new Specialized off-road team. 
Mads joined Payson in Girona to talk about his reluctant departure from the WorldTour, how becoming a dad has changed everything, and why he prefers doing heat training to altitude training. They also talk about his dominance as a junior and U23 rider, the low point in 2022 when he thought about quitting cycling altogether, and how he thinks the introduction of teams into gravel (including Specialized Off-road) will change the sport. 
Thank you to TrainingPeaks for sponsoring this episode. Go to TrainingPeaks.com/withpace and use code DREAM20 for 20% off TrainingPeaks Premium. 
Thanks also to Osprey.com for sponsoring this episode. Head to their website to shop last year’s collection for up to 40% off.
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: [email protected]

We're back from our holiday break, and Payson and Nichole are here to recap a packed 2025. They offer a peek behind the curtain at their year, from the emotional toll of Payson's broken hip last spring to finally offloading one of the worst investments of all time. They also answer listener questions about Nichole's first year of structured training and racing, their favorite off the bike accomplishments of the year, and coffee.
This episode is sponsored by TrainingPeaks. Visit trainingpeaks.com/withpace to sign up now.
This episode is also supported by Osprey. Visit Osprey.com to learn more.
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: [email protected]

Sarah Sturm is back for another monthly catch-up, and this time, she and Payson are talking gym routines. How much lifting is too much? Should you be lifting heavy or doing high reps? And how bad is it for Sarah’s cycling career that she can’t do toes to bar? Then, they do their Privateer Parts segment in which Payson tries to figure out what is in the box that was addressed to him but which definitely wasn’t meant for him.

Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
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When Kevin Vermaak left his job in IT to found a brand-new type of bike race, he had no idea how much money he’d lose up front or how successful the resulting event would become. 20 years in, and the Cape Epic is one of the most famous bike races in the world. After leaving it behind in 2016, Kevin began mulling over a new idea — a gravel stage race that explored a completely different part of South Africa. This year, he launched Gravel Burn, a seven-day event in the Great Karoo. It took years for Cape Epic to grow into what it is today, but Gravel Burn attracted some pretty fierce competition from year one, including Tom Pidcock, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Matt Beers, and Lauren Stephens. 
In this episode, Kevin tells Payson about how a series of globe-trotting adventures in the early 2000s inspired him to start the Cape Epic, why he thinks Gravel Burn has the potential to be even bigger, and the logistics of planning such a remote, multi-day event. He talks about the things he hopes to do better next year, why he’s actually glad that the infamous stage six of the race had to be neutralized, and why he needed nearly twice as many staff members as there were race participants in order to pull the whole thing off.
This episode was brought to you by TrainingPeaks and Osprey. 
Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: [email protected]