Tag: Levi’s Gran Fondo

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Show #667 – April 10, 2025

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Guest: Levi Leipheimer

I wanted to get this episode out right away as it is time sensitive. 

It isn’t always my great good fortune to be able speak with one of the iconic American pro riders who is still “in the bike world,” but today is one of those days.

Retired pro racer Levi Leipheimer’s career goes back to the mid-90’s, and throughout that decade and beyond he racked up some impressive stats including an Olympic medal, the U.S. championship, and winning three tours of California – the list is very long.

When he was 13, he saw his first Tour de France.  That started the dream of being a TdF rider and he told himself… one day that will be me.

And from that dream, Levi went from amateur to pro, becoming a rider for the Rabobank team in 2002.  Over the next few years, he didn’t fulfill his Tour de France team just once, he fulfilled it 10 times, completing the event 8. (Unfortunately, he crashed out of two of them!)

As you will hear in our conversation, what he saw as he traveled the world racing his bike, was how fortunate he was and that led him to his desire to “pay if forward.”

And, according to him, one of his greatest successes is the Levi Gran Fondo.

A Gran Fondo is defined as a type of long-distance road cycling ride, originating in Italy in 1970, and roughly translates into English as “Big Ride”. Officially, the event should be at least 120 kilometres (75 mi) long, and the riders are individually chip-timed (start to finish) with prizes for the fastest riders.

Now in its 16h iteration – losing a couple of events to the pandemic, – Levi’s Gran Fondo has become one of the most recognized and popular in the U.S.

It ‘s coming up quickly – April 19th and here is my conversation with Levi as we roll up toward the start line.

  You can find out all about Levi’s Gran Fondo, including the Growler Pro Roster, how to sign up, show up, or watch it live from wherever you are starting at 11am Pacific Time on April 19th via YouTube at levisgranfondo.com.

It sounds like a great event!

There is expanded content on my Substack page.  Please consider subscribing to both.  Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Transcript_April 10

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Show #666 – April 7, 2025

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Guest: Alison Tetrick

She really wanted to wear skirts and get her nails done, but Alison Tetrick, while remaining ever the fashionable girl, is a feisty competitor – in all sorts of ways.

Starting out as a tennis player in high school, she played in college on a full ride where she studied biochemistry.  She worked in drug discovery research for Amgen, and then….with all her energy and competitive urges, was egged on to bike racing by her grandfather Paul Tetrick, who found his passion for bike racing in his 60’s and raced well into his 80’s.  (scroll down to see Paul & Ali’s info)

Alison’s trajectory toward success on the bike was almost instantaneous as you will hear in our conversation. But it wasn’t all unicorns and roses.

As strong and capable as Alison is, she tells us about some of the things that will take a person down – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and learning to deal with them – asking for help, realizing you can’t always do everything on your own, will shape you in new and perhaps much better ways.

Our conversation runs the gamut from her early successes on the bike to the work she is doing now to get more young girls into the sport. And her honesty, humility, and frankness are refreshing!

You can follow Alison and her journey @amtetrick on social media. Check out her bandanas  to help and support more girls and women on bikes.

Here is the link to Gloria Liu’s article, Cycling’s Silent Epidemic.

And if you find yourself at either Unbound or Sea Otter, look her up!  She’ll be there.

I’d like to let you know that there is now expanded content for most episodes on my brand new Substack page.

Next time on the show, I’ll be speaking with Sarah Barnes, another podcaster and  journalist who specializes in micromobility – especially autonomous vehicles – and urban geography.  We’ll explain that too. 

Ex-pro racer Levi Leipheimer will also be joining me to talk about his Gran Fondo as well as his ideas about how to reboot road riding here in the U.S.  I’m ALL ears on that one!

Transcript_April 7

 

 

 

 

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Show #379 – December 16, 2017

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Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Aimee Ross; Patrick Brady

Twas the week before Christmas and there is snow on the ground here in NE Ohio.

But, we’ll bring some conversations to warm the heart as we look at our last “gift giving” show for the season.

My first guest is the co-founder of World Bicycle Relief, Leah Missbach Day. When Leah and her husband F.K. learned of the devastating tsunami in 2005, they flew to Indonesia to see how they could help. Out of that trip, World Bicycle Relief was founded and now, 12 years later, the organization is approaching 400,000 bicycles on the ground and working in a variety of African and Indonesian countries.

Leah gives us some insight into who needs these bicycles and how they help to keep people healthy, educate the young girls and women who receive a bike, and keep businesses thriving.

Then, IMBA‘s director of brand development Aimee Ross tells us about the “Dig In” campaign that is giving 68 mountain bike projects a lifeline in the form of grants and assistance. Aimee takes us back to the beginning of the mountain bike era and propels us forward explaining how IMBA helps facilitate projects all over the U.S. with its local chapters and millions of volunteers hours.

Lastly, Red Kite Prayer’s Patrick Brady gives us his first-hand insight into the fires that have been and are still devastating California. Evacuated from his home for almost two weeks, Patrick tells us about the scores of boxes that have arrived to help local riders who lost everything to the fires as well as what the Sonoma Pride campaign is doing to get peoples’ lives back on track.

If you are ready to write those year-end giving checks, perhaps one of more of these three conversations will help you make up your mind.

Happy holidays from The Outspoken Cyclist! And, here’s to a peaceful, healthy, and happy 2018!

 

 

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Show #354 – July 1, 2017

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Guests: Odessa Gunn; Lloyd Joyce; Cait Dooley

This week Diane talks with retired pro racer Odessa Gunn. She and Levi Leipheimer (her ex-husband) run the Levi’s Gran Fondo from which funds are distributed to several at-risk youth organizations.

In addition, Odessa, who loves animals, has recently returned from China in a effort to both stop and rescue dogs from the horrific and sickening Yulin Dog Festival held each June. Please listen to this show knowing that it is a disturbing topic; and, a story that needs telling.

You can help Odessa rescue and treat these dogs at her crowdfunding site.

Then, retired Marine Lloyd Joyce fills us in on his trip from Pittsburgh to D.C. as he and 99 other veterans ride the 335 miles for the Veteran’s Leadership Program of Western Pa. The organization helps veterans with housing, medical services, employment services and more.

Finally, we speak with Cait Dooley. Cait is currently a product manager for GT bicycles; but, her journey to that position has been bumpy. Her story is documented in an article this week in Pelotonmagazine.com titled Human Race: Cait Dooley by journalist Peter Flax.

Great show!