Tag: UCI

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Show #678 – November 20, 2025

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Guest: Joe Lindsey

This episode was going to be an audio with commentary for my Substack.  But, as often happens when I speak with Joe Lindsey from the Escape Collective, the conversation becomes so interesting that I just couldn’t see NOT sharing it on all my platforms.

Another reason I wanted to share this with everyone is that Joe, is an expert on competitive bike racing, which I am not, and since the 2025 continental and world races are pretty much over, I figured it was time to review them.

We begin with a short discussion about this year’s World’s, which for the first time was held on the African continent.  Political for sure; but all seemed to go well.

Not so with the Vuelta A Espana as Joe and I move into a conversation about the Israel-Premier Tech team and how politics and protest, which have always been a part of bike racing, has now reached a level that is truly dangerous to the riders, the sponsors, and the sport itself.

Since Joe and I spoke, much has happened, both in the Middle East and with the team itself.  Premier-Tech pulled their sponsorship, saying that “the core reason to sponsor the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become untenable.”

Sad to say the least, but I think you will hear some good reasoning in my conversation with Joe.

As we cover some of the women’s racing from this past season, we get into the topic of fueling and weight.  Ugh!

Weight is an especially tough topic for women – just look at the endless ads for weight loss and what defines beauty in all forms of advertising.

But there has been a seismic shift in thinking about fueling for bike racers and with that a shift away from just focusing on weight to the importance of nutrition.

Joe also talks about course design as it relates to the physique of a rider.  Certain courses do favor a light, sprite rider while others offer advantages to a different body type. 

And then there is course design as it relates to the safety of the riders.

We get into the weeds a bit with the UCI vs SRAM dispute about gearing as the discussion runs headlong into where the UCI should focus its work and what might happen if everyone rode the same bike – much like stock car racing.

So you see, it’s a solid discussion and I hope you enjoy it.

November 20_transcript

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Show #633 – July 10, 2023

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Guests: Matt deNeef; Craig Della Penna

This episode of TOC offers up two very different topics.

Image Courtesy of Dale Menegazzo

First up is Matt de Neef.  He is the managing editor of Escape Collective, the online presence of independent cycling journalism.

I caught up with Matt just before Stage 1 of the Tour to chat about his article, In Pursuit of the UCI Overlord, published June 22nd on the Escape site.

In his story, Matt details the shady goings-on of one Aaron Brown who, in 2012, disappeared with more than $70,000 of “other peoples’ money.”  That money was intended for a defense fund for Irish journalist Paul Kimmage.

Going way back to 2012, Irish journalist Paul Kimmage was sued for defamation by the UCI and two of its principals.  In his book, Rough Ride, Paul claimed that the UCI had buried the results of a doping test from Lance Armstrong.  The UCI took umbrage to that claim and slapped Paul with the suit.

Matt dove down the rabbit hole to find out what happened to the money and to Aaron Brown.  What he found will boggle your mind.

Here in the States, people don’t take kindly to picking on journalists and along with editor and writer Lesli Cohen and Andy Shen, a defense fund was set up to help with Kimmage’s legal fees.

What happened next is one of those tales of intrigue and duplicity that keep you riveted to the page.

Also, click on the links If you want some background on Lesli Cohen and Paul Kimmage from back in 2012.

If you want to know anything about rail trails, Craig Della Penna is da’ man!  Our conversation today is about the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail System and what it is going to take to complete a 104 mile long trail that runs west from Boston to Northampton and intersects with 18 other rail trails.

Craig is the President of the Board of Directors at Norwottuck Network, as well as the Owner of Sugar Maple Trailside Inn in Florence, MA. He doesn’t just talk the talk!

After writing his first book on the history of old RR lines and their conversion to bike trails, Craig was hired by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as their New England Field Representative focusing on the policy end of building rail trails as well as public outreach.  He worked for them for seven years and left in 2004 to become a Realtor, specializing in the sale of houses near the trails. 

Having given well over 1,200 lectures in 21 states and Canadian provinces, Craig is one of the country’s most sought after motivational speakers on the economic development, tourism, and community development aspect of rail-trails, and their leveraging small amounts of public dollars to redevelop forgotten or derelict lands into treasured places.

He and his wife Kathleen, operate an award-winning bed & breakfast in a restored, Civil War era house where the restoration was so extreme, it was featured on HGTV. The house sits 8 feet from one of the earliest muni-built rail trails in New England. And within 150 miles of his house sits the densest network of former steam RR corridor in the US.

As he stated in our conversation, you can contact Craig directly by email or log on to the nowottuck network.

 

 

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Show #617 – December 4, 2022

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Guests: Shannon Galpin; Dan Cavallari

This week we dive into part II of Dan Cavallari’s holiday gift ideas with a focus on cool things you might not necessarily need but wouldn’t mind seeing in your stocking or under the tree.

First though, we check in with my friend and colleague, Shannon Galpin.  It’s been a while since we talked and much has transpired since our last conversation. The amazing activist, author, artist, and human rights advocate is still working to evacuate more women, girls, and families from Afghanistan while helping to work with a variety of entities to place those who are stuck in a sort of limbo. There are also some women who have resettled around the world and still need help – with education, bikes, housing, and most importantly a pathway to feeling accepted in their new countries.

There is still much work to do.  SUPPORT AFGHAN CYCLISTS

When I log in to chat with Dan Cavallari, he’s sitting in his garage with a microphone and computer, only it doesn’t look much like the inside of a garage.  As a rabid product tester for a variety of entities, Dan’s garage actually looks more like the inside of a bike shop. 

This week, he gives us 5 picks for holiday ideas.  Share with friends and family! Dan Cavallari, The Slow Guy on the Fast Ride, joined me from his garage again. 

Here are links to all the products we discussed this week: the Bivo Bottle, the Pearl Rove Shirt, the Endura Riever bibs, the PNW tiny Pebble Tool, and the Tick’r Fit heart rate monitor strap.

Next time Dan and I will discuss those things you probably shouldn’t give a cyclist – so, family and friends – listen up.

We’ll also speak with Dr. Madeline Bonsma-Fisher.  She’s a physicist turned bicycle infrastructure researcher in Canada and her story is filled with fascinating ideas.

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Show #589 – January 19, 2022

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Guest: Ian Cleverly

Yes – this is a mid-week episode and I really enjoyed the conversation with my guest, Ian Cleverly.

Ian is the executive editor of Rouleur – arguably one of the best magazines about cycling on the market today.

With a history of covering racing, the editors changed it up in 2021 and have broadened their topics to include issues on women, people of color, and disabled athletes.

As more and more publications disappear from newsstands, and even from subscription, Rouleur is one lovely magazine that is still not only being published, but is thriving! In fact, issue #1 of Rouleur is a hot commodity on the market, if you can find one, fetching a tidy sum.

an, who is stuck at home like many of us, is a fun conversationalist and I really enjoyed the time we spent chatting. I hope you enjoy our conversation too.

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Show #585 – December 18, 2021

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Guests: Shannon Galpin; Dov Tate

The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating daily – famine, illness, and now a world that seems to be looking away, is making evacuating women – especially women athletes – cyclists – more dangerous and fraught with more complications.

It all begs the question – one that has been asked over and over – what is keeping the cycling community from helping to evacuate, resettle, and protect Afghan cyclists?  The ones who are out, or about to be evacuated, are not the entire story – and in fact their stories are ongoing anyway.

If we can perhaps agree that the way the situation in Afghanistan was handled badly in the beginning, it has only become more difficult without the attention and financial support that was there at the start and has since gone away.

This is not a “pretty holiday story” – it is one that I believe should be told and that whatever we can each do – whether it is to donate money or offer help in whatever form works – NOW is the time to do it.

You can find out more about the situation as it continues to unfold and make a donation at fundly.com/support-Afghan-cyclists.  Shannon posts updates fairly often.  The other organization she mentioned is iProbono – a human rights organization at i-probono.com.

Instead of the usual gift giving product reviews we’ve done for many years, I thought we’d change it up with an idea that has meaning for so many of us – climate change.

Dov Tate is the founder of Parcours – a wheel company in the U.K.  As a triathlete he thought wheelsets were too expensive.  As an engineer at Oxford, he conducted a groundbreaking study into bicycle wheel aerodynamics with Dr Steve Faulkner at the sports engineering department of Nottingham Trent University.  The resulting study produced what is now Parcours – his wheel manufacturing company that offers a variety of models.

Now, Parcours is partnering with Ecologi, a program that offers a variety of options to fight climate change – in particular, Parcours has given each of its wheelsets a “watts saving” number and that, in turn, is the number of trees that will be planted with every pair of wheels sold.  ! Watts For Trees!

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Show #571 – September 4, 2021

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Guests: Jenn Hamelman; Michael Rogers

This week, we explore the USBRS – AKA, the U.S. Bicycle Route System with ACA‘s Jenn Hamelman.

Jen has “touched” every mile of the maps that ACA offers – she was a cartographer for the organization for almost 20 years.

Now, she is tasked with coordinating the US bicycle route system and just this past month, 2,903 new miles were added in 5 states.

We talk about how new routes are added and signed, and what the ultimate goal is for the USBRS.

PS – O-H-I-O… Not only were more miles added to the USBRS in Ohio, but we rank #1 in the sheer number of miles ON the USBRS system. Something for which we can be very proud.

andersbrinckmeyer.com

Then, we speak with ex-pro racer Michael Rogers.

Michael, who comes from a cycling family, turned pro in 2000.

He won the world TT title three times, competed in many grand tours as well as one-day classics, has quite a few stage wins under his helmet, and is now the innovation manager for the UCI.

During his 16 years in pro cycling, he saw a lot of changes in the sport. From the influence of the Italians he watched the impact of a more scientific application when the English started improving the riders’ helmets, apparel, and more.

Now, he sees a third transition as all the marginal gains have been achieved and a whole new generation of cyclists are training and racing with high technology from power meters to 3-D printed handlebars.

Michael’s job as innovation manager is a new role at the UCI – dealing with technical innovations, safety, and a whole lot more.

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Show #567 – August 7, 2021

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Guest: Vince Jourdain

This week, we welcome one great guest to the show – someone who has a wide and deep knowledge of the UCI AND the peloton.

As you know, there was a lot of controversy in this year’s Tour de France about all the incidents – beginning with day one’s crash from a spectator leaning into the peloton and taking out the lead rider, causing the domino effect.

And, outside the race, there have been numerous discussions among professional fitters about what else might be causing so many riders to crash – from the size of the bikes and the kind of equipment the riders are using to the levels of skill and a lack of respect that newer riders on the world tour are bringing to the competition.

So, I decided to go to the source, and today, my guest is Vincent Jourdain.

Vince was in charge of Race Operations for the UCI from 2016 until earlier this year; and was National Coach for Canada for 15 years.

His duties were far reaching – from the organization of each event to fielding actionable complaints and incidents during an event.

Today, with everyone having a video camera in his or her pocket, and the wide reach of social media, every race can be fraught with issues that might need adjudicating. It’s a BIG job.

What happens when there’s a crash or a motor vehicle gets in the way? What is the process and who decides what is to be done?

Are riders coming to the world stage too early or without going through the proving grounds of local, state, national, and eventually world tour steps?

And, then of course there is the equipment – what happens when something breaks or there is an equipment failure and how does the UCI determine what is acceptable?

And, does the industry place too much pressure on the UCI to accept certain products or product categories?

These are all questions I put to Vince and, I think you will not only enjoy this conversation, but learn a lot about how professional racing is done!.

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Show #550 – April 10, 2021

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Guests: Tim Jackson; Max Pratt

This week’s show started out a lot differently from the way it has ended up.

We do have a fabulous conversation with Max Pratt, a young and very talented frame designer/builder from Providence, RI. And, I think you’ll find his perspective about frame building and the other projects he supports refreshing and somewhat unusual.

By chance, I was looking at the list of exhibitors from the N.E. Builder’s Ball from 2020. Of course, the event had to be postponed due to the pandemic, but I decided to check into a few of the builders who were new to me and saw Pratt Frameworks.

Of course, I clicked on the link and really liked what I saw. Of course the bikes are lovely, but it’s the other things that Max Pratt, who calls himself a frame designer rather than a frame builder, is not only saying but what he is doing that made it so compelling.

And, there was another very interesting and pertinent topic I was ready to offer up and went ahead with a great conversation about that too. It’s all about climate and carbon emissions and what business and industry is doing along those fronts.

But, I’ve bumped that piece until next week, and here’s why.

Much more urgent news has made headlines – specifically Arkansas and the laws that are and will continue to affect transgender athletes as well as young people who are, as Molly Cameron put in her piece in Bicycling Magazine this week, ” navigating identity and just trying to be themselves in a state that clearly does not care about them.”

To discuss all the ramifications of what is happening in Arkansas, especially as it pertains to the UCI and USAC, the World Championship CX races, and the threats of boycotts, we talk with Tim Jackson whose editorial in Bicycle Retailer, The Industry Has An Arkansas Problem, tried to make the case for pulling the USAC and UCI World CX Championships out of Fayetteville in 2022.

We know that the Walton Family and the Visit Bentonville, Arkansas organizations have invested heavily in making Arkansas a welcoming place for bicycling with a deep and honest commitment to mountain biking.

But, in the wake of new laws targeting the LBGTQ+ community and especially transgender youth, Visit Bentonville’s president Kalene Griffith was only willing to offer a one-line comment about the controversy of the new laws stating: “”We’re committed to inclusive trail and visitor experiences in our city and welcome everyone to Visit Bentonville.”

The Walton Foundation’s Tom Walton, issued a written statement on April 6th that begins: “We are alarmed by the string of policy targeting LGBTQ people in Arkansas. This trend is harmful and sends the wrong message to those willing to invest in or visit our state.

But, do the Walton Foundation and the Chambers of Commerce have any clout that might move the legislature toward rescinding these draconian laws?
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shoe #437 – January 26, 2019

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Guests: Steve Frothingham; Sean Petty

Frigid air, ice and snow, and thoughts begin to wander towards spring and getting off the trainer and back outdoors.

So, I thought I would give you a little history this week with an extended conversation with Sean Petty.

Beginning in 1985 when Sean joined the Southland Corporation (think Team Seven Eleven) and became part of that era of great American competitive cycling with the likes of Greg LeMond, Davis Phinney, and Andy Hampsten and up until today where he still serves on the boards of USA Cycling and the UCI, he maintains a remarkable and unique perspective about our sport.

We start our conversation way back at the beginning of his career and bring it right up to the present day where his obvious love of the sport will see the first all-women’s UCI pro race here in the States this summer.

Before we get to Sean’s interview though, I thought it was important to bring Steve Frothingham,  Bicycle Retailer & Industry News‘ editor on to talk about how the government shutdown is affecting the bicycle industry and perhaps you.

The CPSC – consumer products safety commission – is running on a skeleton crew and there are two bicycle recalls that have not been issued because of the shutdown. Steve will tell us about those recalls and what else might be happening with the lack of government oversight

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Show #355 – July 8, 2017

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Guests: Dan Wuori; Brent Schroetenboer; Bob Mionske; Gernot Sauter

Should Peter Sagan, the reigning world champion, have been summarily ejected from the Tour de France after Stage 4? Controversy surround the “hasty” decision by the officials and it’s too late! Sagan was on a plane home the same night.

Velo News columnist Dan Wuori joins me to talk about the incident. He also reminds us that “Tour de Pharmacy” airs on HBO tonight, July 8th, at 10pm eastern

Then, USA Today journalist Brent Schroetenboer, wh has been following the Lance Armstrong case, gives us some background on the latest iteration of the saga as the November trial date looms ahead. Do the Feds have enough to convict Armstrong on the charges they are bringing or will we see an end to the controversy?

After Nako Nakatsuka was hit from behind by a car, she received a “pay up” letter from the driver’s insurance. She was suddenly liable for “backing in to the car and causing damage”. What ensued was evidently a comedy of errors adding insult to her injuries and the damage to her bike. Bike lawyer Bob Mionske and I discuss this case, what to do when you are involved in a crash, and how to prevent future litigation.

Finally, we hear from our National Bike Challenge Stories riders with our second audio. Gernot Sauter lives in Dusseldorf, Germany and as an employee of NBC sponsor 3M, gives us his impressions of the Tour de France, which started practically outside his doorstep.