Today on the show: Alexander Kristoff may miss his milestone, UCI points really matter for the next couple of weeks and there are more people leaving Ineos this off-season.
Today on the show: We have new world champions, but there are many more fun things to talk about from the road races in Rwanda. Meanwhile, breaking news, Juan Ayuso is already causing a ruckus at Lidl-Trek.
Juan Ayuso has a new home, Chloe Dygert has a sticker printing machine, and there are also some World Championships happening in Rwanda.
Josh Weinberg recently checked in with Kurt Refsnider, a bikepacker attempting the first full ride of the Orogenesis Trail. At roughly 5,000 miles, the route begins at the Canada–US border and travels through Washington, Oregon, and California to the Mexico border, then onto the Baja Divide.
At the time of recording, Kurt was in Paisley, Oregon, about 1,100 miles in, nearing California and the halfway point through the U.S. section.Kurt details how challenging the ride through Washington was, with nearly 120,000 feet of climbing and descending over rugged moto trails and non-motorized singletrack near Mount St. Helens. He faced detours due to land closures, and construction added to the difficulty.
Once in Oregon, Kurt has primarily followed the Oregon Timber Trail. Using elevation gain as a metric for daily effort, he explains how climbing has taken priority over daily mileage, aiming for 7,000 to 8,000 feet of climbing per day.He also dives into gear maintenance and resupply strategies, which have been tough, with dust wearing down his suspension and brake pads, and unpredictable provision availability. He’s already swapped out some wear items and explains how opting for battery packs over a dynamo hub for power has worked out.Along the way, Kurt has been fueled by strong community support.
Folks following along are tracking his progress, offering lodging, bringing food, and sharing real-time trail conditions. Looking ahead, he faces a tough, deadfall-heavy section in southern Oregon. Once he crosses into California, he’ll encounter faster ATV trails before taking a rest near Quincy and heading into long singletrack sections through Truckee and Tahoe, where we plan to catch up with him again.
Today on the show: Remco made it three in a row as he passed Pogačar by, SRAM is suing the UCI and we have an update on the Israel-Premier Tech situation.
Today on the show: Worlds starts this weekend, we love Tom Pidcock’s mum, and Philly is back, baby.
Today on the show: Alabelievers rejoice, the greatest Vuelta podium on a shortened final stage, and what does this all mean for pro cycling?
Today on the show: Tadej Pogacar has is mojo back, Juan Ayuso won a bet, and we’ve got new tech to talk about.
Or is there any difference anymore?
Today on the show: Is the Vuelta is a real bike race? Is UAE a good bicycle team? Is Chris Hoy the best? And is Geraint Thomas happy he’s done?
Remember when Juan Ayuso was the biggest story of the week?
Today on the show: Protests in the Basque Country bring the Vuelta to a halt, GC Pidcock has arrived, maybe? And we still haven’t talked about Juan Ayuso officially leaving UAE, so we’ll definitely talk about that.
In this first dispatch from the field, Josh Weinberg talks to Kurt Refsnider, who is attempting to ride the entire Orogenesis Trail from the Canadian border through Washington, Oregon, and California to Mexico via the Baja Divide.
On day 12 of his journey, Kurt shares his progress, which entails riding over 500 miles into Washington with nearly 85,000 feet of climbing, much of it on challenging single-track and moto trails.
Kurt also discusses the physical and mental demands of this particular trail thus far. He compares the experience to other long-distance trails, such as the Colorado Trail and the Tour Divide, with an emphasis on how rugged and demanding Orogenesis is. Reflecting on the balance between effort and reward, Kurt also touches on the performance of his equipment, camping conditions, and the encouragement he receives from local riders and towns.
Today on the show: Juan Solo looks to free himself from the new Death Star, rebel fighter Jonas Vingegaard quietly plots his route to destroying the UAE empire, High Prince Kulset is out of a job thanks to his father, and on the distant republic of Edinburgh, the Grand Départ isn’t looking as certain as it once was …
Today on the show: Vuelta drama fizzles before it starts and there's been another bike theft.
Today on the show: The Vuelta is underway, Vingegaard is back, and Danny van Poppel can’t stop collecting yellow cards.
Today on the show: Mads' middle finger, Pogačar doesn’t want you to take his picture, and the Secret Pro is back. And no, we will not be answering the question in the episode title. But you're welcome to guess!
Today on the show: A Vuelta preview from Dane, disqualifications at Romandie with Abby, and Mike Woods is retiring, which makes us sad. Plus, the big green egg Pogačar bought his teammates.
Head to Escapecollective.com/member to sign up today.
Today on the show: Arkea and maybe Jayco are in a little bit of trouble? Tom Pidcock is going for GC again, and Patrick Levefere is angrily posting photos of his sandwiches.
Today on the show: Pogacar is tired, a punch up in Portugal, and Kit went to a show.
Let’s get to it.
Is Remco's move to Red Bull good? Is Michael Storer an egg thief? Caley, Jonny, and Iain have the answers.
“Orogenesis” is the geologic process of mountain building — a gradual evolution powered by unfathomable forces that expand across and transform broad swaths of the landscape.
Orogenesis is also set to be the longest mountain biking trail in the United Sates. At 3,500 miles, this new route stretches through Washington, Oregon, California, and then it connects to the existing Baja Divide bikepacking route to add another 1,600 miles to San Jose del Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. The creation of such a trail is an absolutely monumental vision, and endurance cyclist Kurt Refsnider will be guinea pigging his way down the full length of it for the remainder of this year as the first person to attempt the ride in its entirety.
In this episode, we talk to Kurt Refsnider about the history of the trail, what drew him to it, and what to expect along the way. We'll then be checking in with him over the next few months as he makes his way from the US/Canadian border to Mexico.
