Beyond the Peloton Podcast

Spencer Martin

Cycling writer Spencer Martin breaks down the why and how of the professional cycling race. Subscribe to learn what happened, how it happened, and why it happened in an attempt to glean a deeper understanding of the sport.

beyondthepeloton.substack.com

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes20

Newest first

July 23 · 51 min
TDF Week 3 Check-In: Is Sleep Deprivation to Blame for Jonas Vingegaard's Crash?
Spencer Martin, author of the Beyond the Peloton newsletter, and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss the final week of the Tour de France, including Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard’s midnight anti-doping tests, Vingegaard crashing out of the race, and if Remco Evenepoel can hold on to second place overall. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Tour de France Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
July 17 · 42 min
Tour de France Week 2 Check In: What is UAE Doing?
Spencer Martin, author of the Beyond the Peloton newsletter, and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss the second week of the Tour de France, including what to make of Tadej Pogačar and UAE’s decision to pace hard on non-GC days, and how to interpret the GC picture behind them. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Tour de France Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
July 8 · 33 min
TDF 2026: Is This Tour Already Over?
Spencer Martin, author of the Beyond the Peloton newsletter, and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss the opening few stages of the Tour de France, including Tadej Pogačar and UAE’s early dominance, and how his GC rivals can hope to challenge him. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Tour de France Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
July 1 · 1 hr 9 min
Tour de France 2026 Preview: Can Anyone Challenge Tadej Pogačar?
The Tour de France is the biggest race on the calendar, so my co-host, Andrew Vontz, and I called in reinforcements by sitting down with Jonathan Kaplan of the Riding With newsletter to break down the route, storylines, and the race's dynamics. Even if it is looking like yet another race where everyone will be hopelessly chasing Tadej Pogačar and UAE, we think there is plenty going on outside the race for the overall win to keep things interesting. We dig into what his rivals’ strategies should be and whether Lidl-Trek is cruising toward a too-many-cooks disaster or using a clever chaos-theory approach, which may be the only viable option against Pogačar and the UAE juggernaut. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Tour de France Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Read Jonathan’s Riding With Newsletter This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
June 24 · 1 hr 26 min
Have Tadej Pogačar & UAE Killed Cycling?
Spencer Martin and Andrew Vontz discuss Tadej Pogačar’s blowout win at the recent Tour de Suisse, wonder whether anyone can challenge him at the Tour de France, or whether he and his UAE team have simply hacked cycling. They also break down the US Road National Championships, talking about Quinn Simmons’ back-to-back win, and former World Mountain bike champion Kate Courtney shocking the field with a win despite having almost no experience on the road. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Tour de France Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
June 5 · 39 min
Giro Debrief & Unbound Looks Miserable
Spencer Martin and Andrew Vontz discuss Spencer’s trip to Ruben Van Gucht and Tom Boonen’s Wattage Festival in Belgium, before breaking down the Giro d’Italia and giving their unfiltered thoughts on Unbound Gravel, and why Keegan Swenson gave Mads Würtz his wheel. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Giro Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
May 30 · 46 min
Giro d'Italia Week 3 Check-In
Spencer Martin and Andrew Vontz discuss the third week of the Giro d’Italia and chat about the upcoming Unbound Gravel event, and how far things have come from the early Dan Hughes-dominated days. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Giro Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
May 23 · 52 min
Is the Giro d'Italia Broken?
Spencer Martin and Andrew Vontz discuss and debate whether the Giro d’Italia is still a top-tier race or due for a revamp, and break down who will win and what they expect to happen over the final week. They also go through the evolution of gravel racing and whether the discipline has drifted too far from its original form. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Giro Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
May 16 · 50 min
Giro d'Italia Week 1 Check-In: Vingegaard's GC Fight Already Tougher Than Expected
Spencer Martin and Andrew Vontz discuss the ongoing Giro d’Italia, debating whether the race has successfully designed an interesting modern course and, most importantly, whether it is providing a safe racing environment for the riders and teams. They also discuss the GC situation thus far, and check in on Jonas Vingegaard’s assumed GC victory, which has already run into more resistance than anticipated thanks to Decathlon’s Felix Gall. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here BTP Newsletter: Get Daily Giro Breakdowns ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
May 7 · 39 min
Who Will Win the 2026 Giro d'Italia?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz welcome on Riding With’s Jonathan Kaplan to discuss the upcoming Giro d’Italia, including who they expect to win, if anyone can stop Jonas Vingegaard, where the race will be won and which stages will be worth tuning in for. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here 2026 Giro d’Italia Pre-Race Cheat Sheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
May 2 · 1 hr 14 min
Is AI Cycling's Next Marginal Gain?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss Tadej Pogačar’s incredible ride to beat Paul Seixas at Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and wonder if the nineteen-year-old Frenchman will eventually crack the code to defeating Pogačar. They break down the Ineos-Netcompany partnership, and wonder if AI is the next frontier in the battle for cycling supremacy. Follow Andrew’s path to beating cancer here See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
April 25 · 1 hr 9 min
Is Paul Seixas the Next Pogačar?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz, who recently shared news about his shocking cancer diagnosis, discuss Remco Evenepoel’s win at Amstel Gold and wonder if this form will be enough to compete with the teenage sensation Paul Seixas and World Champion Tadej Pogačar at Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. They also have a surprise drop in from Front Range Cycling legend and BTP North Star, Kip Taylor, to discuss his recent win at the CSU Oval Criterium and report back on the status of grassroots American road racing. Follow Andrew's path to beating cancer here See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
April 15 · 21 min
Was Wout van Aert's Incredible Comeback Victory Over Tadej Pogačar the Best Ever Edition of Paris-Roubaix?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz break down Wout van Aert’s incredible victory at Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, which saw the veteran Belgian complete an incredible comeback from a broken ankle earlier in 2026 to defeat the World Champion Tadej Pogačar in the Roubaix Velodrome, all while Mathieu van der Poel threatened to chase back on after a flat-heavy edition of the race. See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
April 11 · 37 min
Clash on the Cobbles: Can Pogačar Keep His One-Day Win Streak Rolling at Paris-Roubaix?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz break down Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, which will see the sport’s top star, Tadej Pogačar, attempt to win five consecutive Monuments, while Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Filippo Ganna, and Mads Pedersen attempt to stop him on the brutal cobblestones of northern France. They discuss the boundary-pushing tech, how Pogačar could potentially capture one of the last victories that have eluded him, and why he is attempting to do so in a $350,000 watch. See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
April 9 · 34 min
BTP x Choose the Hard Way: Tour of Flanders & Why Our Kids Love Riding the Wahoo Kickr Core
In a special crossover episode of Choose the Hard Way & the Beyond the Peloton Podcast, Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz break down Tadej Pogačar’s big ride at the 2026 Tour of Flanders and share why their kids love riding the trainer. See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
April 3 · 39 min
Battle Royale: Who Will Win the Tour of Flanders?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz break down Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, which will pit the sport’s top stars, like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenepoel, against the seemingly unbeatable Tadej Pogačar on the cobbled Flandrien roads of Belgium. They discuss Evenepoel’s late entrance, which was handled in an extremely bizarre way by the Red Bull comms teams, what it means for both him and the race, whether anyone has a chance of beating Pogačar, and what goes into developing a rider as unbeatable as the World Champion. See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
March 29 · 1 hr 6 min
Was Milan-Sanremo The Best Win of Tadej Pogačar's Career?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz catch up on what they’ve missed, like Tadej Pogačar’s incredible win at Milan-Sanremo, and discuss the recent racing, from Jonas Vingegaard’s dominance and Remco Evenepoel’s continued climbing struggles at the Volta Catalunya to Mathieu van der Poel’s Classics campaign as he attempts to get on Pogačar’s level for next week’s Tour of Flanders. See the breakdowns of the latest pro cycling races in the BTP Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
March 14 · 1 hr 11 min
Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Cyclists Ever & Should the Tour Start in America?
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz talk to Riding With’s Jonathan Kaplan about his ambitious project to rank the top 100 cyclists of all-time, go through their own top ten lists, and debate whether the Tour de France should start in the USA. Mid-Week Check-In: Paris-Nice & Tirreno–Adriatico Jonathan’s Top 10 Ranking ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
March 7 · 45 min
The Stars Finally Align: Pogačar vs. the Greatest Prospect Ever at Strade Bianche & Vingegaard vs. Ayuso at Paris-Nice
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss the upcoming weekend of racing as the season officially heats up, with Tadej Pogačar facing off against Paul Seixas on the white gravel roads of Tuscany, Jonas Vingegaard battling Juan Ayuso at Paris-Nice, and Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert looking to sharpen their Classics form at Tirreno–Adriatico, all while Primož Roglič quietly makes his 2026 debut. BTP Weekend Preview ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe
February 28 · 55 min
The Cobbled Classics Begin: Mathieu van der Poel Versus The World
Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss the upcoming weekend of racing at the unofficial season opening on the Belgian cobbles with Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, where Mathieu van der Poel will take on the field while Wout van Aert continues to struggle to get, and stay, healthly, before veering into a wide range of topics, including the continuing trend of road pros turning to gravel, and if the worst WorldTour roster could compete on your local group ride. Weekend Preview: Cobbled Classics Kickoff ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Podcast Follow Spencer & Andrew on Strava This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe