How To Become A Pro Cyclist with Jack Burke

Kilian Jornet, a world-renowned ski mountaineer and trail runner, shares his thrilling adventures in extreme sports. He discusses the delicate balance between thrill-seeking and safety, revealing harrowing near-death experiences. Kilian also dives into the science of training, contrasting altitude and heat adaptations, while exploring minimalist nutrition strategies for endurance. With anecdotes from his youth, he reflects on gear evolution and the mental aspects of athletic training. Tune in for insights and inspiration from a true mountain sports legend!

Dr. Bent Rønnestad is a leading sports science professor at Inland Norway University, specializing in pro cycling training. His research on strength training, interval protocols, heat training and periodization optimizes performance for elite cyclists. If you read the scientific studies around training, you almost certainly know the name.

Spencer Martin is a cycling race analyst and commentator, while Andrew Vontz is a podcaster focusing on endurance sports. They discuss the transition from competitive cycling to a balanced approach, highlighting the impact of supportive coaching. The conversation transitions to personal growth and resilience in cycling, including challenges like securing contracts and overcoming adversity in the sport. They also touch on the evolving landscape of gravel racing and the joy of pursuing ambitious goals like the Olympics, wrapping up with humor and community spirit.

Henri Uhlig is a 23 year old German rider for Alpecin Deceuninck.

Tim Declercq in a Belgian professional cyclist on Lidl Trek and regarded as one of the best domestiques in pro cycling from the last 10 years.

Giacomo Notari is an Italian coach for UAE Team Emirates.

Grace Brown is an Australian former pro cyclist and one of the best female cyclists of the modern era. Olympic Champion, World Champion and many more.

This podcast is a preview of the next book which comes out in December 2025 (or whenever I decide it’s good enough) as well as a bunch of quick tips for weight loss. These are a few tips which work well for me and if you ride your bike 10 hours a week or more and are struggling with your weight, you’ll love this. 

Ollie Eisenbach is a German bike fitter and Insoles maker. He’s one of the best bike fitters in the world and has helped many of the best cyclists in the world for over a decade. His company SoleStars makes the best custom cycling insoles I know of and are used by many of the best cyclists in the world. If you want to learn about bike fitting or cycling insoles, this is the guy.

This episode is with Gabriel Gallo (Knowledge is Watt on Instagram) where we answered as many of your questions as possible. If you like training science, this is the most dense episode I've put out yet.