The Tour Down Under & Aussie Nationals - the 2026 Racing Season is HERE! | The Race Communique

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

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP It’s been a long season, but we’re here, we’ve made it, it’s the final pod of 2025! I’m joined by EF sports director, Tom Southam, and Jayco Alula pro cyclist - and Aussie national road champion - Luke Durbridge, for one last Race Communique to wrap up the podcasting year.  I wanted to kick off by running through the season we’ve just witnessed. There’s so much racing going on from January at the Tour Down Under right the way through to Lombardia just last week, it’s easy to forget just how great the racing has been. Durbo, Southam, and I discuss our favourite wins of the year - some quite obvious ones and some that you might have forgotten about. Then, we go through some quick-fire awards: best kit, worst kit, most overhyped rider, biggest loss to the peloton, and more!  Of course, we’ve got our regular PeloChat - where Durbo rounds up all the retiring riders this year - and Talking Tactics - where old mate Southam gives us the final scores on the doors for this year’s relegation battle, which was thrilling right down to the final day of racing. What does WorldTour promotion mean for UnoX? We’ll have to wait and see… But, for the season finale, I wanted to give the CommuniQuiz WorldTour status for this episode and let my guests…I mean co-hosts…take a segment each. This is a bumper quiz that’s peppered throughout the episode, so listen closely and play along at home.  Guys, the monthly Communiques have been a real highlight of the year for me. Catching up with Southam and Durbo, having a yarn about the racing, and - of course - some great banter has been great fun, and I hope you can hear how much we love recording these episodes.  Thanks to Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge for joining me every month for these episodes. Their insight and expertise makes the Communique, and I can’t wait to have them back after the off-season to kick off 2026.  Guys, it’s been a hell of a year. Thanks for listening to the Race Communique and all the other podcasts we put out here at Life In The Peloton. Put your feet up tans crack a few frothier this winter, and I’ll speak to you next season.  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 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. 🎧 Timecodes 0:00 Intro 08:57 Race Recap & Quickfire Awards - Best kit, worst kit, most overhyped rider & more 38:19 Communi-quiz Part 1 45:14 World's Quickest Pelo Chat 49:47 Communi-quiz Part 2 54:47 Talking Tactics - Southam breaks down the relegation battle 1:07:29 Communi-quiz Part 3 Cheers, Mitch  

The 2025 season is almost at an end. The Tour of Guanxi is nearing its exhilarating climax, riders have started to upload their “2025: Completed it, mate” Instagram posts, and Harry and Stu have recorded their final episode of Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio.  These guys have had a great season; they’ve been on form from January right the way through to October, and they’re really finishing on a high.  Here’s what old mate Harry had to say about this final episode of LITP’s Race Radio: "The 2025 season is over, so it’s time to remind ourselves of the amazing racing we enjoyed throughout the year. Stu and I decided to keep it fun in this last ep – not that being serious has ever been our forte – with a few games that you can play along to while listening, including cryptic headlines and picking our teams of the year. Thanks to Mitch for the incredible opportunity this year, and we hope you’ve all enjoyed our podcasts. See you on the road." As always, I really hope you’ve enjoyed having Harry and Stu in your ears these past 10 months as much as I have. I’ve been out of the peloton for a few years now, but having these two boys with their finger on the pulse of the racing scene, some amazing connections and great interviews, and heaps of enthusiasm for the sport we all love has really been one of the highlights of my year.  Harry, Stu - thanks for a great season. Put your feet up and enjoy a few cold ones this winter; you’ve earned it.  Cheers Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Guys, it’s here - the final episode of Life In The Peloton for 2025! This season has absolutely flown by; it feels like yesterday I was cracking open a Coopers at the Tour Down Under back in January getting warmed up for the year ahead, but here we are, the Il Lombardia of the podcasting calendar. I wanted to round the season out with a bang, so I’ve got a couple of very special guests this month. My old mates Daniel Friebe and Lionel Bernie - perhaps better known as the masterminds behind The Cycling Podcast - are on the pod, and we’re going through everything cycling & podcasting from Armstrong to Zubeldia.  These guys are true legends of cycling journalism. They’ve been there on the ground at the Grand Tours for a decade now, and even before that have been covering races like the Tour de France since the 1990s! They have the sort of depth of knowledge that you only get when you’ve been inside the sport for generations, and their podcasts really show that. Long time listeners of either pod will remember when LITP was actually hosted by The Cycling Podcast way back in 2020 & 2021, from 2021 to 2024 the guys had me out in France making daily The Cycling Podcast episodes on the ground with other guest presenters like Ian Boswell, Richard Abraham, and Graham Willgoss. I learnt absolutely heaps from lifting the curtain seeing how these guys operate, and I feel like my own podcast stepped up a level thanks to their influence. In this ep, we go through the whole timeline of The Cycling Podcast, from the early days before the boys knew each other, right through to today and what’s next! I feel like we really dig into how the sausage is made… Of course, The Cycling Podcast itself was founded by Lionel, Daniel, and the late - and very great - Richard Moore, who sadly passed away in 2022. Richard was a hero of mine, an innovator in podcasting, and an absolute pillar of cycling media. His influence can still be felt on the pod, and I loved hearing Daniel and Lionel’s old stories of the total legend. There’s a few Talking Luft style questions thrown in there for the boys too - worst ever meal on a bike race, best ever podcast guest (me, obviously…), cycling heroes, and more!  Guys, this year’s been another absolutely massive one for the pod - and I’ve had a mega time producing these episodes for you to enjoy. Thanks so much for lending me your ears every month and listening to me yarn away with a whole host of guests. Don’t despair - we’ve still got an episode of Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio and The Race Communique to come before the end of October, then it’s time to hang the mic up for a few months and enjoy an off season filled with bike riding, a few frothies, and making plans to make the pod even better in 2026.  Cheers! Mitch ----more---- 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.

The Vuelta is over and the world champs is well underway, which means we’re nearly at the end of the 2025 racing season! It’s really crept up on me, I can’t believe it! On one hand, it feels like it’s flown by, but on the other - the Spring Classics feel like forever ago.    This month’s communique focuses on the World Champs over in Rwanda. It is an absolutely brutal course this year; almost 270kms with over 5000m of climbing. Whoever wins this is going to be a thoroughly deserving winner. Remco’s already got himself a rainbow jersey in the TT; can he double up with another road race title?    What about Pog? He looked pretty knackered in the TT at the world champs, didn’t he? Still cooked from the Tour or just reaching the end of his rope? I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but there’s a big question mark over him ahead of the road race! But just watch him make me look like a cock knob and win by 9 minutes solo now.    There’s some strong looking underdogs in the mix too; Del Toro, Healy, Carapaz, McNulty, Pidcock, and loads of other in form hitters that could spring a surprise and overcome the two main favourites. We discuss all the favourites as well as make our predictions.    In this month’s PeloChat, Turbo Durbo gives us some insight into the end of a pros season - limping or striving through the last few races. Usually, a rider gets their provisional calendar at the start of the year, and it runs through to the Vuelta. After that, it’s a case of “we’ll see”. There’s still races to go, but so many riders are sick, injured, or just cooked - so pulling together a decent squad to knock out the last few races of the year becomes a tricky task. Riders have to be adaptable throughout the whole season.    Southam’s talking tactics dives into UAE’s record breaking season - the most wins in 1 season by any team ever. How have they managed this? How does the team manage so many world class riders? How have they won so much but still lost the Giro on the last day, and seemingly piss the Vuelta away by hunting stages? Tom shares his take on UAE’s questionable tactics at points throughout the year that still haven’t stopped them winning almost everything.    The quiz this month is all about the world’s TT. I’m quiz master, and the boys go head to head. Brace yourselves, I’m thinking next month’s season finale is going to be a bumper CommuniQuiz edition.    Guys, I hope you like listening to this month’s communique as much as I love recording it. Sitting down and spinning a yarn about bike racing with some mates - does it get any better?   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 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.   🎧 Timecodes 00:00:00 – Intro 00:08:38 – Race Recap (World Championships preview) 00:33:44 – Pelo Chat (What's it like at the end of a pro season?) 00:49:09 – Talking Tactics (UAE’s record-breaking year) 01:02:24 – CommuniQuiz (World Champs TT Special)

Guys, the Vuelta is over and, well, what a race. My favourite grandy felt a little bit different this year with a huge amount of disruption, tension and uncertainty that meant the racing took a back seat for a lot of people. We saw some unreal rides from Jonas Vingegaard, Tom Pidcock, and utter dominance from UAE Emirates. Holy shit, they were good, chaotic at times, but banked a whole heap of stage wins. The anti-Israel protests that impacted the race so much really shone a light on how fragile and vulnerable bike racing is. There were some hairy moments out there on the road, and – although the bunch made it to Madrid – the riders were robbed of the traditional podium ceremony. But, in this disruption, we saw one of the coolest, old school, grassroots style podiums I’ve ever seen in Pro Cycling. Our British Boys, Harry & Stu, have put together a banger of an episode for this month’s ep of Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio. Here’s what old mate Stu Downie has to say about this month’s Race Radio: With La Vuelta ending in what could be both the best and worst podium we’ve ever seen, we invited our mate Sean Hardy along to chat – why? Because he was in that very car park to witness the madness of the day unfold. Sean has been Lidl-Trek’s photographer for a few years now, earning the trust of the riders – including fan favourite and points jersey winner Mads Pedersen – and making some of the best pictures in racing. We hear about the day, get a severe case of FOMO, and get the lowdown on life in the Lidl-Trek bus. We also consider the history of protest in cycling, talk about racing’s place within wider culture, and wonder aloud when the UCI will do something about the more severe cases of sports washing. A nice light chat to start the weekend, no? Guys, I hope you like this episode as much as I do. I can’t believe we’re coming to the end of the race season, with just the World Champs in Rwanda and Lombardia left to go! Catch up soon, Cheers, Mitch

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Mike Woods has achieved a lot in his cycling career. Despite not turning pro until he was 30, he’s won stages at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, and stood on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championships. A proud Canadian, Woodsy’s represented his nation at the Olympics and the Worlds, and flown the Maple Leaf jersey as natty champ.  Earlier this year, Mike announced that 2025 would be his final year in the pro peloton, and he was going to come across to the world of retired pro cyclists. He’s under no illusion that the sport is only getting harder, and made the call to leave the young megastars to it, put his family first, and continue enjoying the bike - and his running - with a more relaxed mindset. We were teammates for a few years back on EF, and I loved training hard in the mountains of Andorra with Woodsy back in the good old days before 120 grams of carbs an hour. A three-time guest on the pod, I wanted to catch up with him in the last few weeks of his career before he hangs it up for good for one last ep. of Life In The Peloton. We talk about all sorts of things in this one, guys. There’s some heavy-hitting questions to find out more about what makes Woodsy tick, and he gives me a quick lesson in Canadian Ice Hockey team politics. I also impart a bit of wisdom on Mike to let him know what he’s in for as he leaves the world of pro cycling behind and adjusts to life on the other side.  Guys, I hope you enjoy this pod. I really wanted to speak to Mike one last time, and I hope you enjoy hearing his honest thoughts about all things pro cycling and beyond.  Woodsy - congrats on a great career, mate. Enjoy your last races and being able to bring the curtain down back home in Canada. Can’t wait for a death ride out of Andorra soon. 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. 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. 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 saily.com/pelosurf to score yourself a special listener-only discount.

I know you all think the Tour de France is the best Grandy of the year, but you’re wrong. For me, it’s all about the Vuelta.  The Vuelta a España is the grand tour I started the most in my career, racing 7 Vueltas over the years. It was my first grand tour way back in 2012, and I have really fond memories of racing in Spain. The atmosphere, the culture, the relaxed vibe at the end of the season; I had some hard moments at the Vuelta, for sure, but on the whole it was always a great race for me. I am a massive fan. Speaking of massive fans, it’s time to check in with the Race Radio boys, Harry & Stu. They’ve recovered after their trip to the Tour, and they’re back with their old mate Cillian Kelly in tow, bringing you all the stats you could ever possibly need. Here’s what the bald bonced bandit Harry has to say about this month’s ep: ‘With La Vuelta underway, we thought we’d invite our good friend Cillian Kelly on the show this week. Cillian is TNT’s official statman, providing the race commentators with all manner of fascinating facts and curiosities to read out at the grand tours. He shares a few of his Vuelta-related gems with us – including revealing one Merckx-related fact that shocks us to our core – before we go on to discuss strange sprints, how we ‘consume’ cycling, and baking bread on the Muur.’ I loved hearing the boys yarn with Cillian. If you like what you heard, you can check out their other pod ‘DNF’ where Harry, Stu, and Dr Kelly break down some of the wildest statistical gems in the sport. I also spoke to Cillian back in July for a special episode of Life In The Peloton all about the financial stability of pro cycling so if you missed that, get back across and give that a listen, too. Guys, I hope you enjoy this month’s episode and the Vuelta! It’s maybe the one race I really miss - mainly because I could usually get away with a few pequeña cervezas in the evening. Catch up soon! Cheers, Mitch Download the SAILY app AND use our code PELOSURF at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase, or visit the website saily.com/pelosurf and your code will be automatically added at checkout.

Just because the Tour de France is over, doesn’t mean the party’s over! I’m back with Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge for this month’s Race Communique. Tom and Luke have just got back from a puncture-filled Hamburg Classic, and the Vuelta a España is about to kick off! I love the Vuelta - it’s the Grand Tour I raced the most in my career, and I’ve got to say it’s my favourite. Southam and Durbo disagree, so we kick off by having a three-way head-to-head: Giro VS Tour VS Vuelta. Which is best, and why? I made my case for the Vuelta, the hardest Grand Tour by a long way…as far as I’m concerned. Luke reckons the Tour is the best because, well, because it’s the Tour. The Giro’s case was made by Southam, who just loves the drama - he’s obviously never watched the Vuelta! In this month’s PeloChat, Durbo goes through this year’s transfers and gives us his take on who’s going where, why they’re moving, and what it might mean for the sport. Remco to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe is the biggest move of the year, and the young Belgian superstar has definitely raised some eyebrows by moving. Will he clash with Roglič? Will they be able to support him to win the Tour de France? Only time will tell. Luke’s teammates Dylan Groenewegen and Elmar Reinders are stepping down to TDT Unibet - a second division ProTeam! An interesting move in an effort to get the young Dutch squad to the Tour de France in the next few years. He’s also got some insight into Tom Pidcock’s Q36.5’s squad and their signings; some big riders heading that way too. Lots of moves, but Durbo’s across it. Southam’s diving into the modern breakaway in this month’s Talking Tactics. Things have changed a hell of a lot over the last few years in the breakaway; we don’t see 20-minute time gaps any more, and the breaks are kept on a much tighter leash. As the level gets higher and higher, the quality of the lower division teams is getting better and better, and smaller riders are more of a threat in the breakaways these days. It’s great, and I love the exciting racing where the breaks actually have a chance, but shit, it looks so hard. Of course, we wind up with the Communiquiz. Tom’s quiz master this week, and it’s about Summer Classics. You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear how this goes, but let’s just say…I had a bit of a shocker. Guys, I hope you like this episode. I love catching up with Durbo and Southam, especially when they’re in the midst of the racing season; bringing you this insight is what it’s all about. 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 00:09:49 – Race Recap (Which is the best Grand Tour? You decide!) 00:36:58 – Pelo Chat (Durbo's Transfer Gossip) 00:48:08 – Talking Tactics (The Modern Breakaway) 00:58:18 – CommuniQuiz (Summer classics conundrums - Mitch has a mare!)

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.