Is the cycling off-season ever really off? Even though road racing has been done for a while (except for Saitama, of course!), there's plenty to talk about. Tadej Pogačar's new contract with UAE is massive - €8 million a year until 2030, making him the highest-paid rider in the peloton. It's sparked a larger discussion about the economics of pro cycling and how teams are built around these superstar riders. Demi Vollering’s move from SD Works to FDJ is a big shakeup in the women’s peloton. It seems, unlike on the men's side, that the women's transfer market is wide open, with teams throwing around big money to secure top talent. This move also prompts questions about the role of sponsors like Specialized in rider moves, and the cultural differences between Dutch and French teams.
Then there’s some good old-fashioned paperwork drama. Ceratizit messed up their WorldTour license paperwork and might lose one of their star riders. Is this just an "admin error," or is there something more going on? And of course, no Spin Cycle episode would be complete without some listener interaction. This week, we tackled Drew’s question about the aerodynamics of a leg-shaving mullet, with Ronan offering his expert analysis. Don’t forget to send us your own cycling-related queries at escapecollective.com/hello. We’ll be answering them in an upcoming mailbag episode.