Talking Luft! with Bert De Backer. S2.E17.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP After dipping my toes into MTB Enduro on the pod a few weeks back, in this episode of Life in the Peloton I dive right in, at one of the best Enduro events in the world, the NZ MTB Rally. The NZ MTB Rally is a six-day Enduro event that takes place around Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand. Nelson is the place to head to for a lot of the Kiwi Enduro riders, and each day promised some absolutely incredible trails, as well as amazing scenery (even if I didn’t have much time for that).  As much as the NZ MTB Rally is a race - the overall feel was that the organisers had gone out of their way to fit as much of the best stuff they could into every day, so every competitor would get the most out of their experience.   As is the format of Enduro racing each day was broken down into four to seven timed downhill stages, and the nights were a chance to kick back and catch up with everyone over a few beers. For someone who was very new to the sport it really was a challenge to take part in an event like this. There is nothing quite like waking up and seeing you’ve yet another double black ++ trail ahead of you… but I really wanted to discover what it was about this intimidating area of the sport that makes it so addictive to the people who take part in it.  While I was there, I spoke to a huge cast of riders and racers from all over the world, as well as many of the locals who know and love these trails, in order to get the best possible idea of what it was all about.  After my lessons from Paul Van Der Ploeg back in Australia, and thanks again to some help on the road from Matt Fairbrother, I was able to not only enjoy the riding but also to become part of the community that makes the sport what it is.  It is one thing to learn to ride some DH but to actually be a part of the event, taking the helicopter rides up the mountain, committing to dropping in (and trying to work out why downhill mountain bikers wear their helmets at dinner) was really a fantastic experience.  If you’re curious about what these events are all about, or even if you just fancy following along on my journey way out of my element, then give this a listen. It opened my eyes and I hope that it’ll do the same for you - and maybe make sliding off the side of a mountain something you give a go for yourself!  Cheers! Mitch

Well, we are coming towards the end of an absolutely action-packed month of pro racing, which can mean only one thing; it’s time for another Race Communiqué! As you all know by now, this is my chance to dive back into the pro peloton with current Jayco-Alula rider, and former teammate, Luke Durbridge and my former DS (and even teammate - way, way back in the day!) EF Education - Easypost D.S. Tom Southam.  Both Tom and Luke have just arrived back from the Ardennes where they each had their own take to share about their experiences there. Luke can tell us what is like to race one of the most epic Flèche Walloons in recent history in freezing snow and ice, and Tom can tell us all about his struggles to get the heating just right while he was sat back in the comfort of the team car! In all seriousness, it was a crazy week of racing to wrap up the Classics and we had a great chat about the experiences at the Ardennes whilst wrapping up what we saw earlier in the month at the Cobbled Classics.  As well as the racing chat we have our usual segments, with Luke putting his theory on the table that the days of the old-school feed zones are over for good, and Tom gives us a rare glimpse at one of the most important parts of some real race communiques: UCI fines, who is getting what and why - you may be surprised to hear what goes on back there!  With the Giro only a few weeks away we also took some time to preview the upcoming action in Italy, as well as start to get ourselves ready for the Escape Collective's Fantasy Competition, which we will all be taking part in next month in the special Life in the Peloton league which you can of course join and take all three of us on whilst the race is going.  Catching up with these guys is always so much fun, and even though I don’t miss the stress of getting rain jackets or feedbags in the races, I do I love hearing the insight as to how the peloton keeps evolving.  Sit back, relax and enjoy.  Cheers,  Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Since retiring from the pro pelo, I’ve been itching to dip my toes into as many different cycling disciplines as possible. I raced on drop handlebars and skinny tyres for over a decade, now I want a heap of new challenges to tackle on the bike.  I love getting out and exploring on my gravel bike, and I’ve tried my hand at some gravel races; but the bikes and bunch dynamics feel a little too similar to road racing sometimes. I want to get out of my comfort zone!  Cross-country mountain biking was the natural next step. I started out by exploring my own backyard on the rowdy moto tracks in the Cobaws, then some races in Aussie events like Otway Odyssey, Reef to Reef, and Cape to Cape. Every time I got on the XC bike I felt like my skills were improving and I was growing more and more confident - the same feeling I had all those years ago when I first got into road cycling as a youngster. It was new, challenging, and I could feel the progression with every ride. My cross-country journey hit new heights at the end of last year as I took on the creme de la creme of XC MTB; the Cape Epic, alongside my good mate and fellow retired road racer, Ian Boswell.  Despite completing one of the biggest mountain bike races on the planet, I still feel like there’s more to explore in the world of flat handlebars, chunky tyres, and suspension. I want to keep working on my skills and pushing myself in areas other than pure fitness. That’s why I’m diving headfirst into the world of Enduro. Enduro is the perfect next step on my mountain biking journey; there’s some pedalling, sure, but it’s more about technique, skill, and balls! In Enduro racing it’s all about the downhill - only the descents are timed. Nobody gives a fuck how fast you can climb, you just need to get to the top so you can send the next trail. Riders race multiple stages throughout an event, and at the end the lowest cumulative time wins. I started by chatting to Paul Van Der Ploeg. A great bloke, and a fantastic mentor to show me the ropes and teach me the basics, Paul and I headed out to Mount Macedon so he could critique my technique and give me some pointers. Paul has raced all sorts of bikes over the years, and even became a world champion himself in the Cross Country Eliminator in 2013, but was humble enough to strip it all back and teach this newbie some basics. Next, I spoke to Matt Fairbrother. Only 20 years old and hailing from Christchurch in New Zealand, Matt is a ripping Enduro racer who made a name for himself by bikepacking his way between the races at the Enduro World Series - sometimes thousands of kilometres at a time! Matt and I had a chat on the road to the New Zealand MTB Rally; a brand new event that I’ll be taking on to help me better understand the world of enduro. Despite being almost half my age, Matt’s one of the most experienced riders out there and shared a lot of his wisdom with me on a road trip down the coast of the South Island from Christchurch to Nelson. When we arrived we had a couple of days to spare before the racing started, so Matt took me out to some of his favourite trails in Nelson City and Cable Bay to show me the race course so we could pre-ride, re-ride, and then free ride! We also spoke about the tech side of enduro. I’ve not got much clue when it comes to tyre selection or suspension settings - so I spoke to Paul and Matt about the bikes to get some pointers. I even learnt that my bike’s got a mullet just like me!  There’s so much for me to learn about all things mountain biking, but I’m loving being a beginner again and soaking it all in! Have a listen to me talking to some real experts as I send it into the world of enduro. Cheers! Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP We’re back this week with another Talking Luft Top Six. This week it’s the turn of special guest - and Monument winner, Matt Goss, who shares his Top Six Most Influential from Paris Roubaix!  As those of you who caught the last edition will know, we’ve mixed things up with Talking Luft this year,  focusing on a single event each month, talking through the most influential, editions, teams, riders styles and stories from that race.  It’s a lot of fun, and this week is a bit of a special edition for me. I get to discuss my most influential moments from my favourite race of all, Paris - Roubaix. Not only that, I get to do so with Gossy, a former teammate of mine - but perhaps more importantly, a former teammate of Roubaix greats like Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O’Grady at the mighty CSC team.  Of course the dust is still settling on this year’s edition of Roubaix. Gossy and I couldn’t avoid spending a bit of time dissecting the race, and chatting about the changes that have happened even in the few years since we both left the peloton.  There are so many influential moments at each Roubaix and it is itself such an influential race that one of the hardest parts of this show was actually narrowing things down to just six (…to be honest we did end up making it more of a top seven!), but being a couple of Aussies from the same generation there are some moments at Roubaix that neither of us could leave out. I’ll leave you to have a listen to what those moments were and why they were so influential to us.  As always everyone should have a different top six - so let me know what you guys are thinking: does anyone else love Tafi throwing his cut off cap away? Which is your best Boonen moment? Is now a better Roubaix era than the 90’s!?  Give it a listen, and enjoy!  Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP In this week’s Life in the Peloton pod, I’m taking a dive into the topic of ketones. Ketones arrived in the peloton just a few years ago, and to many people they are seen as a sort of wonder fuel, but to others they are still a grey area supplement. To get stuck into the subject I was lucky enough to chat to Michael Brandt, the co-founder and CEO of H.V.M.N, the ketone partner for team Visma Lease A Bike. Michael is a pretty handy athlete himself (with a 2:40 marathon time!), an all-round endurance sports nut and is one of the leading voices on the subject. In a similar way to when electrolytes first became commonly used in sports drinks just a few decades ago, Michael believes that it is only a matter of time before ketones are seen and used in the same light. As a pro rider I had previous experience using ketones at races and talking to Michael allowed me to finally be able to break down what the product really does and the science behind how and why they work. Michael also helps tackle the questions around the perceived taboo around ketones and gives some interesting insight as to why he thinks this came about in the first place. I also caught up with a good mate of mine George Bennett, who was fresh off the back of a very hard Volta Catalunya and was happy to chat about what ketone use is like for the guys inside the peloton. Having been a professional for over a decade in some of the world’s biggest and best teams, George is perfectly placed to explain the way that the trends have changed in the bunch with ketone use in the past few years, and to recount his own experiences using the supplement. It is an interesting subject, that needs more attention as we seek to understand what keeps the peloton improving and pushing the limits of performance. Whether you know a little or a lot about ketones, it is definitely worth giving the pod a listen to see how they are being received and used in today’s professional peloton. And if that is not enough, then as an added bonus, the team at HVMN have an offer for all Life in the Peloton listeners with a whopping 30% offer for orders when you use the code LIFEINTHEPELOTON with your order! Cheers! Mitch  

It’s full gas racing season in Europe, so I’ve been really looking forward to catching up with Luke & Tom for what I knew would be a pretty action-packed Race Communiqué! The boys have been on very different schedules; Luke has been with Jayco-Alula at Paris-Nice and then on to the cobbled classics, which he dialled in from this week. Meanwhile, Tom is on the Ardennes program with EF Education - Easypost (obviously avoiding having to drive his car over cobbles) in stage races in Spain and Italy.    For my part, I’ve been loving spectating and seeing the races that used to make up such a big part of my season from the comfort of my armchair at home. It’s a different view from the outside, so it was great to catch up with these two and get the inside line on what is happening in the pelo at the moment. As usual, I take us through the races from the past month and get some insight on how things went down on the road, and what we all think that means for the big races that are coming up. Luke has some fascinating insight into race nutrition plans, and how riders are currently working to fuel in races whilst also keeping track of their race weight. I found this section fascinating, as it is eye-opening how much the sport has moved on in the short space of time since I retired. In Tom’s segment, we go behind some of the more impressive tactical moves that he’s noted down this spring, and there is even time for a gripe about UCI fines! It wouldn’t be the Race Communiqué without our famous quiz and this month it was Tom’s turn to be quiz master, pitting Luke and I against each other in a Classics death match quiz – with a cricketing twist! This was a real blast to make and I’m sure you guys are gonna enjoy it too! Cheers, Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP It’s Classics season! It’s my favourite time of the cycling year and I am so stoked to be able to bring you an absolute legend of the Classics, a Flandrien legend, and a true king of the cobbles, Tom Boonen.  When it comes to the Cobbled Classics, Tom’s palmarès are mind blowing: he is the joint record holder for wins at both Flanders (3) and Roubaix (4) as well as being the out and out record holder for the most wins in E3 (5). Just one of those wins would be enough for most riders, but he can also count three Ghent Wevelgem’s, a couple of Schelderprijs… and we may as well mention his world championship for good measure.  This is an extra special pod for my personally, as Tom’s career wound up in 2017, meaning that I spent a good portion of my racing career at the classics getting my legs blown off by his attacks, and knowing that his was the wheel that everyone wanted to be on when the races got serious (I managed it once - have a listen to see how that went…). I was lucky enough to sit down with Tom at his home in Mol and really get in to chatting about the races that we both love so much. Tom is a fantastic interviewee, and I got a real buzz from the excitement that he obviously felt recalling the ups and downs of his career and the details of some of his most incredible wins and defeats.  As well as getting some great takes on the races that have become legendary in the last decade, I got to ask some of the other questions that I’d always wanted to know about; what was it really like being a superstar in such a cycling mad country? How did he handle the pressure of being a 24 year old world champion? I also got to ask about a comeback story that is remarkable in that it has always been overshadowed by Matt Hayman’s own incredible tale around the 2016 Paris Roubaix.  Amazingly after such a successful career, Tom hasn’t sat back and just smoked cigars since 2017. He’s now a racing car driver and he talks as passionately about his new career as he does his old one. Honestly, I would have stayed chatting about the microscopic details of the Arenberg forest sector  of Roubaix for hours if I could. There is so much in this pod, I really hope you guys enjoy listening to this as much as I did making it.  Cheers! Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Ok guys, here we go, Classic season is almost here and to get things going we’ve torn up the old Talking Luft script, and come up with something new!  So then, let me introduce Talking Luft’s Top Six…  In this new format, we are going to focus on a single race with our guests and discuss the six most influential rides or editions that each of us can remember from that particular race.  It doesn’t need to be the most famous or prestigious win that makes it, but instead some of those rides that made that race (or winner) stand out - either to the world or even just to our guest.  I bet almost everyone has a different top six for every race out there. It could be the first edition that someone remembers, a year where a rider won against the odds or with real style, it could be a win that launched a rider’s career or changed the way race is raced.  With the first Monument of the season just around the corner, I thought what better way to kick things off than to start with our Top Six Most Influential at Milan-San Remo. For this first edition, I was lucky enough to be joined by a very familiar voice for our Australian listeners, Dave McKenzie.  Macca as we all know him, was a pro for nearly a decade in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s - and he knows a thing or two about racing in Italy, as he has a Giro stage win on the palmarés! These days he is best known as one of the most highly regarded cycling commentators in Australia.  Macca was a great guest for this first-ever edition of the top six, he’s just that bit older than me so we cover a couple of generations and - like me, he also loved the challenge of nerding out on such a cool race.  Even though I raced San Remo a couple of times myself, there was still a heap that I learned from hearing someone else view on which riders and how they had shaped a different person’s opinion of such an amazing race. So if you want to find out what we started with, which editions and riders we agreed and disagreed on (and why it is a top six and not a top five) then give it a listen. Cheers! Mitch

This is a short excerpt from the longer episode. To listen to the whole thing and future episodes become a member of The Pelo.  For our second subscriber special, in this episode of Life in the Peloton’s Chronicles, Sveino and I take a deep dive into the hot topic of sauna life.  Saunas were something that both of us got into at a young age and also found ourselves getting into during our racing careers, and since then (but not because of us!) more and more people are being drawn to the many benefits of a good sweat followed by a duck into some freezing water.  Even though we both knew that saunas were ‘good’, we weren’t ever really aware of why or how. This episode of Chronicles allows us to get stuck in to a really interesting topic that could have a benefit for every single cyclist out there.  To kick things off, Sveino has gone native and talks to his good friend, and former racing buddy, Marsh Cooper about the culture of the sauna. Marsh is Canadian by birth but now lives in Finland where the sauna is as much a part of life as the pub is in Australia! He explains the many social functions of the sauna and how its use as part of daily life benefits millions of Finns every year.  Going deeper into the potential benefits for athletes, I then spoke to EF Easypost’s Director of Sports Science Dr Kevin Sprouse. I asked him exactly what is happening in the body when you take a sauna and how this can help an athlete. I found this whole conversation fascinating. We discussed the how’s and why’s as well as the best way to implement using a sauna to benefit your own performance.  Finally, staying local, I spoke to a neighbour of mine here in Lancefield, John Simpson the owner of Hello Sauna who actually builds saunas! I got to sit down (and have a sweat) while we talked about how they are constructed, the best wood to use to build them, and the actual process of making a sauna.  ‘Sauna life’ as Sveino and I have often called it, is a fast developing culture in the UK and Australia, going hand in hand with wild swimming and other healthy and simple pursuits that not just sportsmen but also the general public are getting the benefits from.  So, whether you fancy working a bit of sauna action to your training program, if you are already on it and you want to know exactly what benefits it can have, or even if you are already on the verge of getting your own one built, then I think there is something in this pod for everyone.  Sit back, chuck a bucket of water (or beer) on the coals, and enjoy!  Cheers! Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP In this episode of Life in the Peloton I get to have a chat with one of the most interesting (and interested) people I’ve met in the world of cycling, co-founder of Skratch Labs, Allen Lim. Dr Lim… Allen… or Al (as you can call him) may not be the first person who springs to mind when we think of the transformation of the sport over the past couple of decades. However, as he explains in this pod, his thinking and approach to the sport helped cycling move forward beyond a very traditional world to a much healthier and professional sport, from the use of power meters at Phonak to the development of the bio-passport at Garmin - Slipstream. I first met Allen whilst riding for EF Pro Cycling after a huge day in the saddle at training camp. I was blown away by how he managed to stand in front of a bunch of tired bike riders and an hour later have the whole room wide-eyed listening to his story. He is so passionate about helping athletes improve. What is more his own story is genuinely fascinating and includes some of the most important characters and periods in the sport in recent times. Allen is a guy who has made a career from listening to people and finding ways to solve what he calls the ‘bottlenecks’ to performance. I love chatting with Allen because he asks questions that others don’t seem to be able to ask, and his philosophies around nutrition are based on real food and supplying what athletes really need.  This is pretty much the exact reason that he ended up making sports nutrition after spending one race in Ireland having to feed the riders with only boiled potatoes! As well as discussing his background with me, Allen also took the time to answer some of your questions at the end, and - as you’ll hear, his answers as always are worth a listen! There is a lot in this one: whether you love the details of sports science & nutrition, the history of cycling, or even just a great story. Sit back relax and enjoy. Cheers! Mitch