This season we’ve discussed some of the hard-handed aspects of cycling. Luckily, there are easygoing sides to the sport, ones that our host Pete Eason knows all about.

As the owner of Velo Classic Tours, Pete leads groups on luxurious yet challenging bike tours across Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes. Today he reveals the inspiration behind his adventures, those who have touched him along the way, and the lessons to be learned on the back of a bike.

Pete discusses:

• What you can expect on one of his exhilarating tours.
• The distinct (and surprising) riding dynamics between men and women.
• How to ditch the bullheadedness and listen to your internal warning signs.

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In this episode, we’re discussing what could be the big bad wolf of cycling – marketing. Sexism, overconsumption and monopolies continue to dominate the industry, and it makes us wonder, are current advertisers doing more harm than good? Today Pete uncovers the most shocking advertising strategies from the industry’s biggest players, and what marketers should really do to turn cycling on its ear.

Pete touches on…

• Cycling’s seedy origins and how it transcended them
• How cycling lost its humanity (and how to get it back)
• The future of competitive cycling (it’s not what you think)
• Why pro women cyclists should abandon the quest for stardom

The post The Shocking Truth About Marketing appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In last week’s episode, host Pete Easton examined cycling’s provocative history, followed by the rise of women in the sport. Today he shifts gears to tackle some of the modern sport’s most controversial issues, namely the problems cause by big money, drugs, and supersized egos into the cycling world.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• The outsized role of advertising, sales and sponsorship in cycling
• The plague of cyclist snobbery
• Keeping women’s cycling authentic

The post Money, Ego and Scandal appeared first on veloclassic.com.

It’s a new season of Up the Road and our fearless host Pete Easton has decided to shake things up a little. On this episode, rather than interviewing a current mover and shaker in the world of cycling, he talks about some of his favorite topics…not to mention those that make him the most stark raving mad. During the course of this conversation, Pete ranges widely from the early heroes of the sport to the so-called stars whose hunger for money and power came close to destroying it. He also talks about where he thinks the future of the sport really lay and how its fans and followers can keep history from repeating itself.

Pete touches on…

• Cycling’s seedy origins and how it transcended them
• How cycling lost its humanity (and how to get it back)
• The future of competitive cycling (it’s not what you think)
• Why pro women cyclists should abandon the quest for stardom

The post The Astounding History Of Cycling (And How Not To Repeat It) appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• Her experiences at the 2012 Olympics.
• Why each country has a different racing personality.
• How working with the Women’s Cycling Association changed her life
• Why anyone can ride like a pro.

By the end of her first season in 2007, Janel Holcomb was invited to guest ride at a stage race for the California-based professional team, Webcor Builders. Here she helped secure the overall win for her teammate, and was then signed to race full-time. Over the next two seasons, Janel steadily accumulated results and developed her talents as an all-arounder. In 2008, she began racing in Europe with Webcor, and has continued to race in Europe each year with the U.S. national team.

Janel rode a breakout season in 2011, racing for Colavita – Forno d’Asolo. She won the Joe Martin Stage Race, her first National Racing Calendar (NRC) stage race victory. Janel also won the overall at the Tour de Toona and Oregon’s challenging Cascade Cycling Classic. In 2012, she was named to the U.S. Olympic Long Team. Her 2013 season was highlighted by a solo stage win at the Tour of Gila, finishing 2nd the following day in the time trial, and third overall. She was also a key member of the US team that brought home overall victory from the Giro Donne in Italy.

Learn more about Janel at janelholcomb.com, Women’s Cycling Association, and Twitter.

The post From High School Math Teacher To Cyclist (Featuring Janel Holcomb) appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• What it’s like to be the child of a champion.
• The lives and careers of women in the industry.
• What success looks like behind the curtain.
• Her most rewarding experiences working in the sport.

Rachelle Harings is the Logistics Manager for the professional cycling team, Team LottoNL-Jumbo. Her father was a professional cyclist in the 1960s, who raced the Tour de France seven times, and was a seven-time National Champion in cyclo-cross. Before her work with Team LottoNL-Jumbo, Rachelle was an Events and Hospitality Manager for the Amstel Gold Race, the largest and most important race in Holland. Rachelle currently resides in Sittard, The Netherlands.

Learn more about Rachelle at teamlottojumbo.com and LinkedIn.

The post Behind the Scenes of Championship Cycling With Rachelle Harings appeared first on veloclassic.com.

The hospitality dialogue is an ongoing conversation that is at the core of our 2016 trip schedule. Some of our longest standing relationships have enabled me to develop these ideas into a schedule of itineraries that explore the emotional and physical challenges that I believe we continue to seek out as cyclists, travelers and adventurers. My love for riding the gravel roads of Vermont and my soon to be new home of Hunterdon County, NJ are the foundation for two Giro d’Italia trips I’ve put together. From the strade bianche in Tuscany to the Colle delle Finestre in Piedmont, the month of May in Italy combines great cycling, race viewing and hospitality that emphasize not only the challenges on the bike, but the essence of Italian life off it.

3000 meters up on the Tissot Sky Walk in Switzerland at Glacier3000

In the summer of 2005, we visited the UCI World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland as their guests. In addition to two great rides in the beautiful Vaud Region- one that climbed the Col de Mosses that is part of stage 17 in this year’s Tour de France- we got a track lesson from 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist Robert Bundi. I’ve been itching to get back to it since and after seeing photos of client Dave Wyatt riding the track in South Carolina, and with an open invitation from the UCI to return, I’ve been inspired to put together a Swiss Alps trip that takes in four peaks well above 2,000 meters, a trip up to one of the largest glaciers in Europe and a visit and ride on the wooden boards in Aigle.

Another part of my summer (and fall) was riding in a few Gran Fondos. I traveled to the Catskills for a weekend with our Women’s Elite team and rode the Tour of the Catskills Gran Fondo, and following my return from Italy this fall, I rode the Oktoberfest Ride promoted by Kermesse Sports (hard to argue with a ride that ends at a brewery!) There is something rewarding about the self defined challenge that comes with riding a course but outside the context of an official race. For next season we’ve been invited by RCS Sports to ride the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia (stage 13), the Club des Sports Megeve for their Megeve-Mont Blanc Classic, and our long standing relationships with the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the Amstel Gold Race will see us participate in their events for the 14th consecutive year.

Fight for Pink! Two trips to the Giro d’Italia highlight our spring calendar

The 5 Monuments of cycling are well known to race fans and there is no substitute for seeing them live. From March with Milan-Sanremo, across April with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, to October and the Giro di Lombardia, these add up to some of the most exciting days on any of our trips. Not to be forgotten is Paris-Tours, new this season as part of our Loire Valley trip that includes the gravel roads of the Saumur Region. Surrounding all of this is of course the greatest equalizer of all, the one component that brings everyone together- food. And really good food. Great food to be precise, and there are two trips that define this in two entirely different regions- Umbria and the Basque Country. Both share mountainous terrain, with Umbria and Monte Terminillo and the Sibillini Monutains and the Basque Country with the unpronounceable names of roads that are beyond description in their beauty. And the food in each region is as strong an element as the cycling in what makes it so attractive. Here its the dining room is what ties it all together and is the backbone for an itinerary that blurs the line of what is most important- the bike or the table.

I am moving away from the online registration format for accessing itineraries. If you would like an itinerary for any 2016 trip please click here and put the name of the trip you are interested in in the heading and I will reply.

Hope to ride with you in 2016!

The post Where We’re Going in 2016 appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• The chaos of racing in Europe (and learning to love it).
• What cycling can teach you about comradery and teamwork.
• The next big challenges facing women’s cycling.
• Her incredible junior athletics program at the Miller School.
• Andrea’s best experience on the bike.

Andrea Dvorak is a professional cyclist with Twenty16. Her decorated career includes making the United States Olympic Long Team for the 2012 London Olympic Games, winning a stage of the Route de France, competing in multiple World Championships, and winning a silver medal in the 2011 US National Road Race Championship. In addition, Andrea won the Queen of the Mountains jersey at Redlands Classic, Tour of the Gila, Cascade Classic, and San Dimas Stage Race. She also finished sixth place in stage 2 of the Giro Rosa, and won the hilliest stage of the Route de France in 2012.

Learn more about Andrea at andreadvorak.org and Miller School of Albemarle.

The post From Law School Graduate To Professional Cyclist With Andrea Dvorak appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• What it takes to organize a global event like the Tour of Flanders.
• How the new course affected an entire nation.
• Lien’s inspiration to start cycling and her most exhilarating experience as a rider.
• The most rewarding aspects of working with cyclists.
• What the Tour of Flanders has in store for next year.

Lien Crapoen is a full-time staff member of Flanders Classics in Hospitality, VIP Sales, and Back Office Support. Although primarily recognized as a podium host for Flanders Classics, Lien is instrumental in the organization of some of the world’s largest races including Omloop Het Niewsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem, Flanders, Scheldeprijs, and Brabantse Pijl. Lien has a degree in Public Relations and Communications from Howest.

Learn more about Lien at LinkedIn and Twitter.

The post Organizing The Tour of Flanders With Lien Crapoen appeared first on veloclassic.com.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• Her exciting adventures as a professional cyclist.
• Her incredible success story of finishing last to winning three national titles.
• How the sport has evolved for women during her career.
• Her team’s influential development program for young, female riders.
• Why cycling is one of the most glorious sports in the world.

After Lauren Hall’s professional career in soccer didn’t pan out in 2002, she thought her athletic career was over. After competing in a marathon during culinary school, Lauren was inspired to pursue racing in a triathlon. It took her several months to work up the courage to actually purchase a bike, but when she finally did, it became a pivotal moment in her career. She began rigorous training, learning the trade, and earned her first professional cycling contract in 2010. Since then Lauren has won three national track titles, finished 1st in The Old Pueblo Grand Prix, 1st in The Gent Wevelgem, and other prestigious titles.

Learn more about Lauren at laurenhallracing.com and Twitter.

The post Becoming A National Champion With Lauren Hall appeared first on veloclassic.com.