Kristen Faulkner on winning Olympic Gold, turning pro at 28, and overcoming the odds in Paris

Want to try ROUVY? Get a free month on us using the code GTCC1M at this link: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast Merry Christmas! Yes, we're a little early, but this is the last pod from us this year - so a huge thank you to everyone who has listened along the way. And what's our Christmas present to you all? Well, it's a chat with Olympic Road Race winner and Team EF–Oatly–Cannondale rider Kristen Faulkner. You may not know much about Kristen, aside from seeing her win Gold over heavyweights Kopecky and Vos in Paris this summer, but her story is remarkable. She'd barely ridden a bike aged 24, turned pro at 28, and now? She's a two-time Olympic Gold medallist. There's also chat about halibut and bears. What more do you need? We will see you all in 2025. From G, Tom, Luke, and Producer George Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to try ROUVY? Get a free month on us using the code GTCC1M at this link: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast As you heard on last week's pod, while G was out in Miami he spoke to Mark Cavendish - and this week you get our second Miami record, with El Pistolero himself, Alberto Contador. A winner of the Tour, Giro and Vuelta, the Spaniard has seen it all, and Alberto was open, honest, and a lot of fun. Meanwhile, G's been playing some new games with his teammates on training camp, and he's got a recap of last week's ROUVY ride. Enjoy - and see you next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to try ROUVY? Get a free month on us using the code GTCC1M at this link: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast And make sure you're signed up for our first-ever GTCC x ROUVY ride, on Wednesday December 4th at 5pm (UK time)! Click here to sign up. G and Cav have known each other since they were kids. Lining up together on London Bridge for their Tour de France debuts in 2007, they had to pinch themselves. 'What are we doing here?' Little did they know that 17 years later Geraint would be a Tour de France winner and Mark would have won the most Tour stages in history, eclipsing Eddy Merckx' record. We were delighted to finally welcome Mark to the GTCC and today's pod is basically about just that: how their respective careers have unwound since they lived together in a student house in Levenshulme, a suburb of Manchester. They share a bond, and fresh from Mark announcing his retirement, it was a delight to ride back down memory lane with two icons of British cycling. Enjoy. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to try ROUVY? Get a free month on us using the code GTCC1M at this link: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast And make sure you're signed up for our first-ever GTCC x ROUVY ride, on Wednesday December 4th at 5pm (UK time)! Now, if you watched the Tour de France this summer, you will have noticed Jonas Abrahamsen. The man from Norway spent the first half of the race in the polka dot jersey, making breakaway after breakaway for Uno-X. His journey to the top of the sport is a fascinating one. Having started out as a 60kg climber, he's now an 80kg Swiss Army knife of a rider. He dealt with delayed puberty and numerous other complications, before gaining 20kg and becoming an advocate for healthy weight in cycling. He's also a top fella. You'll love this chat. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to try Rouvy? Get a free month on us using the code GTCC1M at this link: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast And if you need something to listen to while hitting the roads in Rouvy, well, this week's pod is an absolute classic. Victor Campenaerts had one of the stories of the summer - a father for the first time amidst a nine-week(!) altitude camp, and then his first-ever Tour de France stage win. Years don't come much more dramatic. Everyone's favourite Belgian (after De Pluski, of course) joined G and Tom to chat about that and plenty more besides. Meanwhile G's been in Miami, but he tells Tom that pre-season starts now. We shall we. Enjoy - and see you next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yes, that's right - the GTCC is back! And we are back with a double bang. Not only are we welcoming American superstar Matteo Jorgenson to the show, we have welcomed a new training partner to the GTCC - ROUVY! We have our very first GTCC ROUVY club ride coming up over the next couple of weeks but, before then, you can go and check out the platform with a free month's trial. Sign up here: https://rouvy.com?utm_source=geraint-thomas-cycling-club&utm_medium=direct-buy&utm_campaign=chasing-goals&utm_term=podcast and use the code GTCC1M to activate your free month. G and Tom are very excited to be back on club duty and Matteo was a brilliant first guest for season five. Fresh from joining Team Visma-Lease a Bike at the start of 2024, Matteo has gone from strength-to-strength, winning Paris-Nice, Dwars-door-Vlaanderen, and riding to a remarkably consistent string of results across the year. Enjoy - and see you next week. Music courtesy of BMG Music Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before we get started with GTCC season five, we wanted to introduce you to a new podcast: Everything To Play For. Hosted by self-confessed sports geeks Colin Murray and Elis James, Everything To Play For brings you the juiciest tales from the world of sports – think epic rivalries, scrappy underdogs, and the wildest comebacks and you’re in the right ball park. Thought you knew the story? Think again. Today we're bringing you their first episode about our old friend and the legend that is Mark Cavendish. Of course, you all know he is the man with the most Tour de France stage wins to his name; but what else do you know about Cav? Let Colin and Elis fill in the gaps. To hear the second episode, visit Everything To Play For's feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TWO WEEKS TO GO! It's so nearly time for Watts Occurring Live. It's going to be the night of the year; we promise. Come and see Luke and G at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on Friday November 8th. The last tickets are available here: https://premier.ticketek.co.uk/shows/show.aspx?sh=GERAINT24 Tadej Pogacar has had the season to end all seasons. But it was truly complete until he'd walked home with a couple of Watts Occurring awards? We'll let you be the judge of that. Yes, the boys are back for the final Watts Occurring of the year and, of course, it's our annual awards show. Rider of the Year, Win of the Year, Team of the Year, Race of the Year... the list goes on and on. And yes, that is our last Watts of 2024. Thanks to every single listener who's joined the ride. Next week? The GTCC is back. Get ready. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you got your tickets for Watts Occurring Live? Come for a night out with Luke and G at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on November 8th. The last tickets are available here: https://premier.ticketek.co.uk/shows/show.aspx?sh=GERAINT24 Did you watch Lombardia this weekend? And were you surprised by the result? No, of course you weren't. It was an absolute clinic from Pogi yet again, and capped what could just be the finest season the sport has ever seen. Luke and G reckon he might have to be a bit more like Maximus Decimus Meridius if he wants to keep his popularity next season (you'll have to listen to understand that one... but we doubt he'll care either way). What a weapon. There's plenty for the boys to catch up on - and we'll be back for the final Watts Occurring of the year next week, with our Annual Awards Show. See you then. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you got your tickets for Watts Occurring Live? Come for a night out with Luke and G at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on November 8th. The last tickets are available here: https://premier.ticketek.co.uk/shows/show.aspx?sh=GERAINT24 Did you catch the Gravel World Championships this weekend? It was a cracking race, won by the multi-disciplinary weapon that is Mathieu van der Poel. The British gravel champ Connor Swift battled to a very impressive sixth in amongst the Belgian mafia - and as an INEOS Grenadier, the boys thought it was time to get him on the pod to learn all about the inner workings of a major gravel race. Is G tempted to give it a bash, as Connor's wingman?! With a bit of peer pressure, we think it could happen... We loved having Connor on the pod - and realised we should have done this years ago. Ledge. And, as you'll have heard at the start of the pod, Luke will be on stage at Rouleur Live this November, on Friday 15th - and we've got a cheeky 10% off tickets for Watts Occurring listeners. Use code Watts10 at rouleur.cc/collections/rouleur-live-tickets. We'll be back next week with a big Lombardia review. See you then. Watts Occurring is powered by Eurosport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices