Through the Chaos to the Cobbles: Riding Holy Week with Laurence Pithie

Through the Chaos to the Cobbles: Riding Holy Week with Laurence Pithie

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP

This episode is sponsored by NordVPN - get an exclusive NordVPN discount + 4 extra months with Life in the Peloton: https://nordvpn.com/pelosurf

After a big weekend of racing at E3 on Friday and Wevelgem on Sunday, I gave our man Laurence Pithie a call for another catch up to find out how his races went, and how he’s feeling about the big one this coming Sunday; The Tour of Flanders.

First up, E3 Saxo Classic. Basically, a mini Tour of Flanders. Heaps of climbs including the Kwaremont, the Paterberg, and - Tom Boonen’s favourite - the Taaienberg. If you do well at this race, you go into Flanders the following weekend as one of the favourites. Laurence’s race didn’t go his way, after suffering from a puncture and not being able to get back in the fight - but that’s classics racing.

After E3 comes Gent Wevelgem. A flatter race more suited to sprinters, but still featuring some savage cobbled ascents of climbs like the Kemmelberg. This was Pithie’s ‘breakout’ ride last Spring, where he got away with Van Der Poel and Pedersen and put his name on a lot of people’s radar as a real future star in these races. Again, it wasn’t the result Laurence came for, but he’s only 3 races into this classics campaign, and I reckon once he gets his tactical nous dialled back in, he’ll be right up there; he definitely has the legs for it.

Talking to Laurence, I get the sense he’s a real fighter, and hearing the absolutely crazy numbers he’s putting out just to get up these brutal Flemish climbs without losing the wheel in front, I’m reminded once again just how hard the racing is these days. Despite being so young, he really knows his stuff about these races - he was rattling off the names to the climbs like a real seasoned Belgian.

The races keep coming thick and fast, and today it’s time for Dwars door Vlaanderen. This is the last hit out before De Ronde, and it’s one of those races that, when I was a rider, I’d see as a chance to bag a little result for myself. It’s a lot shorter than the likes of Flanders or Roubaix at just 185km, and the start list is usually slightly reduced, with the bigger favourites resting up hard for Flanders. I reckon this is Laurence’s chance for a result; he’s got the legs, and he’s had a few races to get his eye back in, so I think he’ll come out swinging. In fact, by the time you listen to this ep, he might have already got his hands in the air! After Dwars door, Laurence and his boys are going to get some recon done for Flanders, then it’s time to rest up before Sunday’s 6 and a half hour battle.

The thing about the Spring Classics is that it’s kind of like a mini Grand Tour. You’re up in Belgium for about 3 weeks with the same team around you, bouncing between all these races - it definitely has a real grand atmosphere. Towards the end of my chat with Laurence, I got a chance to have a quick chat with his roommate out there in Belgium; ‘The Wombat’ himself, Aussie sprinting legend Sam Welsford. Sam’s dropped into Bora’s classics squad for a few of the races, but also to bring some morale into the team. He’s a really laid back dude, and hearing his positive attitude and relaxed demeanor, I can imagine the positive impact he’ll have on the boys, some of whom have been racing out there for weeks now!

Lastly, I gave my old mate Heinrich Haussler a call. Heino was a classics star in his own right when he was a pro, and now works as a DS for Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe. He gave me some great insight into how the classics have changed since he and I were riders just a few years ago; the nutrition, the tech, the schedule - it’s all come on leaps and bounds in such a short space of time, and made these races harder than ever.

Laurence - go well today, buddy. Show them what you’re made of, and we’ll catch up after Flanders!

Cheers,

Mitch

Chapters

  • 00:00:00 - Pre-race Nerves at E3
  • 00:05:39 - E3 Race Debrief
  • 00:10:54 - The Toll of Classics Racing
  • 00:15:32 - Reset for Gent-Wevelgem
  • 00:18:06 - In the Mix at Gent-Wevelgem
  • 00:22:47 - Goals for Dwars door Vlaanderen
  • 00:25:07 - Recon and Knowledge of Flanders
  • 00:29:43 - Sam Welsford Joins the Chat
  • 00:33:37 - Heinrich Haussler on the Modern Classics
  • 00:50:23 - Final Recon Before De Ronde

----more----

I’VE WRITTEN A BOOK!

The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

JOIN US IN THE PELO

Where do you sit in the PELO? Come and join the Life in the Peloton membership.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(250)

Talking Luft! with Mike Woods. Ep 10.

Talking Luft! with Mike Woods. Ep 10.

He’s a crowd favourite, and rightfully so. Mike Woods, or Woodsie, is a Canadian team mate of mine. He’s easy to chat to and always has a great story to tell. I’ve had him on the pod a couple of times...

5 Elo 202023min

A return to racing + Strade Bianchi Mailbag, with Luke Durbridge

A return to racing + Strade Bianchi Mailbag, with Luke Durbridge

The Cycling Podcast presents Life in the Peloton (scroll down to listen) After months of lockdown and a suspended season of racing it’s finally time to get back out on the road again! 2020 season: Rou...

29 Heinä 20201h 13min

Talking Luft! with Paul De Geyter. Ep 9.

Talking Luft! with Paul De Geyter. Ep 9.

I had him on The Cycling Podcast last week, my old rider agent, Paul De Geyter, talking all things contract negotiation and managing some of the rider greats. Be sure to head over and listen to that o...

8 Heinä 202013min

Paul De Geyter – Behind the scenes with a Rider Agent

Paul De Geyter – Behind the scenes with a Rider Agent

The Cycling Podcast presents Life in the Peloton (Scroll to the down to listen) Ever wondered how pro cycling contracts are negotiated and signed? Or why riders of certain nationalities only go to cer...

1 Heinä 202054min

Talking Luft! with Jens Keukeleire. Ep 8.

Talking Luft! with Jens Keukeleire. Ep 8.

It’s another episode of my mini series of laid-back chats, Talking Luft, with Jens Keukeleire. I find out how Jensie wears his casquette, and that he’d go a Pantani Bandana if he could. Plus his Belgi...

24 Kesä 202026min

Jens Keukeleire – Growing up on the Cobbles

Jens Keukeleire – Growing up on the Cobbles

The Cycling Podcast presents Life in the Peloton (Scroll to the down to listen) Cycling is a national sport in Belgium. It’s part of the culture, it’s in their blood. And as an Aussie I’ve always felt...

17 Kesä 202054min

Talking Luft! with Tom Southam. Ep. 7

Talking Luft! with Tom Southam. Ep. 7

Tom Southam. He’s a LUFT man. He has a custom made casquette that has 38% additional LUFT, which, okay, might be verging on too much. Nevertheless, he was the perfect guy to get Talking Luft with. In ...

10 Kesä 202023min

Tom Southam – All questions answered: Directeur Sportif

Tom Southam – All questions answered: Directeur Sportif

The Cycling Podcast presents Life in the Peloton Ever wondered.. What does a day in the life as a Directeur Sportif (DS) of a cycling team looks like? What is it really like in the team car during a r...

3 Kesä 20201h 12min

Suosittua kategoriassa Terveys ja hyvinvointi

unicast
vakeva-elama-viisaampi-mieli-vahvempi-keho
tiedenaiset-podcast
rss-pitaisko-erota
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
meditaatiot-suomeksi
puhu-muru
rss-uplevel-by-sonja-hannus
rss-kuumilla-aalloilla
katilon-kahvitunti
terapiassa
fitnessvastaanotto
junnut-pelissa
rss-nautinto
rss-narsisti
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-soberisti-podcast
rss-ehjaksi
rss-laadukasta-ensihoitoa