Analysing a CRAZY Milan San Remo! | The Race Commiuniqué

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP   This year’s Milan San Remo might be the craziest race I’ve ever seen. All the tension and build-up, the favourites crashing with just 30km to go, the epic chase back from Pogi, and the fantastic duel for the win on the Via Roma. What. A. Race. Where do we even start to unpack all that?!   Fortunately, as always, I’m joined by World Tour Pro, Luke Durbridge, and EF Education EasyPost Sports Director, Tom Southam, to dig into what we’ve just seen at San Remo, look ahead to the rest of the Spring races, and, of course, share a few good laughs along the way.    Obviously, this episode kicks off with Southam, Durbo, and me digesting the men’s Milan San Remo that saw a battle-scarred Tadej Pogačar clinch victory in the sprint against Tom Pidcock, with a resurgent Wout Van Aert hanging on for 3rd behind, ahead of a raging Mads Pedersen leading home the bunch. There were so many absolutely crazy moments and amazing rides from heaps of different guys in the bunch - I can’t even begin to wrap it up here; you’ll just have to hear us yarn all about it.   This month’s PeloChat is all about bunch positioning. Durbo gives us his insight into how important a rider’s positioning in the peloton is, and the best ways to avoid the chaos and carnage. It was surprising to hear him say that the back of the bunch isn’t actually as bad as we all thought…   Southam’s Talking Tactics focus this month is…well…talking tactics! How do sports directors and team leaders communicate their plans amongst the riders, and how do they ensure other teams don’t find out before crunch time? Southam tells all.   Our new segment returns: “Yeah…nah…”. This month is all about Cafe culture. Pre-ride coffee stop? Helmet on at the cafe? Lunch in your knicks? Yeah….nah.   Finally, of course, it’s the CommuniQuiz. This month it’s Durbo’s turn to be quiz master, and it’s a full-on ‘Ashes’ edition; Australia VS The UK. I take on the role of Shane Warne, and Southam has a go at being…I don’t know, some Pommy.    Guys, monument season is well and truly here, and what a way to start it on the weekend with a truly historic Milan San Remo. Not long to wait until Holy Week and everyone’s favourite races; Flanders & Roubaix. I. Cannot. Wait.   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 Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper - home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too!

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP   Oh boy, we are just days away from Milan Sanremo. La Primavera, the first monument of the season, La Classicissima - whatever you want to call it - this race is guaranteed action every single year.    This month’s episode of Life In The Peloton is an absolute bumper sized deep dive into this perfect bike race from the people who know it better than anyone. We’ve got previous winners, podium finishers, and passionate riders that dedicate their season to this race - plus experts who know the history of this monumental affair better than anyone.   We kick off with some context from master stat man - Dr Cillian Kelly. He teaches me a thing or two about the history of this race, where it sits compared to the other monuments, and why it is - statistically - the perfect bike race.    Next, a guy who is possibly the most passionate person on earth about Sanremo; Max Sciandri. Max raced MSR 13 times as a professional, and has driven the race as a sports director at least the same number of times. His best finish as a rider was an agonising 4th place behind Colombo in 1996, but he dedicated his career to trying to win this beautiful race. Is there anyone who knows the 300 odd kilometers between Milan and Sanremo better than Max? I don’t think so.   OK That’s the cruisy first 150km of the ep - now we’re over the Turchino and onto the coast for the build up to the finale; it’s time to hear from some riders. John Degenkolb, Matt Goss, Heinrich Haussler, and Michael Matthews. If you know Sanremo, you know that these guys are total legends of the race. Between the 4 of them they’ve got 2 wins, 4 podiums, and 5 other top 10 placings. What’s the key to getting up there on the Via Roma? These guys will tell you.   Guys, this is an episode I’m so excited about because it really feels like it takes you inside the Peloton. I only raced San Remo 2 times in my pro career, so talking to these guys who are so experienced in and passionate about this beautiful, iconic race was really eye opening.    This ep will take you from your first espresso of the day right through to your evening aperitivo and tell  you everything you need to know about the first monument of the season to get you hyped up for the weekend. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.    Cheers, Mitch   This episode is sponsored by JOIN Cycling. Train smarter with adaptive plans and efficient workouts. Maximise progress, avoid overtraining, and seamlessly connect with favourite apps and devices. Perfect for cyclists of all levels.   For 30 Days JOIN Cycling FREE, head across to join.cc/litp   A reminder too that we’ve started a new chapter for Life in the Peloton on Substack.   It’s a home for deeper stories, longer thoughts, and conversations that don’t have to fit into an hour-long pod — from Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts to my own Pelo Journal. Some of it’s always free, and if you want a bit more, the paid membership is really just like shouting Tom or me a pint once a month to help keep Life in the Peloton rolling: https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the full episode. To listen to the whole thing — and get access to future Chronicles — become a PODIUM Member (our foundling tier) via our Substack. 👉 https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/about   Guys welcome back to the Life In The Peloton Chronicles - exclusively for you Pelo members who go that extra mile supporting me.   I love getting the chance to sit down and have a yarn with old Sveino, and this month’s episode is a real banger. It’s a long one, but well worth it.   Svein and I were both professional athletes for a bloody long time - about 30 combined years experience between us. One thing you really need to be in control of when you’re an athlete is your ego, and when you retire, it’s something you need to learn all over again; keeping the old ego in check and not getting too big for your boots.   Ego is one thing, stubbornness is another - and the two are different sides of the same coin. If you’ve read Sveino’s book ‘We Will Never Be Here Again’, you’ll know about his absolutely epic, totally crazy trips up into the Alaskan wilderness when he was a younger man before his career as a bike rider. Living in cabins, having run ins with grizzly bears, really pushing his limits because it was what he wanted to do. That’s stubbornness in a nutshell.   Take that mentality on to racing, combine it with natural talent - which Sveino had in bucket loads - and you’ve got a dangerous combo; the stubborn headed work ethic applied to training and mixed with physical ability is a recipe for success.   We’ve got some great guests on this ep. High level sportsmen from different sports to get their take on what’s required to be an athlete at the highest level, and how you can learn from that in your everyday life. Chris Collins - a local AFL legend - Alec Janssens, former elite speed skater.   But before we get to them, Sveino and I kick things off with a good old catch up. As always when we sit down together, it quickly turns into a pretty wide ranging yarn. From skunks causing chaos at Sveino’s place over in Canada, to both of us realising that even though the racing days are behind us, that competitive instinct never really disappears.   We start digging into that mindset and where it actually comes from. Is it something you’re born with? Is it something that gets built into you over years of sport? Or is it just stubbornness that gets reinforced over time?   Even now we both catch ourselves slipping straight back into that mentality. Whether it’s a ride with mates, a parkrun on a Saturday morning, or a climb that suddenly turns into a bit of a test. You tell yourself you’re just going to roll around and take it easy, but the moment someone pushes the pace that little switch flicks and you’re racing again before you even realise it.   That’s really what this episode is all about. Trying to understand that competitive mindset a bit better, and hearing how athletes from other sports have experienced it as well. What drives people to keep pushing themselves, where that stubborn edge comes from, and how that mentality carries through long after the professional career is finished.   Like always with these Chronicles episodes it’s just a relaxed yarn between mates, digging a little deeper into the mindset behind sport and the experiences that shaped our time in the peloton.   Thanks heaps for supporting the Pelo and getting behind me and the team here at Life In The Peloton. You guys are the real super domestiques, putting Nils Politt, Victor Campanaerts, and Carlos Verona to shame. The real MVPs.   Cheers,   Mitch

Here we go then, guys, this is Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio presented by SHOKZ.   Opening Weekend was a total monster start to the Spring Classics! It had everything: dramatic moments, dominant performances, and a healthy dose of that beautiful Belgian charm we’ve all missed over the winter. Man, it’s good to be back…on my sofa watching.   Whilst I was at home catching the replay on the TV with a coffee (I’m looking forward to a cleansing Jupiler when I’m there in person for De Ronde), my old mates Harry Dowdney and Stuart Downie were right there on the ground getting in amongst the action for Race Radio. They crossed the English Channel, braved the Flemish weather, and got stuck in across the weekend at Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne to bring you this amazing first episode of this new and exciting series, and I’m pumped to share it with you.    Here’s what you can look forward to in this episode, from the men behind it themselves:   Harry: I love the smell of cobbles in the morning! Especially after a wakeup call from our old friend Juan Antonio Flecha, surely the best Spanish classics rider of all time, and an absolute gentleman to boot. But there’s more – we met a couple more legends of the sport on our now-customary pitwalk, but I won’t spoil that just yet. We also had a bit of fun putting together a dramatic re-enactment of an edition of Kuurne that you’ll probably never see the likes of again.   Stu: What a way to start the year. I purposefully avoided watching anything live, knowing that my first fix was going to be live and direct into my eyeballs at Opening weekend, and it did not disappoint. I know some folks think MVDP turning up at the last minute is dull, but I totally disagree – there’s nothing like seeing a living legend surf a wall, against one of the sport’s most iconic backdrops. Unbelievable scenes. It also helps to have a boss who can point you in the direction of a really good beer, so this was truly a great start to a year of racing. We hope you love it as much as we did.   Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio presented by SHOKZ is taking it up a level this year; the boys are going to be right there at the roadside throughout the year, soaking it all in and sharing it with you guys. The coolest races, for the real bike racing fans. I loved listening to this episode; it really did take me back to the Motherland. I could almost smell the frites and taste the grit in between my teeth.   Of course, none of this would be possible without support from our presenting partner SHOKZ. If you’re after the best sports headphones - be it for cycling, running, or even swimming - get across to SHOKZ’s website, and enjoy a cheeky discount for being a LITP listener.    Also, if you want to be in with a chance to WIN a pair of SHOKZ headphones, fill in the survey below and you could bag yourself one of three pairs up for grabs: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQjNx-Xyc1jjj8cqVrWLrORQq-VDa6WZIniD_x4R__BYx3tg/viewform    Guys, I know I always say this, but I really hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I do. If you live and breathe all things Flandrien and loved hearing about it from Harry & Stu, drop the boys a line at [email protected] and let them know! Harry & Stu’s next outing will be in May to one of my favourite races – the hipster’s Paris-Roubaix, Tro-Bro Léon. I can’t wait.   Cheers, Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP   Here we go, guys, we’re just a few sleeps away from Opening Weekend! Just thinking about these races gets me absolutely pumped. I can smell the Belgian chaos already; the embrocation, the frites, the beers! What better way to prepare for the return of proper bike racing than sitting down with my old mates Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge for this month’s episode of The Race Communiqué.   Before we jump into a quick preview of Omloop and Kuurne, we look back on the early season races that give us a good insight into who’s going well, and who’s got work to do. Of course Remco Evenepoel won’t be racing this weekend, but we discussed what on earth happened to him in the UAE! He had such a strong start to the season, to see him burst like that on the steep desert climbs was pretty surprising!   Omloop kicks off the classics season this Saturday, and it is set to be an absolute pearler. The start list is absolutely stacked with talent, but there are two big names still waiting to start their road season; Pogi and Van Der Poel. Without these big five star favourites, the race is actually pretty open. I go through my picks in the preview, so have a listen and send me some praise when one of the twelve or so riders I mentioned probably does OK.    My favourite thing about Omloop is the finish; the Muur - Bosberg double that used to be the finale of the Tour of Flanders, but was dropped years ago in favour of the Kwaremont - Paterberg combo we see today. These climbs have everything; double digit gradients, brutal Belgian cobbles, and - most importantly - atmosphere. I can’t wait to see throngs of Belgies at the roadside soaking it all in (along with Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio p/b SHOKZ’s own Harry & Stu recording their first episode of the season!)   In this month’s Talking Tactics, Southam gives us the lowdown on his opening weekend; Faun-Ardèche Classic and Faun Drome Classic. These are new-school French one day races that are a notch below Omloop, but still absolutely stacked with big name riders looking to start their seasons; Jorgenson, Simmons, Skjelmose, Morgado, Bernal, Healy, and - the best rider in the world - Scaroni.   Durbo’s Pelochat has some great insight this month. He’s been keeping a close eye on some of the new tech nuggets from inside the Pelo, as well as how the new UCI rules on things like aero helmets are going down.    Guys, this month I wanted to introduce a fun new segment I’ve called “Yeah…Nah.”. You know when you hear something, and you think it sounds like a good idea at first…then you give it a bit of thought and - actually - na.  “Hey Mitch, you gonna go to Durbo’s party on Saturday?”  “Yeah…….nah”   You get the idea. I give the boys a few ideas to get their take. Breakfast beers? Working the gate in the echelon? Sitting on in the Grupetto?    Of course, we wrap things up with the CommuniQuiz. It’s Southam’s turn to be quiz master this time, and he’s written his quiz on his absolute favourite topic - something he’s totally, unequivocally obsessed with; UAE Team Emirates. It’s a great one and I actually learnt a thing or two about the history of the best team in the bunch right now.    Guys get yourself a few Trappist beers out the fridge to come up to temp, make sure you’ve got plenty of mayo ready for your frites, and get ready for the classics to begin; I know I’ll be watching.    Until next month,   Cheers! Mitch P.S.  Don't forget you can also watch The Race Communiqué over on our Life In The Peloton YouTube channel. You won't want to miss the reactions to Luke's Pelo Lingo in this one!   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   Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper — home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too - https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP   Guys, get yourselves ready, this is a banger of an ep. I got to sit down with the man himself, the Sweendog. The 16 Wheeler. Sweet 16. Harry Sweeny He’s one of the strongest riders in the pelo right now. They don’t call him ‘The Truck’ for nothing.   I spoke to Harry in person over in Adelaide at this year’s Tour Down Under and picked his brains about everything from his journey into the sport, his transition from Lotto to EF Education Easypost, how his neurodiversity makes him a better bike racer, and heaps more.    Harry’s a super interesting guy. He’s a consummate professional and leaves no stone unturned in his hunt for being the best athlete he can be. Hearing Sweendog talk through how he prepares for every single race, and the level of detail with which he plans every gel, every corner, every meter of road covered really opened my eyes as to how hard he works.   Up until this point, Harry’s cut his teeth in the bunch riding as a domestique; turning himself inside out for team mates to great success - pulling guys like Ben Healy to monument podiums and the Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France. But, after a conversation with his team boss Jonathan Vaughters, Harry’s finding the confidence to ride for himself and show how strong he can be. As JV put it, ‘being 10% more of an arsehole’.   Not long after we recorded, Harry’s efforts were rewarded with an absolutely stellar podium finish at the Tour Down Under - his first World Tour GC Podium. It’s a fantastic result, and - I think - marks a real shift in focus; he knows he’s got the engine to go toe-to-toe with the big guys, and now he’s proved it out there on the road.    I loved chatting to Harry, and I hope you guys enjoy listening to one of the most hard working, enthusiastic pros out there.    Prefer to watch along? This episode’s up on our YouTube channel too. 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@lifeinthepeloton   Cheers!   Mitch   ----more---- This Episode is sponsored by Saily and JOIN Cycling.    Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code PELOSURF at checkout. Download the Saily app or go to https://saily.com/pelosurf   For 30 Days JOIN Cycling FREE, head across to join.cc/litp   Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper — home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too - https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP The Digger and The Doughboy are back, live from the Tour Down Under. We’re back. Ian Boswell (The Doughboy) and I (The Digger) got back together for a one-night-only live show at the Tour Down Under, sitting down with some big names from the peloton for an open, no-filter chat about all things cycling. From the cobbled Classics to the Grand Tours and of course the Tour Down Under, we wanted to make sure we covered it all. We kicked things off with Laurence Pithie and Luke Lamperti, diving deep into their experiences in the brutal but beautiful world of the cobbled Classics. Laurence reflected on his breakout years with Groupama-FDJ and how things have evolved since moving to Red Bull Bora hansgrohe, while Luke shared his take after racing with Classics royalty at Soudal Quick-Step. We also put them on the spot with some big Grand Tour predictions. While we had the boys up, we went full tech nerd mode with the tool-wrenching oracle himself, Dave Rome. Fresh from wandering the team zones, Dave unpacked the latest tech trends and gave us a sneak peek at what teams are rolling out, including early looks at bikes heading toward 2026. To wrap it all up, we brought on veteran Michal Kwiatkowski from INEOS, Aussie superstar Luke Plapp from Jayco AlUla, and Picnic PostNL Director Sportif Matt Winston. Together, we broke down the Tour Down Under stages and dug into how Jayco were planning to bounce back and move forward after a tough Nationals campaign. This was a live recording, one of those nights you really had to be there for. But if you couldn’t make it, this episode is the next best thing. Jump in and soak up the vibes. Cheers! Mitch ----more----   Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper — home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too - https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

This is a cheeky bonus excerpt from the full episode. To listen to the whole thing — and get access to future Chronicles — become a PODIUM Member (our foundling tier) via our Substack. 👉 https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/about Guys, welcome back to another year of The Life In The Peloton Chronicles. It’s been a hectic start to 2026; I hit the podcasting ground running over in Adelaide at the Tour Down Under to start the year with a bang, so it was great to get back to Melbourne, slow down, and recharge with a catch up with my old mate Sveino.   I wanted to chat to Sveino about a topic that always comes up at this time of year; goal setting. Whether or not you write it down, we all come into a new year with goals we want to achieve throughout the season - we did it when we were racing, and we still do it now.   One thing I want to get back into the habit of this year is meditation, and that’s something Svein and I have a bit of a yarn about in this episode.   If you know anything about Svein, you know that he is one cool cat - super mellow, always chilled out. It really surprised me that actually he doesn’t meditate! He’s a big believer in channeling his negative energy and stress out through movement and activity, rather than dedicating time to sitting down with his thoughts.   Meditation isn’t something that came naturally to me. In my early days as a pro, I used to laugh at the idea of sitting there with my eyes shut just…thinking. That was until I was roommates with a guy called Taylor Phinney.    The Phin Dog is probably the only guy I know who’s more chilled out than Sveino. From the mountains of the hippie haven of Colorado, Taylor grew up surrounded by spirituality and, after a life changing crash at the US national championships in 2014, he found meditation through his recovery. Years later, when we became team mates, he showed me the way when we were in a Belgian hotel room racing the spring classics. I tried to be open minded and, with Taylor guiding me, I started to get it - finding the calm in the chaos.   I gave Taylor a call to catch up and chat to him about meditation and how he practices it now he’s retired from a life as a pro rider - which is pretty stressful at times.    Guys, this is a chilled one, but it was super interesting chatting to Svein and Taylor about tuning out the noise and finding peace through meditation, setting goals for the new year, and heaps of other pieces to kick off this season of Chronicles.    Sit back, shut your eyes, take a deep breath, relax, and get your ears around this enlightening episode of Life In The Peloton: Chronicles.   Cheers, Mitch!

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP The Tour Down Under is done and dusted for another year, and it was an absolute banger. I was lucky enough to get in amongst it right there at the roadside all week and, to make it better, I was joined by my old mate - the Doughboy himself - Ian Boswell.  For this episode, I wanted to take you guys inside the Tour Down Under; not just the racing, but the atmosphere around the race and the vibe that gets cooked up in Adelaide every year. The racers lining up for the first time, getting use to their new teams and equipment, the fans at the side of the road, and all the sweet little events that go off each morning out of Adelaide.  Ian and I kicked off our week with a big bang, getting stuck into the cut and thrust of the short, sharp prologue from inside the team car! I hopped in the NSN passenger seat to follow Ethan Vernon - who actually went and finished 2nd on the stage, missing the win by less than a second…maybe his DS was a bit distracted? In the paddocks, we got a chance to catch up with some of the riders who’ve come Down Under to start their 2026 racing season. Guys like the new Natty champ Pat Eddy, British up and comer Matty Brennan, the 16 wheeler himself Harry Sweeny, and heaps more. We spoke about the race, as well as some general questions about their seasons and - of course - a cheeky little mini CommuniQuiz to keep them on their toes! Of course, this race is defined by the fans. People have travelled from far and wide to be here - one girl I spoke to even made the journey all the way from Texas in the USA! It was great chatting with people up and down the roadside about their TDU experience - and meet loads of LITP listeners in person.  This is a chokka block episode with loads of great little soundbites you only get from being right there at the races live and in person. I hope Boz and I managed to capture the vibe so you can sit back, crack a frothy, and pretend you’re right there under the baking Adelaide sun with us. Cheers! Mitch ----more---- This Episode is sponsored by Saily! Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code PELOSURF at checkout. Download the Saily app or go to https://saily.com/pelosurf Check out our new Substack! It’s a new place for us to go a bit deeper — home to Tom Southam’s Director’s Cuts, my Pelo Journal, and stories from inside the peloton… and a bit beyond it too - https://lifeinthepeloton.substack.com/

It’s been a long winter, but here we are, guys, the first podcast from Life In The Peloton of the season and oh man, is it a good one. I got in the booth LIVE with Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge at the Tour Down Under to unpack the Aussie national champs, talk a little bit about the TDU, and have a look ahead to what we can expect this racing season.  We kick off with the man himself, Turbo Durbo, giving us the inside line on the Aussie National Champs. If you watched the race, then you’ll know Luke came pretty close to bagging himself the top step, but it didn’t quite work out that way. He gives us a bit of insight into how the race unfolded and how Jayco AlUla reacted to the final result.  In this month’s PeloChat, Luke goes through every single Aussie in the men’s World Tour bunch. From neo pros to old hands, Luke shares a bit of info and his thoughts on all the riders to see who’s representing the land Down Under overseas in 2026.  Southam’s Talking Tactics takes a deep dive into the rest of UAE. Away from Pogačar and his Tour de France A-Team, what are the rest of the team going to do? That squad is stacked with absolute hitters, so how are they going to manage themselves and make sure everyone’s happy? Tom gives us his thoughts.  You know what’s coming next, we round it out with a classic CommuniQuiz. We’re honouring the soon-to-retire Aussie legend, Simon Clarke, with a quiz all about his awesome 17-year career. How many Grandys did he race? Which monument did he only do once? What teams has he ridden for in his pro career? You’ll have to listen to find out!  Guys, I’m so excited to kick off the 2026 season. I’m on the ground at the TDU picking up heads of eps with some really special riders so keep your eyes peeled for those dropping soon.  Cheers, Mitch P.s. If you want to see our ugly mugs in the studio, head over to Life In The Peloton’s YouTube channel to watch! 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