Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP I love riding my bike with my son. My boy Marlow and I head out when we can and boost around LanVegas on the bikes, and he loves it. It’s great to spend time together and see the little man starting to enjoy bikes and being outdoors as much as I did when I was a kid.  But, my guests on this month’s episode of Life In The Peloton take on father-and-son cycling adventures. Based over in the North of England, Rich and James Rothwell are an adventurous, off-road, ultra-cycling father and son duo who have undertaken some massive rides together.  Rich, a lifelong mountain biker, coach, and experienced ultra racer, got his son James into cycling from a young age. Still only 14 years old, James has already ticked off some absolutely huge rides on some world-renowned trails like the Highland Trail 550 and the AZT800 out in the USA.  I really wanted to chat to these guys to hear how they started riding together, what their epic adventures look like, and just how far a young talent like James will go in the world of cycling. I found it really inspiring to hear Rich’s relaxed, supportive approach in helping James keep the enjoyment, and I also loved hearing how young James supports his old man out there on the trails, too!  I hope Marlow can pick up a thing or two and give me a push or a spoonful of peanut butter when I’m in a bit of a hole next time we head out on the bikes.  Guys, I hope you like this episode. To the mums and dads out there, it’s a great listen if you want to get your kids into bike riding and kids, if you’ve ever wanted to get out on a cycling adventure with your parents, I hope this inspires you.  Cheers Mitch This episode is brought to you by our mates at Shokz – the world leaders in open-ear, bone-conduction headphones. Head to shokz.com and use the code LITP for a special listener-only discount. It’s also supported by Restrap – makers of seriously tough, technical bikepacking bags and accessories, which come with a lifetime warranty. I’ve used their gear on some of my biggest adventures, and it’s never let me down. Check them out at restrap.com. I’ll be heading to Adelaide this January for the Santos Tour Down Under — chasing the racing, riding the bunches in the morning, and soaking up all the summer vibes the city has to offer. Hope to see you there.

We’re back from the Tour - and what a bloody wild few weeks that was. So I've jumped back on the mic with my guest...I mean co hosts, Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge to get stuck into all the goss from this year’s race. It’s a big one - we cover everything! The drama, the chaos, the tactics, the crashes, the wins, the "wish I was anywhere but here" moments. And believe me, Durbo’s got a few of those... From Pogacar blowing the race apart on the Col de la Loze, to Ben Healy’s heroics, and even the almighty mess of the groupetto on Stage 20 - this is the full Race Communiqué debrief you’ve been waiting for. Your perfect look behind the curtain of this massive event. We each pick our favourite stages, highlight standout performances (Durbo reckons Harry Sweeney deserves a nickname after Stage 10), and of course, we wrap it all up with the ever-chaotic Communiquiz. Honestly, it’s one of my favourite pods we’ve done all year. There’s plenty of laughs, a bit of behind-the-scenes insight, and some real moments of “can you believe that actually happened?” So grab a post-Tour beer, stick your feet up, and enjoy the chat. Cheers, Mitch   The Race Communiqué is brought to you by TrainingPeaks! Track, plan, and train smarter - just like the pros. Get 20% off TrainingPeaks Premium now at trainingpeaks.com/litp   Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP. maap.cc   🎧 Timecodes 00:00:00 – Intro 00:07:47 – Race Recap (Behind the scenes at the Tour) 00:39:51 – Pelo Chat (Have ASO just given up?) 00:52:46 – Talking Tactics (How did Ben Healey’s stage win come about?) 01:01:22 – CommuniQuiz (Tom forgets his questions…)

Race Radio is proudly brought to you by MAAP Look forward, because it’s time for the Femmes. We’re signing off from France, but we’re not leaving you empty handed, no – tune into Race Radio for a preview of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with Rouleur’s Rachel Jary to hear what’s happened so far and what to expect in the coming days, a word with Zwift’s Director of Strategy Kate Veronneau on the future of the sport, and we catch Dominque Powers right after she photographs podcast favourite and absolute GOAT of cycling, Marianne Vos.  A lot to get stuck into here: have it! ----more---- 🚴‍♂️ This episode is powered by our friends at JOIN Cycling The AI-powered training app that helps you ride smarter, not harder. Miss a session? Life’s chaotic? JOIN adapts — so your training still makes sense, even when your week doesn’t. 🇦🇺 And supported by the 2026 Tour Down Under Adelaide, January. All the WorldTour teams. Sunshine, cold ones, and not a bad coffee in sight. Start planning now: the racing (and the vibes) will be world-class.

Race Radio is proudly brought to you by MAAP Well, well, well, if it isn’t a bumper edition of Race Radio to finish an outstanding Tour. We get out of bed early to recon the Montmartre climb, eat a hearty business luncheon with a punchline or two before heading to watch the finish, topped off with another pit walk, where we find out if this spectacular stage was as fun for the riders as it was for the fans (hint: it was not). But don’t take our word for it, hear it from the coureurs themselves. Don't miss it! ----more---- 🚴‍♂️ This episode is powered by our friends at JOIN Cycling The AI-powered training app that helps you ride smarter, not harder. Miss a session? Life’s chaotic? JOIN adapts — so your training still makes sense, even when your week doesn’t. 🇦🇺 And supported by the 2026 Tour Down Under Adelaide, January. All the WorldTour teams. Sunshine, cold ones, and not a bad coffee in sight. Start planning now: the racing (and the vibes) will be world class.

Race Radio is proudly brought to you by MAAP Race Radio’s Harry and Stu bring the pit walk to the peloton – where they catch old mate Tom Southam for a quick chat about the cricket, plus some words from Oscar Onley’s DS Matt Winston (also about the cricket) – before taking to the final climb to experience the publicity caravan in its somewhat reduced fullness and a bit of a scramble to the top to see their second summit finish in as many days. Now it’s just a 15-hour bus ride back to the start at Albertville (only 19km away). Pray for them! Get into it! ----more---- 🚴‍♂️ This episode is powered by our friends at JOIN Cycling The AI-powered training app that helps you ride smarter, not harder. Miss a session? Life’s chaotic? JOIN adapts — so your training still makes sense, even when your week doesn’t. 🇦🇺 And supported by the 2026 Tour Down Under Adelaide, January. All the WorldTour teams. Sunshine, cold ones, and not a bad coffee in sight. Start planning now: the racing (and the vibes) will be world class.

Race Radio is proudly brought to you by MAAP Harry and Stu are finally on the ground in France and kick things off with a monster day on the mighty Col de la Loze. Armed with a pair of Bromptons, a bag of pastries, and boundless enthusiasm, they pedal into the clouds for the Queen Stage of this year’s Tour. Expect mist, mayhem, and mistimed gear shifts—as well as a quick chat with cycling photographers Zac Williams and Harry Talbot, who share tales from the road and their plan to shoot the day’s action from 3km out. There’s mountain magic, gondola bureaucracy, Tour Down Under dreams, and a whole lot of fan energy (plus a bit of a beef with the Cycling Podcast convoy). One of the wildest, most atmospheric days of the Tour—and an unforgettable summit finish from Betteo. Get into it! ----more---- 🚴‍♂️ This episode is powered by our friends at JOIN Cycling The AI-powered training app that helps you ride smarter, not harder. Miss a session? Life’s chaotic? JOIN adapts — so your training still makes sense, even when your week doesn’t. 🇦🇺 And supported by the 2026 Tour Down Under Adelaide, January. All the WorldTour teams. Sunshine, cold ones, and not a bad coffee in sight. Start planning now: the racing (and the vibes) will be world class.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP The sport of professional cycling has everything. Dramatic storylines, heroic champions, tear jerking wins, and more. But, one thing it seems to be lacking is cash.  Every year, it seems like teams have to fight harder and harder to get sponsorship to pay their riders. Compared to the likes of soccer and other mainstream sports, budgets in cycling are a drop in the ocean.  I wanted to find out how professional cycling is able to keep rolling despite the financial struggles, and see if there’s anything teams can do to increase their revenue and grow the sport as a whole, so I spoke to some key stakeholders in the sport to find out more.  In this special edition of Life In The Peloton, I speak to my first team boss and manager of Team Picnic Post NL, Iwan Spekenbrink, General Race Director of Flander’s Classics, Scott Sunderland, current pro seeing out his last season after 17 years as a rider, Simon Clarke, Bas Tietema, owner of TDT Unibet Rockets - the new kids on the block looking to redefine the fan - team relationship through storytelling alongside chasing results, and finally Dr Cillian Kelly; a master statistician with the cold hard facts on the situation to see if it is really as bleak as it seems.  Guys, this episode is a deep dive into the sport we all love to find out if it has a future that’s financially sustainable, or if teams are always going to be scratching around for sponsorship or closing altogether.  Thanks to all my interviewees for speaking to me, and the wider Life In The Peloton team for helping pull this mammoth episode together. I hope you enjoy it! Cheers! Mitch ----more---- This episode is exclusively being brought to you by the Tour Down Under, stages are set, the 2026 stages have been announced! The most exciting and hardest edition of TDU in its 25 year history! Come and feel the rush! Check out the stages and the race here: https://tourdownunder.com.au _______________ This episode is brought to you by our friends at Saily. If you're heading overseas for your next ride or trip? Avoid nasty roaming fees and get set up with Saily, the eSIM app from the legends behind NordVPN. Download the app and use the code PELOSURF for 15% off your next data plan — or hit https://saily.com/pelosurf to score yourself a special listener-only discount. _______________ This episode is powered by Shokz, the world leading open ear headphones pioneer. Want the most comfortable and safest headphones for cycling? Check out https://shokz.cc/LITP-2505 _______________   🎄 Christmas in July? You bet. We’re running a massive 50% off over at the Life in the Peloton shop all month long! Use code JULY50 at checkout to score half-price tees, caps, and beer cozies – the ultimate kit to keep you cool (and your tinnies cooler) this summer. Support the pod, save some cash, and rep the vibe - https://www.lifeinthepeloton.com/shop

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP The Tour de France kicked off last weekend and oh boy what a race we’ve had already! There've been some amazing stage winners, some crazy crashes, and some signs that we are in for one hell of a July. I’m enjoying this year’s race purely as a fan from the comfort of my sofa. But, when it comes to fans, there’s none bigger than old mates Harry and Stu over at Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio.  These guys love it and, as always, I get to share their enthusiasm with you guys for this month’s ep. Here’s what the brilliant baldie, Harry Dowdney, had to say about this month’s episode: Le Tour is Here! The greatest on earth has kicked off with a series of great stages in the north of France. Stu and I discuss the mayhem of the crashes, marvel at the Alpecin-Deceuninck machine, and give some insights into two big name riders we've made films with recently - Jasper Philipsen and Ben O'Connor.  Then, we dial in pro cycling photographer Zac Williams for a chinwag about how his race is going so far. Allez! The Tour is The Tour - it’s as big as it gets, and there’s so much to talk about it can sometimes be hard knowing where to start when you’re trying to catch up; but the Race Radio boys do a stellar job of cutting through the noise and bringing you the insights that only they can. I love it, and I hope you do, too. The Race Radio boys will return LIVE from The Tour - recording direct from the Alps in the third week, and sticking around to bring you coverage from the roadside of the Tour de France Femmes! I can’t say I’m not a little bit jealous of them getting boots on the ground over in Europe, but I can’t wait to hear what they come up with. Cheers! Mitch ----more---- This episode is brought to you by our mates at Saily – the simple mobile app that makes managing your subscriptions dead easy. Whether it’s race passes, streaming services, or random apps you forgot you signed up for, Saily tracks it all in one place and even helps you cancel the ones you’re not using. Clean, easy, and actually kind of fun to use. Download the app and use the code PELOSURF for 15% off your next data plan — or hit https://saily.com/pelosurf to score yourself a special listener-only discount.

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo. You won't want to miss these exclusive chats dropping throughout the 2025 season! We’re into July, and the Tour is about to kick off. The Tour De France is the biggest bike race in the world in terms of exposure and the sheer number of eyeballs watching the action but, at just over 3000k, it’s dwarfed by the monster that is the Tour Divide.  A much smaller spectacle, with supporters watching dots on a screen rather than glossy TV coverage, but at 4000k in length and the added challenge of racing entirely self supported across the entire USA, The Divide is arguably the toughest race going.  If you caught last month’s Chronicles, you’ll know that Sveino was gearing up to head to the start in Banff, Canada, with 200 or so other crazy riders and tackle this absolute monster of a race. Well, Sveino’s back home after having a stab at the Tour Divide and in this month’s chronicles ep we’re unpacking just what went down along the Continental Divide.  Sveino gave it his all, and prepped for this race like he was a full time pro again! But, in the world of bike racing, you can be totally prepared and still get thrown a curveball. In the words of Mike Tyson: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”  What happened to Svein out there? Well, you’ll have to listen to find out. Sveino, mate, fair play for giving it a crack - what an epic journey.  The race was eventually won by Swiss ultra racing legend Robin Gemperle who absolutely smoked the record and finished in 11 days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes. That is ridiculously fast - and self supported, too?! Rather you than me, buddy. Chapeau.  Guys, thanks as always for being a Pelo Member. I really hope you enjoy these yarns between me and old Sveino as much as I do.  Cheers! Mitch P.S. 🚨 Tickets for The Pub to Pub and The Dirty Docker are LIVE so don’t miss out! 🏃🚴

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP It’s July, which means we’re just days away from the Tour de France. I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely frothing for this year’s race to kick off. My heart is racing just thinking about it…and that’s exactly what this month’s episode is all about; my heart. Guys, this month’s episode of Life In The Peloton is one for all you training geeks out there. It’s time for me to take another look ‘under the hood’ and get my ticker checked out, so I headed back to the lab for a catch up with my old mate Dr. Andre Le Gerche. If you don’t recognise that name, Andre is one of the world’s leading experts in Sports Cardiology, whose research and clinical work focuses on the effect of exercise on the human heart.  Since the start of my professional cycling career all those years ago, I’ve been seeing Andre every few years to take part in a study he’s conducting on elite athletes' hearts, heart function, and heart health. I last recorded with Andre back in 2022, so if you haven’t heard that ep get across and bring yourself up to speed on the study, and what my last round of testing showed just after I retired from Pro Cycling. If you don’t know, the UCI makes sure that every pro rider undergoes a series of heart tests on their heart every off season ‘with an aim to reduce - as far as possible - the risk of sudden cardiac death during sporting activity’ - scary stuff, right? Andre’s study goes one further, looking to understand the longer term effects of a life of endurance sport.  I won’t lie, guys, this is a big topic - and I won’t pretend I’m an expert on Sports Cardiology! But, what I really love about working with Andre and his team is the way they explain the results of their findings to nuffies like me. I hope you like this episode, guys - hopefully, you get a better idea of what goes on under the hood of these elite athletes you’re about to watch rip around France for the next month. My next round of testing with Andre isn’t until 2030, now, so I’ll see you in 5 years, Andre! Cheers! Mitch ----more---- If you didn’t catch it, Andre and I first sat down about a couple of years ago to chat all things athlete’s heart — what years of racing does to it, how it recovers (or doesn’t) after retirement, and why some ex-pros might need to “de-train” their hearts. That ep lays the groundwork for this follow-up, so if you’re keen to hear how it all started, you can check it out here. This episode is brought to you by our mates at Saily – the simple mobile app that makes managing your subscriptions dead easy. Whether it’s race passes, streaming services, or random apps you forgot you signed up for, Saily tracks it all in one place and even helps you cancel the ones you’re not using. Clean, easy, and actually kind of fun to use. Download the app and use the code PELOSURF for 15% off your next data plan — or hit https://saily.com/pelosurf to score yourself a special listener-only discount. Big thanks also to Shokz for supporting this episode. I’ve been using their bone conduction headphones on the bike, and I’ve gotta say — they’re a game changer. You still get great sound, but your ears stay open so you can hear traffic, bunch chatter, or just soak up the ride. Super light, super comfy — I’ve been loving them. 🎧 Check out the range and grab a pair at shokz.com