Superteam Supremacy S2E29

This week we’ll be discussing Jonas Vingegaard’s dominant performance in Week 2 of the 2026 Giro d’Italia as part of a larger discussion of the dominance of the “Superteams” in modern professional cycling. We’ll also do an Orla Chennaoui fit-check, a Fantasy League update, and as always, we’ll finish with a ride in the Broom Wagon.

Jonas Vingegaard Calling His Shot

The Cycling Podcast and their Instagram Page

Trailblazer Alfonsina Strada: One Woman’s Battle at the Giro d'Italia | The Power of Sport

Polti Visit Malta Riders Bottle Control

The Unmatched Beauty of the Giro D’Italia

The Story of The Maglia Nera

How Astana Celebrated Bettiol's Win

Giro Broadcasters Play With The Graphics Package as Amateur Follows The Peleton on Stage 15

Max Walsheid Thinks the Motorbikes Helped the Break

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

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. Aloy.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Hello and welcome to Beyond the Slipstream. I'm Justin, and this is my brother Matt. And today on the show, we find ourselves entering the third week of the 2026 Jared Italia, with a leaderboard looking pretty much exactly as we expected, with Jonas Vingegaard sitting atop the GC standings. The Dane has been looking magisterial, winning on mountaintops with his mouth closed, predicting wins in his pre-race interviews, and doing it all while under the weather, as we learn this week. Impressive is an understatement. And while the inevitability of his completion of the Grand Tour slam looms large, his challenge to Tade Pagachar later in the summer at the Tour de France gets more tantalizing with each passing stage. Seven of the top ten spots in the GC competition are occupied by riders from so-called super teams. But what's that? A no UAE team Emirates? By some miracle, no. UAE does not have a rider in the top ten. But that's no matter. They've still managed to mop up about 30% of the stage wins. And the Jiro ain't the only place where Super Teams reign supreme. This week saw Red Bull totally dominate the five-day-long four days of Dunkirk stage race. While on the women's side, Team SD works Pro Time, the once in Future Juggernaut, completed a fairly dominant week of its own. So stay with us as we dig into all that and more. Plus, we'll have an Orla fit check, a fantasy league update, and as always, we'll finish out with a moto assisted sprint on the streets of Milan in the broomwagon. Ale. Welcome to the show, everybody. Another wonderful week of racing in the bag. Uh the Giro has shaped up and not disappointed and in the least. Um I do believe that you know we're not under very many surprises as far as the GC, but it has not been without its ups and downs, its trials and tribulations, and its wonderful successes. We've seen some really, really wonderful things this week. I know uh Alberto Betiol's win reigns up there for me as far as one of my uh highlights of the last two and a half weeks. Uh what about you? What what is what is uh sticking out in your mind about this Jiro so far?

SPEAKER_02 3:09

Uh some great wins, at least for this week. As you said, not only Betty all's on stage 13, but Sagart's on the day before on stage 12. Um both of those were like late attack wins that were just super, super exciting. I mean, if you want to start with Betty Oll, like the way he attacked, like in the thick of that crowd as they're like going up that climb, people screaming everywhere, and like the the the power of his attack as he just like plowed around the outside. And by the time he hit that inside corner, like you know, two seconds later, the speed was you could just you could visibly see the difference in the speed between between him and uh was it Lechnson that he that he went past. Um yeah, that was that was something else. Man, he's he's uh he's an odd bird in a way. Um it's he's either it's feast or famine with him. He's either just like nowhere's villa, but then suddenly like he's like, oh, remember me?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Yeah, no kidding. Well, trust me, everybody remembers who he is this week, that's for sure. Um, they had a they and they had a lot of fun with it, you know, after the stage, and you know, apparently they they celebrated in the in the old fashion with uh apparently a lot of booze. So I'm glad glad to hear that. Like um, I know that we really, you know, like that is a team that you and I have both you know taken kind of under the wing because we are so enamored with you know the the team dynamic and what they're able to accomplish.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Um, you know, it it's yeah the continuing the continuing Astana story is just I mean this they just never never disappoint, you know what I mean? If if they're not out there mopping up, you know, four fourth and ninth every other stage of stage race, they're taking a huge win. I mean, it's like nothing this team can't do. They were they already have two wins.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Do you realize that they're in fifth place? They're in fifth place right now for UCI points. All right, the only teams that are ahead of them right now, currently, are Decathlon, Visma, Red Bull, and obviously UAE. All the super teams.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

But isn't that a good thing? Yeah, it's it's oh it's wild. Um that actually the mention of Betty all winning that day puts me in mind of of something else that I was wanted to mention. Um, and that is, you know, it was cool that it's cool anytime an Italian takes a win in the Giro d'Italia. Um would have been really, really cool that day if if Filippo Ghana could have won because it was like in his home region, if not his hometown, that day. Um and he is not without some success here in this uh in this race and in this week because we started off the way the week on Tuesday with his stage 10 ITT win, which completely dominant.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Yes. I mean, absolutely destroyed the field. I mean, there wasn't anybody close.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

Yeah, I think uh was it um Timon Ahrensman, I think, got second that day, and he was still down like a minute and twenty-five or something like that. I mean, total, total dominance. But this is the thing with Ghana, like why like like take a you take a look at at um Deversnez's win on stage 15, or you look at Sega, especially Sagart's win on stage 12. Why is Filippo Ghana not doing the Alex Sagart? Like, you know, he's done.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

He did it earlier this year. He did it when we when he beat Wow.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Right. He did, but he got it, he got it that one time. But like, why isn't he doing that all the time? With the engine that that dude has got and the ability to he he also has a sprinting ability. He has the two things that you need to do, you know, final one, two, three kilometer breakaways. You need to be able to put in a huge burst of speed to get off the front, and then you need to be able to maintain that speed for a couple of kilometers to get across the finish line first. And I don't know. I I I I I find it odd that he is not going after those kinds of winds more often.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

I agree with you. I wonder if it has more to do with what happens prior to those points. I mean, I would think that the the stage would have to be pretty like, you know, um really, really suit him for that, where he, you know, it doesn't have to exert himself early on, you know what I mean? Because who knows? As big as he is, man, dude, something even some of those lower, you know, lower category climbs that they go through on some of these stages probably zap him pretty hard.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Yeah, but the the the stage where Segart won, like that that was uh the the whole Peloton was together.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Everybody was was Yeah, but that doesn't mean that doesn't mean that he didn't exert himself a a lot to be there.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

And I will admit that like you know, Ineos um our net company uh has a lot going on in this race right now with Aaron's been, you know, in the top five, I think, and and Bernal kind of kind of hanging in in there as well. So um, you know, he could be forgiven if he's burying himself, you know, in service of the other riders. Uh but yeah, I don't know. I I I think he in general he seems to be missing opportunities, or they could they could be they could be gearing him for some for more opportunities because I think he's got what it takes to win. Let's talk about how Alex Segart won that race. I mean, he I gotta give that guy so much credit. I mean, it wasn't it wasn't just his his speed and power. Um very, very canny uh reading reading of the race.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

It's a very astute move. He like he when he makes his move, it was just it was just perfectly timed.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

And he's very good at it. Well, not only is it timed perfectly, but but the fact that Lisa Bike had five guys on the front of that race and they have zero interest in winning. Um they are not hunting stage wins at all. They know that they're gonna get stage wins every time they go up a mountaintop finish with Jonas Fingegaard. So all they care about is being in the front and keeping everybody safe, you know, not being in the mix or whatever. And they basically provide perfect cover for Segaart to get off the front. Um, and and one of the absolute camera shots of the year is right at it was basically like just after Sagart was clear of the Visma squad on the on the nose of the Peloton, um, they're coming around a right-hand bend and there's like a stone wall on the left. And for just the briefest of moments, you got nothing in the shot except Alex Sagart kicked over at about a about a 45 degree angle coming through that turn. And uh no sooner it no sooner is he out of the turn than he is just stomping on the pedals. Um, and uh, you know, this is uh this is what he showed us that he was capable of at the end of last year. And uh I'm this this is an exciting guy to watch, and it's just interesting that he finds himself in and amongst this other super team that's got all these other weapons. I mean, you know, Paul Paul Sexas is the is the big, big, big story on this team, except that this week Felix Gall is the big, big, big story on this team, except this week Alex Sagard is the star.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Like, it's just wild, man. Yeah, well, and and let's not forget that they also have somebody that's basically had zero mention for the entire year. They have another giant sprinter named Olaf Coy, yeah, who's been sick all year, and you would literally like again, they're definitely a super team. I mean, you know, there's there's no doubt, like, like they've got a lot, they got a hell. They have uh um who's the who's the other the other guy?

SPEAKER_02 11:26

Um Sam Sam uh what's his name?

SPEAKER_01 11:28

Tobias Lund and Dreyson.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Oh yeah, Tobias, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Who's also been killing it this year? That's what I'm saying. Like they that team has major depth. I said it, I said it at the end of the I said it during the offseason the most that you know this team has major depth. All right, and they have a lot of potential to to do a lot of stuff. And now that they've got the GC guy, they've got the sprinters, they've got the domestiques. I mean, this is a team that the sky's the limit for sure.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Well, it's an embarrassment of riches. I mean, they don't have the GC guy, they have two GC guys if we're willing to include Felix Gall in that, who's who's very likely could end up in second, you know, uh in the Jiro. So they got two, they got two GC guys. Uh they got they have they have in Alex Sagart, they've got a T T guy and a and a and a and a puncher guy. And then as you said, they've got they've got Olaf Coy in there and and to uh Tobias Lyndonderson is as as sprinters. I mean, like in a stable in breadth.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

A stable of really good domestiques like Pederson and um oh, what is that other guy's name?

SPEAKER_02 12:40

I I wish I could say Paripantra as well. Um yeah, no, they're they're that this this this that is a team that is fun to watch and um it's just shaping up for such a fun tour de France. I mean, really, really uh incredible. Um let speak speaking of which go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

I was gonna say let's jump over to the other to the other big super team, and you know, in my opinion, the the they should be winning, you know, all the all of the team camaraderie awards, it's Vis Melisabike, dude. Like this team is all in for Jonas, and they are dumping themselves to keep him where he needs to be. And as we as we can literally see, if you saw the pictures of Tim Rex just in pain doing 400 watts up of most the most ridiculous climb that we've seen so far, and just completely crushing himself to death to put them, you know, in position. And then you've got Vic Campan Arts, who is the teammate of teammates, apparently. I mean, just the best dude that you could have. Literally, uh it's in my notes. If you scroll down, there's like a this great, this great shot of him just dumping water on Tim Rex. And, you know, between you know, them those two, Coos, um, and and in my opinion, the probably the star of stage, what was it, 14 on uh with the big climb, is is Pig Pignasoli. All right. Pignzoli is a I mean, like, he best be on the team. He best be on the on the tour team.

SPEAKER_02 14:23

He's like the he's like the Jonas, he's like the Jonas of like six years ago, you know, like when Yonas was like making his his big announcement, like that Piganzoli is like right in that spot. I mean, good lord. Oh my god. Like he he got he got second on that stage, I believe. Um first of all, Tim Rex the that is it it has to be the the single greatest pain face I I have ever seen in watching a bike race. Like it it was it was absolutely I mean the agony that was written across that man's face, it was unreal. And I mean they had a field day with it um afterwards, um, you know, in the breakaway. Uh sure enough, the very next morning, Anders Milka is out there and he's like, So Tim Rex, what's up with that face you pulled yesterday? I mean, everybody is making a big deal of it. And I love the way Campanard swung at doused him down with the water, but then he was just like, I don't know if you caught it, but like he was kind of chatting to him, and basically what he what he was saying was uh you're not done. So I know that was a lot, but there's more to go. So so you know, get yourself back together, get back on the front because we're gonna we're gonna need some more work out of you. Oh yeah, there's no doubt about that. Just awesome. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

And I mean they they they seem to have a you know a coalescence that is just very, very, very strong. And they, you know, and again, I mean, Sepp looked good. I obviously pig Pignizoli just I mean, he looked better than he looked better than Cus, in my opinion. And he did. He got fourth on that stage. He only came in behind Gall and Hinley, all right, who are your GC leaders, and I I'm pretty sure that Pignazzoli is top ten right now on GC. Alright. I'm I'm about I'm really like in the 90% surety if if you could double check that. All right.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

Um I can double check that for you. Pigonzoli I think he's in the top. He's not in the top ten. Then he's just outside. Uh he oh no, he is. He is he is at 10th. That's right, that's right. That's right. He he with that with that performance on that stage, he he scooted into uh into 10th position.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

So um now, you know, and obviously, all right, so and you can tell that this confidence is is is moving through the whole team by you know, I think one of the cool things that really came out of this week was Jonas Vingigo, of all people, all right, who is typically the most like laid back, chill guy, calls his shot, all right, the night before this big climb. It's like, yeah, we're going for it. Like 100%. I have a I have a couple of of uh of quotes here. Hold on, let me pull them up here. Um so the night before he said, I'm ready, so is the team. It's a stage I'd like to go for. It would be fantastic to get the pink jersey. And the goal is to have it in Rome. I've always said that every day you wear a leader's jersey, it's an honor. And then ahead of the stage, he literally says, Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're this is we're we're gonna win that, we're gonna win today. We're gonna take the jersey, we're gonna win today.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

Yeah, he's freaking Babe Ruth pointing of left field.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

And then exactly, and they and then they go out and do it, and then we find out that he's not even been a hundred percent, that he's been battling illness for the last ten days.

SPEAKER_02 17:59

Impressive.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Like, and what does that mean? See, because now my wheels are spinning when it comes to the tour, okay, because we know that Wout Van Art is is is putting all of his training focus right now into his tour prep. All right, so now into this mix we add in Wout Van Art, okay, who we know is a tremendous teammate, has helped Jonas win two tours already. All right. I'm assuming the Pignzole Pignonzoli goes. All right. I know I you I know Campin' Arts will go. So there's there's four, okay. So there's four riders right there. You have to imagine that they take Cus, right? They have to take Cus. So that's five. Tim Rex has completely shown his worth. So I put him.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

I don't think Rex will be going.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

You don't think Rex will go?

SPEAKER_02 18:51

No. I mean, I think he has certainly made a big statement, but I don't I don't think he's quite there um with some of the other guys that they have.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Um so who do you round who do you round out the other three spots with? If you assume if we assume if we assume that Jonas, wow, Vic, all right, Pignazzoli, and um and Cus are all there. Who are your other three Vismariders that go to the tour?

SPEAKER_02 19:23

I don't know. I mean, they they've got they've got uh Hagenez, who is a great domestique, who is not here. Welcome Kelderman who Kel Kelderman Kelderman is out. Mateo Jorgensen is out um at least right now. Um yeah, kel kel Kelderman has nothing on his uh schedule.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Jorgensen's probably in there.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Um no, Jorgensen is out right now as well with a collarbone. Um, but he does have he does have Tour de France on his schedule, so I guess he's he's supposed to be coming back. Um interesting. I don't know, man. And then uh I don't know, you could I could see um I wait how what's Laporte? Laporte's got nothing on his program. He had a he had a training crash. Um thinking who else could be in there.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

Um either way, it doesn't at this point to me they are they have the pieces that could take Pagatra on. If they and but again, I think it's gonna come down to tactics. I think they have to push him. They have to push him. They've gotta what they have to do is isolate him, in my opinion. They need to isolate him and push him as hard as they possibly can. Because they have to break him. Like if they leave him, if they play the safe game with him, he's gonna beat them. He just will. He's too he's he's just too good. So they have to do something different. If they want to win the tour, they have to do something outside the box. They are not gonna beat him head to head. All right, it's we know that it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

So I I I disagree. I I I'm I'm I I would I'm not willing to say make it a firm, hard statement, they can't beat Poga Char head to head. Um their their domestiques are as good as UAE's domestiques. And looking at Jonas's performance all year long, um it it's it's impossible to say whether whether Pogachar is is better than him right now. I mean, he really seems like he is he is putting out the minimal amount of effort. I mean, he he wasn't even windy. at the top of of uh uh of stage uh of the climb at stage 14. He he like he didn't even look stressed at all at the top of that climb. Um yeah I mean I mean will Pogachar you know put him into the red or close to the red sure but I you know he he could be on just as good his form. We don't know where Pogachar's form is. We have to assume it'll be fantastic it always is but um I don't know I I I think it I think this one could be end up being like the battle for the ages right here and especially coming off of you know I talked well in in the importance of this Jiro win for Jonas because he will be so much more relaxed going into the tour. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

Well and and you also have the wild cards of you know Remco and say Shoss now going to be in in this mix. So you're gonna have a lot more people throwing attacks at it and and that could benefit Vistma if they are just playing their own game. So I don't know I think the tour is shaping up to be extremely interesting hopefully way more interesting than it has been in the last you know especially the last two years. You know the last two years he has just absolutely dominated it.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

You know it's it's been a couple years since we had a tour that was really really interesting but I think this one is shaping up to have a lot of a lot of interesting uh a lot of interesting bits and they have made it hard you know they have purposely tried to pagachar proof it so I don't know we'll see uh we'll see what happens um I mean his memory serves like Jonas last year was just kind of like a half step a half step off anyways like he just he did not seem um physically to to really be there this year seems like a whole different story I mean I know that that some some people were talking about kind of like oh well why didn't Jonas do better in the T T why isn't you why is Jonas only winning by by you know 20 seconds over Felix Gall instead of a minute and stuff like that but I think all of that is down to him just just holding back a little bit knowing that he's got the Tour de France coming and feeling very confident that he's going to win this race like he is not worried about winning this race at all. And when it comes to his T T while he has put in really stellar TT performances in the past most of them have been on uphill courses and this was like an absolute pan pan pan flat TT 40 kilometer time trial yeah I mean this thing was super huge and if we're to believe what's been said he's he's he wasn't feeling well but he still cut 20 second 27 seconds of his deficit to his competitors on the time trial.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

So he didn't have a great time trial but he still cut GC deficit with the time trial so you know yes he didn't win but he was never going to win considering what you know what uh Ghana did so you know I I I don't think you can really I don't think you can fault I don't I can't I'm not I'm saying that you can't fault him you can't say that he's having a bad tour by any stretch of the imagination because I think you're right.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

I don't think that he's putting himself in the red and I don't think he's been putting himself in the red specifically because he hasn't been at a hundred percent in not at a hundred percent and this is not a I mean if you look at the if you look at the the IT I mean every single person that could possibly challenge him uh is is below him on on the on the finish line I mean I mean store came in behind him came in behind him Hindley came in behind Bernal Harper uh uh Gall like they all they all finished way way down from him so he he ain't worried um I agree bodes well for your uh fantasy uh for your fantasy but he's gonna be going up against my fantasy juggernaut so um yeah yes I know I know I know that's gonna be fun we'll get into all of that yeah yeah we'll get into that later later um so continuing on with the Jiro all right what did you so where do you stand on the controversy in on stage 15 so stage 15 ends with a four man breakaway um the Vernus takes the stage win I also want to get to the stage win with him here real quick but you know we've already talked a little bit you know this season about the motorbikes and and there being a lot of there's a lot of griping going on when it comes to these motorbikes and drafting and and um um what's his name came out and said flat out um what's his name max uh yeah max valscheid max max valscheid came out flat out and said you know I would I'm doing 500 watts and I know what I can do and I and and the fact that I'm I'm out putting this much power and so are so are a bunch of other guys all right that are putting out that much power and we can't catch them it's it it seems impossible and you had toias um London Dreys and waving off the the bikes to get away from the Peloton all right now I don't know if that's because he knows he's got a a uh a teammate up front and he's waving them off so that the Peloton doesn't get the benefit or if he's waving them off because you know he wants to keep everything fair but you know I I understand everybody saying that you know this is how it's always been and you know they've been you know it when you're going into a city center it creates a vacuum and you know Robbie McEwen you know was talking about it on the breakaway I get it but the other part of the equation is is that all the equipment and everything with the riders is getting faster too are they you know could they be benefiting even more now than they did in the past from you know being drug essentially drug in by a by a motorbike and it it's also you know you had three Italians in the breakaway you know in an Italian race yeah I mean there there you there will be no definitive answer to the question you you you can't know what was in the mind of the of the the motorbike driver or if there's a grand conspiracy amongst the race organizers and they're you know calling down on the radio to the motorcycle guy saying slow down a little bit man help those guys out I mean it would be hard to believe if that was going on I doubt that that's happening and I and I don't and I don't think the raider the racers are I don't think that there's a grand conspiracy but I I think that there needs to be some amount of you know awareness of it to keep you know to keep this there definitely is awareness of it they talk about it all the time I mean it constant it's it's always coming up whether or not it's happening or not but I mean you know I look at I look at um the the the those comments that he made after the after the race um and I credit him for you know being outspoken. We always like it when when racers are outspoken like that certainly for no other reason gives us a you know a little something to chew on a little a little Razmataz um but by the same token watch the watch the last watch the last 10 kilometers of the race and and tell me which teams were on the front trying to pull it back because the only ones I really clocked on the front doing anything were uh were the Rose Rockets and I feel and and I and and yeah little track and sure you know Max uh who was it Max Max Valscheid. Yeah Max Valscheid was was part of Little Trek um and they were working but you know he could just as easily be pointing the finger at any of those other teams that were out there with sprinters who were just sitting in the wheels you know not not doing their share of work. It's it is it is un exc inexcusable for the Peloton not to have caught that breakaway they never let him get that far out to begin with knowing full well that it was going to be a sprint finish and you know you you know you got played that that's kind of the way I see it I you know I don't I don't think that I mean because they they were they were well behind those guys you know it wasn't like they were they were swallowing them up as they crossed the finish line or whatever I'm pretty sure all four of those guys in the breakaway got across the line before the first guy in the Peloton did so um they did because Monier beat the best of the rest and took the took the white jersey back.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

He was fifth.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Right right so you know I think uh I think in in the end uh Val Scheid was just yeah just finished sprinting and his adrenaline was up and he was pissed off and I think he could have been just as angry at his fellow riders as he was at the motorbike. I mean the way he said it seemed so you know so astute like nah nah not possible that was that 100 you know I mean he seemed so matter of fact like oh that was 100% the motorbikes because like you know with the speed we were going I know I know how much power I'm putting out he made it very scientific as as Matt Stevens said.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

He had a very scientific answer for it. So um did you catch on stage 15 I did put it in our because so in the show notes in the show notes um I have the we'll have the this week on Instagram did you see the where the race like um I don't even know what you'd call it the the broadcasters put the put the chaser symbol on the guy on the other side of the canal the amateur that was like riding with the Peloton on stage 15 did you see that no like on purpose like being yeah yeah yeah there was a guy so on stage 15 obviously we have a sprint stage it's fairly boring there's not a lot going on at one point they're going along this canal and on the opposite side of the canal there is like a bike path and there's it or a road or whatever but there's a parallel road to the main road that the riders are on and then the canal and then this little road and there's an amateur out there doing like 50k you know in keeping up with the Peloton and the broadcasters put the little you know how you know how like when they're they'll put like the little arrow like from the body and well they put it on this guy and it says chaser and they're like rolling along with it. I put it in the in the this week on Instagram uh you should definitely check it out if uh if you get a chance it was one of my my favorite little moments of the of the week um this is I mean I I say it I'll say it now say it again I'm sure next week this is by far my favorite of the grand tours I love this race and you know I think that the the beauty of this race is unmatched I think that you know it's just it's it's a really really really fun grand tour.

SPEAKER_02 33:42

When they were going along that lake on stage 14 I think it was um it just doesn't get more gorgeous than that.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

I mean some of those shots where you could see the lake in the foreground the hills rising up and then off in the distance you could see the the Italian Alps I mean just and they had they had like crazy shots there's a great on the on the the um the giro website they they have um and on the giro app they'll have like some photos and there's just some unbelievable photos there was a photo from I think it was from yes from from Sunday stage where they were like looking at the Peloton like through these trees like it's just like some of the stuff that they come up with man is just crazy.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

The great one amazing there was one on stage 12 it was like 162 kilometers to go or whatever you know like way back in the stage but it was this unreal helicopter shot where they're kind of like following the riders and you see them disappear into this tunnel and then and then the the helicopter flies up the side of the mountain like while they're below in the tunnel and as they crest as he crests the top of that mountain you see this like unbelievable valley out in front of you and it's got one of those elevated roadways that they've got all through Europe where it's like you know 200 feet high pillars with this like roadway running down the center of this valley and they kind of linger on this like beautiful panoramic shot and then they start zooming back into that roadway and sure enough boom the riders come out of the tunnel and it keeps going and it's just like uh yeah the helicopter the helicopter work is amazing in this race I I will say I'm definitely a little disappointed there's basically I haven't seen a single drone shot that I can think of. Yeah I don't know that the that I can recall any drone shots either. Disappointing speaking speaking of visuals one last thing I wanted to shoehorn in before uh before we put the Jiro uh portion of the show to bed um Tade Pagachar he wins Mont Sanremo and when he wins he he does a he he he assumes a position that is I think hitherto something we haven't seen out of him which is like the very low to the bars leaning off to the side thing. Jonas Vigard has now adopted that position as as a winning uh as a as like a winning gesture because on stage 14 Do you not know what he's doing? No what what is the deal with that? He's kissing his handlebars there's a picture of his wife and kids on the handlebars he kisses it three he kisses the picture three times and then he sits up kisses his ring and then he puts his hands on it oh okay all right I thought the ring was for the family so I didn't realize because I knew I've seen that picture they z they zoom in on that picture on his handlebars like before every before every stage it seems like um aha okay all right good well I'm I'm glad I'm glad to have that put to bed for me because I've been wondering about that it just seems a little too coincidental that like like as soon as Tadi Pagachar has like kind of made this gesture I mean I think he his was more like that was like his bike throw and he was just happy to be there right when he won that when he won that race um so uh good to know jon Jonas's is much more purposeful he he kisses the picture kisses the ring and then and then does Viking Jesus yeah Viking Jesus is also also good and I mean like just like I said he he couldn't have just looked any more calm collected as he won that race he's just like sitting up and smiling I mean he's barely breathing like it's by the way he he looks he looked great in blue he looked even better in pink yeah what an assassin dude he he made that he yesterday he made that that pink kit look good what hey what did real quick before we put a pin in it what'd you think about them neutralizing the stage and like all that like hullabaloo about you know whatever them kind of I think kind of the same way as I was I'm with him with I don't know I guess I'm I'm turning into like the the old the old guy or whatever I'm just kind of like it's it's freaking bike racing man you're gonna go to Milan there's gonna be shit on the roads like deal with it I don't know yeah like there's there's you know the city city finishes like this are a huge part of grand tours it's you know like seeing all those crowds and everything it's it's I know it's definitely part of fantastic and you know there's a safety concern in having stages that stretch out in one big long long long long line versus putting them into a circuit course yes the circuit course presents other safety factors but it alleviates other safety factors so you know it's it's I don't know I I'm I'm I'm kind of the same way as I felt about about the the thing with the uh with the motor pacing it's like it's it's kind of a part of bike racing like those guys know that if they're in a breakaway they might they might be be getting some motor pacing so it's part of playing the game so I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

All right on that note we'll put a cork in it we'll come back we're gonna talk super teams and their dominance in uh cycling right now and we'll get into the Volta of Burgos stay with us we'll be right back please check out our other show Inglorious Brothers a pop culture show with Cult Classic swagger search and subscribe in Apple Podcasts Spotify and YouTube or click the link in the show notes welcome back so one of the things that we wanted to talk about this week is the dominance of super teams and how it is relating to the current landscape of the of the pro Peloton and it wasn't kind of more obvious than in uh the Vuelta Albergos with the ladies this week as Misha Bradevold who is you know the I I don't know super domestique maybe I don't know how you'd call it because dude she wins as much as as a as a top writer so at at this point so it's almost hard to call her super domestique but you know she is you know she takes two uh take takes a stage uh can I make a comment about about that sure sure sure um I have for years loved this one thing that I've I've always loved about team sd works you know they're one of these embarrassment of riches type teams and have been for years even though Volering you know is out the door um they still retain three giant heavy hitters plus Anna von der Bregen um and thank you for not be making her one of the three thank you and uh they they are so good at I'm either totally switched on as the focus of my team I am the focus rider and everybody else goes all in for me or I am all in for somebody else and not maintaining any kind of personal ambition uh insofar as this particular stage is concerned.

SPEAKER_02 41:08

You know what I mean? Like it is it is teamwork at the highest level in a way with this team because they all have these weapons that are completely capable of dominating a given stage or or winning with authority on a given stage and because of that fact the others are absolutely willing to go all in for them you know and and they Lorena Vibas is a domestique many many days of the year. Lotta Kapeki is a domestique many days of the year you know it's and it's the same with Bradevault and all those other and Anna Vanderbreken I mean she's the biggest one of all in a way she almost never uh takes that opportunity for herself um and uh yeah that's uh to their credit it is to their credit I mean don't get me wrong they're sharing the wins everybody gets a little something on that team it seems like um or a lot of something or a lot of something yeah I don't want and I don't want to take away from what Misha Bradebold's done over the last couple weeks because she's been riding extremely well you know but it's you know it did it wasn't I wasn't thinking about it before you brought it up this morning you know before we started recording but you're right I mean it's it's right now we're seeing an utter dominance it's it's crazy because we're seeing two types of dominance in pro cycling we're seeing the Tade Pagachar dominance which that in and of itself kind of dominates its own conversation but then one rung below that you're right most of everything else is getting mopped up by these bigger teams now that's not to say that there aren't wins by Astana and wins by you know Movie Star and you know you the blind squirrels are finding nuts in different places.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

However on the world in the world tour races it's almost exclusively you know big ass teams that are taking the wins you know what I mean again you're gonna have your your you know stage 15 of the Giro where a you know X mobility rider you know wins from the breakaway it happens but you're absolutely right that even even a decimated UAE team at the Giro has you know what three or four stage wins at this point. You know no GC rider but they still have four wins and when you look at the women's side of things it it is kind of like you know four big teams are winning everything.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

Yep yep um I mean you you need look no further than the first day of racing this week Tuesday we got an ITT won by Filippo Ghana in the in the Giro uh for net company Ineos and you got the Dunkirk classic with the one day race to Start off Dunkirk Week. Um won by scrappy young American, Artem Schmidt, go USA. Uh, and that was that was he won that race with authority.

SPEAKER_01 44:12

I don't know how much you watched of it, but uh I mean it was slow, it was Pagachar-esque solo breakaway.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

Yeah, and I loved uh the image as he crossed the finish line covered in mud, just looking like a warrior, the young man. So um, I mean, right there.

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Uh well, and that you know, as in as as Ineos moves its way out, I'm sure that they're gonna grab another giant big sponsor because you know that they are the the premier British team, and I I would assume that they will have no problem picking up a another title sponsor that you know keeps them in in their with their giant budget. You know what I mean? Because they've been having a great season, they've been having a resurgent season, you know, and again, it's not G they don't they haven't taken any, you know, major GC wins, but they're picking up stages in one days all over the place.

SPEAKER_02 45:11

Yeah. Um move forward a day uh this past week to Wednesday, only one you know big race. Uh Janet Narvaez wins for UAE. Go forward another day. Uh you got Sagart from Decathlon winning in the Jiro. You got uh uh uh who was it? Oh Vebus winning for SD Works Pro Time in Burgos. Day before that, you had Lawrence Pithy on Wednesday uh uh winning for Red Bull. Um I mean your only outliers this this whole week between the men and the women was uh a Fenix premiere tech win by Yara Castelline in Burgos and uh the the Moby Star win from Tetzfatsion and the Uno X win.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Yeah, you're right. And I mean, and I you look, and I would not say that Fenix De Kenick isn't is is uh you know not a big team. I mean, they've got Puck Petersa and you know plenty, you know, they might not have the budget of of UAE, but they've got some big hitters, and I will say that that's Yara Castle, that's probably Yara Castelline's biggest win. And you know, she dominated that climb. All right, like she deserves ever she could deserve all the flowers because she rode away on that stage. But you know, you're right, outside of three or four different wins, you know, it it's all big teams. And I really I wasn't seeing it until you said it. And now the more I think about it, the more right I think you really are.

SPEAKER_02 46:52

Hey, the the the Antwerp Port Epic for the Women, SD Works Pro Time, Femcomarcus wins. You know, as if as if they're three, as if they're they're three wins uh in Burgos weren't enough.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Well, and it's it's pretty amazing the depth that these big teams are able to produce and how they can win in all of these kind of different ways. And you know, they've got you're right, it's an embarrassment of riches, but it's like amazing to me how deep the bench goes with some of these teams. It's you know what I mean. You're like, oh, I for you there they have so many good riders that you're like, oh, I forgot that this guy is on that team, or that gal is on this team. You know what I mean? I mean it's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Some of those weapons, too. Like you know, you you said that like Pogachar is like a singular Poga Char event when it comes to you know the the win factor or whatever. But I mean Lorraine of Vivis is basically his equal, like she just she just cannot be beaten. Like there was the one blip a couple of months ago where she got a sixth place or something. It was the first time it happened in like two and a half years or whatever. But I mean, she is so dominant.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

Well, she was boxed out, she wasn't in the sprint. I mean, like, she didn't get a full run-up.

SPEAKER_02 48:15

And even when she sets up Breedwald on stage three, she still mops up third. You know, like uh it's just ridiculous. So I do have to thank Yara Casterline for snatching that GC win away from Misha Breedavald, so I could uh at least not not get pummeled quite as bad this week.

SPEAKER_01 48:34

Um I still pull it out, I still pull it out of Jersey, though. I still pull it out of Jersey because uh um uh Bredebold won the points. Or uh not uh not Breadable, but Weebus won the points.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

So I still got a GC jersey. So that was that was a smooth 25 points from her.

SPEAKER_02 48:55

Yep. Um and then if you uh the other, you know, the other stage race this week was Dunkirk, and we got a fair bit of dominance in that race uh by yet another one of the super teams that we haven't spoken about as much. Uh Red Bull Bora Hansgrow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

And totally from their like B squad. Like in their B squad is still dominating five-day stage races.

SPEAKER_02 49:22

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 49:23

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 49:25

Yeah, yeah. I I forgot to mention also in the Antwerp Port Epic won by Femka Marcus for SD Works. Uh second was Mart Delocke for SD Works. Oh, and uh third was Femka Haritza from SD works.

SPEAKER_01 49:40

Yeah, they did they took a one, two, three in that race. Yes, that is correct.

SPEAKER_02 49:44

Unbelievable. Yeah. So um, yeah, but uh but turning to um turning to uh Dunkirk for the men, uh number one Pithy, Pithy grabs that that the the first sprint over CoCart and Aske um with an absolute like perfect positioning uh move on the inside line. I mean, uh what's his name? Lewis ASCII absolutely could have won that race if he wanted to. If he would have stayed to the right and known that the very fin, you know, the the last two curves that finish a little bit better.

SPEAKER_01 50:19

Um too many turns coming into that finish, in my opinion. The the the that I did not like the the way that the that that race ended.

SPEAKER_02 50:28

It's well ASCII was a full a full bike length ahead throughout that that last little stretch or last little like 200 250 meters, um, maybe even a little bit further out, and was looking strong. And it was just that the the way it ended, it was a right-hand bend into the but with the finish line very shortly after the bend. And uh Pithy just at the last second, just like snuck through the right-hand side, and you know, won because of a bend in the road, essentially. Uh, but he won nonetheless. He's a great rider, the Kiwi, and uh managed to hold on to that GC leaders jersey uh for uh the rest of the race.

SPEAKER_01 51:16

Yep, no, he absolutely did. Um Victor Papon took stage two. You know, uh Rasmus Tiller stage three. It's I don't know, man. It's it's it's crazy to see these smaller races also because I mean you will get those in some of these smaller races, like where you had Tom Crabble, you know, pull a couple of stages a couple of weeks ago, and you know, there are smaller teams that can win, but you're right when you know it's I it's hard to say, man, when you put even Lawrence Pithy and Danny Van Popel and Jordy Mayus in a race, like that's not a bad squad, man. Especially against especially when you're not going up against some of the biggest riders on, you know, out there.

SPEAKER_02 52:07

Yeah, and Mayos, you know, bookended the week with the win on the final stage. Um and uh we we f finally got a bunch sprint in that race. It was it was like four straight days of like reduced group sprints and then a bunch of sprint. Another another team, it's funny, the the other teams that we're talking about really that are not these super teams are the Astanas of the world and also Uno X, like two teams that sort of like save themselves from the jaws of relegation over the past couple of years and are now just just consistently getting good results. We saw uh Uno X um you know take that the big stage on Sun Sunday yesterday um in uh Milan with the with the Versnez and then um Rasmus Tiller gets the uh gets the win over pithy uh on stage three. So um it just seems like there's there's some other teams out there that are just doing nothing. Just nothing. Like FDJ.

SPEAKER_01 53:14

Like they're non-existent as far as I mean like EF. Considering how much they win on the women's side, FDJ, because obviously, you know, they've got demi vollering.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

Yeah, but I think that's one I think that's one of the ones where those two teams are not related.

SPEAKER_01 53:30

Well, and on but on the men's side, I mean that's a non-existent team. Picnic Post and L, non-existent team.

SPEAKER_02 53:37

Yeah, I'm telling you, EF this year is like non-existent too.

SPEAKER_01 53:39

EF is EF is a perfect example. Like, EF's gonna end up digging themselves a hole. I mean, they need they where they were consistently getting a lot of top tens and you know, sneaking out a stage here or there. I mean, you know, they need a they need one of those Val Green, you know, uh kind of out of nowhere wins.

SPEAKER_02 54:00

Yeah, they need something.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

They they need to do something in this last week. I don't know what, but again, it's tough. They don't have Carapaz. Carapaz is one of those guys that can win a stage for them, especially when the climbing's tough.

SPEAKER_02 54:11

They need something out of Ben Healy, big time. Yeah, well. I guess, I guess the absence of Nilson Palace throughout the the last couple of months has also not not helped them as well, but yeah. Um meanwhile, your your Uno X's and your Astana's just go from strength to strength. And so, and so the great wheel continues turning.

SPEAKER_01 54:34

I just I think it's crazy to think that when you look at the current UCI point standings for teams, that Astana is uh in fifth behind the teams that they should be behind. They should be behind UAE and Visma. All right, they should be behind Little Trek and Um and Decathlon. Like those are four teams that Astana should never have more points than. But then they're number five. All right, they have more than NetCompany Inios, they have more than um um a lot of the teams. A lot of I mean all the teams. They have more than all the teams besides those four. But the fact that they are are able to they're able to put together a package that works for them to be competitive when they know that they're not going to take certain things. And because of that focus of, you know, why are we going to strive for something that we can't accomplish when we can strive for the things that we can accomplish? And they're very good at it.

SPEAKER_02 55:46

You know, and and and if you think about it, if if your goal is to always be, you know, getting two, three guys in the top 10, top 12, or whatever, the the the law of average is gonna say that sometimes they're gonna win. You know what I mean? Like if you're if you're if you're consistently putting guys in the top then, you're also going to consistently pick off a few wins here and there.

SPEAKER_01 56:07

Uh and they played in the and Astana, especially plays to their strengths. All right. They know how to capitalize when the opportunity is there, and they play to their strengths very, very well. And the Betty Ole win is a perfect example of of you know a guy that you know hasn't won a Jiro stage in 10 years or something like that. And you know, there he's able to come away with you know, probably one of the kind of most heartfelt wins of the week.

SPEAKER_02 56:40

Um, but you know, I let how his girlfriend just about like attacked him when when she finally saw him, like the the photographers are like trying to hold her back or whatever, and she's like, uh-uh, I'm not gonna be denied. She goes like bolting over there and like throws herself into his arms. And then as it turns out, like uh she was from that area, the the Felippo Ghana area, and like had a giant kids. Yeah. Of well, it was like apparently it's like all her family. They're like they've all become like giant Alberto Betty all fans, the whole fan club was out by the roadside.

SPEAKER_01 57:14

Um, so uh but you you have you have guys like Diego Ulisi Ulisi, um who by the way, I I put this, I put this in my notes because it popped up when I was watching. Diego Ulisi has raced 50,000 kilometers, all right, in 303 stages of 15 grand tours, all right, which is equal to 1.25 times around the world. All right.

SPEAKER_02 57:42

But you have riders like him, like um what's the um Well they had the one guy, one their their guy won last week and held how had the pink jersey for for two days, right?

SPEAKER_01 57:53

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um but uh there's also there's somebody there's a somebody I want to shout out, DM. I want to go to their I want to go to their um to their PCS page because there's one of the riders I can't think of his name right now, who I want to shout out. Davide Ballerini. No, he's another one, but they have I mean they have a great team. Christian Scarone. Ballerini is who is who won. Scarroni Clement Champoisson. Alright. This guy is an amazing teammate, and he keeps these guys in a very competitive way in many, many races. And it's it's the support of they don't have any one rider that is like where you would go, oh, like he like they have they have their leaders, don't get me wrong, but there isn't a single one of their people on their team where you'd be like, oh, he is hands down, you know, way way above the class of everybody. You got a bunch of blue-collar racers racing in a blue-collar style and being very successful at it against all odds, considering the amount of firepower that the teams ahead of them have, and they are finding ways to win. They have do they have as many stage stages won in this giro as UAE? Do they have four or do they have three?

SPEAKER_02 59:22

I think they have three. They've got the they've got the Guillermo Thomas Silva win in like stage two to give them the pink jersey, or maybe it was stage one. Um they have the ballerini uh win, um, who is unfortunately out of the Giro at this point. He had a crash the other day. Um and then the um the one the Betty all win.

SPEAKER_01 59:46

Yeah, three they have three, they have three stages. So they have three stages, yes.

SPEAKER_02 59:50

The the so strong three stages, and I think two days in pink.

SPEAKER_01 59:54

Yeah, and three stages in thir out of thirteen. They could easily come away with come away with a fourth stage win. They have almost as many stage wins as the juggernaut UAE team, and they have as many stage wins as Vesma.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:11

Yep. Well, that's gonna change. Something tells me Vesma will end up with a few more stage wins than that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:17

I'm thinking it's gonna be I'm thinking this is my prediction right now, is they're gonna come away with five.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:22

That sounds that sounds like a good number uh to me. Um another team that by the way, I forgot to mention when we were talking about Red Bull, um, they also took all three jerseys in Dunkirk. Lawrence Pithy took took green and and polka dots as well. Or I don't even know if it's polka dots, maybe it's green and and white. Um one team that one of the one of the second-tier teams that has I feel like has just kind of been a big part of the conversation this year without any really significant results, um, is Mobistar. I mean, they got a win for Eritrea, which we must shout that out. Another Eritrean has won a bike race, not Nel Tetzfacion, uh, on Saturday at Dunkirk. Um huge win.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:14

Um super cheeky move, too, man. Like, what a like I loved it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:19

Yeah, really, really great move. Um, poor Enrique Moss. You know, there was absolutely no way in the world possible that he was gonna beat Jonathan Narvaez uh on on uh stage 11 on Wednesday. But he was there, you know, he was out there, he's mixing it up. I mean, he he you know, he's he sort of he he dumped his GC aspirations after like the third or fourth stage. Um, but you know, has been somewhat of an animator.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:45

You've had um Sarah Martin was there animating for the women in in work in business.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:51

I mean, on the women's side, it's there's there's a lot more going on, I feel like, with that team. But on on the men's side, though, I mean, you you've uh they've also had um another another guy that was uh really animating things uh the other day. Um who was it? Oliveira? No. Uh oh Aina Rubio. Ina Rubio was out there um mixing it. Uh of course that guy Romeo has been having a good year. Uh Quintana.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:23

He's he's Romeo. Quintana had that win. Is the current Spanish champion, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:28

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:29

Um, Mobi Starr has both Spanish champions on both men's and on the men's and women's side.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:34

Pretty sure um Raúl Garcia Pierna got a win this year. Um that guy Olar or or Luis Olar was has been mixing it. So I feel like MobiStar is like you know, uncharacteristically kind of omnipresent this year. They they seem to be a team that that the the the the track is is seems to be going up for them at the moment.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:58

They have Ken Udibrooks as well on that team, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:01

You got your boy Kian. Yep. Who uh hopefully is he gonna be their Tour de France guy? He is going to the Tour de France.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:08

I assume he is their Tour de France guy.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:10

He is going to the Tour de France.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:11

So uh and I've always said that I think that that he he is better than what his results belie him for sure. Well, the upshot of this entire conversation, however, is uh that don't hey listen, don't forget Sandy Dujardin, all right, from from the little tiny uh total energies won the energy. Yeah, won the uh won the Maryland Sycing Classic. We can't forget that.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:39

I will never forget that. I I watched I watched him win it live. Um Sandez du Jardin. Um yeah. But the super teams uh continue to super team all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:55

Yeah, no. They really, they really, really do. Um so do you have do you have anything else before we kind of make our way into the into the next part of the show? I do not so why don't we why don't we hit our Orla fit check before we start rolling into the the kind of the end part of the show? Because she I feel like she really stepped her game up this week, finally.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:25

Um how you feel. I think while this week was better than last week, I think she is still uh a step below she was where she was last year. I thought I don't know. I feel like I feel like there's far less color in her wardrobe this year. Um my other takeaway is her best looks are sleeveless. Her her best look of the week was Saturday when she had the when she had the cargo pants with the uh with the pointy toe shoes, and then she just had the white tank top on.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:03

No, that's that was Friday. That was Friday.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:07

Oh, you have it as Saturday in the night.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:09

Or no, sorry, it is Saturday. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm looking at it backwards. You're right. Sorry, Saturday. You're right.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:15

Um she looked like a complete badass in that one.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:19

I see. I I liked I liked, and it is sleeveless, but I liked uh the Wednesday look a lot. The blue, like um, I don't even know what you'd say. It had like an off-the-shoulder situation going on.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:33

Yeah, yeah, that was the that was I thought the most interesting look of the week. Um certainly the most like sort of like fashion forward, I would say. Um second place would probably be our Tuesday look with that strange coat over top of the over top of the I feel like she looked like the principal of a private school. Yeah, that was but that's an interesting coat. I I I don't know that I've ever quite seen a coat like that where like the lapel is just cut off halfway down. Like the not not even the lapel, the whole like front panel is just like cut off halfway down.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:13

Almost like it's like a a like a shoulder like shawl type of situation.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:17

Yeah, it's very, very bizarre piece of clothing there. Um I thought the I thought the Thursday look was kind of forgettable, that like sort of pegged leg pantsuit situation did nothing for me. The Friday look, she she looked cool and sporty in the Friday look because she's like in a like a one-piece, like a one-piece kind of romper. Um her I I I think between that one and then the next one, like her sporty looks, I think, are better. She's a very like fit, she has a very athletic build and is like a very fit person. And I think like those those types of looks suit her maybe a little bit better.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:56

I think if if her Sunday look had had color and not been white would have been much better.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:01

She also um like she she she'll she kills it in like a short skirt look. You know what I mean? Like she's got very athletic legs and like she she's not she's not putting the legs out there at all, uh it seems like this year either. I don't know. It's gonna be interesting to see where she goes in week three, but uh I s once again salute you for taking the time to get those into the notes and saving me the trouble because I do like the Orla fit check.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:30

It is it is one of our favorite parts of the Jiro because we do we don't get to do it during the tour because we've got NBC.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:38

We'll do Bob roll and Phil Liggett's fit fit check.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:41

We'll do a bob roll beard check.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:43

Yeah, the beard, we'll do a beard check.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:48

All right, so that'll take us to um week two of my fantasy dominance of your comeback, the comeback kid. Look, dude, if you want to talk about two weeks where I absolut I mean, I my hole is still very significant. All right, but it two weeks where you bring up where you net zero points is very good for me.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:14

I mean, I barely had anyone writing at all. I mean, I had Mava Squeebon in uh in Burgos, but like that was that was basically it.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:23

So I I had another uh pretty pretty good week. I added 51 points to my total for May. So that brings my May total to 147 to your 43. So I've scored more than 100 points to the better on you. So like, you know, that is something that I needed to keep this competition still competitive.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:45

Well, and this would this what I've been saying all along when you were when you were well is me a couple of weeks back. It's just like who knows what's gonna happen in this thing. Like, there's just no predicting it. Like, we're we'll we'll see when we see.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:57

Well, and that brings you to triple sevens and a a total for me of 563. Um also, I you're like, I have no points from Iuso from Almeida. Like, I like I that is some a part of it, I think part of the equation that that I'm not taking into account is that play people that were gr would have garnered me points, you know, have not been present at all. So hopefully moving into the summer, you know, I'm gonna I'll be I'll be able to pick up some some extra points from those guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:33

Yeah, and I I don't have points from uh Kim Lacour or I don't think Pauline Ferrand Pervault has gotten any points this year either.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:40

So um you have definitely scored points with both of them, but just very small amounts. Very, very small amounts. Um so that that is all for the fantasy update. That's gonna take us into the into the broom wagon. And mine is a mine is a little bit longer, and and so what do you what do you got?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:59

Uh I am going to give another big rollicking endorsement to the cycling podcast this week. So um I've of course mentioned the cycling podcast before, but I don't know that I've ever completely dedicated a broomwagon to endorsing this show. But I I really believe it's it's the best thing going in the podcast world uh when it comes to professional cycling. Um the the quality of those shows is just unsurpassed. Um, and while I'm an avid listener of Lantern Rouge and and and some other stuff, um, the SBS podcasts, uh, and you know, for what they're doing on those shows, you know, they're they're they're doing what they do very, very well. But the cycling podcast, it's like it's like the gourmet meal of uh, you know, it's like the molecular gastronomy of cycling podcasting. Um, the production values are um incredible. Uh and I think where they really shine, I mean it's hard to say where they really shine, they nail it on on all fronts, but their Jiro coverage is especially good. Um they send a they send a team to each of the grand tours, but Daniel Freba is the one that that helms the Jiro coverage, and he's one of the the three founding members. Um of course it's founded by him, Lionel Burney, who is also a big part of the show in other ways, and then Richard Moore is the guy who passed away tragically a few years back, um, who was you know much beloved. Uh they so one of those guys is is always on site, you know, traveling around and following around the Grand Tour. A freebie goes to the Giro, and he's got like a special place in his heart for Italy. I mean, he absolutely loves Italy, and he is he is such an incredible host. He's a total scholar, you know, knows tons about cycling, cycling history. Um, and he's like a top-line, well-respected reporter, um, gets killer access. He's, you know, he's got full as as deep of a press access as somebody in the press can get. You know, the show is riddled with interviews from you know, all kinds of coaches, riders, top-level riders. I mean, he had he was interviewing Binga Guard the other day. Um, and uh he's just airudite and cultured, and he's really accommodating. He he is able to play off of his co-hosts really, really well and like turn the spotlight on them and give them their moments to shine.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:38

They crank those episodes out fast.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, the shows themselves have a really great, like kind of boots on the ground vibe. You get a really good idea of like what it's like being a journalist covering a grand tour that's moving across the country and you know, hearing what their days were like. They've got great sort of recurring segments, um, including like they most of them have their own like theme song. And if you listen to the podcast over the course of years, you like they they become familiar, they become as as much of a part of the the event as as anything else is for you, you know. That that that that theme song that that cool Italian band, you know, that they got. And it's just it's so great. And it sets the stage. Um, you know, each day, uh uh what's his name? Uh Pilacci, one of the uh what's the name? Uh Michelle Michele Pilacci, who's who's the Italian guy that's that that co-hosts the show, uh, rates each each each previous day or each day's stage on a on a scale of one to five sausages because his family's in the sausage business. Um there's another segment called Tomorrow's Stage, Yesterday's Dinner, uh, or today's dinner, where it's like they they talk about the upcoming stage and then they review what they had for dinner and like how good it was, and et cetera, et cetera. So you get to hear about all this like local cuisine. Um, when they were when the when the when they're in the spring classic season, they've got Corbet's corner, and they they he's you know, freebie because he's been a journalist for so long, has got a relationship with this guy, Hugo Corbet. He's a Belgian dude who used to write for the big Belgian news newspaper, I think Het Newsblad or whatever. He was like the cycling guy for that newspaper, and freebie knows them. And so now he gets him to like come in with like a little, you know, review of of whatever, you know, in the spring classics. And of course, Hugo Corbett, he's a longtime journalist, guys amazing at what he does. Um, so there's all of that to love. Um, they've got an entire other show for the women's side of the Peloton, it's got its own hosts. Uh, they've got Rose Manley, Denny Gray, and Rebecca Charlton, and it's like same format, same vibes, but you know, three different people just executing on a high level. Um, and then what I really love, did you catch the their kilometer zero uh series they did, Meltdown the Race to Escape Nuclear Disaster? Incredible. So Lionel Burney, um, usually, but but in this case it was Daniel Freeba, um, put out like a limited series podcast um because the race was starting in Bulgaria this year, uh, which was like a former like Eastern Bloc country. Um he went back and he did this thing taking a look at this race called the Peace Race that they used to do back then throughout those, uh throughout like the the former Eastern Bloc countries or whatever. And it was it it it took place around the time of Chernobyl. And the year after Chernobyl, like they raced that race and they were in the the fallout zone, you know, like it was quite dangerous, and many of the teams were like, nah, our our riders aren't going, we're not going anywhere near there. But like these other smaller teams sent riders and stuff. I mean, the whole thing was absolutely gripping, gripping podcasting. I was cooked. Um, so in addition to the best like day-to-day, you know, regular bike racing podcast in the world, they are also putting out these one-off, two-off limited series uh episodes that are just incredible. So if you're not listening to this podcast and you're a fan of pro cycling, you're just shooting yourself in the foot, get on it. It's called the Cycling Podcast. It's incredible. So, what do you got?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:15

Well, we're gonna do a little history lesson uh on Justin's broomwagon today. We are gonna be talking about Alfonsina Strata, all right, who lived from 1891 to 1959. Alfonsina Morini Strata was an Italian female cyclist who is the only woman to ever ride in one of cycling's three grand tours, having ridden in the Giro d'Italia in 1924. Born in Castellafranco, Emilia, near Modena, she was the daughter of a peasant family. According to lore, she grew up a tomboy playing with her brothers and friends and riding her father's bicycle till she was 10, when her father bought her a bike of her own in exchange for chickens. Some accounts say that villagers she passed while riding would cross themselves as her riding the bike was seen as a devil's activity. She won her first race at 13 in almost every race she entered after that, even boys' races. Her reputation earned her an invitation to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 1909. She was such a success that the Tsarina Alexandra wanted her husband, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, to give her a gold medal. She won 36 races against men and became the friends with such riders as Consante Gerodenga. She raced at Bologna and Paris and twice rode the Giro de Lombardia at a time when it was open to all. In 1915, she married Luigi Strada, who was also a rider and racer. He gave her a new racing bike with dropped bars as a president. The couple moved to Milan, where Luigi acted as her trainer. Strada's ride in the Giro d'Italia came about through a disagreement between the organizer Emilia Colombo and the top riders of the day. The riders refused to take part. Colombo did what the Tour de France had done and offered places to whoever wanted to ride. Gazetta della Sport promised to pay their bills, their hotels, and their food. Strada entered as Strada Alphonsine. The absence of the final O or A to her first name hid her gender. She was accepted as number 72, and assuming her to be a man, journalists began writing writing of Alfonsino. The truth emerged the day before the start, and by then it was too late. Battling brutal weather, unpaved rocky roads, and a severe crash that snapped her handlebars, which she famously repaired using a peasant's broomstick. Strata initially kept pace but was eventually excluded by race referees for finishing outside the time limit during the grueling seventh stage. Recognizing her immense popularity and the massive crowds gathering to cheer for her, race organizer Emilio Colombo allowed her to continue riding as an individual, showing immense resilience. She finished the entire 3,613-kilometer course to Milan, ultimately crossing the finish line ahead of two male competitors and earning a triumphant reception from the public. Isn't that awesome?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:50

I love it. We need the uh the biopic movie of this woman. Um I am going to nominate, I think her name is Monica Bello, the woman that played uh Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan movie from a couple of years ago. Uh I want her playing uh Alfonsina. Um I want this movie. And you know, that reminds me of of the uh the the message that you sent me earlier today. I know we didn't do a weekly news segment, but we can throw out one one little tidbit that I'm I'm quite excited about. Uh what was the name of that film, do you recall?

SPEAKER_01 1:20:32

Uh I'll have to look at our texts. Uh hold on. Let me go back and look. So there it's a Natalie Portman like uh movie. Um it's called Pumping Black. Yes, Pumping Black.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:48

And it's in the vein, it's in the vein of Whiplash and Black Swan. Psychological kind of kind of thriller, you know, two two minds, minds battling it out against each other. I can't wait for this thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:03

Yeah, dude, I'm super excited about that as well. It is going to be very, very good. And apparently it's already done. So hopefully it'll come out sometime very soon.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:14

So I mean it's it says that it was already picked up out of con, so I would think uh I would think that it's good that it's done. I wonder if there's a trailer for it. Um I'm about to look that up right now. The pumping black trailer. And there is a teaser, there is a teaser trailer.

unknown 1:21:38

Alright, well.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:39

Which actually has which actually has Nat Natalie Portman on the bike in the uh in the the opening image. I don't even know if I want to watch this trailer.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:49

Yeah, don't do it yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:51

I don't want to know anything about this movie. You might have to come down and watch so we can watch this together in a theater if it gets if it gets a theatrical release.

unknown 1:21:59

All right. All right.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:01

We can we can definitely try to make that happen.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:03

We will most certainly be covering it on the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:06

We definitely will be covering it on the show. That sounds like a perfect off-season topic. Uh we're covering it as soon as it comes out.

unknown 1:22:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:17

Sounds good. All right, that's all for this week. Join us next week as we finish up our coverage of the year's first men's grand tour. It's Giro d'Italia week three. The second women's grand tour of the season begins this week as well. So we'll dig into the opening weekend of the women's Giro d'Atalia. And we'll also take a look at the biggest gravel race of the year, Unbound, taking place in Emporia, Kansas, with the men's and women's Elite 200 races kicking off bright and early on Sunday morning. Until then, for my brother Matt, I'm Justin Harper. Thanks for listening. We hope you join us again soon for another ride Beyond the Slipstream. Ale.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:00

Beyond 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.