In this episode we talk with Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley to find out what it takes to win a Grand Tour. And we’re not only talking about the 3 weeks during the race, but also the decades of work and journey beforehand. From lifestyle, to family and support, to self-belief, to training and a lifelong passion for cycling - herein we dig into Jai Hindley’s journey from a 6 year old rider with a dream through to Grand Tour winner. Warning: This is not a full episode - to hear the full...

In this two part series we chat with Dr. Teun van Erp, current data scientist with INEOS Grenadiers, about how World Tour cyclists train and perform during competitions. In our opinion, given Tuen’s extensive research and experience working with World Tour cyclists, he is one of the best people in the field to discuss this topic with. In this episode we examine Dr. Teun’s research further and get into the details of how pro men and women cyclists actually train. But this episode is more...

In this two part series we chat with Dr. Teun van Erp, current data scientist with INEOS Grenadiers, about how World Tour cyclists train and perform during competitions. In our opinion, given Tuen’s extensive research and experience working with World Tour cyclists, he is one of the best people in the field to discuss this topic with. In this episode we take aim at measures of training load in training and racing. One of the measures discussed is TSS - aka, the training stress score from...

Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast!  In this day and age of power meters, advanced physiologic metrics, and emphasis on aerodynamics it is very easy to overlook other key components of cycling performance- such as the emotional state of the athlete. In this episode we discuss the importance of a cyclist’s emotions when pursuing peak performance in the sport. To best facilitate the exploration of this topic we talked with Sport Psychologist Dr. Elisabetta Borgia. Dr. Borgia...

Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast!  In this episode we chat with Luke Plapp - Olympic bronze medalist on the track, current Australian Road Champion, and Ineos Grenadiers rider- about his transition from a successful track cyclist to racing on the road at the World Tour level. And contrary to what one might initially think, his transition between these two roles was much more complicated than simply adding more “base” to his training schedule. Luke has moved across the world...

Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast!  In this episode we continue our trip down the rabbit hole of exercise intensity with Dr. Nick Jamnick (part 2 of 2). Previously, we critically examined graded exercise tests, VO2max testing, lactate thresholds, and the usefulness of lactate testing. Herein, we dive deep into Nick’s comprehensive review critiquing the common methods of determining and prescribing exercise intensity. This review evaluated different methods of prescribing...

Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast!  When it comes to performing and prescribing training sessions, there are four main principles to consider: frequency, duration, volume, and intensity. The first three of these principles are relatively simple and agreed upon. However, when it comes to exercise intensity we can quickly find ourselves traveling down a crazy rabbit hole- as it’s definitely not as simple as exercising at a percentage of FTP. In the next two episodes we go deep...

On this show we really enjoy talking about the nuts and bolts of cycling performance. Whether it’s determining thresholds, approaches to training, or race tactics and skills, if you’ve listened to the show before you know we love that stuff. But in this episode we want to change gears a bit and ask you this simple and straightforward question: How is your head? Here we discuss mental wellness and its importance in human performance. To facilitate this conversation we invited Shannon Malseed...

In this episode we continue our discussion with Dr. Dajo Sanders (part 2 of 2), an individual whose skill and expertise in the realm of cycling performance are well developed. Dajo is a prolific researcher in many aspects of endurance training and specializes in the very distinct research cohort that is well-trained high-performance cyclists. He is also a member of the performance group at Team DSM where he uses his experience and knowledge to help World Tour cyclists perform at their...

There are many components within endurance training. Take for example field-testing, training intensity distribution, or training load. Each of these components have dozens of papers in the scientific literature that can help guide a cyclist’s training and a coach’s practice. However, contrary to what one might think, taking findings from research, evaluating them, and then effectively putting them into practice is a skill unto itself.   In this episode (which is a part 1 of 2) we talk with...

Hey there! After a bit of a break in recording at the end of 2021 we (the co-hosts) sat down for a catch-up and to talk some shop. This episode can be best described as a throwback to our roots when we used to host chats on the Clubhouse app. Just a pro cyclist, a professional coach, and a sport scientist asking each other questions, giving opinions, and having a laugh. In this episode we discuss Australian road nats, training assistant apps for cyclists, the coach’s role in an athlete’s...

Follow this link to take the listener Survey: Take the Survey Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://forms.gle/dCkiBuWDSdetwquH8 This week it’s a meander through some performance-related topics like coaching, marginal gains, performance teams, training load, and more with Simon Jones. Don’t know who that is - I’m sure if you’ve been a fan of cycling for any time, you know a rider or a team he’s worked with - with a performance career in cycling for over 25 years...

Follow this link to take the listener Survey: Take the Survey Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://forms.gle/dCkiBuWDSdetwquH8 In this part two on critical power (CP) we continue our conversation with Jason Bartram and cover W’ and W’ balance. Additionally, we consider what the CP metrics can realistically add to your cycling performance and coaching practice. And… it might actually surprise you what Jason’s (JB’s) takeaways are for these measures, after...

Follow this link to take the listener Survey: Take the Survey Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://forms.gle/dCkiBuWDSdetwquH8 Is there a better measure of threshold for cyclists out there than FTP? Yes! We think there is. Welcome to the world of critical power (CP), W’, and W’ balance- truly science-based measures related to the “anaerobic” threshold. While the advantages of CP over FTP are many, its determination is a bit more complicated than 95% of your...

Dr. Paolo Menaspà is the current Chief Science Officer at the Australian Institute of Sport and has had a long and interesting career in the world of high-performance. Previously, he worked as the Head of Performance Solutions at AusCycling, was a performance manager and coach for Team BikeExchange and the Australian National Team, and a sport scientist and coach at Sport Service Mapei.  We discuss with Paolo what it means to be a generalist; how his role as a generalist and solutions...

The performance mind may be touted as the last frontier of human performance - but what we’re talking about today has nothing to do with the exploration of the various factors that affect endurance and how much -- or how little -- we know about each of them. Today it’s all about concrete insights by doing an inventory of your mental strengths and weaknesses and then using some recommended tools and skills to improve your mental performance in two ways - one, make your bad days less bad and...

This is a bonus episode where Jason Answers a question from Harry Sweeny on thermoregulation and how it affects WorldTour riders. If you ever ride around in the cold you will find this interesting.  This is Jason Boynton, Ph.D. from boyntoncoaching.com answering the question. The Cycling Performance Club is also brought to you by Damian Ruse of semiprocycling.com and Cyrus Monk of cyclistscientist.com. Find us here: Instagram: @cyclingperformanceclub Facebook:...