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Hosted by ultra endurance and adventure cyclist Mel Webb, Detours brings you stories from inside the world of bikepacking and ultra cycling, featuring racers, community members, race directors and more. This show is about celebrating the journey, and the detours along the way, as much as the destination. We're especially passionate about providing space for folks that identify as women to share their stories and hope to inspire more people to ride bikes. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? ...
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Bringing together the ultra cycling family through fun and friendly interviews, news, and ultra-minded content. https://ultracycling.show Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ultracyclingshow/support
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Justinas Leveika on racing the Triple Crown Challenge: Tour Divide, Colorado Trail & Arizona Trail
1:31:29
Justinas is back on Detours sharing all about his wild 2024 season where he set a new record on the Triple Crown of bikepacking: The Tour Divide, Colorado Trail Race and Arizona Trail Race. Justinas completed all three of these races in a cumulative time of 25 days, 5 hours, and 30 minutes (2d:13h:3m ahead of Jay Petervary’s record from 2015). We c…
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This past year Emma Missale has burst onto the bikepack racing scene, landing herself second on the podium at both the Hellenic and Silk Road Mountain Races. By day, Emma is a bike messenger in Copenhagen and is a three time bike messenger world champion! In this episode she shares all about life as a bike messenger, how she found bikepacking and e…
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Jade Simpson-Field is an adventurer and bikepacker from Leeds who’s made a habit of squeezing in massive adventures around her "normal boring life." Jade’s love for riding her bike is infectious and she’s no stranger to tackling some of the toughest endurance races out there (all while wearing sandals!)—even when imposter syndrome tries to creep in…
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Stephen Shelesky is commercial outdoors photographer who has shot for some of the biggest brands in the space and some of the world's best skiiers. He's also an ultra racer. Just one week before he was meant to race the Silk Road Mountain Race for the second time, he was asked to join the media team and photograph the race instead. This would be hi…
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Stoked to bring you this conversation with the winner of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, Joe Nation. Hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand, Joe went on to win this year's 1939km edition of the race in 6 days 18 hours and 10 minutes. The race was exceptionally tight until the final 48 hours, where Joe made a tactical move in the Arabel Valley and…
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Hannah Simon took the women's win at this year's Silk Road Mountain Race, in a time of 8 days 20 hours and 16 minutes. She navigated the 1939km and 30,000m+ with determination, resilience and grace. Not only was she the first woman home, but also landed 9th overall in an exceptionally deep field. In this episode we talk all about her preparation an…
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Stoked to catch up with my good friend Mateo Paez. 2022 was Mateo's first attempt at any ultra endurance bikepacking race and that experience quickly changed his life. Over the past two years he's gone head first into the world of ultracycling, writing his own story and tackling these rides with his unique approach, fondly referring to this niche s…
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It's so much fun to have two people in an interview, so I'm stoked to share that you'll be hearing more of Quinda's voice on the show, as she'll be joining as a guest co-host on some upcoming episodes. There will still be plenty of episodes where I'm (Mel) the host, but it's such a joy to have another conversation partner and to collaborate with an…
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Thrilled to bring you this conversation with your 2024 women's winner of the Tour Divide, Meaghan Hackinen. Meg won this year's women's race in a time of 15 days 23 hours, setting the fastest women's time on a grand depart and the second fastest women's time in history. If you were following this year's race you'll know that the conditions were gna…
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At 9:25AM on June 27th, Justinas' Leveika arrived at the USA/Mexico border in Antelope Wells after 13 days 2 hours and 16 minutes, winning this years edition of the Tour Divide and setting a new record in the process. In this episode we dive into his historic record breaking ride, and how he managed to "fix his mistakes from last year" and just wha…
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At the end of May 2024, Austin Killips set a blisteringly rapid overall fastest known time on the Arizona Trail. She bested the previous record held by Alex Schulz of 9 days 5 hours and 43 minutes, reaching the Arizona/Utah border in a time of 8 days 23 hours 27 minutes. And while completing the route in the first place is an incredible feat, this …
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Today on the show we have Weronika Szalas. For the last 5 years she's been living life by bike, touring solo as a woman around Europe. While Weronika is no stranger to riding her bike long distances, she rarely races, and was recently the fastest woman to complete the inaugural edition of the Accursed Race. The Accursed Race is a 1600km off-road bi…
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It's a bittersweet day over here at Detours as we're airing our last episode hosted by both Mel and Cynthia. As you'll hear in today's episode, Cynthia is stepping away from the podcast to focus on her budding career as a full time professional ultra racer. She shares more about what's next, bouncing back from setbacks this spring and preparing for…
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Kicking off May 25, 31 women will race the 11th edition of the Highland Trail 550, a self-supported bikepacking race through the Scottish highlands. We were fortunate enough to hear from over half of the women who will be setting off. Each has their own unique story and shares about their journey to the start line and what they're looking forward t…
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Hannah Simon is one of those people that make you feel like anything is possible. She has a can do attitude and is a downright joy to be around. Since toeing the line of her first ultra in 2021, and snagging a joint first place to boot, she’s tackled some of the most iconic events on the bikepacking calendar. In February 2024 she rounded out the po…
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Quinda Verheul: artist, bikepacker, women's winner of the inaugural Hellenic Mountain Race
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Quinda is an artist, photographer and ultra-distance cyclist from the Netherlands. She's taken on some of the hardest bikepacking races in the world, including the Atlas Mountain Race, Silk Road Mountain Race and taking the women's win at the inaugural Hellenic Mountain Race in 2023. While on first meeting Quinda has a gentle demeanour, below the s…
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This week we step just outside the world of ultra, and into the world of long distance gravel racing. For folks who follow the gravel scene, you may already be familiar with Sarah Sturm. Sarah Sturm is one of the top gravel racers in the world, with podium finishes at events like Unbound 200 and Traka 360. While these events aren't ultras in their …
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Jenny Tough is a woman who hardly needs an introduction. A quick Google search will pull up a laundry list of accomplishments in the outdoors — from winning the Silk Road Mountain Race (twice!), to running across a mountain range on six continents, to publishing two books. While each of these accomplishments is exceptional in its own right, Jenny r…
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Show Notes Meg Knobel is the organizer (or as you’ll come to learn, “disorganizer”) of the wildly popular bikepacking event in Southern California, Stagecoach 400. From her first experiences tackling the route, to taking the reins from Brendan Collier in 2019, Meg was an absolute joy to chat with. She talks about hosting the first Grand Depart and …
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While she's a relative new comer to the world of off-road ultra racing, Nathalie Baillon hardly needs any introduction. She has a laundry list of accolades, including a joint first at Silk Road Mountain Race in August 2023, the fastest woman to ride across Europe, and more. It was such a treat to get to chat with her and learn more about how she fo…
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We're baaack! Today on the show we share more about our time in Morocco for the Atlas Mountain Race, as well as answer your questions about the race. Let us know what you think of this episode and if there's anything we missed - it's always a challenge post event to synthesize our thoughts and cover it all. As always thanks for being here! If you l…
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A small but mighty field of women will be starting the fourth edition of the Atlas Mountain Race. We were fortunate enough to hear from nearly all of them ahead of the start. These incredible individuals share what they’re most excited about and what challenges they are likely to face. Each of them has a unique story, and we hope by shining a spotl…
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It's officially the week of Atlas Mountain Race! We're joined by special guest host, Allan Shaw, who interviews us on our preparations for the race, expectations, and much more. Expect a lot of giggles, hot tips on navigating the race from Allan (who raced in 2023), and a not-so secret announcement! The not so secret announcement? We'll be producin…
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We're officially into racing season over here at Detours. Cynthia and Mel will be toeing the line of the Atlas Mountain Race kicking off on February 9 and what better way to get ready than to host last year's women's winner, Luisa Werner. She shares about her winning ride — from the crash that resulted in a major mechanical, to injury, and doing th…
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We're officially back for 2024! January and February will mainly be occupied with Atlas Mountain Race content so buckle up. In this episode we are joined by Molly Weaver, former professional road cyclist turned ultra rider. Not only is Molly a talented rider, she is a community builder and determined to get more women into the ultra cycling and bik…
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Our last episode for 2023 and thought it was about time the two of us took to the hot seat and answered some of your questions. We share how we found ultra, navigating sponsorship deals, dream races, goals for ourselves and the podcast and more. We're so grateful for everyone who has tuned in and helped us get the show off the ground. It's been a b…
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A retired English and Creative Writing teacher, Robin Todd started bikepacking in the 80s and has since ridden across Canada and the United States. At 58 years old she has a wealth of experience. She shares stories of her origins on the bike, and how her relationship with it has changed over the years, and her hopes for a more inclusive cycling com…
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Ep. 8 - Allan Shaw: Gay's Okay Cycling, Silk Road Mountain Race finisher... on a cargo bike!
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Be prepared to be hit with a heavy dose of inspiration — Allan Shaw is a breath of fresh air. In a world where we are constantly being marketed the latest and greatest tech to power our adventures, Allan has challenged what many think are possible on a bike, most recently completing the infamous Silk Road Mountain Race on a cargo bike. From early d…
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If you've dotwatched any ultra-races in recent years or kept up with social media, you've likely seen Nils' photos. But the photos of riders and their triumphs only tell one part of the story. In this episode, we sit down with photographer Nils Laengner. We dive behind the scenes of what goes into getting those stunning shots and the nuances of pho…
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Fresh off her win at the Silver State 508, a Race Across America Qualifier, we sat down with Canadian ultra-endurance cyclist and author, Meaghan Hackinen. This episode is a little longer than normal, and for good reason. We went deep with Meaghan on her humble beginnings in the sport, lessons from the road and tips for folks new to the off-road sc…
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Katya Rakhmatulina has been on fire this season, finishing second at The Tour Divide and winning the Colorado Trail, setting a new women’s FKT in the process. She’s also wicked smart — an engineer by day, modelling natural disasters. We had so many good laughs chatting with Katya, from her humble bike touring routes to rummaging through garbage can…
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Everybody loves Abe! Abe Kaufman is potentially the nicest person we'll ever have on the podcast and has numerous FKTs to boot. In this episode we chat with Abe about his most recent FKT, the Trans Northern Georgia Adventure, in addition to his self-care routine on the bike and recent races. If you're in the market for a pair of down booties, Abe g…
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In this episode Cynthia shares the behind the scenes of her iconic win. Badlands has made a name for itself as Europe's wildest gravel challenge — an unsupported ultracycling gravel: 800km +16.000m across the only deserts in Europe, the wild coast of Cabo de Gata and the highest Col in the continent, Pico Veleta at 3.396m. After finishing second be…
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With less than a week to go to the 2023 edition of Badlands, we're joined by 2021 female winner, Marion Dziwnik (@supermajon on Instagram). A full-time scientist and accomplished ultra racer, Marion shares more about her cycling journey and her 2021 Badlands win, as well as how she balances a demanding career and this time-intensive niche of cyclin…
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Yahoo! Episode 1 of Detours is here. We finally sit down to share what this show will be about, why we love ultra cycling/bikepacking, and some tales from the trail. You'll also get a teaser as to who our guest will be for Episode 2 but you'll have to listen to get that piece of info ;) Throughout the episode, we mentioned a number of links that we…
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Welcome to Detours, the podcast that takes you on extraordinary adventures in the world of ultra-cycling races and bikepacking. Hosted by Mel Webb and Cynthia Frazier, this show is for anyone from the seasoned racer to the curious soul eager to hear tales from the trail. Episodes will be released on a monthly basis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p…
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In this Sprint Round Record Recap, we discuss Joe Lawhorn - Cyclist's recent world records crossing the US state of Ohio from East to West (233 miles) and then back again for a total of 466 miles! Joe also holds the record for the Ohio single crossing from West to East. Congratulations, Joe! Let's roll! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.…
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In this Sprint Round Race Report, we discuss Adam Ashwill - Cyclist's recent 1st place victory in the 12-hr standard category of the annual Bessie's Creek 24. Congratulations, Adam! Let's roll! Also enjoy our previous interview with Adam: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2727483897465294. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/po…
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In this episode, we talk with James MacDonald, the only solo Race Across America finisher from Scotland. James reached the finish line of the world's longest non-stop bike race in a time of 11 days and 19 hours to earn 12th place overall in 2016 as a rookie. After this epic test of endurance, James went on to achieve something very special: the Gui…
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Ep 66: Louis-Eric Simard - French Ultra Bikepacker (TransAm, TransCanada, & Race Around Cuba)
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After watching the film Inspired to Ride years ago, French-Canadian ultra bikepacker, Louis-Eric Simard, took on the famous Trans Am Bike Race Bike Race, crossing 10 States in the USA, coast-to-coast, self-supported. If that wasn't enough, Louis-Eric is now on to his next big adventures organizing his very own ultra bikepacking events, the Race Aro…
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If you haven't watched the exhilarating documentary Four by 3000 - A journey through the toughest bike race in the world, then you're in for a real treat with this episode! We feature 3 of the racers of the elite four-man Race Across America team who are also record holders in their 8-person team crossing. Kurt Broadhag, Tony Restuccia, Chris Demar…
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In this episode, we talk with a very talented ultra racer from Austria, Dominik Meierhofer - Radsportler, who is still very young in terms of ultra cycling, but has achieved some astonishing results. Dominik was the winner of Race Around Austria 1500 km and reached the podium in a couple of 24-hr races and long distance events like the Glocknerman …
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In this episode, we chat with Caleb Cline, an impressive relatively new ultra cyclist with an inspiring backstory. Caleb is a graduate of the prestigious West Point - The U.S. Military Academy and served in the U.S. Army for 9 years 3 months 20 days. After suffering injuries in the line of duty, Caleb kept pushing the boundaries as a disabled veter…
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Super Randonneur, Bharat Pannu, was the first Indian to successfully complete any Ultra race in India of a distance longer than 400 miles in the 1st edition of Inspire India's 1,000 km Ultra Spice Race (and he later went on to win the 1,750 km category in 2019). Bharat also completed the 2017 Race Around Austria (RAA) in a 2-man team, becoming the …
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Mike Cohen has a heartfelt story to share with all of us after battling cancer for many years and most recently suffering from a heart attack. Mike's story is one of inspiration, resilience, and determination to live his life to the fullest and to give back to the world along the way. As a cancer survivor in 2012, Mike bicycled 3,168 miles across A…
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In this episode, we talk with Katharine Ford, the first Scot to ever finish RAAM when she was just 22 years of age. She started endurance cycling when she lost her driving license to epilepsy in 2005 and ever since then her bicycle has been a tool for her to achieve some sense of independence and adventure. Modesty aside, however, Katie is also the…
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Elena Roch won first place in the women's division of the Race Around Niederösterreich (RAN) in 2020 with a time of 22h 36m. The beautiful 600km, or roughly 373 mile, course took racers through Lower Austria, one of the 9 states of Austria, climbing 6,000 meters or almost 20,000 ft. Elena had not planned to ride RAN as her first ultra race ever, bu…
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In this episode, we talk with an amazing athlete from the beautiful country of New Zealand, Craig Harper, who is an all-around sportsman both as an ultra cyclist and previously as a rower who represented his country at the World Championships in different categories. Adding to his athletic experiences, Craig and his girlfriend Kate participated in …
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In this episode, we chat with Shreya Adhav, an award-winning nutritionist and founder of the SpirEat Sports Nutrition Clinic in India. With more than 5 years of experience advising athletes across the globe, Shreya has worked with runners, triathletes, swimmers, ultra-endurance cyclists, and many others. Shreya holds a Masters Degree in Sports Nutr…
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We talk with a legendary rider of the Race Across America (RAAM) and the sport of ultra cycling, the great Valerio Zamboni from Italy currently resides in Monaco and has won the Ultra Cycling World Cup 6 times, which is just incredible considering he is over 60 years old! Valerio entered ultra cycling late in his life after being a mountaineer in h…
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