PODCAST · sports
Wheel Talk
by Escape Collective
Weekly breakdowns of what is going on in the Women's World Tour plus exclusive interviews with professional riders and influential people in the sport. Hosted by Abby Mickey with Gracie Elvin, Georgie Howe and Loren Rowney. Escape Collective is member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/wheeltalk/
Episodes
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The G.O.A.T. never left
Abby, Loren, and Gracie get together this week to talk about Marianne Vos's Gravel World Championships victory, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney's move to Lidl-Trek, and a couple other transfers to keep an eye on.
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Teamwork is everything (again) at European Championships
This week the band is back together! Abby, Loren, Gracie, and Georgie talk about the Dutch support for Demi Vollering at the European Championships, Laurens ten Dam, and the importance of the U23 category. They also dive into the Junior races and the need for an age limit in the WorldTour.
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Montréal Worlds delivers pure entertainment
Another World Championships is over, and it was one for the books. The best rider in the women's peloton claimed the top step and a rainbow jersey she can wear for the next year, but her two top rivals gave her a run for her money. Abby, Gracie, and Georgie, joined by 2024 ITT world champion and...
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2026 Worlds road race preview
This week, Abby and Loren are joined again by Hannah Barnes Bewley and Anna Shackley to talk about the World Championship Time Trial, Marlen Reusser's rollercoaster season, why the Italians excel at national team events, and if Demi Vollering can win the road race on Saturday.
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Demi and the Dutch WC team
Without World Tour racing to talk about, Abby, Loren, Anna Shackley, and Hannah Barnes discuss the Dutch World Championship selection, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's season, and the Faun Tour.
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The future of Mischa Bredewold
This week Abby, Gracie, and Georgie talk about the Classic Lorient Agglomeration, Mischa Bredewold's future, Elisa Balsamo, and the biggest transfers so far.
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One epic climb, five months to prepare: Abby's Ventoux Challenge
As so many of these side quests do, this particular adventure started with an offhand remark on the Wheel Talk Podcast… This week we dive into Abby's self-inflicted five-month journey to beat a past version of herself up Mont Ventoux. Today, she sits down with the coaching duo who helped her...
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What the Tour of Britain can tell us about the upcoming Worlds
The five-day Tour of Britain wrapped up on Sunday, and of the five stages, four were won by one ever-dominant rider. The one stage where another shone was a masterclass in bike racing tactics, but even though two riders topped the race, others proved they are coming into form just in time for the...
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Lasting impressions of the Tour de France Femmes
Loren and Abby are back in the "studio" with Gracie and Georgie a week after the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Now that the dust has settled, the four talk more about their lasting impressions of the race, what went right and what needs improving in the future. Plus! The Lloyd's Tour of…
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Kate Courtney's road to LA 2028 with FDJ United-Suez
Before the start of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Lausanne, Kate Courtney sat down with Abby and Loren to talk about her move to the WorldTour with FDJ United-Suez, how her first road races went, and why she values building her personal brand.
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 9: A definitive finale
With only eight seconds separating two riders, the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift came down to one final, absolutely brutal, stage in Nice. It was short, but packed a punch, and the overall classification was decided definitively. Abby, Loren, and Anna are here to talk about...
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Tour Femmes Bonus: Other stories from stage 7
Every person in the race, from mechanics to riders to directors, has a unique story from each stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Stage 7 was particularly chaotic, and we highlighted it on our episode from the stage, but Abby wanted to share two alternative views on the race: Shawn...
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 8: Let's rip up the script
If there's anything we've learned in the past eight days, it's to expect the unexpected. Any stage can become a GC stage if it's played right. The race is finally in Nice, with the final stage set on a hilly course in the hills, but FDJ United-Suez aren't here to wait for the finale, and 400…
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 7: Celebrations on Mont Ventoux
Atop the iconic Mont Ventoux, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift shattered. Favourites suffered and celebrated; all while the roadside party chanted and cheered. Today, Abby, Loren, and Anna stopped by the Cheer Squad to talk to some old friends, including Iris Slappendel, Alice Wood, and…
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 6: Redemption
Sandwiched between a brutal stage on Wednesday and Mont Ventoux on Friday, the sixth stage could have gone to an early breakaway, a group of gutsy riders who attacked early and stayed away, allowing the GC favorites a break. Instead, eight women, all with something to prove, made the day theirs....
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 5: Perfection amid chaos
Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was set to be a stage where the plan was mostly just a piece of paper, but as the day unfolded, a few teams found themselves in the perfect situation. After the hardest day at the Tour so far, three riders soared while others sank, and the general...
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 4: A spicy time trial in Dijon
The race against the clock on stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift shook the general classification and ruptured quite a few hopes. Abby and Loren saw the course before the riders raced on it from the follow cars of Liv AlUla Jayco and EF Education-Oatly, and it was not one for the…
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 3: A long shot
Abby and Loren are back from the third stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, alongside Escape Collective Tech Reporter Alex Hunt. After driving the entirety of stage three, the trio discuss the real condition of the roads, how the winner perhaps had the upper hand, and more. Plus...bras?...
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Tour Femmes Daily, stage 2: All in, every day
Abby and Loren talk about the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with a little help from an old friend. Lidl-Trek tried to shake up SD Worx-Protime, and it almost worked. One of the best in the world continues to show why she has that title. With audio diaries from Amanda...
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Tour Femmes Daily: GC battle on stage 1?
The crowds at the start of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift highlighted just how impactful the race has become. In the Grand Depart of its fifth edition, the Tour remains the biggest race for the women's peloton, with the best riders fighting for the win. All the top riders were at the front...
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The 2026 Tour de France Femmes Contender's Preview
Every year the course changes, the contenders shift, but the Tour only grows in prestige. This year, the organizers have delivered what might just be the hardest course we've ever seen at the Tour. The time trial on stage 4 and the Queen Stage that finishes atop Mont Ventoux on stage 7 are...
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Niamh Fisher-Black is learning how to be a leader
A few weeks before the start of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Niamh Fisher-Black was in a hotel in Andorra with Lidl-Trek already preparing for the biggest race on the calendar. Fresh off a gutsy ride that landed her fifth overall at the Giro d'Italia, Niamh spoke with Abby about her...
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Antonia Niedermaier has the best poker face for a reason
In the build-up to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, we at Wheel Talk wanted to highlight a few riders. First: Antonia Niedermaier, German rider for Canyon-SRAM. Niedermaier finished second at the Giro d'Italia after a gutsy ride in the final stage. Going into the Tour, she will be riding...
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The 2026 Tour de France Femmes Route (in detail)
With the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift starting on Saturday, Abby, Loren, Gracie, and Georgie break down the 2026 route in detail. Plus, Abby talked to Iris Slappendel about the Cheer Squad that will be on Mont Ventoux for stage 7.
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The Wheel Talk Tour de France Femmes Draft
This week, with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on the horizon, Abby, Loren, Gracie, and Georgie draft their own teams for the nine-day race. But first, they talk about the Baloise Ladies Tour and Kate Courtney's introduction to road racing with the top team in the WorldTour. A disclaimer…
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Elise Chabbey talks pregnancy postive days before Giro d'Italia
This week on the podcast, Abby sat down with Elise Chabbey, top rider for FDJ United-Suez and winner of Strade Bianche, to talk about how she found out she was pregnant and what her thought process was after. With big goals on the horizon, what does the time away from the peloton mean for the…
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Maternity leave and ice socks
This week, Abby, Loren, and Gracie talk about the recent news that Elise Chabbey and Emma Norsgaard are pregnant, Kate Courtney, ice socks and the future of the sport amid the recent heat waves, and BTS.
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How Rebecca Charlton relied on cycling through cancer diagnosis
This week, Abby sat down with Rebecca Charlton, commentator for TNT and Wheel Talk regular, to talk about her mid-Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift cancer diagnosis in 2025 and the year that followed. Rebecca talks about how cycling helped her through the hardest year of her life, how everything...
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Building confidence at the Tour de Suisse
We are back to our regularly scheduled podcast this week as Abby, Gracie, and Georgie talk all things Tour de Suisse. From Zoe Backstedt to Marlen Reusser, from horrendous heat to that time trial on stage 4, there's a lot to say about the final WorldTour race before the Tour de France Femmes avec...
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Amanda "Spratty" Spratt's last hurrah
This week, we go back in time to just before the Spring Classics, when Abby sat down with Amanda "Spratty" Spratt to talk about her final season racing bikes. Normal episodes of the podcast will resume after the Tour de Suisse, which kicks off on Wednesday, June 17th. The five-stage race will...
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Giro d'Italia stage 9: When dreams become reality
The final stage of the Giro d'Italia absolutely delivered. What a day of bike racing! Heartbreak for some meant healing for others. A stage that wasn't originally billed as a race-changing day turned into the biggest fight of the week. Abby and Loren called up a team fitting of such a stage: Anna...
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Giro d'Italia stage 8: What could have been...
The eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia was supposed to be the big one. The stage that would all but determine the general classification, even with one final stage remaining. Instead, the stage was cut short by about 27 km and one iconic climb. The battle that was foretold came to nothing, which...
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Giro d'Italia stage 7: Expect the unexpected, or better yet, expect Alison Jackson to attack
The seventh stage was unpredictable, with a category 3 climb that topped out with 27 km to go. Other than the one climb, it was a flatter stage, so would Elisa Balsamo harness her Lidl-Trek teammates to control the race? Could a breakaway finally sneak in for a victory? Or would some of the GC...
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Giro d'Italia stage 6: Embrace the YOLO mentality
The Giro d'Italia is officially "almost over". Stage 6 is done and dusted, and even though Uno-X Mobility tried to make the race chaotic, it ended up coming down to the fastest rider(s) once again. Today, Anna Shackley is back with Abby and Loren to talk about stage 6 and look ahead to stage 7....
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Giro d'Italia stage 5: Under pressure
The fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia was a brutal day, with over 3,000 metres of elevation gain in 146 km. The racing started when the flag dropped, with every team trying to send riders up the road. The stage ended up going to the favorites, as some minor movements were made in the general...
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Giro d'Italia stage 4: GC riders take center stage in uphill time trial
The fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia was a 12.7 km, majority uphill, time trial, which meant it was finally time for the general classification hopefuls to dust off their watts and fight for the jersey. The results were something to write home about, and with five stages remaining, we've got a...
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Giro d'Italia stage 3: Who said a 2.5 km climb isn't for the GC contenders?
The third stage of the Giro d'Italia, with a category 3 climb of 2.5 km with 22 km to go, looked like one for a reduced bunch, but the general classification contenders had other ideas. The finish was still far from a surprise...depending on who you ask. Today, Gracie and Abby are joined by Anna...
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Giro d'Italia Women stage 2: 20 grams and a fast finish
Stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia continued the drama that wrapped the first stage. The situation with Lorena Wiebes hung over the peloton, but didn't stop the rest of the sprinters from doing their thing. In this second Giro Daily podcast, Abby is joined by Georgie and Aidan Burgess...
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It wouldn't be the Giro d'Italia without some drama
Abby, Loren, and Gracie tune in for the first stage of the Giro d'Italia, a sprint stage from Cesenatico to Ravenna. Lorena Wiebes won the stage, but it wasn't the end of the race for the Dutch champion. Drama would follow the SD Worx-Protime rider hours after she pulled on the pink jersey. A few...
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Elisa Longo Borghini's perfectly imperfect 2025 Giro d'Italia
In this special episode of the Wheel Talk podcast, Abby sat down with 2024 and 2025 Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini to talk about how she won the Giro with UAE Team ADQ. Elisa dives deep into her move from Lidl-Trek to UAE Team ADQ, how she prepared for the 2025 Giro, and how she won…
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Vuelta a Burgos wraps the Spanish block
Abby, Georgie, Gracie, and Loren break down all four stages of the Vuelta a Burgos. From the first two days for the sprinter(s), the second explosive stage that continued a fantastic run of form for a podcast favourite, and the final GC stage that allowed a new GC contender to emerge. Next, Abby...
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Two riders, three stages - an Itzulia Women rerun
This week, Abby, Georgie, and Loren are joined by special guest Matt de Neef of Escape Collective to talk about Itzulia Women - the latest WorldTour stage race in Spain, and Abby spoke with Lauren Dickson of FDJ United-Suez about the breakthrough results that landed her on the top team in women's...
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La Vuelta break down with Brodie Chapman
This week, Abby, Gracie, and Georgie are joined by a very special guest to analyze La Vuelta Femenina: UAE Team ADQ's Brodie Chapman. They discussed the "comeback" of SD Worx-Protime and especially Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen, the famous L'Angliru, and the young riders who animated…
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Kasia's fantastic Spring and the Vuelta
This week, Abby talked to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney about her Spring campaign, how she really feels about coming second, what was different coming into the season, and La Vuelta Femenina. Gracie, Georgie, and Loren joined Abby to talk about the Vuelta stages, what to look out for, and who they're...
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Comfort or confidence? The transformation of Demi Vollering
Loren, Gracie, and Georgie joined Abby this week to wrap up the Classics with a discussion of La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. They talked about FDJ United-Suez's continued dominance and how Demi Vollering has transformed while with the team. They also discussed the live coverage...
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What a podium presentation says about someone's personality
Georgie and Gracie joined Abby this week to talk about De Brabantse Pijl and the Amstel Gold Race. They discussed the continued power of FDJ United-Suez with Célia Gery, another top rider to add to their list of wins this year, how SD Worx-Protime is still struggling to execute, and what to…
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Between a Koch and a hard place at Paris-Roubaix
In this special episode of the Wheel Talk podcast, Abby and Loren are on the ground at Paris-Roubaix Femmes. They chat with Alice Jackson from Rouleur about the shortened live coverage this year, catch up with Marianne Vos before the start, and try to break down how the race played out while...
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FDJ United-Suez is changing the game
This week on the podcast, Abby, Georgie, Loren, and Gracie talk Tour of Flanders and Dwars door Vlaanderen: does FDJ United-Suez have any faults (not this week, they don't), what is going wrong with UAE Team ADQ, Marlen Reusser's comeback and subsequent injury, and more. Plus, Abby talked to...
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Why wait for a sprint?
This week, Abby, Gracie, Georgie, and Loren focus on the Ronde van Brugge and In Flanders Fields-In Wevelgem. They discuss the sprint that ended an incredible winning streak, how the peloton got to that point, and which teams are finally putting everything together, as well as how UAE Team ADQ…
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Don't call it a comeback
The full team of Gracie, Loren, Georgie, and Abby are back this week for a lengthy discussion on Milan San Remo, including the attack that wasn't on the Cipressa, that crash, how UAE Team ADQ lost the race, and how Lotte Kopecky won it. Plus: a discussion of whether this means SD Worx-Protime can...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Weekly breakdowns of what is going on in the Women's World Tour plus exclusive interviews with professional riders and influential people in the sport. Hosted by Abby Mickey with Gracie Elvin, Georgie Howe and Loren Rowney. Escape Collective is member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/wheeltalk/
HOSTED BY
Escape Collective
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Wheel Talk have?
Wheel Talk currently has 264 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Wheel Talk about?
Weekly breakdowns of what is going on in the Women's World Tour plus exclusive interviews with professional riders and influential people in the sport. Hosted by Abby Mickey with Gracie Elvin, Georgie Howe and Loren Rowney. Escape Collective is member-funded. If you like this podcast please...
How often does Wheel Talk release new episodes?
Wheel Talk publishes regularly with 264 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Wheel Talk?
You can listen to Wheel Talk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Wheel Talk?
Wheel Talk is created and hosted by Escape Collective.
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