Mabra Radio

The beauty of long-form journalism is that the person and the story evolve. You get to see and learn so much more because the time is dedicated, and we all end up better for it. The story of Chris Tolley is evolving and changing. The version that we interviewed in 2022 has given way to this more distinguished thought provoking one (that's not to say the 2022 version lacked anything in those categories). However, with more time we have more to work with, and we hope you enjoy the result. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you’ll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us! We also have a special guest sponsor this week, Bob's Pickle Pops! The cramp busting, hydration boasting, delicious treat that has 20X more sodium and 8X more potassium than normal sports drinks. Wi

Look up the road or at the front, that's where you'll find this week's guest Michael Garrison of NICH +SpeedClub. Singlehandly he animated, disrupted, and changed the outcome of races like Tulsa Tough this year. In a sport built around the best teams he has been a solo revelation and we are lucky enough to have him on the show. This week we are brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code CRITNATION at checkout to get yours today!!!  By using the code CRITNATION you’ll get a free heart rate monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and the HR monitor is on us!  

5 years or 5 episodes, it's all about celebration and a learning curve. Jordan Cheyne and Rob Kelly sit down and talk about what they've respectively learned about podcasting and North American bike racing over their respective tenures hosting a podcast about it. And yes, Taylor Swift can fix all problems.

As a rider, Mike Creed raced on some of the most storied teams in North American cycling history, from US Postal to Slipstream to Optum Kelly Benefits. As a director, he guided the Smartstop team to one of the great underdog seasons in recent memory, featuring a win at Nationals. He now leads the charge at Aevolo Cycling, the premier US based development squad which will be part of the EF Education First organization starting next season. Mike has lived this sport for decades. Fortunately for us, he isn't afraid to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Tune in for insight, entertainment and some takes you won't hear anywhere else.

When have we lived up to our potential? A lot of us never really get to answer that question; but rather must deal with the pitfalls life throws in our way. Some of us are lucky, or stubborn enough, to push on beyond those pitfalls and create opportunities for themselves when none present. That is the story of Joe Laverick of Ribble Rebellion. When opportunities did not present themselves at the close of his U23 career Joe set out to make his own, and found a willing partner in Ribble. Together they've built an impressive bike racing team that has come to the US and taken the fight to all the best that we have here, and returned victorious. 

At a time when many American racers are taking to Europe to race, Cecile has done the opposite. Trading in Mt Ventoux and baguettes for Mt Lemmon and burritos, Cecile is making the bike racing dream work in North America from crits, to UCI podiums to gravel wins. Whether it is for the adventure, the laughs or the complimentary French lesson-you don't want to miss this one. 

New host, who dis?  Can our Criterium Nation survive a new host? And a Canadian one at that? We are about to find out as retired pro Jordan Cheyne takes the front. But what better guest than the lead out woman herself, Kimberly Lucie of DNA Pro Cycling. Kim is one of the few bike racers in the peloton who can actually say they are really, genuinely, 100% a Tucson, Arizona native. 

We are now at the end of the beginning and poised for a new phase of the domestic racing scene. That means it is a perfect time for us to check in on what has happened, identify some solid trends and talk about all the takeaways that we can from the first part of 2024.

On April 15 the National Cycling League shuttered its doors for 2024, and announced that it will focus on 2025. That has left riders and teams in limbo, and a lot of confusion as to what is happening. We are joined by journalist Logan Jones-Wilkins to help provide context and build a historical picture for what has led up to this point. 

Job, wife, child, pro bike racer. That's a full day and for Matt Zimmer that's his reality. He's come a long way since being the high schooler in Iowa who just raced bikes, and he is here to share that journey with us along with tidbits about racing in Europe and how we can make racing here more inviting.

Your reputation is who you are before you actually arrive. It's the version of yourself that stays behind long after you have left. It opens doors and definitely gets some doors closed very hard. In bike racing your reputation is just as important as the results that you put on your race resume. This episode we talk with retired pro and current stand up comedy star Jordan Cheyne about reputation.

There are a lot of firsts that are set to happen this year, one thing that we are very proud of is our effort to be the first to bring data into American bike racing. It's all in an effort to do what has not been done before which is to set basic standards within our community. By building a medal count and collecting data on who is winning the biggest events in the country we are poised to help the fans follow the sport closer and at a higher level of education than previous. So let's get this party started with Allan and me, sitting on a couch.

It's amazing to watch people grow and excel. This podcast has been fortunate enough to have had a myriad of incredible guests who have achieved tremendous levels of success. Now, for the first time, we have a World Tour Pro on the show in Maggie Coles-Lyster of Isreal Premier Tech Roland. One of our favorite alums is back to tell us about her adventures in Europe and the somewhat rocky road she had to take this year. However, it's not all rough because it ended with her solidly and comfortably going pedal-for-pedal with the best sprinters in the world.

We are fortunate to occupy this stage for only a brief period of time. What happens after we leave? How do we maintain the progress we've made and ensure that others can stand on our shoulders? It's a question that we must grapple with in criterium racing. We've made a ton of progress over the past couple years but when our current leaders have moved on who comes next is unclear because it is our obligation to train our replacements. Gabe Lloyd and Daniel Holloway from The Call Up just us for a discussion on this very topic. 

"To thine ownself be true"-- Billy Shakespeare, Hamlet.  Will Gleason of CS Velo and I went for a long bike ride among the crisp leaves of autumn in western Connecticut. We didn't do much leaf peeping but we did a whole lot of talking, reminiscing, theorizing, a touch of gossiping. Then we had a lobster roll, ice cream, and a beer before sitting down and pressing record on the microphone. This episode is what happened next.

A lot has happened since our last recap episode following Intelli. Good thing we've got fellow Wide Angle Podium contributor Bill Schieken to help us delve through the details of Littleton, the NCL, Momentum Indy, Gateway Cup and Bucks County. Yep, it's a lot.

Things may sound just a bit different because we are 100% live from Gateway Cup with Will Hardin from Project Echelon and Melanie Wong from ButcherBox. Our good friends from Urban Chestnut brewery in the heart of the Grove were gratious hosts and the environment was perfectly cozy. So join the audience, grab your favorite Zwickel, Schnickelfritz, or Dorfbier and get ready for some good times. 

Race promotion is a learned trade. There is a guide, but the real lessons are learned through trial and error, and with a lot of help and experience. Without good events our community is nothing but solo training and group rides. A great event can make someone's year and can become a focal point of a summer. In today's episode we talk with Graham Costa on how he and his team have brought together local interests and created a legitimate community event and bike race. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.

We go north of the border for this week's episode to meet with the captain of the new squad UNC Lotto Max-- Logan O'Krafka. Despite their youth and newness to the scene, they really stamped their authority on Intelligentsia Cup. Logan gives us the scoop on the team and its mission, and also how one of the premier criterium series played out over 10 days of intense racing. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.  

Nationals, ACC, Boise, NCL, Salt Lake City, UCI Transgender Ban, and so much more. We cover a lot of ground in this episode. We are brought to you this week by -- say goodbye to the generic face wash on your counter because is here to save the day when it comes to your skin. We are rough on our skin as bike racers and Caldera Lab and its line up of products is here to help repair the damage we do by loving the sport we do. Use the promo code "criteriumnation" for 20% off your order.