Brandon McNulty SHINES in Spain and Mathieu van der Poel World Champion again | Full Episode #54

Mathieu van der Poel managed to seal his sixth cyclocross world championship. Brandon McNulty won the Tour of Valenica and Mads Pedersen won the Etoile des Besseges.

Collaboration between @thecyclingdane and @OwDoCycling

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00:00 Intro
00:28 F1 meets Cycling
01:58 Cyclocross World Championships 2024
07:13 Alula Tour 2024
10:39 Tour of Valencia
19:33 Etoile des bessèges 2024
25:26 Can Mads Pedersen get into the galacticos?
33:42 Richard Carapaz still a world class rider?
47:18 Rider of the Week

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the ason cying podcast here episode 54 and also our birthday and uh more about that later y has baked a cake and this is of course where we talk about all things that’s happened in the world of cycling last week and also look

A bit into the future and as always I’m joined by Patrick Blake of a cycling and Mr K himself Yan Wilson and I mean guys big news of this week Lis Hamilton going to Ferrari sorry wrong podcast oh you would saying that we should like do some

Kind of weird crossover just to like get that involved but no ST is a CCL podcast there is a though there is a link yeah there was a weird crossover this week because had pogan came across someone car K car signs on a ride and also in

The past um who’s your runas when shla Clair has gone on a little group ride with bah marid back in 201819 as well so there are links and valter botas has a strong link to the to the prop pal and does a number of UCI gravel events so

Don’t even try to say they aren’t connected I mean his wife is a pro cyclist yeah that is very true they got F1 fans and cycling fans will come to realize that they have more in common than they realize we all love a little bit of Gossip we all love a little bit

Of like you know little bit of drama going on and we all love rooting for an underdog being severely disappointed biged in with with a lot of nepotism and and upper class uh professionals like a family lineage as well we love that as well you know it’s

Just the same sport we love aerodynamics well some people do very familiar with the Dutch national AEM at least if you’re a cycl cross fan I’m pretty sure you and you bake the cake not because it’s our birthday episode it’s because it’s the end of Psych cross on the

Podcast until the end of the season I have never been so happy to see the back end of cyc cross season it hasn’t enticed me for a number of years and this season did not disappoint and I think this world championship weekend was a perfect manifestation of this year

In cycl Cross everyone you expected to win one yeah legit I wonder what the odds were for Mach anal winning because it was a pretty boring race and the pressure on him must have been weird because it’s like you have to win like everyone’s basically saying You’ won

This already before human turned first pedal Stoke but like he didn’t disappoint i w when on the start not on the start either I mean that’s like his closest competitor so you wasn’t really close really van toor out does kind of like seem to pull out a good performance

Van toor came third was it nun house came second he’s had a very good season to be fair I thought we might as well just get the sross but just just kind of like done with I am a little bit like disappointed we didn’t get pin ronar in

The final Podium he’s had a banging season it would have been cool to see him get a medal here cuz he’s really been one of the St hand outs of um the past couple months in C cross more than V outs I would say for sure it’s just

Been like like he won European Champs and then he’s come third in a World Champ so it’s like he really turns on on the big stage but all the other kind of World Cup races it’s like he sort of just realized he wasn’t really in the contending for the World Cup win against

The likes of isabis and and Co and just sort of like checked out of that and just decided to focus on just like the big events which to be fair pretty decent move worked out because he’s won European Champs and finished third uh today in the in the men’s race so I

Think that’s pretty good it’s better than finishing fourth place in all World Cup races which nobody will be able to remember speaking of checking out a rider in top 10 at a home race Michael Bor of the Czech Republic good result for him uh he’s never really come I mean

Anywhere near a major like World Cup victory or or anything so this is quite cool to see him get top 10 here at his home World Championships which also saw the end ofa’s career the the Czech Rider who has been Cy crossball Champion did not get a

Road contract either for the next year and there is some form of um symmetry as well for vaner Paul he won his first cyc cross War championships in tabour and then winning the sixth again in the Czech city is quite a nice little piece of symmetry this a shame to see steveo

Kind of been a a bit of a nam stay him and kind of like him and bav and San kind of phasing out was like the 20 you know 16 dominant era of of the classics and yeah it’s a bit of a shame that we’re kind of just seeing those guys

Phasing out now with in the new era of Cycling Classic dominance through all the big names that we’ve talked about so much I mean is it the new era or we’re kind of getting towards this new era because much M while without they’re not getting younger well I would say it’s a

Consolidation of the postco cycling era in a way cuz we had that big paradigm shift I think in 2020 2021 there been a consolidation in the past maybe two years of that paradigm shift and some writers not in cycl crossy Cross in cyclocross a like a a

Little bit but like we’re talking about like Main St as well in in in the in the propilot on like your SE an aats penos and so forth like like who you mentioned so yeah I think it’s this weekend was incredibly predictable in the men’s the

Women’s in all the youth races as well you know if you put a gun to my head and ask me to predict a winner I probably could have got all of them correct that’s not a humble brag that is just playing obvious if you watched any moment well even if you’ve seen the

Results of a cyc cross race in 2023 stroke 24 it was a bit underwhelming I’d be intrigued to see what the sort of viewing Figures were for these races because yeah I think the only one that got a bit of a surprise was the relay event that silly little team relay thing

That was won by France in the end and actually quite a close Sprint between France and Great Britain I guess that was the only real surprise of the week every other race it kind of felt like a done deal from lap one you w’t so good at predicting you should just start

Selling your tips on Twitter like everybody else does well I mean I mean sorry but like which which guy is paying like 50 to have like access to these cycl cross predictions tips when it’s like the best the best ride of the men’s wall best ride of the women’s wall best

R in the other 23 is in both categories like it was so obvious who was going to win all these races do you think that was maybe the C as well it wasn’t particularly could have been harder but then if it’s harder does that not also enforce bigger gaps because you have

Bigger differences in the Riders like EV van the Paul is is we know he is the strongest anyway but if it’s a harder course with all these different obstacles maybe that makes him win by even more yeah he’s just gonna win just just a hot dog circuit on grass just

Just do grass league and and then cycle across just no no technical call at all because then maybe they have a shot nobody will probably beat back the PO even that point sure if Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates bids for Cy crossball Championship that that might

Be what it looks like speaking of bch the aula tour yes oh God the newly named alula tour formerly known as the Saudi tour which okay I was its cheerleader last week I’m not being paid by them I wouldn’t be surprised if they were Bank rolling someone to um to give them good

Promo but it was an okay week of racing I’m gonna say that it wasn’t awful but it wasn’t amazing the first stage was on by Kasper ven of Team DSM fic postnl reath second stage Was Won by Ser ven Shon in almost symmetrical finish to last year that he took the same stage

Win on Tim M won stage three and four interestingly with one of the longest Sprints we’ve seen in a Sprint finish over the past couple years he had to Sprint for over 20 seconds in the finale which is mly impressive if you know sprinting through the statistics and the

Final stage where everything was fought out at the sky views of harat ured that was won by Simon Yates in a little Sprint between William ler who’s had a lot of hype over the past year ahead of Finn Fisher black as well from uaet memorit who has been going from strength

To strength over the past 12 months so interesting results there at the alula which meant that’s the home team in quotation marks Simon Yates took the overall win ahead of William ler and Finn fiser black in third and interestingly B handc new signing Mato somero came in fourth place there we go

Also Brian kokar got a top 10 in this race isn’t that impressive yeah he’s is very surprisingly good at climbing is very easily slept on as to how good the climber card can be I’ll be honest with you I tuned in to like minute highlights of this race because I was just like

Yeah Sprint Sprint Sprint I am kind of surprised on stage five that Simon Yates won like when Micah and Finn Fisher black that front group for UE I would have thought they would have maybe done some one two attacks to at least kind of challenge it

But it looks like they just kind like rode as a four and just we’re hoping to beat E8 in a Sprint with finfisher black I guess but I don’t know that’s just kind of like by you know you could just hire me as a consultant to kind of give

This kind of advice post um post TR anyway you can go out if you want um yeah I don’t know Simon Yates wins after not winning the toall Down Under I guess this is a decent consolation considering that alula is a big backer of the Jak alula team

Obviously um would you think that the team would have preferred the toor Down Under win or this one which one you reckon is more important think they would even more confident about to dander when when they were talking about it pre-race as well saying they have they have a chance to

Win every single stage in that race um it didn’t come to anything I was intrigued to see how underwhelming they were in the Sprints however during that week of racing nowhere to be seen really uh instead Tim Malia really I mean kind of wiped the floor clean in that

Category which points towards good things for him this year once again raises questions about his Grand Tour starts as well this year cuz he’s accept the fact that he’s not going to the totter France where does that place him for a grand tour start does he go to the

Welta does he go to the G we don’t quite know do you want to talk more about Saudi Arabia or do you want to move on to welta a like Community to vill probably Valencia guess because I mean there wasn’t alula wasn’t super interesting in terms of racing I don’t

Think it gave away too much yeah about how the seasons go to pan out I think valenciano was a more interesting race with a higher caliber of uh of riders yeah you got something right Patrick you predicted matate morid to take a win and

He won it I did well hang on before we quick on to that I would like to point out people talk about ramp house inhuman and stuff like this at this time of year I would like to clarify I think we need to have a bit of categorization as to

What ramass inh humanas means I think for me people like it’s 16% it’s R passing Manus it’s not really cuz like I ride up a hill what 16% I’m not Pro a couple kilometers then that’s inhat yeah that’s different well yeah but like people like the S toughing is

Ramp pass in humanas it’s got one little like hair pin which is steep I’m like bro is it really though is it really ramp passing humas send them up Rosell chimney I’ll freaking know what ramp passing humanas is then anyway sorry ranto ramp passing needs to have a bit

More of a logistical where does it start 30% 30 okay that might be a little bit too much I was I just think that people say like it’s 12% it’s ramp passing humanas I just don’t think it is better sorry valenciana just because people said that this included ramp passing humanos on

Stage four when it didn’t but it kind of did because it lasted for a long time but anyway sorry where were we Mahar you predicted that right yeah I did I said that he was going to attack him at descent and he did and everybody knew that he was going

To do it and nobody could stop him and he won anyway so that’s was pretty impressive let’s just take this one uh chronologically stage one a fantastic Affair for the now known VF group formerly known as B chsf they took a one-w for with alisandra tonelli and Manuel tarzi despite the fact that

They almost went the wrong way around the roundabout uh with a couple kilometers to go stage two as you mentioned went to matate M on a descent Jonathan Milan won a Sprint on stage three stage four went to Brandon mcti after battling out with Santiago Bago

And sasio Lov on the rampus inh humanas aster and finally on the final day will Bara managed to outsmart the pelaton to take a final stage win ahead of the sprinting Jonathan Milan behind this meant that Brandon MCN took the overall win ahead of Santiago Pago and Sasha

Vlasov also in top 10 includes Alesandra tonelli surprisingly who finished in fourth place fifth to J hinley sixth to pale Bill b i mean they’re only really the guys of note that we should really mention however I will say Paul double who was on the sinking ship that was human

Powered Health had a fantastic tour linia last year and the year before he moved to pory Coma very quietly and managed to get 11th Place here at GC so fair play to him yeah that’s very true and also what’s his name um lonardi had some very good Sprints for py kter as

Well I think he finished third and second in some Sprints which I know it’s not the highest quality sprinting field we got here but you know results are results py Keta despite their slightly odd kits have pulled out some decent results this week so fair play sha yeah

I mean Jonathan Milan getting a first day join for new team as well that’s something to shout about especially since he said going into this race that he was just like not Bas he wasn’t sure what his legs were like and he was just going to sort of you know test it out

And just kind of see what the sensations were and any wins and he seems to just be climbing it spectacularly well too like getting over that climb on stage five which will B won that was like 5 kmers at 9% which again not ramp p in

Humanas and you like he made he made he made that when lots of other sprinters um were dropped and I just think that’s really impressive that he was able to do that for such for a guy who’s just he’s big like you know this is like a KES

Ride and K wouldn’t have made that in the past this show his new breed of sprinters just mental also it was cool to see Milan and consan linkup track mates in the Italian national team they’ve not been teammates at least at the professional level in the past and

Seeing them link up here was really cool and very successful so that could Point towards um a new little sprinting Duo Dynamic that we have here Kon I think in his nature could be a fantastic lead out man think quite provide that at CID when he was there had some chances for

Himself but now I think in that role he could be really influential and he knows Milan very well as I mentioned from his uh from their well joined track background maybe leel track in the offseason will try to get U Elia viviani as well to join that squad or pip oana

Just to sort of round out the Italian track racing team prob be pretty cool I mean Brendon walti we were talking about it last week and then just goes from like relatively obscurity we don’t know if he’s doing the tour the or the jro and then bang just wins the tour of

Valenciana I think that was pretty cool it’s super cool because he is the kind of guy who is definitely has these kind of results in him but doesn’t necessarily get the opportunity to chase it out and it was super cool to see see him have this chance here because it

Would have been easy for the team to say Felix Gran and you go for it you kind of won these races and beat no no no no no GR is not better than mug n te come on come up grow shut is like tour cont Contender

From back in the day yes come on in the Welter yeah in the with Welter oh Rous SC in the tour has he guided up yingo and taba no that was because they just sit in a crier chamber and get brought to the tour and like a layer of

Cling film and bubble wrap like Jonas isn’t seen for any single interes why we we’re not talking about yonas right now well it can always link back to yonas always can listen it’s a Well proven concept what were we even talking about MN MN get in the win which to be

Fair I kind of shat on mnal being well didn’t you call him faulty I I did um I did say he wasn’t quite cut out for GC leadership roles that that didn’t dat very well only took one one week for that comenting to uh to to age badly I think

Patrick was more showing his case and as we yot about him having maybe the chance to lead teams at these kind of smaller races yeah Patrick when you saying that this was the UAE 200 IQ move here that they’re going to and I was laughter Yeah by both of

Us by two people I would not be I mean I’m just looking the only other race that mcnu has has done just to kind of round us up is that is parin that’s the only race he’s got down for and you know there’s REM ccoo here and there’s there

There’s no like I don’t think there’s any paga here and I don’t think there’s any yonas here either I think it would be really interesting to see if mcau could convert this into a Pines Podium finish I think that would be a good uh progression yeah also looking at his

Previous performances as well he’s he went really well this part of of the year in 20122 had a really strong start of the year with uh the winner trophy of Calia in man in mayorca rather and then another Podium as well in the mayorca classics then went on to do well in

Alava finishing second one the fernades classic in the rad Valley in France went on to win a stage at parin um maybe it’s kind of replicating that form he was good in 2022 but didn’t really lead any teams that year so maybe it’s going to

Be a similar fate but that year at least he went to the turn of France but um unless something miraculous happens I don’t think he will go to the Tour of France also by the way his procycling stats is number four Rider this year so far well play that’s good stop the count

Yonas is washed he’s not even on there he was he was T everything’s just a complete lie I mean we might as well switch off focus over to France 12 de obviously great result for mes but yeah you and what happened in the race well

The stars of Bes the B began in um chaotic form stage one was cancelled uh due to Farmer protests you can Google this this is a widespread French thing that happened this week where farmers protested all across the country that canceled stage one which not going to

Lie for M Pac I’d be I’d be quite annoyed because um I mean of course solidar with the farmers but this was a really good stage for him where had that really steep I would say rampz and humas kind of style Sprint finale in Bel which

Is like a staple of the 12 I love this stage happens every year Aro Dee won it last year I believe and Cal’s went in the past but it’s usually it’s like this really strange sprinting uphill for La that reaches 10% nevertheless stage two is where the race actually started

Confusing I know Axel took the win the man who won the Under 23 World Title Here in Glasgow he took that one ahead of mass Pon Kevin VLAN and Kevin jenet the battle of the Kevin great win for axelos uh the Frenchman who’s had a really good sort of 12 months you have

To say Mass pacon took the following stage however indes ahead of Milan Mena of lot of Destiny had a fantastic 2023 and Rasmus tiller the former nor Regan Champion for Uno X Mobility this put Mass Pac in the leader Jersey a jersey that he didn’t lose uh until the end of

This race the next stage on stage four to Meen llap uh Samuel laru took the win for Van rle rub formerly known as Le Metropole rub they might have had another name by then the team that wears the very very pink kids that was one from a breakaway with stepan biter EF

Education First and dond who I completely forgot moved to D catlon um he was riding for alberon de kernick before Jos stage winner in the past former Belgian national champion he finished in third place Bast yonas Vier took the Sprint win in the Pelton a rider who just moved to unox mobility in

The off season then finally the iconic uphill time trial that we end at to the bes happened once more it was a good day for EF Education First with um five riders in in the top 10 but they didn’t take the win that went to normand’s very

On Kev VLAN who took the win ahead of M Pon and Alberto betol who finished in third place that’s also your top three but not in that order in the GC M pacon took the overall win just two seconds ahead of VLAN with Alberto betsol in

Third Ben hey in fourth Andy or the new signing for group arm Frances de in fifth there we go I honestly think if stage one happened I think it would have ended very similar to how stage two did I think it would have been a very

Similar top 10 it would have been the lauron it would have been pedison it would have been jenet I think it would have been those sorts of riders who would have been there so it basically I think it wouldn’t have changed the GC by having that additional stag in there

However it would have been nice to have that there I don’t know I don’t know sure what to take from this race because we’ve seen voolan do well in early season French stage races before you guys were all over him last year being real ISC okay the three of us were the

Originally cheerleaders but you two Kev VLAN oh you were having some great moments about him but list F it’s the face test it all by true he’s he’s building better this time trust me he’s only like 22 I think that it was a really impressive TT from vo I was I

Honestly thought pedison was going to win but I think the main thing is that like pedison is always sort of the favorite for this race and he just you know pretty easily took took control of it so yeah I don’t know what this means to pedison H honestly because of course he

Is building towards a very very busy year very similar to last year you could say in terms of kind of the number of race days and the number of serious events that he’s going to like the high caliber ones but he’s not up against that kind of competition here so I’m not

Sure whether this is just kind of like whether to just kind of take this as a or this is just kind of good form or to actually read something into all I’m seeing is that vlar has improved on last year last year he finished fourth in this state in this race this

Year he finished second overall um the tool desel marvar is coming up very very soon and I’m just going to say we’re going to see a Kevin vlar earthquake in the south of France it’s going to be fell all around Europe and Kevin vlar is going to light up the score sheets in

20124 last year he gave us a little bit of an ano push insta what he could bring to the wall of cycling and this year it’s going to be the full it’s going to be the full main course um but I mean there isn’t really much you can take

Away from this week I’ll be honest um I mean what is that to say it’s kind of like guys who have gone well in the early part of the Season before like Milan Mena um going well I better to bet y all always does well in this race he’s

Finished on the podium here what three times in the past um so like there’s not that much we can really take away Ping’s also done well in this race before like there’s not much to analyze but Axel I think wrode a good good race to win that

First stage um it definitely goes to show that he is a talent it’s a shame he kind of got dumped last year with the B&B project folding and he didn’t really get the chance to ride as many Walter races as he should have but this year

He’s back on the wour team and um it’ll be interesting to see what he can bring what about pison do you not think this could be his year to top all the big juggernauts get into that last Echelon that he’s not did this race really give you a

Glimpse of that like I’m I’m not doubting that that Pon is going to be up there I think he’s a great writer he’s such a Hardy Sprinter and a tough tough day Pac and is fantastic it’s a shame he’s around now with all these galacticos if he were around in the

Mid-20s that man would be hoovering vacuuming up Big Race SNS it’s just a shame he’s riding against so many like super versatile Riders we saw that at Glasgow in the wall is that he was incredibly strong that day but just he’s got these like super talents of padar

And R vard and Matti theol to contem with all the time it’s a shame but um I don’t think this race really tells us anything that we didn’t know beforehand he’ll probably go on to win at least one World Tour Sprint in the next two three

Months wait did you just call W rard a super talent I think that’s the first compliment you said what but not ever whoa whoa whoa feeling generous on my birthday uh yeah I mean it it is quite well like you guys said we don’t know anything until we hit the cobbles and

Yeah I I think based rather rather solely on the world Champs last year the fact with pedison like we had these patas and wild arts vanderpols and a complete different tier to pedison and I think that if there is going to be anybody in the pelaton who can breach

Into that category I think ps’s the guy because he was like you have he was so close to being third like he almost beat pachu on that world Champs day the fact that he’s even there is is insane shows he almost is on the same level consolidate this sorry Scot I’m

Going to consolidate this by mentioning the Vanda last year as yes exactly one of the most attritional monuments we’ve seen in a very long time he was fantastic in that race very daring uh maybe if he wasn’t quite as daring he would have had more left in the tank but

He left everything out on the road and still got a Podium place in that race out sprinting guys who probably or had easier times in the race than he had like what Berard well exactly and Al guys who were hanging on in that group as well neon Palace and so forth I know

They don’t have the natural sprinting skill but they weren’t quite as as exposed and solo as as Pearson was in that race so I think the world championships and the proved that he has real strength of character and real sort of fortitude earlier on I was talking about longest Sprints in procycling one

Of the longest Sprints we’ve had at a grand tour in a long time was that sprinted liage last year that peon took the win at beating guys like your yasper Philips say like k vard um who are a little bit more sort of they’re lighter they’re more sort of built for the

Sprints for pace and just sort of smashed it through on what was a really really long Sprint and took the win so I definitely think if anyone’s going to sort of smash through this galacticos and win a money this year Pon SP man we just need parro Bay to be wet and then

He’ll probably win it even at par Bay last year he definitely showed Oh yeah four like yeah four because he struggled at par Bay if you look at his par Bay record it’s not particularly great until last year and he was right up there again I wouldn’t

Be surprised if we see him M Pac and win at least one world T Classic this year he should really do you think Patterson’s winning a monument this year I don’t know I I also can tell you which one it was I’d say probably Ronda because he’s got the best record there

But if if as sended Amo came down like he looked good at Sano last year definitely improving on where he was before if he was up there in Sano and it was more of a sort of group Sprint kind of scenario I think he could definitely

Be there could he hang on to is like basically can he hang on to a vanderpol attack if it goes on the podo well I say if when it goes on the podo if he does and he hangs with it and it’s a one-on-one Sprint I think pedison hasn’t

At the same time as well would ma peon do a yasper Stan kind of thing and try to go on his own because people know what what Pon could bring in a Sprint people might be a little bit afraid he also might sort of wanted to be in a

Sprint scenario too much but if he was a little bit more daring and went out in his own and used that big engine that he has does he have a better chance of winning a solo than in a Sprint should he try to play that game we Haven hav’t

Had sort of big group Sprint for sandmo for the victory since 2019 that was before the co paradigm shift in the sport so maybe he has to evoke the spirit of his current teammate he has to stur take the win I think he could do it

That way for sure I think like you say if people look around like oh gosh ped’s on my wheel there’s no way I’m going to take him to the line maybe if you’re W you might fancy your chances but I think that if you’re a pagat or Pacha maharic

Vanderpol I think you would be quite nervous of the fact of ped doing that but if you just you know ped’s just by himself and he’s got two seconds you know two seconds at the bottom of the poo is almost like 10 seconds in in Sano it’s kind of weird because people just

Really very quickly start looking around and we’re almost focusing in that San Ramo is the one but I don’t think it is I think it’s par think yeah you think it’s Ru like you and said he had bad luck like he had a real tough Ru it’s

Very possible that he could have better look and he’s got he’s got a good team too yeah I mean is probably the worst one to try and win because anything can happen literally also I think just ru breeds like uber Specialists like guys who really smash R and we don’t see them

Elsewhere I don’t know if we’ve quite seen that much B okay okay but like in terms of there’re are guys who can get a really great Ron re and not quite be there other races like C asan for instance winner of R never ever top 10 per base

Being there like four or five times M Pac until recently not quite being up there Peter San until he won that race nowhere to be seen in pyro Bay like Ronda is the most obvious in terms of his his his track record once again it’s a shame that he’s around at the same

Time as Vander Paul and vacha who are so so good at that kind of profile because can he beat both of them don’t quite know unless it’s like a Sprint scenario but can he beat Vander ball in a reduced Bunch Sprint beat him no but we all remember that is

True again you just remember like that it’s just when they attack up the patberg like we all remember it like it’s just such a Savage attack when Vander Paul and pagat go just like I really just struggle to see anybody like even van I just really think that it’s

Like Pat and Vanderpool maybe that’s just the recency bias of last year kind of playing but I just think it’s going to be really hard for pedison to follow it but I do think but he he could do it if he’s got absolutely magic legs and

He’s had a really good day up to that point and hasn’t had to deal with any mechanical or setbacks and he’s got the freshest legs possible is it’s possible he could hang in lombardia are we saying he wins tour of lomber you do this one into it nobody’s beting T yeah no one’s

Beating T like it’s such a hard era to be like of fifth best puncher in the world because like there’s such like a big like ession of guys and you got the couple in between I think pason’s not far off being a galactico he has like really really strong results he’s a

World champion for Christ’s sake you know the best World Champ well Al yeah that was a banging World Championships absolutely that was yeah K uh in terms of the men’s race at least e or or bham may be a little bit more realistic this year sorry to R in his

Parade it’s true now because Mato Jorgenson is actually winning those than I’ve already called it I’ve already called that mat winning E3 it’s gonna be Mato Jenson and W vard coming across a line holding hands and W vard gives the win to Mato jinson because Wild’s gonna win next week Ronda

Wait heard that one before but anyways we might as well move on there were um national championships going on no it’s not July already we had South Africa’s World Champ national championships going on briyan Gibbons winning the road race and I think he won the TT as well and

Then we also had the Ecuador national championships as well where the winner in the time trial was Richard kopas but it was not him in the road race who was it no it was the very informed yonathan Nas of inos grenadiers he took that ahead of Kath who finished in second

Place third place goes to Jefferson Alo sepa that’s the one who rides for Kel whilst Jefferson Alexander Sepeda the one who rides for de finished in fourth place really wish the parents gave them different names um nevertheless Nas just carrying on the really great form he had

In Australia he was fantastic in toand and at the Ocean Road Race thing and that silly little Criterion beforehand um so cool to see him win there and if you look at the podium celebration they bring out this like hog roast like they’re all on the podium and there’s

This huge tray of what I think is like just like a hog roasted pig Nas and kapas just like eat a little bit off this hog roast whilst they’re on the podium I wish I had more context for our Ecuadorian viewers out there can you please give us a little bit of context

As to why there was um a cooked pig presented to Jonathan Nas after winning his national championships but um this does also put an end to an iconic era let’s let’s light a let’s light a candle in memory of the very very cool Ecuadorian EF national champions Jersey

Particularly the one for this season we’ll see in the time trials but like not really um so it’s a real but like time TR stages aren’t really like big deals and you’re saying that Richard Caz is not someone we’re going to see in a time trial basically

Well there’s only like 10 12 time Char stages per year so like that’s like minimal amount and if he goes so early we don’t get it on camera then what’s the point it’s only like 30 minutes if it’s if it’s a prologue we only get that

Jersey on screen for 6 minutes come on I want that Jersey back in your scadas you better do a good job if they don’t do a good job which they probably won’t um I I will demand NZ ceremonially hands that national champions title to Richard katath in the name of fashion and style

And taste but I mean staying on kater pass uh you and you had some ins for well few nuggets of carass obviously last year he didn’t quite achieve the big Bill that he he would brought to the team because of a crash on stage one of

The sort of France but yeah what’s kind of the mmers around Richard cater pass well definitely a disappointing to of France last year crashed on day one you spoke to Jonathan vter last year um about how he got Richard carow and the big effort that that the team and the

Sponsor has put in actually securing the rider and making sure they have a legitimate gr to Contender for 2023 didn’t quite go to plan but this week Jonathan VES in the media uh was was talking about carass being the most talented GC Rider they’ve had on that

Team in any iteration so it’s going to be interesting to see what this team what what caraz will bring this year given that he’s got such backing within the EF setup uh despite the fact he hasn’t really given them any major results so far a win last year at the

Merant AL classic uh in the south of France it’s the only thing really to go by alongside I mean a strong sort of Italian classic season towards the end but no real victories not even at s of World Tour race Podium apart from a day he sprinted well in the Criterium D Doan

When he lost out to J fipe lashz du so definitely in need of really proving himself this year otherwise he could Fade Into Obscurity very quickly especially once those golden armbands disappear well they won’t disappear but they’ll become a lot less important after the Paris Olympic Games assuming

That he doesn’t win on that Cobble course through M Matra which I don’t think he will that’s very true I’m just looking back through ef’s teams through the years and Scott has informed me before um recording that I can’t go back to the cat liquid can and H days doesn’t

Count doesn’t count to look for talented Riders and I will admit caras is probably most the most talented one that they really 2017 Oran was second in the tour different era though yeah but I mean vus has the numbers so he knows he knows his Riders better than three

People having a cycling podcast so I just felt that’s a different era of cycling like you said there was a shift after Co and the fact that carapaz was on the podium of a tour postco I think is more impressed to me even if it was a step lower than around finishing in

Second place prior to Co in the era that’s just my take on it so I would say that carad probably is the most kind of high-profile GC do they have that’s definitely proved by how much they pay him which is you know always been rumored to be like two million whatever

A year don’t quote me on that that’s just like you know random numbers get thrown around that nobody really has any sources for so yeah I think maras what I don’t really know what I expect from this year I think he really needs to be top five in the tour to be

Like you know a for EF to be quite happy with him theyve put a lot into him and considering that we got very little out of him last year like Yan was saying giving him a run giving us a rundown of the results from 2023 I think that this

Does need to be a good year for caras for sure he’d very quickly turn into a sort of um Flash in the pan kind of writer it is incredibly imp impressive like his Grand to record is fantastic removed last year’s to of France of course but he’s been on the podium at an

Awful lot of these of these races he’s finished on the podium of a grand tour in 2019 2020 2021 2022 that’s fantastic pogacha and rockage are the only people to actually rocklit hasn’t even done that poacha is the only person to have done that so it’s it definitely shows

His like longevity and I also think his his expertise and racing he does have quite a good six sense in racing we saw that I think really displayed in tyin on that Jos stage back in 2022 where he really sort of ripped that race up I

Know Bor did a lot of the work but caraz had the instinct to sort of go for it and make the GC race a little bit more attritional in the end and brought it just well sort of filled it adjust to himself and hinley in the final couple

Kilometers of that stage and when he won the J back in 2019 there were some great tactics on show during that race I don’t think we’ve seen that level of caraz in even in terms of his tactics over the past 12 months we saw some silly caraz tactics

Of the doofan last year that stage the first stage yonas one in particular he was a little bit s of chaotic on that one we we just need to see him get back to his form but I love this team but have we really seen cohesion in

Supporting kerath in the past 12 months at EF it just kind of seems like it’s just a team which got so much promise like your shabz is and all those other American Riders like and Powerless and stuff but it never seems to really fall together into a like you say a cohesive unit

Caras I don’t think this year wins a grand tour just because there’s pogy and there’s literally every man in his dog of T and then with there’s going to be yonas he’s going there and basically I just think that long as there one of the

A Pacha or a yonas at a grand tour I just don’t think caraz is winning but if you were to remove those galacticos people like those proper top Echelon people do you think that caras could win a grand tour if he goes there without any one of those in other words he could

Finish second at the gong yeah basically Yates against Kath would be an interesting battle the8 is better in time trialing but they’re both quite similar riders in terms of their profile but I think yeah I think carath is probably one of the better of the non- galacticos but I think the results

From last year have definitely made me doubt that more than I would have like 12 months ago I think I would have said caraz should be up there fighting for third place at the totof France but now I’m thinking I don’t really know if we even get top five at this year’s totof

France yes we have more galacticos but I think there is a bit more of a Chasm between him and even the sort of the people who will be the Super domestics you jinle your your Adam Yates your help me out here uh Sasha Al Etc maybe yeah literally I know you mean

Like the biggest difference to last even like two years hasn’t been really like the top level Riders it’s been The Supporting Cast rising up to support those Riders who have now infiltrated the top 10 it isn’t just leader leader leader leader leader maybe one super doti occupying like an eth it’s like the

Super domestics are now on the podium places as well like this is getting towards when frean Lander were kind of head like going like on the same team in Sky back in like you know 2017 time yeah so it’s going to be is going to be

Really hard I’m with you and i’ see kaz’s position for this year being more of like a six to eth sort of candidate than a fourth and fifth what I would like to see in that case is the Richard cath of the BTA SPO

2022 where he went on to win a number of stages in the Breakaway got the polka dot Jersey and he used that race savviness and that flare that he has in a breakaway setting that was really exciting to see that once the GC was over boom he fit into this new role I

Think it’ll be really interesting to see him perform that the tour to France next year will someone let cater house go off in the first week of racing particularly when we have those High Point stages to Pino and the other one to is self Shier orever is um that goes over the the

Galib like on those High Point days will someone let caras go away the breakway that early on in the race maybe not but hoovering up those points in the Breakaway later on in next year’s totto France could be a real way of him getting something out of that race and

For EF to get something they don’t win Toto France stages very often let’s not forget for them to win the polka dot Jersey that would be a huge deal for2 million EUR you want the polka do Jersey okay I’m big fan of the polka do Jersey but

Okay okay okay e one sixth place in GC or yeah yeah I know I know stage wins in polka dots what’s better the TT France I mean if you ask uh Alexander vuro when fak was finishing 67th he said that he would have preferred him to win a stage

R in because nobody remembers the lower top 10 in the next year to of France who finished e last year’s tour France exactly this I don’t know exactly there we go so yeah it’s valid a stage join is more valuable than an e or a ninth or a six or whatever

Remember Felix gal anyways but he could have stayed right so I remember the stage win of C Oso exactly but I mean maybe caras could try do like a fail scal of like top 10 and Stage win because that’s quite nice that’s quite that’s quite a decent way

To to have a to of France but Felix gal and Richard caraz on two different Asal Richard caraz is a former Grand Tour winner here one of the probably top 15 most paid writers in the paleton I don’t know what that get out the article said

Scot you’re you were in the loop about that one is he top 10 no he’s not but Tom poock is paid a lot of money according to that article yeah but think about all the baked beans eating flag waving British people there and yeah I

Mean they have a lot of money as well exactly but is caraz actually going to win a World Tour stage race this year I don’t know Brandon mnal is winning more stage races oh yeah exactly no okay World Tour level World Tour level if the Galo stand like if yonas and bcha and

Remco and Rit don’t go caras will probably win one but I just refuse to believe that there is I don’t think there’s a world tall level stage race where one of those four isn’t ever in attendance romendy romendy that’s it that’s where Richard caras will get his

But I us it might be there I usly season no yeah is that is that that’s the conclusion from this carass and joranson are going to battle it out for toor romedy but anyways to conclude our birthday Edition so this is a very special Rider of the week who are

You going to bestow this very honorable Accolade onto this week I don’t know I’ve got two riders in mind one of them made me look smart and the other one actually did really well I’ll go one who made me look smart I’m G to give my rad

Week to mate maharic for having the absolute holies of fully broadcasting that he was going to go for a stage everybody knew it was going to happen and then he went and did it anyway and there’s nothing that anybody could do about it it was a descending master

Class it was p your elegance onor descent and for that I really respect that mahor made my prediction correct so thank you m you’re my rider of the week okay my rider of the week is going to be an American and for this cowboy hat

Time y it’s will B of M Star he took a stage win at community balenciana and I am all over this because I think will bter is criminally slept on as a rider almost world stage back in 2020 and how different his life would have been his

Career would have been if he took that stage win he was dumped by CCC when that team folded EF gave him a Lifeline at very much the last minute and then EF didn’t renew his contract after a very disappointing 2021 2022 he ended up at

Moar and he’s found a little bit of a home it took some time to fit in but he’s doing well now and that Breakaway win I think was really really nice to see him get his uh his first professional victory for Ryder who has deserved so much more and promised so

Much in his youth days he’s also from the potato State Idaho so for that who else is from Idaho who like no one’s from Idaho so fair enough will B you were my rer the week I’m gonna take this off now I mean a week where you had both

A b betel and Alexander vaza won podiums and you give it to will Bas I picked a v last week and and he finished on tum he’s got he’s got more to give he has a lot more to give I’m telling you um we’ve been talking and there are big

Plans for the spring it’s all I’m saying St bian in his own backyard in in Lombardy that’s where not Lombardy Tuscany wrong region that’s where he’s gonna see his own success the Tuscan tornado speaking of which did you see the tornado at the AL ala tour yeah

Almost took William junior l CL off his freaking bike probably guy it was the spirit of the Tusan tornado Alberto bet all reminding everybody a storm is brewing on the white roads of tasky in just all week’s time oh gosh yeah outside of the ashon is about the only interesting thing that

Happened in those sand ridden races is when a freaking duster comes along anyway Scott who’s your round 20 days toope as well that’s pretty that is cool I I mean the obvious choice this m p but I can’t keep picking D I kind of want to go with Brandon

Mcnalty because we we talked about last week and then he goes and does it but as an Ecuadorian friend of mine has said Richard carass is Uber famous in Ecuador and Jonathan naay gets hardly any attention so I’m going to pick the new Ecuadorian national champion I think

It’s his second or third time yeah he had it back in quickstep days so I’m going to go with him cuz Brandon win Aly he had a lot of love from us well not you uh last week and Patrick so anyways that is basically it

For our birthday no wait oh you gonna do the cake all I’m gonna say is I whilst doing right of the week I just carved out what might be this oh I can’t even show you guys that was a really stupid idea what might be the saddest saddest

Slice of cake you’ve ever seen wait that cake was full at the beginning what have you done you no I haven’t ate I haven’t eaten it all um all it’s just it’s just once again wow you really get to go behind the scene shot here

Wow when I tell you this this cost me like € EUR from Little 85 P for our British viewers they take euros and no I was just doing the quick conversion hash Flex I know I know I know the immediate currency exchange here a EUR take

It um I had to leave it to the frost for a couple hours but here’s to one year of this crazy podcast this crazy Journey thank you everybody listening and subscribing for sticking around it’s it’s been a wild ride I don’t know if anybody else wants to say a little

Birthday message make a wish you know I wish for world peace I wish for Sasha vlasov to be in a grand tour Podium and I wish for Alberto bettiol to win Str Bianca here’s to one more here’s to many more years did you say one more year is

That is that your expiry date that’s I don’t know I went for one more year maybe I would be pragmatic we GNA hit big Heights I’m like a rider at quickstep go in a yearby year basis or L Hamilton o full circle all Circle I don’t know what I

Wish for I wish for the end of these damn middle EAS and races wow s uh I wish for mpon to win a monument yeah true I hope T wins the tour not yonas it would be fun if like no I kind of want roog glitch to win the Tour I

Just anybody bought you actually I’ll change my answer just somebody different how big of a flame do I need for that to happen set my house up F which flags do I have to burn go to not win the T I don’t have any be against J it’s

Just a he’s won twice in a row now I just want somebody else to do it it’s nothing personal it’s just grinter well on that light note this has been episode 54 and thank you everyone for subscribing commenting as you said as well and and you can

Check us out on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcast as well so with that thank you very much for watching and we will see you next week where it’s the tour of Colombia that will be quite interesting also to yeah actually that’s quite man yay another middle Easter