Beyond the Slipstream
Your weekly breakaway for fun conversations on pro cycling and so much more.
Beyond the Slipstream
Paul, Paula and Pure Power S2E27
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This week we’ll be discussing all the racing action from the Women’s Vuelta Espana Feminina and the opening weekend of the Men’s Giro d’Italia. We’ll also have a news round-up, a fantasy league update, and as always, we’ll finish with a ride in the Broom Wagon.
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It's your weekly breakaway for fun conversations on pro cycling. Come join us for another ride beyond the slipstream. I'm Matt Harper, and together with my brother Justin, we'll do deep-ish dives on professional bike races, teams, riders, and all sorts of cycling-related stories. So jump in the saddle and tighten up those shoes. The road awaits.
SPEAKER_02Hello and welcome to Beyond the Slipstream. I'm Justin, and this is my brother Matt. And today on the show, we're looking at two youngsters who are in a very big hurry to reach the top ranks of the women's and men's pro Pelotons. 23-year-old Spaniard Paula Blasi first announced herself last year with a string of wins in some lesser one-day races over the course of the season. A stage win at Romandy to go along with her white and green jerseys from the race, a win at the U-23 Euro Championships, and a podium at the U-23 Worlds. And in 2026, she's been an fuego, with a string of top 10 finishes setting up the at the time biggest win of her career, the Amstel Gold Race. Turns out she was just getting started. And like Blasi, Paul Monnier made a big announcement of his own at the end of last season, where in his last two races, the Crow Race and the Tour of Guangxi, he won four out of the six stages in both races. But as the four wins he's already racked up this season can attest, Paul Monnier is just getting started as well. We dig into the Paula and Paul performances this week, along with a news roundup, a fantasy league update, and as always, a brief spin around Bulgaria in the broomwagon. Alay. Another week in cycling. This week has been very, very, very good. We uh we you know got to travel all over Spain with the ladies and Bulgaria with the men, and it's uh been fraught with plenty to talk about, so let's just jump right into it. Uh why don't we start in Spain with the ladies, Matt? What'd you think of uh the racing this week?
SPEAKER_01I mean it was fantastic. I I don't think anybody could uh could could say otherwise. We got a assortment of wins uh across a bunch of different riders. Um we had some teams have a lot of success, but but also have some heartbreak. Um and of course, the the A story, we got a huge win from uh youngster in a big hurry, and that would be Paula Blasi from team UAE ADQ, who took home the win with one fatal blow on the final day uh that played out with so much drama. We should save that to to get into later. You wanna you wanna kind of take it, take it from the beginning?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I think the funniest thing is we spent a a good bit of last week talking about um Naomi Root and uh Naomi Rouge and the poor girl. It was like we jinxed her. I mean, she literally went out hours later. And you know, sadly we did not get to see, you know, what what could have been as as far as that. Um so you know, we we you know, she uh she went down around 12k to go in in the second stage, and that was it. She was out of the race at that point, and so that kind of changed the landscape for the rest of the week.
SPEAKER_01Well, and it was it was it was such a high to begin with, you know what I mean? Because not only did she get the stage win, but of course it's the first stage, so she grabs the jersey, and she was, I would say, legitimately like one of the contenders for the overall win at the start of the week. So now you're like, she's in the catbird seat, you know, this is things are things are looking perfect right here. And then no sooner are we all pumped for American team EF Oatley to be uh to be crushing it this week than day two and she's out of the race, and it's just like yeah, and then we got day three. I mean, just just this one storyline is just giving us a roller coaster ride because the the very effective uh leadout woman for uh for Noami on on stage one got a little taste of payback on stage three. Yes, she did. Um Sedrine Kerbal. Yeah, who is who is just a uh a badass uh in her own right.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, so in this win, though, you gotta shout out American Kristen Faulkner because she did a lot of work to put her in position.
SPEAKER_01So including including uh getting out there solo in front of the group. I swear to God, every time you saw Kristen Faulkner in this race, it was in it was in uh one of three places. It was either off the front off the front for a minute and a half, uh dangling off the back for hours at a time, or right in the middle of the scrum after they won, uh celebrating with the gals. So uh yeah. Good on you, Kristen Faulkner. And she played a very interesting role in this race, I thought.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I also thought that that stage three was just gorgeous, the way that it like um finished with the cobbles and the ocean, and God, it was so beautiful.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was like gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous, windswept coast. And you know, the that road was just like so cool, and they're giving us they're giving us some uh great shots of it. I I I definitely agree. I I have multiple notes saying, Oh my god, this road is gorgeous. This road is gorgeous.
SPEAKER_02Um and then Wednesday, Wednesday you had to be you had to be on Cloud Nine as uh as as one of your fantasy team, you know, major players gets a gets a big stage win.
SPEAKER_01Well, even on even on Tuesday, um uh Kapeki slid in for session. She did get second place that day because uh Sedrine Carbal won on a uh took a flyer and like did did 2K solo and and won. Um but uh yeah, so so my my girl Kapeki came in second and I was already looking good. And also uh you um you got screwed that day as well because the day before, and this is another thing we need to point out, Marianna Voss broke her collarbone and got seventh on stage two. Unreal. Like what a warrior. Um but because she because she went out on stage two, your girl Liana Lippert was activated on stage three and she came forth. Yeah, she came forth. She got she got fourth. Trust me.
SPEAKER_02So I was like, I was like, I was like, oh man, okay, Lippert, Lippert, Lippert, and nothing. Yeah, never it never never amounted to anything.
SPEAKER_01It's so funny though, because I mean this whole week is like a roller coaster in so many ways. I mean, we got the EF roller coaster that we just described. We've got a plenty of fantasy roller coasters because as we'll see, my girl Mava Squeebon went out later in the race, you know, was looking like I mean she was she was holding a jersey at the beginning of the race and and looking good for you know a run at the Queen of the Mountains and getting me some points by the end of the race, she's crashed out.
SPEAKER_02Well, and and like I even had her in I even had her in my notes as like, oh, this is gonna be it. It's very funny. On so on Thursday, so on Thursday, I have an I had a note that's or made sorry, it was on Friday, where I literally was like, I these are the two the two things I wrote in in in succession. I guess on Ivan de Bregan where I I had said this is a crazy rain, cats and dogs, Kapeki out front. I said, um This is for this is for what day? The day day four on Wednesday? For Friday. This is for Friday. It's just very funny about uh you mentioned about Mavis Guibon. So I said, here we go for La Pare, PFP Incasia, here we go. I guess Anna Vonda Bragan as well, but doubt it. Okay. And then I said, maybe Mavis Quibon or Kerbal. Kerbal attacks first, and PFP is nowhere to be seen, and Ana Vonde Bragan comes out of nowhere and wins the stage. And I I literally was like, ah, I guess, I guess maybe, maybe she'll be in the mix, and I couldn't have more completely had it wrong.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it happens that way sometimes. Um the uh Capetire.
SPEAKER_02We should roll, we should roll back to Thursday, though.
SPEAKER_01So I did I did jump over Thursday because I think Capeki also had a roller coaster week just herself because she got like a second and like she was she was close on those on those sprints, but but on stage two when when Shari Basoit won, it was in spite of a lot of Capecki deviating, um it looked like Kapeki dropped her chain or something happened to her bike because she was looking down at her bike, but it caused her to swerve wildly first to the right, then to the left. Um, and she was relegated that day. And then boom, she comes back. Uh she she's in the mix again. She, you know, she wins the sprint for second on stage three, uh, and then finally gets it done on stage four. So and then and then stage five. She she she literally gifts gifts the win to Misha Bradewald, your girl, but like I have to say she necessarily gifted it.
SPEAKER_02I just don't think she I don't think she had it as I don't think she had it as hard as as you think so you're you're you're saying that she pulled up.
SPEAKER_01I I I'm not saying it. Go back and watch it. Just go back and watch it, and you will see her look over and and you'll you'll see her just like like nope, this one's this one's Misha's. She helped me yesterday, I'm helping her today. And it's I find that like just very impressive when when teams are doing that. There was another, I'll f I'll think of it, but there was another uh instance sometimes.
SPEAKER_02I'll go back, I'll go back and look, but I just feel like I feel like she I feel like she did not have enough to get up that little rise.
SPEAKER_01Um all right, well, we can agree to disagree. Uh, the other one I was thinking of, we'll get to it later, but in in uh the Jiro um on stage two with the Stana, like that's a team that's really good at spreading the wealth around amongst their riders. And uh and um yeah, so well I'll I'll make my point when we get there, but uh nonetheless, um yeah, I mean SD works pro time, even though they had the giant disappointment on the final day, they still came away with three three stage wins in three days, you know, amongst three riders.
SPEAKER_02And they looked, I mean, like she looked kind of unstoppable on Friday. Um that climb was you know, at one point is is 21%. I mean, it is it is a sheer wall, and she did a tremendous day. I mean, she her turn that day blew me away. I wasn't expecting it.
SPEAKER_01I mean it was the Ana Vanda breaking of flesh wallone, you know what I mean? Just like hitting walls and just like just just grinding through them at a at a just a ridiculously high pace. And I mean, what's what's the answer? Did did she did she you know completely spend all of her all of her her remaining bullets for the entire race on on on the penultimate stage there? Because I was very surprised that to see that she was almost immediately dropping off the back when it was when it was whittled down to like the the cr the cream of the crop on the final day. There was like it was down to like six riders, and she was like sixth and barely hanging on.
SPEAKER_02I so the way you know I think that that Blasi always had the intention of going where she did, and I think she knew I think she paid, I think Blasie paced herself better. Um, I think she knew that that Saturday was gonna be the much harder day out of the two. They were I mean both of those last two days are unbelievably hard. All right. And I think Blasie knew that all she had to do was keep herself in striking distance, which she did. She kept herself within 18 seconds, and she paced herself up the Angleroo so well. I mean, there was a couple of points where you kind of, you know, you realized like it was super, super hard, and she had gone, you know, pretty deep into it, especially when um the the girl from Human Powered Health ended up catching her and then riding away. But she it was like it was like that didn't even phase her because she was able to continue to keep the pace just high enough to keep those riders behind at bay and get her across the line with enough to be able to, you know, and she knew. I don't know if it's because they were on the radio telling her, but she knew when she crossed the line that she had enough time. Like she knew when she went across the line that she had taken it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, oh yeah. Well, considering considering the fact that she was also getting bonies for that, like you know, the bonies didn't even come into play though. Yeah, that's what but that's what I'm saying. I mean, she knew she had bonies plus all that time, like of course. Um, I mean, I I do think though that like Von de Bregen must have must have just just gone too deep uh on on Friday. And you know, I was just I was so set in my mind to be like, wow, sh she she kinda she's she's kind of done it, like Von de Bregen has done it. She is she has returned to the absolute top step of the women's pro Peloton, but she she just didn't didn't have it, man. I I you know you can't say it has anything to do with like like it's it's just gotta be all legs, you know what I mean. There's she didn't was one of the things do anything wrong.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, it was just a super hard climb.
SPEAKER_01You know, but the the like you said, the day before was super hard as well. This is the woman that won that won uh on the murder we like seven times in a row. Um so I think I think her her her miscalculation, if any, was was perhaps she she shouldn't have won on on Friday. Perhaps she should have sat on the wheels, you know, and conserved as much as much power as possible and sacrificed that win because I mean I don't know. I guess her margin her margin came from that win, so it's like in reality the margin wasn't that big.
SPEAKER_02You know what I'm saying? That's what I'm saying. Yes, she won, yes, she rode away, but in the end her margin was only like 18 seconds or something like that. It wasn't gigantic. Yeah. So she won, yes, she won with emphasis, yes, but it wasn't like she put two minutes into everybody else. All right, it wasn't it wasn't Pauline Pervan Pervaux from the Tour de France last year where she just literally obliterated the field on the last day or the second to last day, whatever that was. Um, you know, she did just enough to win win win handily. I mean, she won with, like I said, with emphasis, but in reality, I don't, you know, I don't think that she gave herself a cushion that especially with a day like like Saturday ahead of her, I don't think she gave herself, you know, enough of a cushion to where it would, you know, have mattered. Because I mean, dude, that like I mean it was ridiculous. Watching them climb the Angleroo was ridiculous.
SPEAKER_01So incredible. It's such it's just so ridiculously iconic. I love it.
SPEAKER_02Um it was cool too. It was it was cool when they kind of got to the top and the fans aren't like allowed in that last little section, so it was like just them and them like her, like watching um uh Petra uh and of course Petra Stiance from Human Powered Health, smaller team, by the way. Awesome that they won, got a stage a stage win in the Vuelta on the Angleroo of all places. Like, talk about a giant win for your career. Um But you know, it was really neat when they got to those lat those last sections of that climb, and they were kind of isolated by themselves. It was just them and the bike and and and and the camera bike. And I I don't know, man. It was really it was a really enjoyable race to watch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Vonabregan had said in her interview after she won on stage six that she had crashed the day before and that she was she was kind of sore, but that perhaps could have could have played into things a little bit as well. It was quite interesting to see Anna Vonabregan wearing a leader's jersey in a in a in a grand tour. Like it just it's been so long. What a what a just what a wild, wild career arc uh she's had. Uh still very uh still a very, very effective rider, come what may, you know. She gets she gets a grand tour stage win, and she, you know, do you think that she has it in her to win a grand tour still?
SPEAKER_02Like, I mean, obviously she contended. She was damn close. Do you think that she like and again I I will say not and I don't want to take anything away from Paula Paula Blasi, but you know, you don't have Demi Vollering in this race, who, you know, I think we would all agree right now is is the best. No Elisa Longa Borghini, um, no Marlon Roysa. You know, these are superstars.
SPEAKER_01So I would say yes if if the if the mix is right, you know, if she gets a if she gets a favorable uh mix of of challengers, I would say she is capable of it for sure. Um the sort of France, probably not. Um but you you you kind of never know. I mean she she beat the piss out of Pauline for Ramp Bravo, but you know, yeah, but I don't but I don't think that's doing the warm-up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't think that she was even close to on her form than she was for the tour. Yeah, she's she's building, I would say. 100% because I don't I mean she wasn't much of a factor throughout the week at all. Yeah, the real the real the real um you know story that comes out of out of Vesma is Marian Brunel is the future of Vesma Lisa Bike for the ladies, like 100%. She is very, very good.
SPEAKER_01Well, and she's also got um a fantastic young teammate in um oh what's that what's the what's the girl's name? Lika Noyan. Yeah, Lika Noyan um is also like really dialed in.
SPEAKER_02Um and she's got cagey veterans to learn from. I mean, you know, the sky, the sky's the limit for her, dude. Like she and she does, she does very well in these high mountains, dude. If she had a little bit more, a little more seasoning on her, man, I'll tell you what.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, she had a great season last year, too. I mean, she she won the U-23 uh French French national championships. Um she got second in the G C at Avenir, she got fourth in uh GC at the um the Ardesch last year, uh fifth in the world championship road race.
SPEAKER_02So she's just Avenir is no joke. You know, Paul Pa Paula Blasi was fourth at Avenir last year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And sh she also won the youth cat the youth classification at both uh uh Catalunya and Tour de Swiss last year. And that the Tour de Swiss um the Tour de Swiss win for youth classification came alongside her podium in G C at Cataluna. So yeah, I think it's quite clear that Marian Boonel is uh on the come up. You know, she's probably one of the you know top top three or four young young riders in all of the women's pro Peloton, I'd say. Um and you know, she won the youth youth class.
SPEAKER_02She's proving herself to be very, very effective in these longer races.
SPEAKER_01Um I thought how how how young is the youth classification? Twenty-five. It's gotta be younger than that because I'm saying that Brunel won the youth classification at the Volta. At the Vuelta. But Paula Blasi is only twenty twenty-three. So Brunel's probably younger than her. Yeah, but Paula Blasi beat her. Like, so what I'm saying is Paula Blasi doesn't she she clearly doesn't qualify. No, like it's it's like the G C, except you have to be under a certain age. So the age has got to be like twenty two or twenty one. I don't know. You have to look up how the rules work. Well, how old is how old is that? I always thought it was like under 24 or 25. She's 21. She's 21, and Paula Blasi is 23, so.
SPEAKER_02I I I don't know. I guess I always thought it went to the youngest. To the highest classification for the youngest rider. That that doesn't make any sense. I don't know. That's how I thought it went.
SPEAKER_01Um No. It's the white jersey is just like the yellow jersey, except you gotta be under a certain age.
SPEAKER_02Well then how did bla then and it must be different in the women's belt and then the in the women's belt on it must be younger.
SPEAKER_01I mean it makes sense for it to go younger. I really feel like it used to be in the men's side. It was like 24 or 25. Yeah, maybe it's 23. Maybe it's not a sort of thing. Well, even if it's twenty-three, it wouldn't it wouldn't uh Paul Blasi would still be like maybe you have to be what maybe you have to be under twenty-three. I don't know. So let's uh look let's look into that for next week.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Get that all get that all figured out. We should know that, wouldn't you say? Um I would think, yes. I do I did want to mention um this uh patress theosni um from Human Powered Health. Uh her interview was just phenomenal. Like she was totally speechless. Um I have absolutely never heard of this woman before today. Uh and she said that basically the when they announced that the Anglaroo would be part of this race, she was just like, that's it. That's my day, that's my goal, I'm gonna get that. And uh she said that when she was out there on the climb, her her quote was she says, I feel free. This is my climb, this is my gradient. The whole climb, I was in my happy place. She knew it. Like she's like this tiny rider that's just like I'm I'm I'm the girl for this for the steep stuff. And uh probably pick she'll probably be on a bigger team come next year. Yeah, she she she just well might. Um uh yeah, I really enjoyed enjoyed that that race, that that interview, that win, the whole thing. I mean, just like right across the board um was an exciting week and bodes well. Let's hope, let's hope their their next two are as good as that one because I would say, you know, delivered that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, 100%. I mean, from end to from end to end, there was exciting, there was excitement from from you know from tip to toe. So I mean it was it was really, really a good week of racing. I I highly, highly enjoyed it. So do you have anything else there, or do you want to take a break and we'll come back and get into uh get into the men? Sounds good. All right. Everybody stay with us. We'll be right back to talk. Giro d'Etalia.
SPEAKER_01Please check out our other show, Inglorious Brothers, a pop culture show with Cult Classics Swagger. Search and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, or click the link in the show notes.
SPEAKER_02We are headed to Bulgaria for the start of the men's giro d'italia. Um, it did start on Friday, and um the very first thing that I noticed, and this didn't persist the whole weekend, but with HBO Max's coverage, we got no breakaway on Friday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was the the the the so sonorous voice of Carlton Kirby.
SPEAKER_02And I'll yeah, just like really this is really and there was like there was like three different they had Declan, they had um who did I write it down? Did I put it in there? Doesn't matter. Um it doesn't matter, but that was my biggest disappointment from Friday was like, oh my god, we're gonna have three weeks of this race and we get no breakaway. Like, that is a tragedy. Like I was literally heartbroken. I'm like, this is my favorite grand tour of the year. And like I've been talking about it. Oh my god, I look forward to having all these commentators and none of them were there. I was so, so disappointed at the end.
SPEAKER_01Well, not just those, not just those commentators that we like, but also like the the package, you know, the production package, all the the pre the preview stuff, you know, the team bust, the whole deal. Like, like, you know, it's just like what?
SPEAKER_02And it just like went right into just like aerial shots, Carlton Kirby being like, welcome to the race, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
SPEAKER_01Just like we're watching, you know, Trobro Leon or something like just super lame, and then come Saturday we say, oh, what's this? No, we we do have the breakaway. Okay, so now it's Monday. Today's the rest day. They're gone from Bulgaria to Italy, and uh tomorrow will will tell us if it's just gonna be a weekend thing for the breakaway or if it's gonna be uh from here on out kind of thing. Because it seems very strange that they didn't do it on Friday, but then they had it for the weekend. So let's fingers crossed hope that they give us give it to us the rest of the days, just like they did last year.
SPEAKER_02Um I guess I just don't understand why they wouldn't. I first off, it's like, why do you need two feeds of commentators? Like who cares?
SPEAKER_01Like well, I will get into that a little bit later um in the show. Uh but there are multiple different feeds that are created um for various markets and reasons and stuff like that. So um yeah, it's I don't know. We'll find out tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We will find out tomorrow. So stage one, um sprint finish, and uh I was very happy because finally pulling finally pulling a win, and and what's great for all these sprint stages is I've got two of the favorites in the stable for fantasy. So um, but it is it is Paul Monnier who comes out with stage one victory, pink jersey, points jersey, let's go. I was super excited to see it. Um, and this is the first time that we've seen him up against you know the real competition, too, you know, but like is want to do in some of these big races, the real, you know, the real kind of like oh, you know, take the wind out of the sails moment happened in the sprint when literally, you know, only 10 riders or 11 riders got through because we had a big wreck on the run-in, and it literally stopped the entire Peloton. I mean, it was like a dead stop. The wreck went from one side straight to the other and held up everybody but about the front 11 riders. And you know, we we were like, whoa, this is this is crazy, and then day two we get more of the same, and it's and it reshaped the race in two days.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was it was nuts. I mean, the the crash on stage one. I don't know that there were too many bad casualties. Um however, it looked horrible, especially for poor Caden Groves, who just like went straight over the bars biking. Yeah, the bike is just like flipping wildly behind him. I mean, it was it was nasty. Like it's pretty pretty crazy that we got two two stages, first two stages in Bulgaria, two huge wrecks. Yeah, like and Gronavagan. Not a good look.
SPEAKER_02Gronavaggen went down in that went down in that first wreck. Um one of the craziest things.
SPEAKER_01I was so worried when I saw him like favoring his hand, like when he was riding back slowly afterwards, and you saw him like he didn't even have his hand on the his right hand on the bars. I was like, oh no, please don't let this man have broken his wrist.
SPEAKER_02Well, and you know, he's been having a crazy year, but one of the craziest things that came out of that wreck was his wife, all right, set up a camera to for her to record her and her son and their son watching the end of that race. All right. And you know, obviously it does not end how everybody assumes it's going to end. It ends, you know, very you know, tragically in a way. And she still ended up posting it. It's one of the most heart-wrenching, gut-punching posts uh I've seen on social media around cycling in the longest time. And it does go to show to your point that you like to make about these things, is the families of these riders are just like us. They're watching it on TV at home. All right, and that's the only thing that they get to see. And if you don't let them linger on that to be able to see their loved ones, whether they're hurt or not hurt, you know, it is very hard for these families to watch these things. This is a very, very dangerous sport. And it's very interesting to me to be able to see that. So um I'll send if you haven't seen it, I'll send you the I'll send you the link. Just put the link in the show notes. I will put the link in the show notes, absolutely. I'll have this weekend Instagram.
SPEAKER_01Is it a like are you watching them? Like, are you seeing their faces as they're watching this crash happen? It's from behind.
SPEAKER_02It's from behind. It's like looking at their TV with them sitting on the couch, and it's her and their very young son. I mean, he is very young. And I mean, the son just lets out this gut-wrenching wail, and it's just like, oh. You know, on a on a week in, week out basis, and the possibility of of you know how you know bad things can be. And when you fast forward to day two, you have a really bad wreck in the Peloton. Um, and it completely decimated, you know, one of the best teams uh in in pro cycling. And like they, I mean, you know, Adam Yates looked like he had been to war at the end of the race, you know. Oh, that was like one of the brute most brutal things ever. Um the guy from Visma, like his literal whole kit was shredded. Yeah, it was uh what's his name? Chrysweig? No, Timo Killich, I think. Wasn't it Timo Killich?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I can't I can't remember. Um yeah, that was that was some that was that was some nasty.
SPEAKER_02And it's you know, and it it really does go to show that like you know, look, this this sport is ever evolving, and and as far as I'm concerned, there can't be enough strides made towards rider safety. I mean, obviously without you know, we don't want to affect the racing, but you know, focusing on safety for these guys has to be paramount. There was another Benji and and and Patrick were talking about something uh after yesterday's stage too um about the race organizers are also in charge of safety and how that shouldn't be you know nobody that's involved in the race should be overseeing the safety for said race. Like that should just be used. Those two things should be separate no matter what. All right. And the fact that that that you have people that are in charge of you know wanting to make the race successful in charge of safety, that's the absolutely wrong way for that to be. But you know that being said, you know, crashing really shaped, you know, the the landscape of what this race is gonna look like going forward. So, you know, Paul Monnier ends up beating Milan up front on day one, really announcing himself to the world, because this is the thing that we've been talking about since last year was yes, Paul Monnier can win all of these sprints in these lesser races. Can he go up against the big the big boys? And I I mean I think I feel like he is absolutely said, here I am. You know, do you agree?
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, yeah, I did want to just comment back on the subject of safety. I mean, I I didn't really see too much fault in either of these crashes to be put on the race organizers uh or a lack of safety measures, precautions taken because one of them it was in a bunch sprint. You get a touch of wheels and people start flipping over their handlebars. I mean, and the other one was a slider that is bike racing, and the other one it's like, well, are we do we do we need to start making the choice that that rain means you don't race the bikes? Um because that's why that's why the other crash happened, because it was rainy. I mean, you're going around a turn and the riders they're gonna go the speed that they want to go. And there's not a whole lot that anyone could have done in either of those two situations. You said that um, you know, you don't want to affect the racing, but perhaps affecting the racing is in some case, in some instances, is is what needs to be done. Um you know, because speeds are going up and up and up and up and up. Like I think I'm I'm almost in favor of like m putting restrictions on bikes, like on certain limits and stuff, so that like bike speeds just can't keep going up and up and up and up and up as bikes get faster and faster and faster and faster, you know.
SPEAKER_02What about what in on rainy days? What about because it in both cases, you know, it seems like this happens a lot on the downhills. Like, what about neutralizing the down the descents and just kind of like rebunching them up at the bottom of a climb so that they're not trying to, you know, haul ass down these wet roads?
SPEAKER_01Well, I wouldn't think that you would re-bunch them at the bottom of the climb. I would think that if you're gonna neutralize a downhill, then you're you you basically need to freeze everyone in place at the top, and then everybody proceeds all the way down, and then when you when you restart the race, you should have their same, should have their same margins. But I mean, that's that's next to impossible to do. You know what I mean? It just it's yeah, it's it is gotta it's gotta be more of a thing on on on the part of the riders. I I I don't know that there is an answer to that question. I mean, I think when you're talking about bike racing, if that is the sport that you are engaged in, um, I mean, really the only decision to be made is do we race in the rain or do we not race in the rain? Um and the answer kind of has to be we race in the rain because weather is unpredictable and bike races are long. You know what I'm saying? It's different if you're talking about, you know, uh a one-hour crit race on a downtown circuit. If it's pouring rain, you can cancel the crit race. You do it the next day or whatever, but like, you know what I'm saying? Or or you you you pause it and you wait until you know you know you do a rain delay, like in a baseball game or something like that. But when you're talking about a four-hour bike race and it's stage after stage after stage, you you just you can't be closing stages for rain. They gotta w they gotta race in the rain.
SPEAKER_02Do you think that depending on the severity of that rain, that a rain delay and holding them up at that till it passes, you know, is is I don't know. It seems like I feel like I feel like if it's I feel like if it's pouring, I feel like if it's pouring, they're already riding slower. Like they already know. It's it's those it's those points either just after it rains or just when it starts to rain and the roads really greasy that we have that we see the biggest problems. I don't know. I don't know that there is a solution.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I mean, I think I think we they would do better to to be moving towards like on rainy downhills, like inserting the motorbikes in front of them to like slow them down or or you know some something along those lines with the commissary. Something with the commissaires. Yeah, some sort of commissaire activity action that can that can force them to slow down. Um but even then it's just I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that could lead to it, that could lead to its own problems in and of itself. All right, let's go back to Paul Manier. So what did you think about his wins?
SPEAKER_01I mean, we said it, we said it in the intro. Um he you it's it's hard to deny that he's not in the top tier of sprinters in the men's field. I mean, this is a grand tour, this is an opening stage, this is against Jonathan Milan. Um, I mean, there's no Phillipson, there's no Merlier here. So those the only other one that there could be for him to test his medal against is Johnny Milan, who's riding in his home race, who won the purple jersey here last year, who has four stage wins here, and he beat him like a drum twice. Uh huge announcement.
SPEAKER_02I I th I agree. I I think that he is absolutely the up-and-comer of pro sprinting, and he's probably gonna be there for a while because he's a young guy. And his power, his power output is absolutely on par with the with all of them. I mean, with Milan especially. I mean, he was he I mean he dusted him twice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think it was it was it Matt Stevens who was just like commenting on on just how he looks on the bike. Like, yeah, in the on the sprint on stage three, was that the one that was across the cobbles, right? On stage three. And you they they were showing the the head-on uh slow-mo shot of the final seconds of the sprint, and Matt Stevens is commenting that like Milan's bike is back tires just like back and forth, like you know, all over the place. Whereas, you know, Manye is just smooth and fluid and just like generating that power. I mean, because you look at you look at the two of them, like if you you look at both of their faces throughout that sprint, like Milan is just turning himself inside out and just like you know, and Manye is he's almost smiling, like he just so calm. So low rent Jesse Eisenberg is is uh the real deal.
SPEAKER_02Um it was it was that that's what that's what uh Benji and Patrick were talking about on Lantern Rouge. Um it was the fact that they finished that race where they did rather than than you know 300 meters back where the road was perfectly smooth and much much safer. That was that was their point. Is that you know, because they wanted to end there, which is probably like the city center or whatever, as opposed to where it would be safer, that that you know, having the race organizers involved with the safety doesn't make sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, I think that's just a regardless of what happened in this stage in this city in this particular instance. I mean, yes, separating those two things, having a having an entity that is only concerned with with you know, not just concerned with, but in charge of the safety precautions that has like the final word, you know, that is not the race organization is a hundred percent the way to go, I would think. Um separation of powers, you know what I mean. But um at the same time, there was no crash on the on the uh No, but it was a much drier, much drier day, too.
SPEAKER_02I mean, there was no there was you know, it hadn't rained all day the the way it had in the second one. Um so yeah, we both agree. Paul Munnier, you know, huge star, huge guy on the on the come up. Um not even on the come up, really. I mean, he's here, he's been here for for two years now.
SPEAKER_01And well, I think and you you looked at la the end of last year, and uh as we said, he he had he won four or six stages in two races back to back at the end of the year, which is totally insane. But it's the crow race and the tour of Guangxi. You know what I mean? So so one could still, you know, reasonably have a question mark over this guy, even even with some dominance in some races like he had right there. Um he came out pretty strong this year already. These two wins were numbers three and four for him this year, which is not a ton, but still pretty damn strong. He hasn't had a ton of race days. So um I think you know next year what we're looking for out of this guy is like a monument podium, you know. Like he's he's on the trajectory. I I think we should we should we should I don't know if he what if he's doing the um if he's doing the the tour of the Welta. He's on the right team for for monuments. Yeah, yeah. That's well that's another big storyline here is just like okay, have have has Quick Step washed the Remco experiment out of their hair completely and it's back to basics. It's Back to what we do best. Um I hope so, man. I like I I like it that they just got like a team of young young hitters and uh yeah, future looks bright and I'm liking that. You wanna you wanna talk about about the other uh big sprinter?
SPEAKER_02Yeah on stage two. What's that? On stage two, is that what you're talking about? Uh either, either or so I so Astana comes out with a unbelievable stage two win for the first Uruguayan rider to participate in the Giro and win a stage race. Third. I think he's third. Third or third race. Third Uruguay. I th I thought I heard them say yesterday that he was the first Uruguayan rider. Definitely the first to win a stage. Yes. He might have been the third to participate, but definitely.
SPEAKER_01I think he's the first to win any Grand Tour stage. Um podcast did did deep dives on this guy.
SPEAKER_02Guillermo Thomas Silva was able to come away um after like a weird, so like a weird, you know, attack by Jonas Vingigo to and I guess the theory with him in this stage is he just wants to make the race as hard as humanly possible for these guys.
SPEAKER_01Even I think he was trying to stay safe. I think he wanted to be on the front edge so that he could go down that, so that he could go down that downhill, that final downhill in the front and keep himself safe. Because apparently uh Visma Lisa Bike has has had a meeting uh back on the offseason about their what their approach to riding um on sprint stages would be, and they have decided as a group that they're moving to the back of the Peloton for rider protection in terms of uh you're saying once it once once they get to the sprint.
SPEAKER_02I mean, that's how it unfolded on on Sunday.
SPEAKER_01But um throughout this through throughout the stage, like leaving the work up to the sprint teams and not because everything has been tr transitioning here in the last few years to like even the GC teams like trying to stay near the front to keep their riders protected and stuff like that. Uh and Visma has decided that's causing too much chaos in the front, and we're not going to contribute to a difficult situation here. Um, so not that what Jonas did was that, but it it it made me think of that. But I think my my thought is that Jonas is trying to keep himself safe off the front of the race. Um interesting take.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I just I thought that he's just trying to literally put as many guys under stress as possible. Because he is he is so far and away the best rider, you know what I mean? He for for everything, for size, for recovery, for all of it, that the more stress he can put on these guys, the better, especially before it gets hard.
SPEAKER_01Before it gets really hard. I mean, let's dig into it though, because um I would have thought that Jonas would not have a problem dropping Pelazzari, let alone Leonard van Eitveld. Um, and he did not drop either of those two. I don't think he was I don't think he was trying to drop. And then yeah, Jan Christian managed to bridge up to him. Jan Christian, you know, you know, the leader of UAE.
SPEAKER_03Apparently. Well, maybe we'll get into that.
SPEAKER_01Uh we'll get into it. Morgado? Narvaez? Yeah, Narvaez, I don't know. Who knows?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. Um but yeah, no, I guess I didn't take it that way.
SPEAKER_01I felt I'm saying that's what but but that backs up what I'm saying. He he he just wanted to be in front, not around the whole Peloton coming down that thing, just keep himself safe. And then they got down to the city.
SPEAKER_02Once it came into the sprint, he absolutely like faded back. Like, right.
SPEAKER_01He wasn't saying that he wasn't looking for the other guys to push it. He he he wasn't concerned with winning this stage. He he just wanted to get in there. Yeah, he just wanted to get in there, get this thing over with. I I'll take my time when the time is appropriate. He also like has no need of a of a of a pink jersey right now.
SPEAKER_02I that I agree with too. I don't think he I think he cared not one bit about trying to win that that stage.
SPEAKER_01And all of that opened the door for uh what turned out to be like a pretty substantial bunch sprint that just literally came together like in the last like 800 meters of the race. It was so so damn exciting. And we saw the just the incredible teamwork of the XDS Astana team. Um and uh as I took it with um I heard a post-race with um Scarroni, and he he definitely was there to lead out his teammate. And let's not forget, I I think it was last year in the Giro, Scarroni got got gifted a win. He was away with one of his teammates, and it was he was the chosen one. And so now he's like, you know, uh, and you know, and the wheel keeps turning, you know, the stana wheel.
SPEAKER_02That team, that team, man, they are something special, dude. Like they really are. They really are. Yeah, man. They are like they just like when you feel like you've gotten to the to the bottom of of their depth, it's it's just like they they show you just a little bit more. And I mean uh, you know, it'd be interesting to in the offseason to kind of look at their um to look at like their leadership and you know kind of take a look at at who you know is making those decisions, you know, for that in that team.
SPEAKER_01Because man, they mean imagine imagine if uh if they got like a big name like like climber guy, you know, like what could what that team could could possibly do. Even given even given their their you know strategy of like points gathering, um they just seem so like it's it's almost as if they're a team that's that it's made up of of really good domestiques, you know, because no one of them is like this like major uh powerhouse and they're always helping each other and stuff like that. So imagine if you took all that might and put it behind uh a Remco Avnipole level, you know, racer or something like that. It just it seems like the the sky's the limit.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's very interesting. And it's it's it's it's just a very interesting dynamic that they seem to have. And I don't know, man. They're just they're very fun to watch and and they're so easy to root for. You know what I mean? Like it's so easy to root for them because you have such little expectations for it. Um so let's let's talk about the next uh you know, two weeks, three weeks. Obviously, uh the crash on stage two really reshaped the race because UAE lost three riders. They lost uh Soler, they lost Vine, and they lost Yates. All right, which completely reshapes uh their outlook.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, or Jayvine, man, that guy just can't catch a break. Can't cause your crashes. Can't catch a break. It's because he's a little stick figure, his bones are easily broken.
SPEAKER_02Um and like he easy like he's a great time trialist, you know, probably could have been in the mix for a for a you know the time trial win. Oh yeah. You know, so now could have got a stage win too. So now, I mean, I just I feel like the GC is completely out without Yates. I think you're you're out for the GC against Vingigo. So now do they turn their attention to to stage hunting? I mean, Jan Christian could easily win a stage, you know. Narvaez could probably win a stage, but I mean, those three losing those three particular riders on that on that squad that they had for this race is just devastating. Just absolutely decimated that team.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, Jan Christian is sitting in sixth place 10 seconds back. So certainly if there was a a GC campaign to be mounted for this team, I would say he you would need to look there because you got to go all the way down to Igor Arieta in 60th position uh to find the next highest cranked UAE rider. 60th. And that and he is and he's I mean now that'll that's only finished stage two, but he was 12 minutes back. Yeah. I mean he was he was cooked. After that, Narvaez Narvaez is at 536. He's a next one. He's their next. So so so so their only GC hope is Jan Christian. So I would say yes, if they want to continue to try to get a GC result, then they would work for Jan Christian. Um but really yeah, it's stage hunting. Let's move on. Yeah. All right. So uh go ahead. I was gonna say uh uh another team that I wanted to comment on. You know who sits in third and fourth uh in this race right now? Egon Bernal and Tyman Lensman.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and they they made that cheeky little move to uh to grab up those those bonies in the uh in the in the Red Bull sprint.
SPEAKER_01I'm loving 2026 Egon Bernal. He's in a Colombian jersey, he's doing his thing, he's winning, he's sprinting, he's scooping up bonies, he's like he's he's something something good's gotta happen for this guy, man.
SPEAKER_02Something real good. I mean, it's entirely possible. I mean, he's he's probably you know, he's in a very good position to be able to to contend and or podium this you know this race. I mean the question's gonna become I think the the first big you know the first big test and where we'll probably know is when they get to block house. When they get to block house, that's that's gonna be the first that's really gonna tell us a lot about the GC battle.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna be so good. Can't wait. So so thrilled for Grant Grand Tour season to be here. Just uh, you know, it's just like a different kind of it's just just a different kind of awesome.
SPEAKER_02All right, well let's let's let's change slight gears, stick with the Giro. But one of our favorite things, definitely one of your favorite things about the Giro, is because we get the breakaway, all right, we get to see Orla Chennewith every week every day with her fit. So why don't we talk about uh let's do a little fit check roundup with Orla.
SPEAKER_01Um well number one, she she always she always pulls off the look, whatever the look is. She is just uh, you know, she's got she's got great, she's got a great physical presence in general, you know, and a lot of that I think has to do with like her athletic background, you know. She is she's a sporty, she's got a sporty um vibe to her, just in general. Um and you know, she's quite daring. So of the three, I mean I like that I like that she went pink for the for the opening day. I thought that was good too. And you know, perfect for springtime as well, super seasonal, loved it. Um for stage two. Uh I think of the three outfits, that's definitely the coolest and my favorite of the three, stage two. She's got like the uh the like um pants with the with the pegged pegged ankles, uh, and then this really cool kind of top and scarf combo um that is just like super chic. She's like like that. She's just looking, she's looking badass. And it's Saturday. It's a it's a great outfit for a Saturday. And then Sunday, she just went with like the bizarro like half track suit, half pant suit, half Oxford shirt. I don't know what's going on with that outfit. I like it. I like it. Yeah. It's like she's got she's got on like an Oxford shirt. If you're looking at the collar and the cuffs and the and the buttons, but it's got the stripes down the side like it's a pair of sweatpants. And then same deal with the pants. The pants look to be like dress slacks, but they're they've got the stripe going down them, but not just not just going down the side, like like coming across the room. Yeah, it's it's it's a wild outfit.
SPEAKER_02It gives like it gives like you know London, you know, street vibes or something. I don't know, dude. There's something cool. I like I like the Sunday, the Sunday outfit.
SPEAKER_01It's super runway. I like it. No, thanks for putting thanks for putting that in there. That's that that's awesome. We we'll definitely keep on top of that. Um I think it's funny too how uh on the other end of the uh table at the breakaway, somebody's trying to somebody's trying to keep a little balance in the force, you know, on Adam Blythe over there with his freaking loafers and his silly baggy pants and stuff, all his rings and bracelets and chilies just like what is my what did my buddy Mark call my office uh space here? Maximalism. Adam Blythe is like the maximalism of men's fashion. Um so that is funny. That is funny. And God bless him for that. Um I did also want to mention just real quick with the uh with the uh Jiro, um Gronavegan. We we touched on him briefly. You know, he was he was touched by that that thing on on stage one, but but he was right there, you know, on the bike with him. He was only, I believe, uh about uh two inches behind Milan for second against Monie on stage three. So um this guy the the the fairy tale season can keep going for this guy as far as I'm concerned. I think he's gonna get it. Oh Digro. And he's and he's and he's got a good vibe in his interview. The team seems like just super chill and they got those silly ass uniforms and like yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, I'm I I would love to see him come away. I mean, how great would be a good one. I would have loved to see him in pink. Like, I'd be happy just to see him come away with a stage win. If he came with away with a stage win, amazing.
SPEAKER_01No, I would have loved to see him in a pink jersey because it would go with that team kit and it would look so good in and amongst that kit because they got pink in it, so that's not gonna happen. But nonetheless, one can dream. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_02Alright. So uh do you have anything else in the Giro before we get into a bit of news? I do not. Alright. So um one of the uh what I found more interesting stories for this week um came out of the Tour of Romandy, and there was a lot of chirping going on about the motorbikes. All right, and so yeah, so talking about the tour of Roman Romundy, Louis Vervaka of Sudal Quick Step was highly critical of what he assumed to be a gap controlled with the aid of the motorbikes ahead of the Peloton. This was his quote. We lost 50 seconds and five kilometers. I imagine that was when the TV broadcast started. It's the same as usual. As soon as they go on air, the motorbikes are there, and sometimes for me, that changes the race. And then going along with it, Valentine Perry Pantra uh took it a step further, hinting at a conscious decision. All right, if the organization wants Tati Pagar to win, that's their choice. We have said it several times, but that's life. So, um, and then Luke Plapp corroborated that claim by saying, It's just ridiculous, sort of the difference they were making this week. I mean, when the brake established itself, the UAE boys would control and keep the brake pretty in check. You had one or two UAE boys chasing a brake, and they were managed to keep it pretty similar. Um, he said on the uh Stanley Street social podcast, and then the motorbikes came in front of our bunch, and the speed was just unbelievable in the Peloton. So interesting. Very interesting.
SPEAKER_01Doesn't feel like Pogachar needs all that much help, but who knows?
SPEAKER_02But it's also in controlling the race. I don't necessarily think it's about it's a so much about Paga, you know, helping Pagar as controlling the speed of the race and keeping that team, you know, up front.
SPEAKER_01So I don't know, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you and I were literally just speculating on this very show about like what if the dangerous situations maybe the you know motorbikes and the commissaires need to get out like and that so to s but you know they're getting a little you know looks like some of these front of these races are getting some home cooking from the motorbikes because it is proven that there is absolutely an advantage when you're behind the motorbike for up to like I think they I think it said I I what did I read this week? It's like almost like to a hundred feet or something like that.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_02Like it's it's ridiculous. So um so the the 2026 Lotto uh Phanem Arden Classic took place this pack past weekend and saw many riders fall ill afterwards. Arno DeLee won the race.
SPEAKER_01Totally insane, yeah, totally insane, and he won the race.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so the race, which took place in Belgium, all right, had a mix of falling rain on the day, and the tracks from the agricultural vehicles, all right, and the cow feces that they spread on the road were getting kicked up in the wet and from the bike wheels. And it made a bunch of people sick because they were just uh breathing in these airborne fecal particulates.
SPEAKER_01Unbelievable. Disgusting. Now that's an instance where you neutralize the race. All right, everybody. Slow down. You gotta ride like one mile per hour through here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's just like that's a that's but it's a it, I mean, it it really had it, you know, it affected the Jira because a bunch of racing. Doz bunch of guys out and didn't, you know, and they're scrambling to fill spots. And Delee was sick. They weren't even sure if Delee would start.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, now he has struggling, yeah. But he's struggling. Like he's kind of he's gonna it's gonna take him a week to get into form here and get get all this sickness through his body. It's terrible. Yep.
SPEAKER_02So um last week we mentioned Tom Craba. All right. So he is starting to be courted for a big transfer, all right, and three teams have risen to the top. All right. Now I will say, only one of these three teams, I want to see if you can guess, guess any, any or all of them. All right, only one of them, all right, is currently a world tour carded team. So you have one world tour team and and then two on the next level down. So what three teams are courting Tom Craba?
SPEAKER_01All right, world tour level.
SPEAKER_02Um I will say this, it makes it makes a lot of sense. No. Shoot out. Shoot out, quick as that. Almost said. Who are the two pro-level teams?
SPEAKER_01Um L.
SPEAKER_02No. Probably because they don't have any money. Um think of two teams that in your opinion are on the come up. Really? Not like and not fresh on the come up, have been on the come up for a couple of seasons now. Tutor is Tudor Pro is number one. They are the number one courtier of uh Mr. Tom Kraba, and who's number two? Just got a big Pinnarello. Yep, Pinnarello. I was gonna just say they just got a big influx of cash this year. So, yes. So Tudor, Pinarello, and Sudal are your three front runners. Damn, I almost said Sudal, too. For picking up Tom Krabbba uh next season. So um I hope he I hope he gets a nice, a nice big contract. The guy deserves it. He's been winning. I'm sure he will works really hard. He'll get a million and a half. All right, and then the coolest thing to come out of Sunday, all right, was our boy, you know you love him, Wout Van Art, decided to show up to Marley Grav yesterday. All right. Last minute entry into the Marley Grav gravel race, all right. Women's was won by world current world champion, world uh Lorraine Owebas, current gravel world champion. All right, but Wout Van Art decided to join Sunday's festivities, and what's your boy do just four short weeks after winning Perry Roubaix? He runs away with it. Solo victory.
SPEAKER_00Bub.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, looked really good, got to show off his new bike. Um, so congrats to was that on Max? It was on Max.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I need to go back and watch it, watch that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was it was worth it. I I turned it on when the the yes when the Jiro was like in the hundreds, it was finishing up. So uh it was weird, super weird. They were like simultaneously showing the men and the women at the same time. Very strange race, dude. Highly, highly recommend that you go and and take a look at it. Do you have any news items?
SPEAKER_01Uh just I d I just mentioned uh picnic post N L, they finally got a win at the Tour of Turkey. Casper Van Houden won stage five of the Tour of Turkey and now they are the there are no teams without at least one win in the 2026 season. It is taken until May. First week of May. That is brutal.
SPEAKER_02Five months to get the for to chalk chalk up the first win for that team. That is brutal. Alright. So we'll talk a little bit of um Beyond the Slipstream fantasy. So you had yet another good week. One another week on the strength of Lotta Kapeki. Um you did total out 43 points for May so far. Um you got a jersey win, stage win, a couple of seconds, uh, all from Lotta Kapeki, which which brought your May total to 43. I had a solid week. I got up to uh 22.
SPEAKER_01It's really interesting how how this like works out because like you know, Lotta gave me nothing like in the beginning, but other writers were giving me stuff, and then like they they dropped off. Now she's stepping in, you know, and it and I mean, you know, like we were talking earlier, like we've had some injuries and people coming in and out. So things change. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_02So I uh I ended the week with 22. The overall standings though are still Matt 777, triple sevens, and me 438. So I got a lot of I mean, I need I need a lot of work from Jonas, man. I need some I need sprints with m I need I need ones and twos from from Manier and Milan, and I need Vingigo to just go ham and try to, you know, hopefully win at least two jerseys. He needs to poka char this thing. He does. I need him to poka char the shit out of the Jiro. Like 100%.
SPEAKER_01You know, you you you are you know, those are those are probably the most two likely people in the race to earn points and they're both years. So you're looking decent. I mean I don't have anyone in that race at all. I won't be getting any points from the Giro d'Italia. So that makes you feel that makes you feel better. I literally won't get any points at all. I will not because I cannot. I need that. I need that though. All right.
SPEAKER_02Let's uh let's let's head to Bulgaria, let's jump in the broom wagon. Uh what do you got for us this week, sir?
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, we uh have become accustomed to to moaning and groaning about these these uh race or these these broadcast organizations that that see fit to to just have one person calling a bike race. It's annoying. Nobody nobody wants to listen to a bike race that's called by one person. We will, we happily will, and you know, we'll give those people their their flowers, but it's just annoying. Like it's uh it's better when there's two people to play off of each other and they can each add their own spin, and it's just uh it's just better vibes overall, wouldn't you agree? I totally agree. Right. Well, unfortunately, that's not always the case, and we have talked in the past about our beloved Hannah Walker, who is quite adept at handling a one-woman show. Uh, you've got Jose Bain also can can slide right in there and get the job done. And uh the the latest one who uh shepherded us very, very skillfully through the women's vuelta, Joanna Rousel. And I wanted to talk, I want to talk, talk a little bit about Joanna Rousel and who she is where she came from.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. I want to say, before you get into it though, I do want to say I think that it's I think it's really shitty on I mean this is it over and over again, it ends up being the NBC version of this that we are really lamenting a lot. But it's like the women already kind of get the short end of the stick already, but boy, they are doing nothing, absolutely nothing, to change that. All right, and that's ASO. You know, it's it's the NBC side, it's the ASO, and it's like the ASO does not give a shit about women, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I I don't know how long you would have to go back before they weren't broadcasting the women's races. Progress continues to be made, but I take your point. Um, Joanna Rousel, uh bare minimum. It's bare minimum, is what they're doing. Yeah. She she had an incredible career as a track cyclist. Um, she is a multiple Olympic gold medalist, including um in the women's team pursuit in 2012 and 2016. Uh she won five world championships, four in the team pursuit and one in the individual pursuit. And she is the current world record holder in the three-kilometer team pursuit. So she uh has a she's a massive talent and uh and this is for team team GB, Great Britain. Um so massive talent on the track cycling side of things, which was I I was somewhat surprised by that, um, given how astute she is with um with the uh you know road road racing. Um in 2013 she was appointed as a member of the Order of the British Empire in MBE. This is the lowest of the five classes of that order, the top two of which entitle an honoree uh to call themselves a knight or a dame. Uh and in case you were wondering, Sir Mark Cavendish is a knight commander, which is the second of the two levels. He can call himself Sir Mark if he likes. Um Joanna Rousel has alopecia ariata. You may be familiar with alopecia from the uh the slap herd around the world. Um uh what is it? Will Will Smith's wife, uh what's what's her name? I can't remember. Um, has alopecia. Yeah, Jada Pickett Smith. Um it's alopecia, it's a skin condition where which results uh, among other things, in hair loss. Um and she's a big advocate for people with alopecia and has made many, many public appearances. San's wig, uh including many of her biggest bike races. There's all kinds of pictures of her like holding up her gold medals and her bald head and all of her teammates around her. And I mean, you know, so you have to just love her for for that. Um and if you Google this woman, you don't there is not a lot in there about her being an announcer at all. It's all track racing stuff. You really got to dig deep. But I did get into her Instagram a little bit, and um, she started off as a track cycling commentator and has now moved into the road racing space. And I included a couple of photos if you wanted to look. Um one is her home setup for for calling the race, and I just absolutely love looking at all the details. I mean, she has just got like multiple different highlighters, and you can see where she's done all this different highlighting on her on her sheets in front of her, and you can see on the board in front of her, it's like all kinds of race information that she can refer to quickly. She's got like three screens going. I mean, like she is ready to go. Of course, she's got her headset with the built-in microphone, uh, something which I I might like to look into. Um, and uh the final picture is the shot of her setup at the Vuelta. So she mentioned multiple times throughout this race how fortunate she was to actually be on site for the race. And for the last two stages, uh where they were finishing on the top of these hills, these tiny little roads at the top of the hills, she was stuffed into the front seat of the of the van that they were using for like their their broadcast or whatever. And uh she basically was looking at a screen that was mounted to the dashboard and she had like a race booklet in her lap, and that's it. Like, good on you, man. You're you're you are a pro because I tell you what, sometimes you'd see some racer pop off the front of the front of the race, you know, halfway through with 72 kilometers ago, and it'd be some woman you've never heard of, and she'd be popping off about like, oh, that's da-da-da-da, and she did this and she did that. And so uh I just want to say Joanna Roussel, the Beyond the Slip Stream podcast, salutes you.
SPEAKER_02Awesome, awesome, awesome. Um, I so mine is just real quick. Uh I don't know if you if you are familiar with the the Sigma Sports Cafe ride with Matt Stevens. Um great great series, great series that they do on YouTube. Um, he did his most recent episode with Cassia Newodoma. Um it is so good. It is absolutely so, so good. Um, Matt Stevens, great interviewer. He is just excellent. Um, but it is a really, really uh great interview that they have. Um really nice interaction that they have with or with the three of the with the two of them and her husband, Taylor Finney, um in their home. It's really, really sweet. But then she gives some really, really good insight into the how you know friendships and things work and respect works in the Peloton. I highly recommend it. Uh I'll throw put a link in the in the in the show notes, and you know, I I definitely, you know, if you've got uh 20 minutes to devote to it, it is a worthwhile interview. Uh that's all for this week. Join us next week. Wait.
SPEAKER_01Uh I just wanted to say Matt Stevens. Um got when you mentioned it. Matt Stevens, it got me thinking of uh of um the the the breakaway group. And you know, we mentioned Orla, of course, and then you've got the fashion plate Adam on the other side. I kind of like the vibes from the other two, like how eclectic the mix of the four is because Robbie McEwan, he's like, he's just like fitness dad. You know what I mean? He's just like wearing jeans and a sweater and a pair of sneaks, you know, and he's super fit and just got the short haircut, you know. Very it's not I wouldn't call it conservative, I would just call it like right down the middle. And then like Matt Stevens has got total like punk rock vibes. He's always got like jeans and some cool looking boots or you know, a little black t shirt, black band t-shirt happening under there. He's got the longish hair, you know. He's just he just looks like a rake, you know what I mean? Just I love Matt Stevens, dude. Like, he can do no wrong, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_02Super cool, super cool. All right. Okay. That's all that's all for this week. Join us next week for coverage of week one of the men's Jared Italia, as well as the men's tour of Hungary and the women's Itzulia Bass Country Stage Races. Until then, for my brother Matt, I'm Justin Harper. Thank you for listening. We hope you'll join us again soon for another ride Beyond the Slipstream. Alay.
SPEAKER_01Beyond the Slipstream is a part of the Harporama family of podcasts. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Please like and subscribe, smash that button, leave a five star review, and most importantly, tell all your friends about us. Thanks for listening. Talk to you next time.
SPEAKER_03Alay
