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Published on:

2nd Aug 2024

Dani Rowe: Overcoming rejection to take Olympic Gold

Dani Rowe has achieved an awful lot in her career. By the age of 22 Dani was already an Olympic Champion, a triple world champion and double European champion. But Dani's road to the top was far from straight forward. Plucked from the obscurity of a school maths lesson she would face constant rejection from the famed TeamGB track programme only to fight her way back to gold at her home Olympics in London.

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Transcript
Speaker:

All right, everyone.

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Today on the odd tandem,

we have a great guest, Dani Rowe.

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Welcome to the podcast.

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Thank you. It's great to be here.

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first of all,

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I have to say thank you for coming on

because I know that you've been busy.

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What actually,

have you been up to this last month or so?

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Well, I've been very, very busy.

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I got roped into being on The Breakaway

for the men's Tour de France.

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I say roped into.

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I was very excited to be part of it,

but it was very last minute for me

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only about ten days before the tour, so

it was a bit of a jump into the deep end.

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but I absolutely loved it.

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It was such a privilege to be a part of.

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So that was three weeks, of course.

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And then I've just had a week at home

back with the kids.

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It was the longest

I've ever been without them.

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and then to come back

was another jump into the deep end.

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Actually, I forgot what motherhood

was like for a few weeks.

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and that was just as hard,

if not harder, to be honest.

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So, yeah, I'm

just enjoying a bit of downtime

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and actually off to Spain for a holiday

tomorrow.

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That is actually pretty cool

that you have a little bit of a holiday,

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and they don't get you in for the Vuelta

as well.

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on they are okay.

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there you go.

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So I've actually got a week off now,

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and then I will jump into the women's

Tour de France.

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Femmes.

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And then I'll go straight into the Vuelta.

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So another very busy period coming up.

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So I'm jumping on a plane,

having a bit of a relax

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and then it'll be bam,

straight back into it.

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And for our, listeners and viewers,

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during my nine days on a motorbike

at the tour de France,

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I had a British commentary in my ear so

I would know what's going on in the race.

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And I did hear

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Dani quite a few times, and believe me,

she was just like a fish in the water.

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She was in her element.

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So I can only give her

the highest compliments.

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She did actually fit in. Absolutely

perfect.

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Just needed to say that.

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Thank you.

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That is very kind.

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I was very nervous

coming into a very established team,

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but I've been commentating on women's

racing for for many years,

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and I've been part of The Breakaway

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for Discovery Eurosport

and some of the men's classics as well.

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And obviously I follow a very,

very passionate about cycling.

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So yeah, I was nervous

that it went really well.

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I really enjoyed it.

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It was part of a great team and thankfully

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they've asked me to come back,

so I must have done an okay job.

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Well, that's a fantastic intro

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into our little quickfire questions

that we have for you today.

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So question number one,

do you prefer commentating or coaching,

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commentating,

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homecoming parade or the gold postbox?

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And to our viewers and listeners

that don't know what that means?

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Maybe you can explain

what the gold postbox is actually.

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Yeah of course.

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So after the London Olympics

in London,:

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they decided to paint every gold medalist

a gold postbox

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so we could choose

which postbox was painted gold.

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They wanted it to be where we were born.

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But actually, I was born in a

in a city called Southampton, in the south

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of the UK.

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But I'm from a little village

just outside of Southampton called Hamble.

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So I asked if I could have my gold postbox

painted there because it's

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where my parents live.

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I go back and visit a lot

and I do a little running route

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where I pass the gold postbox,

and it was only supposed to be painted

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gold for a year after the Olympics, and

then they were going to paint it back red.

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But then they decided that now

they're going to keep them gold forever,

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which I think is such a lovely touch

because,

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you know, I get pictures of people

that have come to visit the gold postbox

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and some friends, if they're just walking

past and oh, look where we are.

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And then when I go back,

it just brings such a nice feeling

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when I, when I run past it or I don't,

I walk past with the kids.

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So that's.

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Yeah, that's what happens.

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So all over the country,

ery gold medalist from London:

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has a designated postbox

that's been painted gold.

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Okay.

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Next question.

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Do you prefer track or road racing?

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Oh, it's such a hard question.

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I'm going to go track.

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Okay.

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And last one, Olympics

or the

Tour de France.

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Which is your favorite?

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Olympics I've never ridden.

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It's all to France.

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So I have to say Olympics.

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If I'm talking about myself and riding.

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since you already touched on it

with the gold, postbox

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you are born in, actually,

the correct word is Hamble-le-Rice.

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Correct.

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And that's just outside of Southampton

or Portsmouth.

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Right. 4600 Southampton..

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not Portsmouth.

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They're big rivals in the football Jens!

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Okay okay.

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So you depending to the Southampton

side of that okay.

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And the British Channel is not too far

from there.

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And 4600 and habitants.

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So you would expect

half of them are fishermen.

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How on earth do you become

a cyclist in the first place?

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Good question.

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I'm actually not from a fishing family,

so my dad is a two time

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Winter Olympian in the sport of biathlon.

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he actually got roped into skiing.

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And here's part of the, the British Army.

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And they asked him

if he wanted to try out for skiing.

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And he thought it was fun downhill skiing.

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And it turned out to be cross

country skiing.

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He was pretty good at it. And then he was.

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Yeah, part of the British team, whilst

being in the Army, went to two Olympic

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Games, 84 and 88, in Sarajevo and Calgary.

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Didn't medal but was yeah.

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How British Red records for a long time

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anyway are we never even knew.

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I'm talking we as me and my sister.

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I've got a sister who's two years

younger than me.

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We never knew.

He never put anything around the house.

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We were just very, very sporty,

a very active family.

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I took part in every single club

you could imagine, from ballroom

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dancing to football, swimming,

you name it.

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Everything.

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I loved it, and then I was keen

swimmer and runner in school.

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but never going to be an Olympian.

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Wasn't that talented.

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Worked hard, love

the British Cycling came into my school

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when I was 14 and asked if anyone wanted

to try out for the talent team,

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which was a talent identification program

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that they put in place to to find talent.

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Initially, I did it to

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get out of a maths lesson

because I loved sport

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and I got through the first round.

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It was just round the school

playing field.

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They did an endurance test around

the 400 meter track and a sprint test

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on the 100 meter track,

and I got through that test.

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Then they brought in

kind of Watt bikes to test, obviously,

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you know, different powers, measurements,

a bit more scientific.

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Of course.

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I got through that test

and then I got invited on a mountain

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bike ride, which now, looking back,

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I think they did to test mental capacity.

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Whether you were up for the challenge,

whether you'd get stuck in.

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And then I got a letter home to say

I made it onto the talent team.

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Were my parents,

you know, happy to support me

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because this could mean training camps

throughout the year, race in cycling.

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So being a taxi driver for me,

and they said,

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yes, if you want to do it,

we will support you 100%.

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And that was the start, really.

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So I was 14 very up and down.

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You know, I was the British Cycling.

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They've got a kind of pyramid system,

leading up

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to the Olympic program

where you get selected for the Olympics.

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So I was on

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the talent team and then I was okay.

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I was never that great.

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I just tried very, very hard.

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I wasn't winning from the start at all.

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but I loved it.

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And I just, you know,

I was a very hard worker.

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So initially, I was an endurance rider.

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And that's my background.

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How, you know, my dad was a by athlete.

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And then I don't know

if you remember Iain Dyer,

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who was the national sprint coach

for a very long time for British Cycling,

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said, oh,

you should try out for the sprint squad

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because we think you're

pretty good at sprinting.

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So I went on the Olympic

Development program for a year, sprinting,

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and I was shit.

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I got my head well

and truly kicked in by Jess

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Varnish and Victoria Pendleton.

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Becky James, who, you know, Becky

James is still one of my best friends.

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Silver medalist from Rio, two time

silver medalist from Rio Olympics.

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And then I got I said, this is not for me.

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So I was coached by, Jan van Eijden

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you know, went over to Germany again

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to Cottbus, European champs,

got my head kicked in.

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You know, riders like Kristina Vogel with,

I remember

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actually, quite a funny story.

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hold it me up for the sprint.

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Obviously three laps or maybe two coppers

because it's a longer track.

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And he said, Dani, your only chance of

winning is if you go from the gun,

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which is obviously not really

the thing to do in cycling.

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So I just want to pass as I could.

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But anyway, I got passed

probably with about 300m to go.

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So then I got invited onto the back

onto the endurance squad,

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because when I was initially asked

to go on the sprint, I said, okay, only

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if if it doesn't work, you put me back

on the injured squad for you.

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But I

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was crap

because I'd only spent a year sprinting

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and then I got kicked off the program,

then for two years.

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So I said, oh, you're not good enough.

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You'll never be good enough.

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yeah.

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You’re chucked off the team,

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and then I went away for British

Cycling and,

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found my own coach

and my parents were amazing

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and said, look, I will support you

as long as you want to do it.

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And so I kept going and kept going.

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Then I got glandular fever,

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so I couldn't ride for a long time.

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And I thought,

oh, I don't know if this is for me.

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And it was the first time

I've sort of had a wobble.

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But then when I got better,

I had about six weeks

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to the national championships

on the track,

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and my coach at the time said,

let's put everything into this,

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because this will be a big opportunity

to compete against the girls

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who were already

on the British cycling team.

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So I was training three times a day trying

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to trick my body into thinking

there was more days in the week.

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just putting everything into it.

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Went to the nationals

and I medaled in every event I rode.

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And I got an email from Paul Manning,

who was the British coach

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for the team pursuit at the time,

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and he said,

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do you want to come to Manchester

to try out for the team pursuit?

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This is the event that we highlighted

as being out, you know,

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most likely gold medal in London Olympics.

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This was at the end of 2010.

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went up to Manchester

and started on this.

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I call it an X factor elimination process

because there was 12 of us, 12 girls.

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I was the only one that wasn't on the team

at the time, so came in

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and it was driving myself

up to Manchester.

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This is about four hours from Southampton

every week to do a couple of sessions,

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and then made the world's team

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in the March of 2011

when we won, in Apeldoorn

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And that was the start, to be honest,

that was the kind of upward

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trajectory to the Olympics.

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After each major competition,

someone was told, that's it, you're off.

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You're not good enough.

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Until that was four left

for the for the Olympics.

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And then three of us rode

all three rounds.

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So it was, Yeah, that's a quick journey

into my life as a cyclist.

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I'm sure we'll get deeper.

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A quick explanation, for their viewers,

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back then, the women's team

pursuit was a team of three.

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Now it has a team of four.

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I don't know when it changed,

but back then it was a team for three,

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for a women's teams

pursuit on a track right?

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Yes. Three women, three kilometers.

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It changed in 2013

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to become kind of parallel with the men.

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So it's now for women four kilometers.

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But when I rode in the Olympics

it was three kilometers, three women.

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And it was myself, Laura Trott and Joanna

Rowsell that rode the the Olympic Games.

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Well, there's so many things to

unpack from your your last answer.

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I always wondered, because Rod Ellingworth

is a good friend of mine and was a

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mentor, is a mentor of mine, and he would

he was one of the guys that ran

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that, program to go to the schools

and see the kids and to test the kids,

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and I didn't know that it was tiered

like that into you do one.

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And then if you pass that,

you do another one and another one.

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I so,

so thank you for filling me in on that.

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I'm going to have to get him.

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Or are you on again to basically do

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one whole episode asking about that

because it was so effective?

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I mean, you know, it's difficult over here

in the US to, to, to find that talent.

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But you guys definitely did it

and continue to do it.

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So, yeah, you got stuck in for sure.

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I mean, it is brutal.

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Like I was on the road side of British

Cycling a little bit when I worked at Sky,

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and I would just hear little rumors

and, you know, around the

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when I, when I would spend time up there

in Manchester of how

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many to lead difficult

the selection process was like

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that was hard that that was the

it really honestly was the hardest for me

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and I was very lucky that I had supportive

friends and family outside the bubble

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because it was

you've hit the nail on the head.

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It was absolutely brutal.

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and that was something that you would

worry about every single day.

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When you went into the track,

everything was scrutinized,

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and I think that's why

they got the best out of us.

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But it was done in quite a brutal way.

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You know,

there was people on this journey told

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after a World Cup

at the baggage carousel at the airport

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that that was it, that

their journey to the Olympics had ended

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and then they weren't

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coming into the track on Monday

morning for the track session,

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and you were always worrying about

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whether that was going to be you or not,

even up even up to the Olympic final.

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So there was four of us

that went to the holding camp,

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which was two weeks before the games.

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We were told a week before who was in

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round one

the night before, who was in round two

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and 30 minutes before the final,

who was riding the final.

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So not only trying to perform up

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to the absolute pinnacle of your ability,

but also in

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the back of your mind is thinking,

am I going to get to the next round?

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Am I going to be in this final?

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Because, you know,

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they could just put someone else in,

which is very different to most Olympians

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because I guess injury or illness aside,

someone should know a year before

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if they're going to be lining up

in the Olympics, you know,

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at least six months before

not and 30 minutes before the Olympic

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final, because, you know,

they're going to keep that from you.

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Scrutinize the ride,

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look at the bar chart that they used

to see who's slowing the team down, who's

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pick it up too much and then tell you

that you're in the final.

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It's it's brutal.

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But but that's what I mean.

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It was

so that around the baggage carousel, hey,

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you're off the team sort of thing.

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Where it's some of the stories

that I heard, but you just told us

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that you actually got kicked off the team

multiple times.

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And I know the people at British

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Cycling like, once their head is made up,

you know, once their decision is made.

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I mean, how did

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you get back into the selection like,

other than performing?

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I mean, mentally going through

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that multiple times and then coming out

the other side eventually.

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And we'll get into this later with,

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with some amazing results,

including the Olympic gold medal.

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But yeah, what was what was that like?

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And how did you how did you get stuck

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in, as you said, and, and combat that?

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it was all for remember getting

the letter because you had to apply

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for the Olympic Development Program,

which was, sorry, the academy.

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So I was on the Olympic

development program for sprint,

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then the Olympic Development program

for endurance,

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and then the next tier in the pyramid

was the Academy.

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And I applied for two years,

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and I was told for two years in a row

that I wasn't good enough.

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and I think those words in those words,

you get a letter.

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Yeah.

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I mean, I was told that

I wasn't good enough by a specific coach,

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but in the letter it's a little bit nicer

word.

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Not like, you know, but ultimately,

I think it was one coach

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that maybe didn't believe in me

or didn't think I was good enough

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that had the power over

whether I go on to the next level or not.

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And I think I was so young still,

I was only maybe 17,

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16, 17,

that is young, so, so still pretty young.

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And I loved what I was doing.

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I always I'd always dreamt

of being an Olympic and world champion.

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I didn't care what sport it was in.

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I was never

I didn't come from a cycling background,

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so I was never a passionate bike rider.

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But I loved competition.

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I loved elite sport.

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I got goosebumps watching anything

because I felt that I,

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I don't know, I just love pushing myself

and that feeling of success. So

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what I was told I wasn't good enough.

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I remember crying for days on end

and my parents again

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were the best thing in this journey

because they just kept me believing.

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I never really believed in myself.

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Throughout my whole career,

I didn't really believe in myself.

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I always had to be picked up a lot,

but I guess there was

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something in a

that just kept me going. I'm.

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It's really hard to put into words

what that is.

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I think maybe as a parent

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you would know more because my, my dad

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especially,

you always knew there was something in me.

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I think you can kind of see it in kids,

whether they've got that

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internal motivation to keep going when new

people tell you you're not good enough.

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I remember when I used to swim,

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something that sticks with me is that my

we used to have to get up really,

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really early for swimming sessions

before school, and my parents said,

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if you wake us up, we will take you.

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So I had to set my alarm and wait

my parents up and they would take me.

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So it never came from them.

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It was always for me

because I wanted to do it.

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And I think now as a pair of myself,

I think, wow, that's actually really

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powerful because you hear about kids

living through the parents type thing.

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It's their parents

dream, it's not their kids dream,

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and the parents want them to do it

more than they want to do it themselves.

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But that was never the case with me.

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I always wanted to do it,

and I don't really know.

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Well, I can't really answer that question.

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And I think going back to your question,

Bobby, it's more

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that that was just it drives inside me

that kept me going.

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And I had the support from my parents

who would help me find a coach,

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and I just kept training.

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And then I went to

those national championships, did well.

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And then it was a different coach,

Paul Manning,

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who I had a very good relationship

with that obviously saw the talent in me

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and maybe the hard work that I would have

had to have done, not being on the team

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to get to that point.

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and then that was it.

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So, don't want to go too much into it,

but it sounds like, eihter.

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You've got to be mentally extremely strong

to work under pressure

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or to take the decision

to new that you out,

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or you got to have a really good support

network, right?

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Like close friends or a partner

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or having, your parents on your side,

your siblings.

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:

Otherwise, if you're 17, you got to,

actually know you're not good enough.

389

:

Maybe nicer words in the letter,

that's hard to take, right?

390

:

Really hard, 100%.

391

:

If it wasn't for them, it wasn't for.

392

:

So my husband,

who was my boyfriend at the time,

393

:

his dad was actually coaching me.

394

:

So it's Luke Rowe.

395

:

So my husband is Luke Rowe’s brother

Luke Rowe’s dad.

396

:

He's been a coach for many, many,

many years.

397

:

Was coaching me at the time.

398

:

And they all just stuck,

you know, got behind me,

399

:

kind of stuck together,

kept supporting me.

400

:

I kept right in, obviously.

401

:

but if it if it wasn't for them,

there's no way I would have kept on.

402

:

I would have listened to them and thought,

I'm not.

403

:

I'm not going to be good enough.

404

:

Maybe I'd have tried another sport.

405

:

and I think, you know,

that is half the battle,

406

:

especially with young, young kids.

407

:

It's so much about the

the support network.

408

:

Otherwise

it would be so easy to just give up

409

:

because you need those parents to drive

you up and down the country.

410

:

You need the coach to to still believe

411

:

in you and say, okay, that person's told

you you're not good enough.

412

:

But we still believe.

413

:

And if you're still enjoying it, then

let's crack on and see what we can do.

414

:

Wow. Yeah,

415

:

you absolutely hit that on the head.

416

:

I mean, you have to have

that support around you, but

417

:

so we've talked about the pressure

surrounding the:

418

:

Let's hear about your positive memories

of of the games.

419

:

I mean, there's a lot that goes into it.

420

:

And we know that the pressure is there.

421

:

But tell us some of the good stuff.

422

:

Oh where do I start?

423

:

It was incredible.

424

:

Everything about it,

you know, it was my dream.

425

:

And to be at a home Olympic

Games was just amazing.

426

:

I remember pressure, but good pressure

because we were flying at the time.

427

:

we actually broke six consecutive world

records with the three in London as well.

428

:

So we we'd broken three beforehand

and then we broke

429

:

three in each round of the Olympic Games.

430

:

But I was sharing a room

in the holding camp with Laura

431

:

Kenny, she was Laura Trott at the time,

432

:

and we got a newspaper through the

through the door of the hotel,

433

:

and it had something like most

likely gold medals of the London Olympics.

434

:

And we were number one.

435

:

And we said, oh my goodness, there, hang

in this medal around my neck

436

:

before we've got on the track, you know,

but we work with,

437

:

Professor Steve Peters,

438

:

the psychologist, psychiatrist,

439

:

and he was amazing and still is amazing.

440

:

I, you know, seeing him up all day long,

I still speak to him now.

441

:

And I'm having a wobble about motherhood,

442

:

because I'm a big worrier,

and I worry about everything.

443

:

but he was so instrumental

to so many of our performances

444

:

because there was that pressure on us,

but we just had the best time.

445

:

I was only what was I, 21?

446

:

So I was so young at the Olympics

and it was just one big party,

447

:

really, from,

448

:

you know, the moment we got there

and we had all of our,

449

:

all of our kit GB kit,

went to the Olympic Village and we saw

450

:

all these superstars from other teams

and it was just the best feeling.

451

:

And although we were nervous,

we knew we were flying because we'd

452

:

we'd ridden a world record in training

before

453

:

we got to the, the Olympics.

454

:

and then yeah,

455

:

in terms of the,

the race in, it all went perfectly.

456

:

We rode three world records.

457

:

We nearly, caught America in the final.

458

:

And then after the games was

where I could really, really enjoy it

459

:

because obviously leading up to the race,

that's all you're thinking

460

:

And you don't really let yourself

think that it's the Olympics.

461

:

And that's what Steve Peters helped us do.

462

:

You know, this was just another race.

463

:

This is what we would have been doing day

in, day out.

464

:

yeah.

465

:

To could just control the controllables

what we were in control of.

466

:

And that was going as fast as we could

467

:

on a bike, around a wooden bowl.

468

:

And that's how he would put it

into perspective for us.

469

:

but after that, it was just

we were like superstars.

470

:

Sir Paul McCartney was stood in the crowd.

471

:

He got the whole crowd singing

Hey Jude stood on the podium.

472

:

I remember thinking,

I need to soak this in

473

:

as much as I can, because this moment

is going to be gone so quickly.

474

:

But oh my goodness, this is just amazing.

475

:

Oh, my dreams have come true.

476

:

You know, I've dreamt of being world

an Olympic champion.

477

:

I became world champion

in:

478

:

And then this was the Olympics

and my family and friends were there.

479

:

And then we just partied, you know,

and we got to do some amazing things

480

:

after the games from meeting very,

481

:

very famous people, going out nightclub

and every single night,

482

:

going on holidays.

483

:

Yeah. It was just a very,

484

:

a whirlwind, a whirlwind

and something that I'll never forget.

485

:

And, wasn't it,

486

:

that moment or the day

you want your medal?

487

:

Wasn't it like these golden afternoon

of British sports or something?

488

:

Please explain that a little more

to our, to our listeners.

489

:

Sure. Yeah.

490

:

So it was the 4th of August 2012,

and it was deemed Super Saturday by

491

:

the British media because it was the day

that Great Britain won six gold medals.

492

:

So. Oh, you're going to this will test me

now, I knew those three in athletics.

493

:

So it was Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg

Rutherford us on the track and then I

494

:

believe there were two in the rowing lake

495

:

but yeah, don't quote me on that.

496

:

You got all of them.

497

:

our producer is is from the UK

498

:

and he put this all down, so.

499

:

Oh, nice. Nice memory there.

500

:

Nice memory there. Yeah.

501

:

So that was Super Saturday.

502

:

So yeah, it was just unbelievable.

503

:

I remember, you know, getting back to the

the room and my phone had gone crazy.

504

:

just the opportunities we got after were.

505

:

Yeah, it's really even hard

to put it into words.

506

:

It just gave me goosebumps.

507

:

And we felt like we were just

living on a cloud for, well, not that long

508

:

because we had to do a World Cup

in Glasgow in October and it was hell.

509

:

I got dropped and it was the worst team

pursuit I've ever done in my life.

510

:

If you've ever done a team pursuit,

511

:

it's the best when you go, well, I'm

the worst if you're not

512

:

because you start out like a sore thumb

513

:

and obviously you can't lose someone

when there's three riders.

514

:

So now with four, you can lose a ride up.

515

:

But back then you couldn't.

516

:

So you just had to hang on as long as,

as long as possible.

517

:

And I was just flapping off the back

for about the last kilometer.

518

:

Here's my little experience

was that I was, I believe, 16

519

:

German championships four kilometers.

520

:

I mean, I still had like these points,

race style bike with flat spokes.

521

:

We didn't have discs.

522

:

I mean, I'm talking 1986. Maybe.

523

:

And so I was the third spare.

524

:

So the first guy flopped,

the spare guy went, oh, I feel sick.

525

:

The next spare guy “ohhh but no”,

and they came to me.

526

:

I was not even the picture really said,

527

:

okay Jens listen,

we need two pulls Jens, two pulls.

528

:

It was actually in Cottbus, the track

you talked about the 330 meter, concrete.

529

:

And I said, look Jens,

we want three pulls.

530

:

And and you go up

and you scream on top of your lungs.

531

:

Three men left so I said okay, okay,

two pullsI can do this.

532

:

Yeah.

533

:

So I started last position and I did

my two pulls and there was three men left.

534

:

And then we won a bronze medal.

535

:

So that's how I

actually had a bronze medal.

536

:

at the junior championships.

537

:

But the other ones

were absolutely absolute legends.

538

:

But I just jumped in, like,

because nobody else wanted to.

539

:

And I know what you mean.

540

:

It is terrible if you're not in shape

or if your technique is not good

541

:

and you're afraid when you come down,

you're too close to touch the wheel

542

:

or too far off,

so you have to sprint to catch the,

543

:

There's so many things

that could go wrong, I know.

544

:

Yeah.

545

:

so the team pursuit

546

:

was obviously your jam, and,

you know, you,

547

:

like you

on the World Championships in:

548

:

the Olympics in 2012,

the world's up to:

549

:

So, you know, you were in the know

550

:

of everything that was going

on, you know, the gears and whatnot.

551

:

I know it's

552

:

it's what, three Olympic cycles later and,

553

:

you know, it sounds like you're

you're still kind of attached to us.

554

:

UK cycling, the track program.

555

:

And as a commentator,

how have you seen the sport of women's

556

:

team pursuit changed from

n you won the Olympic gold in:

557

:

Until now, for example, I don't know,

558

:

gears, equipment, pacing times.

559

:

How has it changed?

560

:

yeah, it's changed quite a lot.

561

:

The gears are a lot bigger,

even though we rode

562

:

pretty big gears, but now even bigger

because they're getting faster.

563

:

So already we were spinning about.

564

:

I think my average cadence in the Olympic

final was about

565

:

122 is so fast.

566

:

but and that was on,

567

:

I think, something like 100.8in gear.

568

:

So I don't know what that would be kind of

chainring versus sprocket,

569

:

but it was pretty big,

but now a lot bigger.

570

:

The positions have changed a lot.

571

:

So if I look back at my position,

it was awful.

572

:

My head was right in the sky.

573

:

now obviously we've got a more head

to hands position

574

:

that you see on the road as well.

575

:

So you've come up higher, but you've got

your kind of frontal areas a lot smaller.

576

:

and then

577

:

in terms of

pacing, I think they use in longer terms.

578

:

So you're getting more rest than what

we were when it was three kilometers.

579

:

So you'll see riders do in longer

turns up to sometimes three laps.

580

:

I mean, I know Katie

Archibald was an absolute machine

581

:

and unfortunately she's not going

to the Olympics because she, she broke

582

:

her leg only a couple of weeks ago,

but she was doing monster

583

:

turns in the British team pursuit squad,

and it just enables everyone

584

:

to have more rest and more recovery,

to be able to then give more on the front.

585

:

But there the

586

:

the probably the biggest changes that

I've seen, technology will always change.

587

:

So they've probably got a lot of faster

equipment now, faster skin.

588

:

So even though we did a lot of testing,

we had

589

:

specific

skin suits made for us for the Olympics.

590

:

We did do a little bit of wind

tunnel work, but not a huge amount.

591

:

And then, yeah,

I mean, our bikes were great at the time,

592

:

but even even

they will be getting faster and faster,

593

:

which is what we're seeing on the track

and on the road.

594

:

All these records

are being broken every year.

595

:

So yeah, I'm sorry Jensie.

596

:

I just have one more follow

up question to that. So

597

:

when you're

598

:

on the front pulling in a team

pursuit versus

599

:

when you're fourth in the draft,

what is the difference there?

600

:

Like what do you what what are you pulling

to basically pace a team.

601

:

And what what

do you have to sustain to recover?

602

:

Okay, I got to try to think back

to what I used to do now,

603

:

I believe

when I was on the front of the team

604

:

pursuit squad, I'd have been doing about

605

:

450W versus

606

:

about 270 280 in the line.

607

:

So quite a lot, quite a big difference.

608

:

Yeah.

609

:

And then off the start

I'd probably hit over

610

:

1000W in the start

because our start was fast.

611

:

we used to come out quite hard

612

:

as we had quite the three of us were fast.

613

:

So myself, Laura and Joanna.

614

:

Joanna was in, so it was Laura.

615

:

where were we now?

616

:

Laura man one and then Joanna

and then myself at the games.

617

:

So we'd just get off the,

618

:

off the mark pretty quick

and then just be able to sustain it,

619

:

because it wouldn't

take too much out of us.

620

:

We were all.

621

:

Yeah.

622

:

Could sprint over 1000W pretty easily.

623

:

you mentioned Katie Archibald.

624

:

do you have any news?

625

:

for our listeners,

she had the ticket for the Olympics.

626

:

She was an important

part of the British team.

627

:

And she actually happened to fall over

in her garden, and, yeah,

628

:

in this weird accident.

629

:

Broke her leg in a terrible way. Right.

630

:

So did she needed surgery.

631

:

And is she back on the bike on recovery,

or do you have any news about her?

632

:

I don't have any more news

than anyone else who follows her

633

:

on social media.

634

:

She could have won three gold medals.

635

:

I'm not going to say quite easily,

but she was looking very, very good for

636

:

for three golds for the omnium, Madison

and the team pursuit on the track.

637

:

And then.

638

:

Yeah, like you said,

she had a freak accident in the garden.

639

:

no no no no more than that really

broke her leg in a couple of places.

640

:

Required surgery

and is now, rehab, not back on the bike.

641

:

Yeah.

642

:

The recent post I saw,

I think she'd just come out of a cast

643

:

because she was saying

644

:

how she'd lost so much muscle,

you know, when it's in a cast.

645

:

But I'm not sure exactly where she is

now, but it's just heartbreaking.

646

:

obviously, you know, when you're so close

647

:

to the Olympic Games in the shape

she was in, I just.

648

:

Yeah.

649

:

Hope she's got a lot of support

behind her, because

650

:

I'd love to see her come back from it.

651

:

Over here in the US.

652

:

You know,

we don't know so much about track racing.

653

:

You know, it's not super popular.

654

:

Can you just give a short few word

answer to explain the track events

655

:

that are going to be in the Olympics

this year?

656

:

starting off with the team

pursuit, team pursuit, obviously

657

:

four kilometers is for women or for men,

658

:

and it's what it says on the tin.

659

:

You just share the workload, try

and get from A to B as quickly as you can.

660

:

So 16 laps around the track,

the time is taken

661

:

on the third rider that crosses the line.

662

:

Okay,

this is one that I kind of understand,

663

:

but maybe you could shed a little bit

more light on it.

664

:

The team sprint.

665

:

Yeah.

666

:

So team sprint again is a sprint event.

667

:

So as quick as you can go

for three laps, but

668

:

one rider will pull off each time.

669

:

So you start with three.

670

:

Then the front rider will lead off.

671

:

Two riders slot in behind.

672

:

He'll go as fast as he can off.

673

:

She'll go as fast as she can swings off,

let the other two riders through.

674

:

They will then do another lap.

675

:

The front rider swings off

676

:

and that will leave

that one rider left to do that last lap.

677

:

And again,

it's the fastest team that wins.

678

:

Okay, how about the keirin,

679

:

I've seen this before

and I still don't really understand it.

680

:

Okay, so the keirin, it's

the one with the funny bike.

681

:

I always try and how I explain it.

682

:

So there's like a a motorbike

that gets the riders up

683

:

to speed, that swings off

with two and a half laps to go.

684

:

I believe I wasn't a sprinter,

so I didn't pay too much attention to it.

685

:

And then they just fight it out then.

686

:

So I think there's normally about,

687

:

I want to say

688

:

6 or 8 riders in a final,

689

:

and then it's just absolute carnage

for two and a half laps where they sprint

690

:

behind the dirt or the dirty,

so the motorbike is pulled off

691

:

and then they give it hell for leather

and see who crosses the line first.

692

:

But it's all argy bargy and there's always

crashes and it's so fast.

693

:

And I hate watching it

because it makes me very nervous.

694

:

The way they explained it to me

when I was young, is the

695

:

keirin is the event

where places three and five crash

696

:

and slide across the finish line

that’s how they explained it to

697

:

me? Right?

698

:

That basically backs up

what you just said, right?

699

:

Yeah, it is exactly that.

700

:

There's always crashes you oh,

there's always riders

701

:

trying to get into gaps

that aren't even there.

702

:

And then it just ends in

I mean, it's amazing to watch, but

703

:

I yeah, I never enjoyed it

when I did a little bit of sprints

704

:

in myself,

I just went from the gun and got caught.

705

:

Hence why I got kicked off

that program was the, I think the sprint,

706

:

is, is pretty self-explanatory,

so we won't have to go through that.

707

:

But can you shed a little

bit of light on the omnium?

708

:

Yes. So

709

:

that's actually changed quite a lot

since I was riding.

710

:

there's four races in the omnium now,

so there's a scratch race,

711

:

individual pursuit, elimination

race at a points right.

712

:

And that is then combined to the total.

713

:

So your your combined points

then give you that overall score.

714

:

So it's basically the best of a collection

of different races.

715

:

And the Madison we've seen this one.

716

:

This one is kind of known in the US.

717

:

But explain a little bit about the Madison

okay.

718

:

So the Madison is the longest race

I think maybe by the points race

719

:

you're in teams of two and you're

both riding around the track, but

720

:

only one rider is in the race at a time,

721

:

and it's almost like a relay race.

722

:

When you reach your partner,

you swing them in

723

:

using your hand, handsswing,

and then they will take over and you rest.

724

:

Then at the top of the track

while they're racing around the bottom.

725

:

And when they catch you again,

they use the hand sling you in.

726

:

And again there's loads of crashes.

Is that absolute carnage?

727

:

You can hardly follow

what's going on, but it's brilliant.

728

:

So if you wouldn't

have done the team pursuit

729

:

if you weren't a team pursuit

specialist of those other Olympic

730

:

events that we just talked about

and you explained so well,

731

:

which one would you go for

if you couldn't pick the team pursuit?

732

:

Well, there was only the team pursuit

and the omnium

733

:

that were available to to us

when we were riding as endurance riders.

734

:

And I'd actually ridden a few omnium,

735

:

it was myself and Laura that would go in

for that spot at the Olympics.

736

:

so I medaled in a few World Cups

that I've done in the omnium.

737

:

So I did enjoy that.

738

:

But Laura was obviously Laura,

so she got the spot

739

:

and then I enjoyed the Madison as well.

740

:

So myself and Laura have been national

Madison champions.

741

:

and I loved it.

742

:

So to be honest, all of them.

743

:

I really like track racing.

744

:

if I had to pick one,

I'd probably go Madison,

745

:

because I really like the thought

of riding racing with someone else

746

:

and being able to share that

with someone else.

747

:

Like the team pursuit.

748

:

In a way,

I really liked that collective goal,

749

:

working together with other people to

to reach it and then target.

750

:

But I enjoyed the omnium as

well, so it's hard to answer.

751

:

in your

752

:

last training camp or last days or,

you know, maybe not days,

753

:

but weeks before the World

Championships, the Olympics.

754

:

How would your training be looking like?

755

:

I mean, you train for an event

756

:

that's like just a little more

than three minutes, right?

757

:

Or maybe four and a half or four minutes

nowadays.

758

:

Is it just all anaerobic?

759

:

Max, Max, Max, max

760

:

and just suffer until you got, like,

lactic acid, like coming out of your ears

761

:

or you actually, do like some normal

three hour, like, endurance rides as well.

762

:

Also, just all on the track and full gas.

763

:

No. So we did a Pre-Olympic camp

in New York.

764

:

we used to do a lot of camps in Mallorca,

and we would combine a lot of road,

765

:

a lot of our training with our efforts.

766

:

So we would just do

general three hour rides.

767

:

We didn't do a lot of riding without,

with our efforts.

768

:

A lot of our rides had effort.

769

:

So the, I guess the easiest type of ride

770

:

we would do if it wasn't a rest day

would be like a zone two ride.

771

:

So kind of just at that niggly type

pace for a couple of hours.

772

:

but we would also do a lot of efforts.

773

:

So 20/40s was a big one.

774

:

I don't know if you're,

775

:

you know, Mallorca, but

there's a very famous climb Sa Calobra.

776

:

And we used to have to do 20/40s up there.

777

:

So 20s full gas as hard as you could,

and then 40s

778

:

just basically to, to keep you upright

because on Sa Calobra it’s pretty steep.

779

:

So to just keep moving,

you still probably have to do.

780

:

I was probably still having to do around

I dunno, at least 150,

781

:

if not 200 watts and then Bam, go again.

782

:

And we do kind of blocks of

783

:

maybe like ten minutes at a time,

which was pretty tough.

784

:

And then we would do

a lot of split days as well.

785

:

So we might do a two hour zone

to ride in the morning,

786

:

and then in the afternoon we'd go up

and down the coast and do capacity for so

787

:

three minutes, trying to average

as high power as you can.

788

:

So not so full.

789

:

Got a full gas from the off,

but just to try and measure your effort

790

:

throughout three minutes and try and have

the highest average that you could.

791

:

And that was really hard.

792

:

So a lot of specific training,

but we'd still probably be doing

793

:

at least

794

:

15 hours on the road awake, I would say.

795

:

But very specific to team pursuit effort.

796

:

Well, that that's a great transition

797

:

because obviously, again,

you were doing a lot of road riding,

798

:

a lot of training on the road,

and you also raced a lot on the road.

799

:

you know, the Commonwealth Games

you did Fleche Wallone

800

:

You came to the Tour of California.

801

:

You even did the the race in Philadelphia,

which was the biggest race in America

802

:

back then.

803

:

You did Strade Bianche,

Tour Down Under, Giro d'Italia feminine.

804

:

I mean, you raced all over the world

on the road.

805

:

how how was how was that experience

after coming off such a successful career

806

:

on the track and then getting to do

all these different road races?

807

:

I actually love the road and I race

quite a lot on the road before and whilst

808

:

I was still training on the track,

so I actually got,

809

:

I medaled in the under 23

national championships back in.

810

:

I think it was 2008,

so I would have been 18.

811

:

And then I got signed into Vision One,

which was Nicole Cooke's team,

812

:

and she, won the Beijing road race.

813

:

yeah.

814

:

One of British, Britain's most successful

road women.

815

:

she had a team called Vision One.

816

:

So I did a lot of race it out in Belgium

when we went out and stayed in Italy

817

:

for a training camp,

did a few big races back then.

818

:

So something

that I always really enjoyed.

819

:

So after the track and when I transferred

onto the road, that's

820

:

when I kind of really focused on it

for a few years.

821

:

yeah, I again, it was very,

very different from the track.

822

:

We were allowed to live

where we wanted to live.

823

:

So when I was on the track,

we had to be based in Manchester

824

:

with the British team,

825

:

and if we were on the road

then we could be wherever we wanted

826

:

because it was,

827

:

you know, down to our road contracts

and our road teams to be happy

828

:

with where we were.

829

:

I always stayed in the UK.

830

:

and then kind of flew out

to races from there.

831

:

But yeah, I love I love the road.

832

:

I was, I was okay.

833

:

And if I've carried on after 20 18

when I stopped,

834

:

I think I probably would have carried

on doing better than that.

835

:

I've done in 2018

and I had a good year in:

836

:

I just felt that I achieved everything

837

:

and more that I ever dreamt of,

and I wanted to start a family,

838

:

something not really cycling related

when you get to Commonwealth Games

839

:

and for me, as an outside European,

what is going on there?

840

:

Sometimes you be England,

sometimes you be the United Kingdom,

841

:

and sometimes you are Great Britain.

842

:

Well, what is all that about?

843

:

Like can you like make it like easy

and on the break it down for me

844

:

as a stupid continental European

because how can you have three different

845

:

nationalities for the Commonwealth Games,

846

:

for Olympics, for whatever

the World Championships and so on?

847

:

Oh God, don't ask me.

848

:

I have no idea. I just do what I'm told.

849

:

I mean, obviously Great Britain is made up

of different countries, so England, N.

850

:

Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

851

:

So I actually live in Wales,

but I'm English.

852

:

but yeah.

853

:

So in the Commonwealth Games

you would compete as either England, N.

854

:

Ireland, Scotland and Wales

855

:

and when it's the Olympics or the World

Championships it's Great Britain.

856

:

So you would have athletes,

English athletes,

857

:

Welsh athletes, Scottish athletes

that will all compete for Great Britain.

858

:

Thank you very much for clarifying that.

859

:

Great.

Not just a pretty face there, Jensie.

860

:

That's a great question.

861

:

I think we all struggle with that one.

862

:

you know, this year in the tour de France,

863

:

Yonas van ago had, you know,

he finished second in the tour de France.

864

:

I don't think

he needs to be sad about that.

865

:

But after his crash down in Pay Basque

866

:

he had a very similar injury

that you suffered in:

867

:

which was a, snapped

rib cage and collapsed lung.

868

:

you also spent ten days

in, in the hospital.

869

:

Can you give us a little bit of info

870

:

on the recovery back to full convalescence

after that sort of injury,

871

:

because it had us all kind

of scratching our heads

872

:

this year, watching him recover

so fast and perform so well in the tour.

873

:

Yeah, it was remarkable, to be honest,

because I could somewhat

874

:

relate to, you know, what he had

come back from.

875

:

So I had a very bad accident. Yeah.

876

:

Like you said in 2014,

I was out just with a club run,

877

:

a local club run,

a group of guys, actually,

878

:

and we were on our way back

and it was raining.

879

:

Typical Wales, and there was a pothole

that was covered in water

880

:

and someone in front of me went into it,

881

:

lost his hands on his

balls, went over the bars,

882

:

and then I had nowhere to go.

883

:

So I went into the back of him

over my bars.

884

:

Initially, when I hit the floor.

885

:

I think you do this as a rider.

886

:

You kind of think, am I okay?

What have I done?

887

:

It must have been a split second later,

the 100 kilo

888

:

ex rugby player rode into my back.

889

:

did all of that damage.

890

:

So the impact broke ten ribs

and punctured my lung.

891

:

And initially

I remember thinking or saying,

892

:

I will never ride a bike again,

and I thought I was going to die.

893

:

It was.

894

:

It was all for I remember

being in the ambulance initially.

895

:

I was on the ground for an hour

because the the ambulance took

896

:

that long to come

and there was injuries everywhere.

897

:

because on the face of it, I looked okay.

898

:

I was the last one to be seen because,

you know, some people would hit their head

899

:

and it looked catastrophic,

but actually they were fine.

900

:

Even so, all of my injuries were internal

and I was still conscious. So

901

:

when I got

902

:

into the ambulance,

I was in a lot of pain.

903

:

And then I was in intensive

care for a couple of nights

904

:

because I broke my wrist,

two of my ribs in two places,

905

:

and they said if that bit of rib

had become kind of dislodged,

906

:

it would be floated

with my internal organs and that would be

907

:

really like catastrophic,

probably wouldn't survive.

908

:

And then with the punctured lung,

909

:

you would be in intensive care anyway

because I had a chest drain.

910

:

because I had a pneumothorax

on a human thorax.

911

:

So I had,

912

:

like, fluid in and air out.

913

:

So I had to have a chest drain.

914

:

I mean, it took ages.

915

:

I don't know how I did it.

916

:

It's incredible because I

917

:

don't think I touched the bike

918

:

for six weeks at least,

and then slowly got back on my bike.

919

:

I mentally I was petrified.

920

:

I remember having to go down

the longest stretch of road

921

:

that I knew of, where I could see

as far into the distance as possible,

922

:

so I knew I didn't have to brake,

or I could see very clearly.

923

:

I could see every hole on the road

because I was just, yeah, really worried.

924

:

But yeah, it didn't take me long

to get back and wanting to race again,

925

:

even though initially

I said I'm never riding a bike again,

926

:

it was even when I had a chest strain,

I was begging the physio in the hospital

927

:

to take me down to the gym in the hospital

and let me ride a bike

928

:

in the hospital because, yeah,

I think we're not all there are.

929

:

We are athletes.

930

:

but I was so keen to get back on the bike

after initially getting over

931

:

the trauma of the accident.

932

:

and then I think I raced again, maybe.

933

:

I don't

934

:

think probably about four months later,

935

:

so maybe 16 weeks ish.

936

:

But it was the worst pain I've ever felt.

937

:

I think if you've ever broken ribs,

it is so.

938

:

They're so painful.

939

:

And obviously I've broken ten, so

I had to have an IV epidural where they,

940

:

I think, kind of block your upper body

in terms of the pain that you're feeling.

941

:

they give it to, mothers when they have

942

:

a caesarean section

when they cut the baby out.

943

:

so I had that for a couple of days

and then had to

944

:

just be on very high painkillers

after that.

945

:

just a quick explanation.

946

:

The human body has 12 pairs of ribs. 24.

947

:

So if Dani broke ten roughly,

we could say she broke half of him.

948

:

That is actually terrible.

949

:

But fascinating

that you came back from that.

950

:

Yeah.

951

:

So I broke eight separate ribs,

but two of them were broken in two places.

952

:

So, yeah, nearly all of them on one side.

953

:

but yeah, I think I just wasn't done

with, with cycling.

954

:

And I wanted to, Yeah, ride again.

955

:

I actually really wanted to be selected

for the Rio Olympics on the road.

956

:

And actually, again,

957

:

I did everything that I was supposed to do

in terms of the British selection.

958

:

but some another rider

got selected over me

959

:

because they could double up

in the time trial on the road race.

960

:

but yeah, that doesn't matter.

961

:

In hindsight, I think it's quite good

that I've got one Olympic memory,

962

:

and that's the the London Olympics

where we won gold.

963

:

But I love, you know, road

racing was something that I did for

964

:

what, nearly

so five years, after the Olympics.

965

:

But I guess fully focused

for probably two, sort of six.

966

:

Well, ‘16, ’17, ‘18,

where I was riding for, for Wiggle

967

:

and then for a while deals with my of,

968

:

well, an easier question.

969

:

as a woman, it is it requires

more planning to become a parent.

970

:

Right.

971

:

So my wife,

I mean, we have six children, right?

972

:

I'm a cyclist.

973

:

So I was gone a lot.

974

:

So in all this,

my wife is actually the hero, right.

975

:

Because she had to do a lot of work

when I was gone.

976

:

Exploring the world for you as a woman,

977

:

was it a if we allowed to ask?

978

:

It was a was it a conscious decision

to wait for after the career

979

:

because nowadays,

the Olympic circle is for years.

980

:

If you have a child within the first year,

you could still have a comeback

981

:

in the next three years.

982

:

Did that ever cross your mind

or is it not?

983

:

I won't have children when I have time for

them and I can stay at home.

984

:

It was actually quite different

even in:

985

:

You know, in the last

sort of 2 or 3 years, it's changed a lot.

986

:

And we're seeing a lot more athletes or

bike riders coming back after motherhood.

987

:

But it was something that I never wanted

to do for me and my psychology.

988

:

I if I was doing something I wanted to

just do that one thing.

989

:

and I had to be so selfish as an athlete,

990

:

and my thought process was,

991

:

I don't want to go to bed at night,

be woken up by a baby

992

:

and be annoyed because I've got four hours

training the next day

993

:

I want to be woken up by a baby and think,

994

:

okay, I'll just have to drink

more coffee tomorrow and it's fine.

995

:

I didn't want to feel any sort of,

996

:

I don't know, all almost

997

:

anger on on any child

that I was bringing into this world

998

:

because they were going to have

a detrimental effect on my training.

999

:

I just wanted to be a mum after

:

00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:28,080

after that and just focus on

being the best mum I could be.

:

00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:32,040

And that's not taking anything away

from these women who who are coming back

:

00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:36,360

from, being a mother or having a child

and coming back into the sport.

:

00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:39,720

I salute them because I think it's amazing

and I couldn't have done it.

:

00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:43,440

You know, I just couldn't of

been the person that I am.

:

00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:49,120

ah, I that's why I stopped in:

because I felt

:

00:54:49,120 --> 00:54:52,160

that I'd achieved everything and more

than I ever dreamt of on the bike.

:

00:54:52,160 --> 00:54:55,320

And I was 28, nearly 29.

:

00:54:55,320 --> 00:54:57,880

I didn't know how long it was

going to take for me to have a baby.

:

00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:00,280

I had enough periods for ten years.

:

00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:02,920

My bone density was low.

:

00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:06,640

you know, I was obviously very lean,

:

00:55:06,720 --> 00:55:10,120

so I was worried that it was going to take

quite a long time as well.

:

00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:13,560

I had no idea if my body's

going to allow me to have a child.

:

00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:18,120

ankfully it did at the end of:

:

00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:20,840

yeah. Here we are, two kids later.

:

00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:23,560

Wow. Right.

:

00:55:23,560 --> 00:55:25,360

Well, I know

we're getting towards the end of our time,

:

00:55:25,360 --> 00:55:29,040

but I have one last question, because

very rarely do we get somebody like you

:

00:55:29,280 --> 00:55:33,360

who was an ex athlete, a commentator,

:

00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:36,480

and you also run Rowe

:

00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:41,280

and King coaching with your husband

and brother in law, Luke,

:

00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:46,200

who has a lot of knowledge around training

:

00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:50,400

because he's been with the, Sky and Ineos

for, for a very, very long time.

:

00:55:50,720 --> 00:55:55,320

So my question is this with your insider

knowledge and experience as a coach,

:

00:55:55,920 --> 00:56:00,280

how can you explain or what do you think

is the the reason

:

00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:04,320

why we have to answer the question

all the time?

:

00:56:04,320 --> 00:56:07,600

How are these riders going so fast?

:

00:56:07,920 --> 00:56:09,120

What do you think?

:

00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:11,280

What would be your answer to that?

:

00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:13,480

Oh, that's a great question.

:

00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:16,080

I think it's the combination

:

00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:20,600

of everything that they are, exposed to.

:

00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:25,280

So the best nutritionist,

the best equipment, the best coaches,

:

00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:28,560

and the best kind of lifestyle

:

00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:31,800

they are all now, I'm talking to Luke.

:

00:56:31,800 --> 00:56:36,120

I know this, and they are putting

everything into their bike.

:

00:56:36,120 --> 00:56:36,360

Right.

:

00:56:36,360 --> 00:56:39,200

And they do not have a life

outside of bike riding.

:

00:56:39,200 --> 00:56:43,000

They are eat, sleep, breathe in, bike ride

and now at altitude

:

00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:46,160

when they are not racing,

:

00:56:46,160 --> 00:56:48,920

they are eating right all the time.

:

00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:51,920

In the off season,

they're not putting on ten kilos anymore.

:

00:56:52,280 --> 00:56:54,320

They might put on a couple,

but they're not.

:

00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:57,600

You know, Luke used to come home, party

every night, put on ten kilos,

:

00:56:57,600 --> 00:57:00,280

and even him in the last few years

wasn't they?

:

00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:04,200

He couldn't do that because he wouldn't

be able to compete in tour Down Under

:

00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:06,800

if he was doing that,

or even the classics.

:

00:57:06,800 --> 00:57:10,680

So I think it's just that combination

of everything.

:

00:57:10,680 --> 00:57:12,160

And in terms of training,

:

00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:15,320

they're just

:

00:57:15,320 --> 00:57:19,320

that training, the demands of they're

then, you know, there, there are altitude

:

00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:22,800

that they know what they have to do

is very scientific now.

:

00:57:22,800 --> 00:57:27,320

So they know exactly what what specially

they're going to have to put out on lap

:

00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:30,360

on that

for how long it's going to take them.

:

00:57:30,600 --> 00:57:31,920

And that's what they're training.

:

00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:34,920

That's what they're doing that day

in day out.

:

00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:39,400

So their body is is used to the demands

that the race is going to put on them

:

00:57:39,400 --> 00:57:41,080

when they when they get to that. Right.

:

00:57:41,080 --> 00:57:44,960

So whether it's the classic season

that they're, that they're targeting now

:

00:57:45,120 --> 00:57:46,800

or the tour de France or the World

:

00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:49,960

Championships,

they work back from that goal

:

00:57:50,120 --> 00:57:51,960

and they'll be training

to the demands of that.

:

00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:56,040

Then from from when they start,

you know, race training in the winter.

:

00:57:56,720 --> 00:57:58,480

and that's what it's all about.

:

00:57:58,480 --> 00:58:00,760

And that's what we do

in our coaching company.

:

00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:04,000

We, you know, if someone comes to us,

they tell us what they want to achieve,

:

00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:07,040

whether that's a race or just to complete

:

00:58:07,160 --> 00:58:10,160

their first ten mile bike ride.

:

00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:13,280

And then we use the time that they've got

and trained specifically

:

00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:17,640

to the demands of whatever the,

the challenges that they want to achieve.

:

00:58:18,680 --> 00:58:20,640

We so need you back on the podcast.

:

00:58:20,640 --> 00:58:23,400

I just have a very quick, easy question.

:

00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:27,120

The answer is only one word for all out

for all three of us.

:

00:58:28,040 --> 00:58:32,400

Maybe we start with a Danny,

If you would be Tadej Pogacar

:

00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:36,480

this year, would you pick the Vuelta

to win another one?

:

00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:38,120

Or would you pick to win the words?

:

00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:39,840

What would you pick?

:

00:58:39,840 --> 00:58:42,120

Worlds, Bobby.

:

00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:43,640

Worlds Vuelta.

:

00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:45,880

For me, that would be historic.

:

00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:47,400

Nobody ever done that.

:

00:58:47,400 --> 00:58:50,400

Thank you for the quick answer.

:

00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:52,000

well, Dani,

:

00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:55,800

we really appreciate you coming on today

and spending so much time with us.

:

00:58:55,800 --> 00:58:59,080

you're going to be busy, but first

:

00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:03,000

and foremost, you get to go and recover

and have a little bit of a vacation.

:

00:59:03,000 --> 00:59:04,360

So enjoy that as well.

:

00:59:04,360 --> 00:59:07,560

And we'll,

we'll have to get you back on the podcast

:

00:59:07,560 --> 00:59:09,000

because we have so many more

:

00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:12,120

little questions that we could talk about

for so much longer.

:

00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:14,600

So, enjoy your vacation.

:

00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:17,600

Thank you very much

for coming on the odd tandem.

:

00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:19,560

Me thank you for having me.

:

00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:20,640

It's been brilliant.

:

00:59:20,640 --> 00:59:24,160

well, that's

everything we have for this week.

:

00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:29,240

Now, please remember to follow us at Odd

Tandem on TikTok,

:

00:59:29,520 --> 00:59:33,720

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and wherever

you get your favorite podcasts.

:

00:59:34,240 --> 00:59:38,200

Thanks a million to Dani

for joining the podcast.

:

00:59:38,280 --> 00:59:41,240

Also remember,

if you want to see the video version

:

00:59:41,240 --> 00:59:45,120

of this podcast,

it is up now on our YouTube channel.

:

00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:50,360

Right now, YouTube.com/@oddtandem.

:

00:59:51,240 --> 00:59:54,600

And if you want a full,

uninterrupted version of this podcast

:

00:59:54,600 --> 00:59:58,880

and your name in the titles,

just head to our Patreon

:

00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:03,920

where you can sign up for $5 a month

in order to keep this podcast going.

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That's Patreon.com/oddtandem

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thanks to our Patreon members Scott,

Steven Kimbrough, Marie Teixeira, Jeff

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Kralik, Brian Colon, Chris Merritt, Tim

Farriss and Jim who have done just that.

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And please remember,

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mailbag episode, make sure you keep

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To OddTandem@Shockedgiraffe.com

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or any of our Odd

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Please keep sharing the

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podcast and keep leaving your reviews

wherever you're listening.

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It really helps us to build our audience.

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About the Podcast

The Odd Tandem Cycling Podcast with Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt
Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt on all things cycling
Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt are back with a brand new cycling podcast. Speaking to the biggest names in the professional peloton and sharing their wisdom from their own careers.