The Liège-Bastogne-Liège Preview, Pogačar's Revenge, & Factor's Less-Expensive Aero Bike
Beware: this episode of Velo Podcast is a packed one.
Amstel Gold has to be one of the best races of the year, and this year was no exception. While everyone thought Tadej Pogačar was gone, he sat up and started to soft pedal. And instead of blowing it all up at the last climb, Amstel Gold ended up being decided in a three-person sprint. The first two names–Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel–are to be expected. But Mattias Skjelmose? He seemed surprised to even be there, much less that he won.
In this latest episode of the Velo Podcast, we talk about Skjelmose winning Amstel Gold, Mischa Bredewold taking the win at Women's Amstel Gold.
They also preview Liège-Bastogne-Liège and discuss Remco's 100-percent win record at The Old Lady; two starts, two victories! Can he do it again against the likes of Pidcock, Pogi, and Van der Poel? Levy is a believer, whereas Hoody has his money on a certain Slovenian.
And in the tech world, Levy and Tech Editor Alvin Holbrook talk about the newly-released Factor Monza aero bike, his latest gravel bike in for test, and Silca’s Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump.
We told you it would be a packed one!
Topics of discussion:
‘Terrible Cold’ at Flèche Wallonne Reminds Peloton That Mother Nature Is Racing’s Toughest Rival
Pogačar and Vollering vs. the Pack: Can Anyone Stop Another Rout at Liège-Bastogne-Liège?
Giant-Killer Mattias Skjelmose Stuns Pogačar and Evenepoel to Win Amstel Gold Race
The Factor Monza Road Bike Promises Pro-Level Aero and Stiffness at a (More) Accessible Pricepoint
This Week In Tech: Silca’s Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump, Strava’s Strike on Fake KOMs, and Smart Kids Bikes
Cannondale Revives The SuperX Name for Its New Go-Fast Gravel Bike
5 Trends and Takeaways from the 2025 Sea Otter Classic
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1:00:06
Pogi's New Colnago Race Rig, the Most Aero Road Bike, & Tons of Sea Otter Tech
Josh, Alvin, and Levy unpack a massive week in tech that includes self-inflating tires winning Paris-Roubaix under a mountain biker, Pogačar's fresh V5RS, and an aero road bike that promises forward thrust in any wind conditions. The guys also dig into Allied's new Able that combines speed and tire clearance, the smart geometry of Norco's redesigned Search, and why (or why not) drop-bar mountain bikes make sense.
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1:45:45
Paris-Roubaix Primer: Cobbles, Chaos, & How To Beat Pogačar
There isn't anything else like the Queen of the Classics and, if this season so far is anything to go by, we've got an exciting weekend of racing in front of us. The women's field will face the thirty cobbled sectors under the sun on Saturday, while there's a chance of rain and mud for the men on Sunday as Tadej Pogačar aims to be the first reigning Tour de France champion to win the Hell of the North in decades.
Velo's Andrew Hood, Jim Cotton, and Mike Levy sat down to chat about how to ride the cobbles like a pro, Roubaix bike setup, favorites and wildcards, the chances of anyone beating Kopecky in the velodrome (slim), and how van Aert, Pedersen, Ganna, and Van der Poel could tag team Pogi.
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39:58
The Taipei Cycle Show Is Ready for Showtime
This week's Velo Podcast brings Mike Levy and tech editor Alvin Holbrook together to talk about our favorite trade show: the Taipei Cycle Show.
Velo had Jessie-May Morgan, Shoddy Dave Everett, Alvin, and a video team there to wander all four floors and never-ending aisles that are always packed full of everything from the interesting, exciting, exotic, and maybe even useful to the just plain questionable, and a bunch of stuff in between.
This week, we're talking about some crazy carbon fiber wheels with Mother of Pearl finish on them, whether we should be considering aero crankarms for the gainz, or what about a different crankset that claims to add 50 percent more power to your pedal stroke?
Also up for discussion included some wild new bikes that may or may not exist, and we need to know if the relatively inexpensive Wheeltop and L-Twoo wireless drivetrains from China have finally gotten good enough to consider buying.
If you care about seeing what the future of the bike industry looks like–and what bikes, components, and accessories from Asia look like–you won't want to miss this one.
Topics of discussion
5 Interesting Wheelsets from Taipei Cycle Show
Wheeltop’s Budget Wireless Gravel Groupset Looks Ready to Challenge SRAM and Shimano
Randoms, Part 1
Taipei Cycle Show on video, including those cranks claiming 50 percent increased power
We Got Our Hands On the Chinese Bike That’s Sponsoring a WorldTour Team
Overfast Brought a Wild New Aero Crankset and a Sub-1000-Gram Road Wheelset
Forbidden Fruit: Tech Finds at Taipei Cycle Show That Could Rival the Industry’s Best
Why This Carbon Fiber Kids’ Bike Signals the Future of Bike Tech
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55:04
Can a $600 Pair of Cycling Shoes Really Be Worth the Price?
Can a $600 pair of shoes really be worth the price? Surely not... but also maybe, depending on who you ask.
Today's show sees tech editor Josh Ross and Mike Levy talk about Specialized's new S-Works Ares 2 shoe, as well as how to test expensive bikes and gear, and how relevant that pricey equipment may — or may not — be for many riders who have different priorities.
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