Wheel Talk

The team is back for the final episode of 2025 to talk about the latest news in women's cycling and create a totally chaotic Wheel Talk playlist just for you.

For the final interview of the year, Abby got the chance to talk to David Spindler, neuroscientist and Cognitive Performance Strategist. He has worked with some of the top riders in men's and women's cycling, as well as a host of other sports. They talked about some of the most common mental struggles for professional athletes and how David helps his riders maintain happy lives while excelling at their craft.

This week, Wheel Talk continues the offseason interviews with a conversation with Ellen van Dijk. Ellen and Abby talk about Ellen's delayed retirement, her bid for the 2024 Olympic time trial in Paris, her pregnancy, and her time with Lidl-Trek vs. other teams.

This week, Abby talked to Gracia Sotomayor, the artistic cyclist from Peru. Sotomayor grew up knowing that, as a woman in a man's world, she had to be a certain way and do certain things. She had it all – a stable, good job, a home, and a partner to take care of her, but she was unhappy. When she started riding her fixed gear bike, everything changed. A few years later, Sotomayor was living in Germany, training to become Peru's first artistic cyclist on the world stage. Now, she inspires Spanish speakers everywhere to gain confidence and independence through cycling.

You could make a Bingo game out of how many times Gracie, Loren, Georgia, or Abby bring up the development problem in women's cycling – the lack of lower-level races and teams, WorldTour teams signing riders too young, etc. But we aren't the only ones constantly harping on about these issues. This week, Loren and Abby sat down with someone who has been pinpointing these problems for years and is actively working to combat the lack of development on a daily basis: Natascha Knaven-den Ouden.If you follow her on social media, you'll know she has come head-to-head with a lot of the challenges currently facing the lower levels of women's road cycling, and as the General Manager for NXTG Racing, she's guiding the next generation through the growing landscape.