Grit, humour and hustle: Inside elite gravel racing with champion Benjamin Perry

Sometimes, a gravel champion of multiple nations simply finds himself without a floor pump. A few weeks ago, Benjamin Perry was in need of such a tool at Unbound Gravel, the premier gravel race on the calendar. Perry, who’s based in Gerona, wasn’t able to pack a pump for his North American trip. “Then, I was going around the hotel waiting for somebody to come out of a room who looked like a cyclist,” he said. “In Emporia around Unbound week, it's pretty easy to find somebody who has a floor pump, so it's not the end of the world.” Still, having to search for a pump to set his tires for a big event is quite the contrast to his days as a professional road racer, when his teams would take care of all the logistics and maintenance. Elite gravel—it requires a lot of hustle. For the past three seasons, Perry has been making his way as a privateer racing on mixed surfaces. He’s had successes, including his 2025 Canadian gravel championship title. (He’s set to defend in a few days. He faces serious competition.) This year, he competed in the Catalan championships, and won, putting him in the strange situation of being a non-Catalan with that community’s champion’s jersey. He’s also had multiple top-10 finishes at major races this season. Yet sometimes, Perry has to scramble for parts. This episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast features a deep dive into the world of elite gravel racing with Benjamin Perry. It's a lively chat as Perry brings his trademark humour to the topics of racing, equipment and fuelling. The pro also has top tips for anyone interested in racing the world’s toughest gravel events.

The former bassist of the Sex Pistols, long nails on race day and crosswinds all connect with Sidney Swierenga. Find out how in this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast. In early May, Swierenga landed on the podium of the Grand Prix du Morbihan Femmes in France. While the second-place finish marked her first elite-level result, she’s no stranger to medals. In 2025, Swierenga was second overall at both the Redlands Bicycle Classic (one of her favourite races) and Tour of the Gila. She also won a stage and the GC of the Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie Femmes. Those 2025 results caught the attention of the Liv AlUla Jayco Women's Continental Team, to which Swierenga signed for this season. In this episode, you can find out about what’s ahead for the rider and, you know, what Sid Vicious has to do with it.

Can you train mental durability? “Yes, 100 per cent,” says Haley Smith. The rider knows her stuff. She’s an Olympian who competed in cross country mountain biking. She’s a Commonwealth Games medallist and a two-time national  marathon mountain bike champion. Smith won the first Life Time Grand Prix series. Recently, she was fifth at the Traka 360 gravel race in Spain. While Smith is a top-level rider, she’s also a PhD student in sports psychology. In her studies, cycling is front and centre. One of her papers even examined the spirit of gravel. In the interview, Smith discusses racing, her academic work, as well as mental strategies that can help you to be a better rider. This season, Smith is on tour. Not a multi-stage event in this case, but a speaking tour that also includes group rides. It’s all part of her Competere project. Competere is aimed at helping more girls and women grow into passionate cyclists. Here’s the schedule: May 14-15: Le Club, Montreal, chat and ride on the 15th May 21: Toronto, Etape 22, chat only June 18: Vancouver, Bici, chat only July 2-3: Cyclesmith, Halifax, chat and ride on the 3rd Oct. 17: Big Sugar Gravel, chat

In this special cross-over episode with our sibling podcast, The Shakeout over at Canadian Running, host John Gay speaks with sport science writer Alex Hutchinson about the high-carb fuelling revolution that endurance sports are experiencing. Hutchinson remarks that cycling has a notable role in the latest craze. Check out the discussion that applies to marathon runners, Tour de France riders, and even cyclists like you. Also, editors Matthew Pioro, Matt Hansen and James Bunga, who is finishing up his time in northern Europe, look back on the Classics.

Nicole Bradbury’s World Cup short track race came down to the wire. Following terrible opening laps—where she dropped to the back of the field and then was taken down by a crash—the Hamilton rider got up to the front of the race. Not only had that event in Val di Sole this past June been a struggle, but the years leading up to that race were marked by setback after setback. A few times, she thought she would quit racing cross country. As the race in Italy went on, Bradbury realized a top-15 place would be possible. Then, a top-10 came into view. “Then, it was like the last lap of the World Cup, and I was in fourth. This is so sick. The whole time I was just panicking. I was like, I got to hold this top-five,” she said. Bradbury was in second position into the final corner. “I was behind Katharina Sadnik and I was, like, this is insane,” Bradbury said. “I thought I have to sprint because otherwise it's position one or two, and I don't want to be second. I started sprinting really, really hard. I still didn't think I was going to pass her. When I was passing her, I was, like, this is stupid. I can’t believe it.” Not only was Bradbury surprised by the win, she was totally unprepared. She had no change of kit for the podium, so another racer hosed Bradbury down in the bike-wash area. The winner also needed some coaching on how to open a champagne bottle. The rest of Bradbury’s 2025 season went pretty well. The World Cup in Lake Placid helped her to build more confidence. In the fall, she returned to Brevard College in North Carolina for her final year of school and collegiate racing. She won the U.S. Omnium Championship. Then, with the new year, it seemed the momentum of the previous one was faltering. Logistical and health issues hindered her preparation for the 2026 season, her first as an elite rider. While she has the support of Victoria-based Blue Bridge Racing, Bradbury is still operating like a privateer racer. Funds are tight. In this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast, Bradbury goes into detail about her career to date, and the perspective she has on her uncertain future. Also, she discusses her art. Her recent exhibition of oil and gouache paintings has a strong connection with her cross country career.

Canadian cycling great Gord Fraser has many road race wins to his name. But how many exactly? A quick search online leads to the number 200. Two hundred race wins. Really? In this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast, Fraser discusses just where that figure might have come from and how many victories he may actually have. (Hint: it’s still a lot.) Today, the former pro from Ottawa directs up-and-coming talent at Tag Cycling. With a seemingly clairvoyant ability to read races, Fraser has been helping emerging road riders improve and move up the ranks of the sport. He’s also a vintage bike collector. In this in-depth interview, he reveals how a story he wrote for Canadian Cycling Magazine led to a reunion with a special bike from his past. Also in this episode, CCM photographer and writer James Bunga reports from Belgium, where he’s covering the Spring Classics. He and editors Matthew Pioro and Matt Hansen preview the Tour of Flanders. This episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine podcast is supported by MS Bike. In 2026, MS Bike is running 10 great rides in six provinces. Each event is fully supported with fuel, roadside assistance and first aid. These rides are welcoming. You only really need a bike, a helmet and the desire to keep pedalling. It is all for an important cause: raising money to help those with MS. Did you know that on average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS each day? You can help. Register now and start your fundraising journey at msbike.ca.

In 2025, Squamish’s Elly Hoskin racked up a slew of successes: two Enduro World Cup wins, a victory at Crankworx Whistler, the world championship gold, as well as the national enduro title. Not bad for a rider in her first year as an elite rider who manages her own program, calling herself a pro privateer. In this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast, Elly Hoskin looks back at her breakout 2025 season and ahead to new goals in 2026. She also discusses racing here at home compared with abroad, wrenching on her own bike, race prep and strategies, the ever-evolving health of enduro (of which she sees hope and optimism) and why she sometimes doesn’t know whether to say “beanie” or “tuque.” That feature interview starts at 20:00. Also in this episode, a preview of Milan-San Remo and San Remo Donne, the first Monuments of the road cycling season. MS Bike has lent its support to this episode. The organization is running 11 rides across the country this year. These are top-notch, fully supported events. The first ones are in June in Alberta. The last one is Waskesiu, Sask. There are also rides in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. No matter which one you choose, there’s still plenty of time to prepare. If you need some training tips, there are two-month and three-month plans for you on the Canadian Cycling Magazine website. Remember, through an MS Bike event, you raise funds, which go to help MS research and services. Head to msbike.ca. Register, and then start training and fundraising.

In February, Luke Valenti won two races in Spain. He took the general classification of the three-stage Memorial Manuel Sanroma Valencia. A week later, he won the one-day Circuito del Guadiana, putting him in the lead of the under-23 Spanish Cup. The season has gotten off to a strong start for the 21 year old chasing a pro contract. In this episode, Valenti, who’s from Orangeville, Ont., talks about how he came to ride for Club Ciclista Padronés-Cortizo, an outfit based in Spain’s Galicia region. He also discusses why he gets teased about his Fortnite playing, and how the video game relates to his riding and recovery. This episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast is supported by MS Bike. Every MS Bike ride is a professional event: fully supported with fuel, roadside assistance and first aid. The rides are welcoming, too. You only really need a bike, a helmet and the desire to keep pedalling. It’s all for an important cause, raising money to help those with MS. Register now and start your fundraising journey at msbike.ca. Then, head to Canadian Cycling Magazine’s training plans to prepare for your big ride.

Why is it a good idea to sleep in a pit toilet in Alaska? In this episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast, world-record holder Ashleigh Myles explains the benefits of such grungy accommodation and other facets of pedalling from the top of the Western Hemisphere to the bottom. This past December, the Halifax rider and cycling-event organizer travelled from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, in 118 days, two hours and 30 minutes. That time marks the fastest trip on the Pan-American Highway by an unsupported female cyclist. In this in-depth interview, Myles not only discusses northern outhouses, but the gear she took on her ride, dealing with illness and aggressive animals, and handling parts of the route that a cyclist simply can’t cover. Now that Myles’s has set such an impressive record, what could the next goal be?

In 2012, at the “old” age of 21, Montrealer Jamie Piccoli decided to pursue a career in pro road cycling. In his new book, Tell Me I Can’t, Piccoli chronicles that moment and his struggles to make it. The work is not only a story of a young athlete facing challenges, but a snapshot of time in North American cycling that has passed.