Beyond the Peloton Podcast

<p>Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz are joined by Riding With’s Jonathan Kaplan to break down their annual end-of-year challenge, the Abandon Your Family 500, where they ride 500 kilometers before Christmas Day. </p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/p/uaes-performance-duo-jeroen-swart">BTP Newsletter: UAE’s Performance Duo Jeroen Swart & Javier Sola on the Training Philosophy Behind Their Team’s Success</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Follow <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/302796">Spencer</a> & <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/2744609?oq=vontz">Andrew</a> on Strava (and comment on a recent ride) to join the challenge</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>In this bonus minisode, Tadej Pogačar speaks in front of the gathered press at UAE Team Emirates' media day in Benidorm, Spain, during his UAE team’s training camp. The featured audio includes Pogačar’s press conference, where he outlines his early-season plans and reveals key details of his upcoming schedule, his priorities for the year ahead, what’s motivating him right now, and how he’s approaching the next phase of his career.</p><p><em>*This audio was captured in live press conference, so please excuse the lower quality relative to other episodes</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz check in from the epicenter of pre-season training camps, Spain’s Costa Blanca, where the stars are preparing for their 2026 campaigns, releasing their race schedules, and the transfer rumors are flying. They discuss Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s decision to have Remco Evenepoel target the GC at the 2026 Tour de France, Lidl-Trek leaving Jonathan Milan off their Tour roster, and where in the world Oscar Onley will race next season.</p><p>This episode is brought to you by Join Cycling. <a target="_blank" href="https://join.cc/campaigns/beyond-the-peloton">⁠⁠⁠Get your first month free through this link⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/p/season-in-review-part-5-just-how">Season in Review Part 5: Just How Far is Tadej Pogačar From Matching Eddy Merckx?</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Follow <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/302796">Spencer</a> & <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/2744609?oq=vontz">Andrew</a> on Strava to join the challenge</p><p><em>Important note: To access all posts, including the </em><a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/c745cf6e-e75d-40d4-bffd-98f90bddcc56?utm_source=thread_embed"><em>members-only off-season chat rooms</em></a><em>, you must be</em><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe"><em> a paying BTP subscriber</em></a><em>.</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>After announcing and outlining their Abandon Your Family 500 challenge, Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz discuss how the recently revealed Giro d’Italia route could lure top stars to the race, debate who will win in a potential matchup between Isaac del Toro, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard, and go through the recently-released 2026 Lifetime Grand Prix schedule. </p><p>This episode is brought to you by Join Cycling. <a target="_blank" href="https://join.cc/campaigns/beyond-the-peloton">⁠⁠⁠Get your first month free through this link⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/p/season-in-review-part-5-just-how">Season in Review Part 5: Just How Far is Tadej Pogačar From Matching Eddy Merckx?</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Follow <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/302796">Spencer</a> & <a target="_blank" href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/2744609?oq=vontz">Andrew</a> on Strava to join the challenge</p><p><em>Important note: To access all posts, including the </em><a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/c745cf6e-e75d-40d4-bffd-98f90bddcc56?utm_source=thread_embed"><em>members-only off-season chat rooms</em></a><em>, you must be</em><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe"><em> a paying BTP subscriber</em></a><em>.</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>Spencer Martin and co-host Andrew Vontz sat down with Tucson local/American GC star Matthew Riccitello live at the El Tour de Tucson to discuss his breakout ride at the Vuelta a España, his development from aspiring NBA star, to novice cyclist, to finishing 5th place overall at the Vuelta in just a few years, his decision to leave Israel Premier-Tech for the French superteam Decathlon-CMA CGM for 2026, and how he sees his career developing in the near future.</p><p>This episode is brought to you by Join Cycling. <a target="_blank" href="https://join.cc/campaigns/beyond-the-peloton">⁠⁠⁠Get your first month free through this link⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/p/season-in-review-4-most-improved">Beyond the Peloton Newsletter⁠⁠: Season in Review #4: Most Improved & Regressed Stars of 2025</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew’s Choose the Hard Way Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><em>Important note: To access all posts, including the </em><a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/c745cf6e-e75d-40d4-bffd-98f90bddcc56?utm_source=thread_embed"><em>members-only off-season chat rooms</em></a><em>, you must be</em><a target="_blank" href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe"><em> a paying BTP subscriber</em></a><em>.</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">beyondthepeloton.substack.com/subscribe</a>