In this episode, Thomas sits down with two of gravel's top pros, Emily Joy Newsome and Matt Beers, to recap last weekend’s Lauf Gravel Worlds. They dive into the race's challenging conditions, strategic decisions, and the unique aspects of racing with a massive prize purse on the line.
Join us as Emily and Matt share their first-hand accounts of the 150-mile course, the infamous minimum maintenance roads, and what it takes to compete at the highest level of American gravel racing. Matt gives the inside story of his race-winning sprint finish against his buddy Keegan Swenson, while Emily reflects on her strong performance in a stacked women’s field.
Topics in this episode:
- The OG Gravel Worlds: A breakdown of the 150-mile (245km) course in Lincoln, Nebraska, characterized by long, straight roads and rolling hills.
- Racing for a $100,000 Prize Purse: Emily and Matt discuss the mental approach to competing in a race with the largest single-event prize purse of the season..
- Tackling the Mud: The athletes recount their experiences with the course's notorious "peanut butter mud" and the last-minute equipment changes they made and didn’t make to handle the conditions.
- The Power of Live Streaming: A conversation about how live race coverage is changing the sport for both fans and pros, offering new exposure for riders and sponsors.
- Race Strategy: Emily and Matt reveal their tactics for navigating the terrain, from managing pulls in a group to racing in crosswinds and using hills to their advantage.
- The Women's Race: An analysis of how Gravel Worlds successfully structured the women's race to minimize interference from other riders0.
Featured in This Episode:
- Emily Joy Newsome is a professional gravel racer from Texas. She rides on Pas Racing. Follow her racing on Instagram.
- Matt Beers is a top-level mountain bike and gravel racer. Among his plentiful palmares are three Cape Epic and two BWR California wins. You can find him on Instagram.
- Thomas Euler: Your host of the Gracing podcast and author of The Gravel Stack newsletter.
Don't miss this engaging conversation about what it takes to perform at the highest level of gravel racing!
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