King of the Ride

Mike Woods' is a bike racer, but Mike Woods is a storyteller! You probably know the traditional stuff -- he ran, he ran fast, he got tired of running, and became a Tour de France cyclists -- but there's so much more to learn about Mike. On the eve of his hometown World Tour races, Grand Prix Quebec City and Montreal, Ted and Mike sit down for a chat about bikes, world travel, and life beyond the peloton. After a podium finish at the 2018 World Championships Mike is building some great form going into the 2019 championship race in England. Please enjoy this conversation with Mike Woods.

Brent Bookwalter stands strong as America's longest running World Tour professional cyclist. Not just along for the ride, Brent has won UCI races, was second to Bradley Wiggins in the opening stage of the Giro, and even helped Cadel Evans win the 2011 Tour de France. Longtime friends, Brent and Ted have had careers run in tandem to each other. Teammates on the US national team, teammates on domestic pro teams, they migrated to Europe together, and even lived together in their early time racing abroad. On the eve of the Gran Prix Cycliste Quebec City, the two had the chance to catch up and chat all things under the sun, largely reflecting on a stalwart career at the highest echelon of the sport. The episode is presented by UnTapped. Pay them a visit at www.untapped.cc and use code king at checkout for some sweet savings.

On the eve of The Rift gravel race in Iceland, Colin Strickland and Ted sit down to a frosty beer and lively conversation. Covering the obvious topics like how Colin got into cycling, the convo veers to topics like his environmental studies major, on-air taste testing Icelandic fish jerky, and what it's like managing the first professional gravel cycling team. Colin is a scholar and this conversation is a great one. Colin comes from the fixed gear racing world and has segued those lightning fast criterium laps to a win at the 2019 Dirty Kanza 200. This podcast is presented by The Feed. For a personally curated box by Ted, featuring the nutrition he reaches for every day with a 15% savings visit www.thefeed.com/king or simply use the code king10 for 10% off everything else storewide. Upcoming events as Ted talks about early in the pod: September 21: www.PeachamFallFondo.com October 13: www.unPAvedPennsylvania.com October 19: www.KingChallenge.org If you'd like to support my King Challenge ride, you can do so here: https://www.pledgereg.com/229373

A stalwart member of the professional women's peloton, Tiffany Cromwell brings fun loving wit to the pro ranks as well as to this episode of King of the Ride. Tiffany and Ted catch up on the eve of this summer's SBTGRVL which is also on the early side of the Colorado Classic UCI women's stage race. This conversation ranges from her entry to the sport to how Tiffany sees easy and obvious changes being enacted to improve all aspects of cycling as well as to the female side. Tiffany sheds light on what it's like living in Monaco, her culinary travel tips, how her interest in fashion came about, her aspirations to this year's world championships and making the 2020 Olympic team. Check out www.thefeed.com/king to see a personally curated box with 15% savings -- complete with the finest suite of products from UnTapped as well as some special other ones. Also just visit www.thefeed.com and use code king10 for a quick 10% savings on your next order!

There isn't much to be said about Rebecca Rusch that hasn't been mentioned before. 4x Leadville champion, 4x Dirty Kanza 200 winner, 3x 24 hour mountain bike world champion, recent winner of the Alaskan Iditarod Trail Invitational, and an inductee into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Rebecca Rusch is a champion. Rebecca is also an advocate for youth cycling, empowerment through cycling, and spearheaded the biggest chapter in her life by riding the Ho Chi Mihn Trail via bike in search of her father's resting site, as documented in the Emmy Award winning film, Blood Road. For more on this film see www.bloodroadfilm.com. On the eve of Rebecca's 10 year anniversary of winning her first Leadville 100 mile mountain bike race, she and Ted caught up high up in the Rocky Mountains, 10,152' above sea level.

Leah Thorvilson's jump to the World Tour was "like learning to walk at the age of 38". Leah segued a world class running career to professional cycling in one of the more unconventional ways -- she beat out 1200 other women on Zwift Academy to earn her spot on the mighty Canyon-SRAM team. Leah's energy is real. Her drive, her ever smiling demeanor, her friendliness and ferocity all helped her land that spot and earn a second year contract extension. Now dabbling in the gravel scene, Leah and Ted caught up after Rooted Vermont, Ted and Laura King's inaugural gravel event! Stay tuned to www.rootedvermont.com for news about the 2020 event. Please keep those comments and reviews, 5-stars of course preferred, coming! Send your questions or comments to @iamtedking. Now please enjoy this awesome conversation with Leah!

Matt Accarrino somehow finds time in the day to not just train, but trains hard enough to be fast on a bike, amid a professional career as a Michelin starred chef at SPQR in San Francisco. Earning one star is hard; earning eight is exceptional. Ted and Matt caught up at Mill District this spring in Healdsburg (www.milldistricthealdsburg.com) to chat life, cycling, where Matt finds balance, how he fits it all in, and where he’s going on this wild ride. This episode is presented by Splats Sunscreen. Use code KING at www.splatssunscreen.com for 20% savings.

Ian Boswell is one of America's best professional cyclists. This recent Vermont transplant takes his profession seriously as much as he takes his Vermonting seriously. From driving his tractor in his hometown parade to taking down XXL maple creemees, in today’s King of the Ride podcast Ian sheds light on his philosophy to training and racing, who his mentors have been in his career, the benefits of marginal gains, and the benefits of just setting out on a gravel bike for a rip around small town Peacham, Vermont. Ted and Ian found some time on the tail end of tourXnewengland to catch up, share stores, and discuss what it's like coming back from injury to professional cycling. Definitely check out Ian and his wife Gretchen's ride, www.PeachamFallFondo.com this September 21, 2019.

Winning an Olympic Gold Medal in her final Olympics might be the most interesting thing about Kikkan Randall. But, after listening to this conversation, you'll hear why it also might not be. Kikkan is an incredibly insightful, thoughtful, well spoken, ambassador to xc-skiing as much as she is an ambassador to motherhood amid an Olympic career. She's a cancer survivor, wife, friend, and at least seventeen hundred other descriptors you'll pick up on today's pod; suffice it to say that Kikkan is a rockstar. Please enjoy this conversation that touches on the highlights, the low moments, the comebacks from injury, the importance and perspective of family, her ability to process and see this whole sport and life as an interesting process. Also, please spend five minutes and check out How the Race Was Won: https://vimeo.com/257323813 And when you're done there, visit her It's Going to be Okay socks store: https://shop.kikkan.com/collections/socks And all things Kikkan Randall, www.kikkan.com

Speak softly and carry a big stick. Eric Marcotte is a soft spoken monster of cyclist. Entering road racing later than most, he rose to become a two-time winner of US professional national titles. With an atypical background into the sport comes an interesting philosophy on the sport and life in general. Eric and Ted caught up after the 2019 Dirty Kanza in Emporia, KS to chat all things cycling, life, recovering from a massive accident, and nine hour hikes deep in the desert. This episode is presented by Splats Sunscreen. Visit www.splatssunscreen.com and use code KING at checkout for 20% savings!