Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

• Flanders Finished, the Roubaix Cobbles Await: Laurence Pithie’s Reckoning

  Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP I don’t know about you guys, but I thought this year’s edition of the Tour of Flanders was an absolute classic. It had everything: drama, excitement, chaos, and - of course - a worthy winner. I couldn’t wait to catch up with our man on the ground, Laurence Pithie, to hear what happened between the barriers on the bergs of Flanders, and hear how he’s feeling ahead of the Queen of the classics; Roubaix. Laurence went into Flanders after a pretty nasty crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen the Wednesday before. Fortunately, although he was a bit stiff and bruised, his legs came good and - after over 6 hours of brutal racing - he rolled home in an impressive 11th place. The TV cameras were pretty fixed on that leading group of Pog, Van Der Poel, Pedersen, and Van Aert for the last few hours of the race, so Pithie’s ride went a bit under the radar - but that’s one of the things I’ve loved most about getting these updates from him this season; hearing those stories the cameras miss. Although he’s still only 22 years old, the way Laurence talks about these races shows just how experienced and mature as a rider he is. Hearing how he raced this year’s edition compared to last year, and the changes he made to his tactics even just over the course of this classics season, it’s easy to tell how professional he is; already a real seasoned pro. Laurence isn’t racing Scheldeprijs - the midweek race between Flanders and Roubaix - so he actually made the decision to fly home for a few days of normality to reset before heading back to the cobbles for Paris Roubaix this Sunday. Flanders is such a huge event with so much build up, it can be pretty overwhelming - so breaking out the bubble for a few days should let Laurence reset and come back ready for all out war at Roubaix. I mean, just looking at the walls of fans on the roadside all the way around Flanders, I’d need a few days to get my hearing back, let alone my legs! I have absolutely loved these regular phone calls with Pithie and really trying to understand what those 3 weeks on the road are like from the inside. It’s no secret that I absolutely love the Spring classics; the ins and outs, the crashes, the stories - I could talk about them all day. it’s not all about the podium riders - every single rider in these races is giving absolutely everything, and I think that’s why they mean so much to so many people; you’ve got 180 guys lining up ready to leave everything out there on the road.  Of course, it’s not all over - the best is yet to come. This Sunday, the Queen of the Classics, the Hell of the North, my favourite race: Paris Roubaix. Last year Laurence bagged himself a classy 7th place, and he’s looking to better that this time around. I could hear the fear in his voice when he told me the weather forecast; after one of the warmest, driest Springs on record - the rain is coming…oh, man, a wet Roubaix! It’s the stuff of dreams…or nightmares. Whether the clouds break or not this weekend, I’ve got no doubt that Laurence is going to get to that iconic velodrome and round out a great Spring classics season with another pearler of a result. Who knows, he might even come home with a cobblestone of his own.  Guys, thanks for following along on this Spring Classics mini series. I hope you’ve enjoyed these updates from Laurence and the rest of the Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe team as much as I have. In fact, Laurence has actually agreed to give me a call after Roubaix so we can wrap up this series and hear about what went down on the pavé - a cheeky bonus ep. for you all.  Laurence; this is it now, mate, the big one. Go and get it. We’re all rooting for you.  Cheers! Mitch   Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro & Flanders Recap 00:03:25 - Laurence on Riding Flanders 00:08:00 - Strategy & Team Tactics at Flanders 00:12:10 - The Turning Point: Final Moves at Flanders 00:18:09 - Reflections on 11th Place 00:24:05 - Resetting for Roubaix 00:26:00 - The Allure (and Fear) of Paris-Roubaix 00:34:10 - Roubaix Recon & Equipment Talk ----more---- This episode is sponsored by our friends at JOIN - the adaptive training app that helps you become a better cyclist. Head over to join.cc/litp to get your first month free. ​This episode is brought to you by Wahoo Fitness. Elevate your ride with Wahoo's cutting-edge indoor trainers, GPS bike computers, and heart rate monitors. Engineered for cyclists, by cyclists. Discover more at wahoofitness.com.​ 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.

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  44:05
• 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.

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  55:45
• From San Remo to the Stones: Laurence Pithie Heads for the Cobbles

  Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Our man, Laurence Pithie, is back for the second episode in our mini series following the young Kiwi star through the 2025 Spring Classics.  After a delayed start to his European series, Laurence kicked things off on the weekend at Milan San Remo. We kick this ep off with a quick voice note from him live from the hotel room, and man, with the weather those boys had right at the start, I can tell you I’m glad I’m not a rider anymore.  I caught up with Laurence after the race to get his insight into how things played out, and how his race went. If you’ve not caught up with San Remo yet, go and get yourself up to speed - but safe to say, it wasn’t an easy day for any of the riders, let alone our man Pithie. I won’t spoil the result, but hearing how Laurence’s team got around him, and his ‘never say die’ attitude was super cool. Of course, San Remo is just the kick off for Pithie’s Spring. Next up, he’s off to Belgium - the home of the classics - for De Panne, E3, and Gent Wevelgem; three absolutely massive races that lead up to The Tour of Flanders at the start of April. Oh man, these are some of my absolute favourite races. The Belgian fans, the chaos in the bunch; in a messed up way, I kinda miss it - so I can’t wait to hear how Laurence finds them. Laurence had a great ride at Wevelgem in 2024, so we spoke about what his expectations are for these first races back in Belgium to find out if he’s doing anything this time around. Of course, aside from the racing, it’s good to hear the young gun is still looking forward to getting familiar with a few Belgian beers and really soaking in the culture; that’s something I’m particularly jealous of.  Finally, I spoke to one of Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe’s sports directors - another Kiwi, ‘The Flying Mullet’ himself; Shane Archbold. He gave me some great background on Laurence, what it’s like working with him, the mechanics behind his transfer to Bora from FDJ, and what he’s capable of this season. Shane’s a good mate, and a real good judge of character, so it was great to hear that Laurence has really fit in with the team and found his feet within the structure straight away, so he can focus on trying to win some of the biggest races in the world.  Right guys, enjoy this episode. Our next catch up with Pithie will come next week after he, with a bit of luck, has just won the E3 and Wevelgem double…don’t let me down, Laurence.  Cheers! Mitch   Chapters 00:00:00 - San Remo Morning Vibes 00:03:26 - San Remo Recap 00:07:14 - Crash on the Capo 00:08:50 - Working with Ryan Mullen 00:11:10 - Gritting it Out Post-Crash 00:13:04 - Poggio Climb: The Decisive Moment 00:17:06 - Mental Takeaways & Confidence Boost 00:18:08 - E3 & Gent-Wevelgem: Game Plan 00:22:36 - Shane Archibald Interview 00:32:00 - What’s Next for Laurence 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.

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  32:32
• The Race Communiqué: Milan-San Remo Magic, Superteam Debate & Commentary Clip Challenge

  Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP You can also watch this episode over on my YouTube channel here! Well, guys, it’s that time again; The Race Communique is back and, of course, we kick this one off by unpacking an absolutely huge edition of Milan San Remo! Three absolute titans of the sport (me, Southam, and Durbo) come together to talk about the first monument of the season. We got to witness, as Pipo Ganna called them ‘Gods of cycling’ go toe to toe on the slopes of the Cipressa and the Poggio and, boy, did it exceed expectations. The confidence and arrogance of Pog trying to go from the foot of the Cipressa, the absolute ice man that is Van Der Poel responding to his every move, and Ganna showing what an absolute animal he is to hang tough with the big boys on the climbs. We talk all about it and, I’ll tell you what, I honestly think that’s the best edition I’ve ever seen.  Durbo’s Pelo Chat takes a look at the ‘Superteams’ of the sport - the guys with cash to burn like UAE or Visma who can pick up the best riders; money no object. But are the superteams good or bad for the sport, and is riding for one of them actually all it’s cracked up to be? In this month’s Talking Tactics, Southam fills us in on the upcoming UCI meeting to discuss whether additional wild cards should be issued for the biggest races. Now that some of the biggest riders, the likes of Pidcock, Hirschi, and Alaphilippe, have stepped down to ProTeam level, race organisers are stuck between a rock and a hard place if they want to keep the classic second division teams happy whilst also getting the fan favourites at their races. Plus, the UCI undermining all the hard work the lower ranked World Tour teams over the last few years to avoid relegation - it’s absolute chaos.  Of course, we wrap things up with the Communi-quiz. Southam’s quiz master this month, and he’s bought out the race commentary clips for Durbo and I to guess the rider and the race. This is a real toughy, but you racing nuts out there will love it.  You guys know by now how much I love sitting down with Luke and Tom to yarn about the races. As always make sure you sit back, relax, crack open a cold one, and enjoy this month’s Race Communique.  The Race Communiqué is brought to you by TrainingPeaks! Track, plan, and train smarter—just like the pros. Get 20% off TrainingPeaks Premium now at www.trainingpeaks.com/partners/life-in-the-peloton/. Cheers! Mitch   Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro & Milan-San Remo Recap 00:17:19 - Rider of the Day & Big Surprises 00:20:51 - The Cobbled Classics Preview 00:32:53 - Pelo Chat with Luke Durbridge: The Rise of Superteams 00:35:08 - Visma vs UAE: Who Has the Upper Hand? 00:44:51 - Talking Tactics with Tom Southam: Wildcard Chaos 00:01:29 - Communi-Quiz: Guess the Race Commentary Challenge   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.

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  1:11:55
• Milan–San Remo Preview: The Start of Laurence Pithie’s 2025 Classics Campaign

  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  It’s no secret that the Spring Classics are my favourite races. I loved racing them, and I love watching them as a fan. But, in my 10th year of doing Life In The Peloton, you’ve heard all the stories I’ve got about the likes of Flanders & Roubaix; it’s time for me to pass the torch. This season, I’m going to be covering the cobbles classics a little bit differently. I’m going to bring you with me inside the 2025 peloton as we follow young Kiwi up and coming classics star - Laurence Pithie. Laurence burst onto the scene last year when he won Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in January, and went toe to toe with Van Der Poel and Pedersen at Gent Wevelgem, rounding out his classics campaign with a stellar 7th place at Roubaix.  I’m going to be chatting to Laurence before and after all the big races for the next few weeks - San Remo, Flanders, and Roubaix - to get insider information on how he’s feeling, how his team are planning on tackling the races, and just how it feels to take on the superstars at the pointy end. He’ll be sending me voice notes straight from the team bus straight after the finish to share his raw, unfiltered thoughts, and I can’t wait to bring you along and share Laurence’s 2025 classics journey with you guys.  After transferring from FDJ to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe in the offie, Pithie is heading into this season as a co-leader with a really strong team. He’ll be supported by class riders like Oier Lazkano, Gianni Moscon, Maxim Van Gils, Danny Van Poppel, Jordi Meeus, and heaps more - plus he’ll have the wise words of Bernie Eisel and my old mate Heinrich Haussler down the radio from back in the team car; Bora really aren’t messing around at the classics this year, and Laurence is a rider they believe can go all the way and knock out a big result. Fresh off an altitude training camp and a delayed start to his 2025 classics campaign, Laurence is about to kick things off at Milan San Remo, so I spoke to him to kick off this mini series and get his initial thoughts on the Spring Classics in 2025. A lot has changed since I retired, and these races are almost unrecognisable to me now, so it’s great to see them through the eyes of a fresh, young, motivated rider with a real shot of winning BIG this season. Guys, I hope you enjoy part 1 of this series. I can’t wait to bring you more from our man Laurence over the next few weeks. Hopefully, you’ll join me in really rooting for the young Kiwi after listening to this. And Laurence; go and get it buddy. We’re all behind you.  Cheers! Mitch   Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:19 - Who is Laurence Pithie? The Rising Star’s 2024 Breakthrough 00:03:11 - Pre-Classics Training & Altitude Camp 00:06:13 - A Day in the Life on Altitude Camp 00:08:04 - Confidence & Pressure After a Breakout Year 00:10:45 - What Changed in 2024? Reflections on His Breakthrough Season 00:12:09 - Learning to Race with the Best 00:15:42 - Milan–San Remo Team Plans & His Role 00:17:00 - Working with New DSs at Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe 00:20:44 - Falling in Love with the Classics 00:23:06 - Final Thoughts & San Remo Course Recon 00:24:29 - Rivals to Watch at San Remo 00:27:55 - His Full 2025 Spring Classics Program ----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.

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  30:08

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