TOTPOD 5: JORDI MEEUS

Last year Jordi Meeus lived every sprinter’s dream, he snatched victory on the Champs Elysée in Paris as the 2023 Tour de France reached its conclusion. This year he took time out of an altitude camp in Livigno to speak to Bobby and Jens about that breakthrough moment and his plans for the 2024 season.

As with most thing’s in cycling, the podcast highlighted just how unglamorous cycling can be - as Bobby, Jens and Jordi battled the internet - with most of Europe streaming football’s European semi-final match between Spain and France. A very patient Jordi was happy to reflect on his non-selection for Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe as the team shifted focus towards Primoz Roglic for the 2024 Tour de France and also on his crowning moment in Paris last year.

For the full conversation check out the player below or search for The Odd Tandem wherever you get your podcasts.

TOTPOD 4: CHRIS BOARDMAN

There are few people who’ve had the lifelong impact on the sport of cycling like Chris Boardman. As a rider he won an Olympic gold medal on the track, set multiple hour records and became known as the king of the prologue - winning three of them at the Tour de France and carrying the yellow jersey on his back for six days.

His impressive palmares however, has been dwarfed by his work since retiring. Building on the innovation that became a mainstay of his work as a rider, he led the technical squad behind Team GB’s cycling team. The revolution was instantaneous - they earned two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at his first Olympics - where they won seven of the ten gold’s available on the track. Alongside his work for team GB, his self-named Boardman bikes have been a powerful force in the consumer cycling market for many years - with more than 50,000 sales a year. But now Chris is becoming a well known force for improving cyclist’s life outside the cycling bubble - operating as the cycling tsar in Manchester before moving to a larger role in England - overseeing a budget of billions and offering solutions for how to protect cyclists and pedestrians. He also acts as chairman for another multimillion pound organisation - Sport England - which looks to build grassroots sports in his home country.

But aside from that impressive CV - Chris is also Bobby and Jens’ former teammate - and as you can hear straight away - Chris was in great form with his former teammates as they tried to work out his new titles…

To listen to this episode - click below - or search for The Odd Tandem on your favourite podcast app

TOTPOD 3: ROBBY KETCHELL

While the glory in cycling is reserved for those on the bike, success in the sport is predicated on the men and women in the support team doing their job well. Robby Ketchell wanted to be racing in the pro peloton, but when injury curtailed his career - he turned his hand to making cyclists quicker in anyway he could.

His innovations include the short tailed time trail helmets that became de rigeur in the peloton shortly after Garmin Slipstream adopted them; the world’s fastest speed suit, responsible for shaving tens of seconds off TT times and the BAT box, a mobile aerodynamics sensor that enabled riders to measure their aerodynamic coefficient (CDA) without visiting a wind tunnel.

But Robby is much more than an aerodynamicist. He’s also an innovator. Amongst his concepts are a piece of software that used twitter data to feedback to directeurs sportifs where their riders were on the road and ice tights, which helped Ryder Hesjedal to his Giro d’Italia victory.

Away from cycling Robby pushed the envelope in running - working on Eliud Kipchoge’s successful 1:59 marathon project.

Catch the full podcast below - or searching for The Odd Tandem on your favourite podcast platforms!

TOTPOD 2: MAILBAG 1

Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt open their mailbag to listener question to share their views on the world of cycling. In this episode, Bobby learns the secret team that keep the Tour going every day and the secret team that protect the tour’s modesty, both men share the worst weather they’ve faced on the bike and just how hard is a Tour de France Queen stage?

Both address the continuing safety issues that are dominating the peloton and focus in on the restoration of the US as a cycling superpower.

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TOTPOD 1: SEAN QUINN

Sean Quinn turns season altering injury into triumph

For riders, the weeks immediately before the Tour de France are filled with a mixture of anticipation, excitement and anxiety. For European riders the National Championships the week before the race offer riders a final chance to impress their teams and earn selection to la grande boucle. Sean Quinn had no opportunity to impress his selectors, the American had secured his national title back in May, but when he joined Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt it was still unclear whether the LA born rider would make the final EF Education Easy-Post roster…

Overcoming adversity

The headlines in the aftermath of the Tour of the Basque Country surrounded injuries to Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, but while Sean Quinn’s injuries didn’t draw the column inches of his more illustrious colleagues, the consequences to his season was no less damaging. Sean had fractured his sternum, his plans for the Giro were cancelled and as he told Bobby and Jens, he’d hit “rock bottom”. But he explained how he turned that low point into a career highlight at the US Nationals: “When you're at such a low point, every step, you just build a ton of momentum. And by the time I got back training, which luckily was super fast, I mean, I was just doing everything right… but yeah, it didn't seem like that crazy to me, to be competitive right away.”

Dreams of the Tour de France

After making the startline at the US Nationals Sean was able to work with his EF Education Easy-Post teammate Neilson Powless to secure the victory over Sean’s junior teammate Brandon McNulty. Sean, unaware of his impending selection, was cautious on what his role in the team would be, should he make the EF Tour team: “I think a lot of it hinges on how Richard Carapaz after his crash in the Tour de Suisse because I think, realistically, he's the only guy who would go for GC,” he said, before adding his role would either be supporting Carapaz as a mountain domestique or joining the breakaway in pursuit of stage wins.

The Rest…

To hear more about Sean’s story including which pro has become his housemate, how he prepares to take on cycling’s megastars and how he views his rivals in the peloton.. check out the full podcast below!

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