1.Never, I can't, it'll probably haunt me for my entire career unless I…

I never, I can't, it'll probably haunt me for my entire career unless I come back and do it, but I've never done the rocks, so I can't calm myself from having the rocks. Ah, I never done the rocks! No. The big question is this. How do we use cycling as a tool to improve our health, our happiness, and our longevity? That is the question. This podcast will give you the answers. My name is Anthony Walsh and welcome to the Roadman Podcast. Welcome back Roadman to the Roadman Podcast. Oh my have I got an episode in store for you today. You know when you chat to people and you get a sense from repetition of these chats, who are the people you really need to chat to and who are the people you really want to avoid? Well, I won't be bringing any podcast from the latter category, but a name that just kept popping up anytime I had a conversation about the podcast was Chris, you have the answer. Anybody I talked in podcast land or bodies here in Ireland said you got to get Chris, you'll get on the podcast. You got to get Chris, you'll get on the podcast. And I don't think I fully appreciated why I needed to get Chris on the podcast until this interview. Chris is one of the most genuine guys I've ever interviewed. It was a pleasure to interview him. He's a guy who grew up in Ireland, that's a fascinating story, and he shares beautiful insights from life as a pro, tips and tricks for getting faster, weight management tips. And he just delivers it in an Irish wit and an Irish humour, which I never expected to hear from somebody who's Danish. Can I say you're Danish now, Chris? I suppose I can. So yeah, I'm really excited to bring you today's podcast and I'm sure you're going to love it. He is fondly known as the Joker of the Peloton, and for good reason. Please share this podcast around. It's one of the ways you can definitely reach out and say pay it back to me and say you know what I'm enjoying this podcast and another one of those ways which I am pushing hard because it's the lifeblood of keeping this podcast a Live it's our patreon channel. So if you head over to patreon.com forward slash Antony underscore Walsh That's your place to buy me a point of beer. That's your place to say You know what, if I was sitting with you in the pub, I'd get you a point now because you're after facilitating some really cool chats over the last few weeks. So head on over to patreon.com forward slash Anthony underscore watch. I'm going to pop the link in the description down below and you can boy me a breeder and it might seem like a small gesture to you. Just boy me a breeder once a month. But honestly for me, I absolutely treasure each one of those patreons because as I say the difference between making this podcast a sustainable reality and something that we can build on and get cool insights as their Pro-tour races come back and something that'll just be a flash in the pan and we look back and go That was great when it lasted So I do thank you for the contribution so far and your contributions to come and there's now a second way I suppose this is supporting the podcast. Yeah, it's supporting the podcast. We've launched some merch I've got a bunch of messages over the last couple of months, really since I renamed the podcast, Roadman podcast, asking, could we get merch? Can we get our hands on kit? Can we get our hands on t-shirts, hoodies? And the answer is now yes, you can. A whole whitely checkout days. It's the freshest kit I've seen in a long time. I always got, I don't know, annoyed, world tour kits and kits I had to race in. They're just absolutely brutal. I don't know who designed them, they were just like walking billboards. So when I got an opportunity to sit down and design a kit, I was super excited to make it sleek, simple eye-catching, something that I'd be proud to sit down in the coffee shop and wear. So I got a pop a link in the description down below as well, but if you head on over to a1coaching.net, there's a link to our store right in the top menu and you can pick up that fresh roadman kit. Guys, I've pushed it off and I've delayed long enough. Let's chat to the honorary Irishman, the joker of the Peloton, Chris Yol Jenson. Chris Yol Jenson, welcome to the Roadman Podcast. Thank you very much. Pleasure to be on. How did I deal with that pronunciation there? Good. Very good. The WU in the center kind of this roomy. Yeah. Imagine my dad living in Ireland called Knod Yol Jenson. I think that took him 18 years to explain how to spell that and then they went back to Denmark. How are you getting on the lockdown? I'm doing despite this mad corona period, then it's not too bad here in Denmark. I'm up north north Denmark by the sea, by the west coast, which is really nice. We live in Copenhagen, But we got out of there pretty quick. So we come out and just have a space, a bit of fresh air, and I could also go out on the bike. So I've been out on the bike on the road, but also on active, on swift with all my teammates as well. So it actually hasn't been too bad. We have a daughter, she's 17 months, so she's loved the fresh air, hopping around the sand and then the beach. It's not beach weather, but still. misses it. The Corona test has passed the idea. So far so good. It's getting bad, isn't it? Like I've friends like in their recently moved in with their girlfriend and stole fun and they're just stuck together and you're like, shit, I didn't so I. Oh yeah, I also know people who've been forced to move together. They've they've been not dating for not too long, but then with the corona and it's yeah you can't really get ahead of it can you? But it's a good it's a good stress test. I'm so far so so good here that's for sure. Glad they're here, I'll get your missiles on the podcast next week. So she has to keep you looking at the podcast. Yeah yeah, a longer experience on the band. So we actually had your team physio on the podcast and this is how this came about. I'm not sure if you even remember that. Mersf. Yeah. Scott Morphe. Yeah he's good man. I remember when I joined the team I saw on the We always get an email that you go to a training camp where I race and you can see where people are coming in from.

2.Was just expecting the team, the staff members to be either Italian…

And I was just expecting the team, the staff members to be either Italian or Australian. And then I saw the name Scott Murphy coming in from Limerick. Like, what? Who's that? And then a, yeah, a Murph's a good guy. It was nice. We have a Murph's there. I consider him that. It's more or less Irish. and then we're Sandra and then John Keig and the mechanic. So it's good, a good little Irish entourage. The team looks great, crack. It is, it is. And especially John, these Corona times, then it's actually, you know, the atmosphere has been pretty good in the WhatsApp groups and also doing the, doing Swift and doing Zoom. It's been nice to stay in touch because usually personally I go to the race, go to the training camps, we have a laugh and then when I go home I typically just sort of check out and take care of the family and business at home. But this has been actually a good way to sort of keep in touch with teammates and staff members in a way you are usually wouldn't. So the team certainly lives up to that. So watch that movie star documentary on Netflix like when I listen to you talking about going away with the lads It's like the boys are going on tour for three weeks when I watch that movie star It's just like that looks miserable. There's no part of me wants to be in the hostel I've heard about it. I haven't seen it yet, but it's certainly it's it's quite the option on this team I mean jeez the especially last year I mean doing the jury on the tour. It's it's a big it's been a challenge doing two grand tours back to the back, but it is like I've explained before, it's like going on the summer camp with your mates. There's a lot of fun, not only between the riders but also between the staff, which is what I find is the bearing strength of the team. We're all able to have a lot of fun between one another. There's no hierarchy. It's widely bang and attitude. It's on the boss and then you know when we know it's time to get serious and it gets pretty serious pretty quick which is also a good and you know that's good to have the teams DNA you can switch it on and off pretty easy. It's the perfect balance isn't it like I've been on teams absolutely the balance is wrong in both directions and it's miserable but ways. Yeah this here they've mastered the they've mastered the way of you know running a professional bike team but also making sure that everyone's having a good time, which I think, I mean, the best way to see that is by, you know, seeing the team's backstage pass, which is backstage pass is brilliant. Yeah, it's just a good example of how the team operates. But you know what, as a farm, that's what we want to see, like, because I'm not sure who was talking about this last week in the podcast. Well, since helmets came in and sunglasses, we got rid of Pantani, Pantamoy and villain. And the sunglasses got bigger. Yeah, everyone looks the same. It's like a lot of robots racing each other. We all look like robots. Yeah, yeah. So it's like, where's the fun life? It's like watching us with race. Yeah, I suppose that's one of the things where people are missing the most from our as well as the backstage pass, it's hard to create that when there's no race at the moment. But we've done a bit. We've done the podcast, got Jonesy back. Jonesy's the one who started the whole backstage, Stan Jones. So we're trying to create as good an atmosphere as possible to try and make fans. You think you're on your own YouTube channel? I kind of realize, becoming a dad, then I have to be realistic by ideas like that. You know what you should do? You should get a transition, you're a student from Ireland as a videographer, I'd say. You would follow me. Listen, yeah, film me. Right, if anyone wants to be Chris, this is Botler, I'll follow you here. I do like a Tiger King, I do like my old reality show. Chris, that was where I did the Irish connection home from, because I've on the podcast, I think Chate and Deskott Morphy are physioing. I described just the most Irish man, the Peloton. And for people that don't know it, they're like, but Roach and Dan Martin are Irish. I'm like, yeah, are they? Are they? Are they? I have a good question. But yeah, I mean, to run through my Irish background quick, then, then yeah, I was born and raised in Ireland, like both my parents are Danish but they worked and lived in Ireland. I fell in love the place, obviously, living in Wicklow, the Gardens of Ireland, grew up in the Sugar Loaf. I couldn't imagine a better place to grow up. It was lovely. And I was there until I was 16, where we then moved back to Denmark. Unfortunately, I haven't really been back much since because it's been busy riding my bike and there's just sort of one thing led to another. But grew up racing for a C-C doing the C-C. Absolutely doing the C-C, Brie Wheeler's club races up the Calgary Road. A lot of my fondest memories on a bike are in the Wicklow Mountains. You know, spending every weekend riding the mountain bike, rain down the stone, jazz. So yeah, the first thing I did when we got married was I took my wife on the honeymoon to Ireland, believe it or not. A lot of people are what I miss most. I'm there my training rods. You know, I'm in Klonter. So my options go in order, so I'm out south across the city and in chance again. We'll pay off for it and then disappear and off into the mountains. Yeah. I'd always go, I'd love to go from Airhouse, then up to Enescari, up Glen Cree, and then around Johnny Fox's Pub. That was a sort of typical midweek loop for me, which I loved. So yeah, I am that was that was actually last time it's back in Ireland. I mean, I was looking a few nice coffee shops as well. I noticed the last time I was not that it is like any other city I suppose more coffee shops and I mean the cycling scene exploded since since we left which you would not even see in the pedal town. I mean, the amount of the quality in the bunch, you know, not many Irish pros, but the ones that are there are of a high quality, that's for sure. Bennett's obviously come true quite well. Big time. And he's, I mean, you know, his accent could cut through cheese.

3.Thought Bennett's born a Belgian. I did not know that

Yeah, I thought Bennett's born a Belgian. I did not know that. No, I didn't. Like he's a contract man. Bennett's always a contract, didn't he? Kirk, Kirk. Okay, okay, okay. Don't bar his Nantork. All right. Okay. Yeah. And don't bar. He's he's a ledge. I actually had a low moment of me live today. Obviously, like everyone, there's no pro sport on any else had a race on Zwift up up the way as I just found myself flicking. It's like, Oh, this is interesting. And I watched the whole race. I watched a computer game racing up the soil from mountain. It's the only thing we've asked the moment. It's low isn't it? Yeah hopefully hopefully they'll be able to you know it'll get a bit more traction because I mean it is certainly not the same as watching the real bike race but it could get I mean when you think about little teenagers playing the kind of strike and half life I mean attracting millions on YouTube and on the internet surely the cycling fans will sort of come to the idea that at the moment it's it's it's swift online racing. But you will appreciate this now so they cut to the various innios right or so I can't add the front of the race. The round Dennis Dunbar and I can't remember who else was business and Carapas or something right but they were basically cutting to their cameras as they were riding so it cuts to round Dennis and he's in his place in Andor you know nice view behind the Yeah, yeah. And he's somewhere close to Eddie Dumber, and he's in his Mars kitchen in contour. He's in his Mars, my kid's knee, behind. Oh, what a ledge. The contour three day, I mean, I never, I can't, it'll probably haunt me for my entire career unless I come back and do it, but I've never done the Ross. I can't call myself the man in the Ross. I never done the Ross. No, I've never done the raw, I've never did the care of you, tour, never did the care of you, tour, but I did counter obviously a lot of times. Corey, I love that race. No, Corey, no, Shay, Elliott, no, I've watched the Shay, Elliott. Shay, do they still have the Shay, Elliott? Yeah, yeah, still going. All them races are still going. The Ross was back, well, it was meant to be back this year, but now it's obviously gone. Yeah. But there also be a good one to come back for your swan song, like when you're finished the year after or something. And let's be careful, you know, romanticizing too much. I mean, it would be a big race to take off my bucket list, but it would be a grueling race to finish off with. I mean, I remember when I came to Denmark and started racing as an A on the constant team, There was a couple of Danish, some of the older guys I'd raised against, they'd been overdoing the Ross. I remember they always said, that race just, that was the hardest. You could do stage races in Normandy, you could do all these big, pretty big amateur races and around Belgium and the rest of Europe. But the Ross is what they remember the most as being one of the hardest races. I think what I never realized was because I raced a couple of Ross's before I went away and then I joined the American team and I started to order 2.2, 2.1 races. And I never realized until I came back and wrote the Ross with the American team, why everyone thinks it's just so uncontrolled compared to the rest of the races. That's because there's more Irish A riders. But there's just be riders as well, isn't it? Yeah. There's even sea. It's a massive mixed bag of county riders, plus all these contentines. So it sounds like it's just a health leather. A bit of a Kamikaze race. And you throw in 4.5 teams. So absolutely. Hard to control a race for the 5-month aim. It should be on television. It should be in your sport. It'd probably be the most exciting race to watch. But you know what I always think is hilarious, because if the pros are over from all across Europe, they don't understand that when the break is gone, that's not the race, that there's a race for every county that are hometowns. It's like, oh yeah, I can, the race is dead. I remember I was talking to Lucas Hamilton, one of the young pros on the team and one of the potential massive GC stars. And he's, I don't think he wanted, he went there as this under 23 Australian team did pretty well. And that's where he really got respect from me when I heard that he'd done the Ross. Did he manage to win a stage? I can't remember. I remember actually, yeah. At the stage Dunbar won. He was in the breakout there, remember. Yeah. Oh, I remember following the Ross as well, being a demo. There was a couple of heroic stories of Irish A writers who've done the Ross loads of times. and then finally winning a stage. Was it Philip Cassidy Jr.? I remember Philip Cassidy Sr., he won stages well into his late years of writing, but his son won one as well, didn't he? Yeah, he won. I was my fourth year of the roster. That was 2010, his son won stage seven, if I remember he served as a young man. And then there was Cassidy's. The heartbreak story of Ron McLachlan, it was Ron McLachlan, wasn't it? That was close to winning a stage. And then just got coppered on the line. really close. It's all the county lawyers, Romante. So is it like, I'm I remember the first year I know I've been caught late. I'm just away with a good body of my major, I'm a trainer, actually, and we were caught until I'd last two, three, K out for 100. Okay. That was the closest we went. First time I deferred my exams because it's like, Oh, it's the Ross, I might never get a chance to do that. I think I'm on You can put that on any job application on the man-of-the-roft. OK, the job's yours. Chris, how would the switch come then from growing up in Ireland back to Denmark? And that's got to be hard for you because your identity is wrapped up as I'm in Irish lad and now you're switching it over to Danish. Well, to be honest, I suppose the fact that we didn't really go back much afterwards is an example of how quickly I was able to adapt to the Danish way of living. And I think to be honest, what made it easy and sort of, I didn't really know this was the fact that living in Ireland as well as going to school, I went to stay in Andrews College, took the train, took the dark and the grey sounds every morning.

4.My identity was being a bike rider

My identity was being a bike rider. I played hockey. I was too scared to play rugby. But I still identified myself as being this dedicated hardcore cyclist. So I had friends, honestly. I was a complete learner, but I put all my time and energy into riding the bike and trying to dream of being a pro. And that sort of meant that I knew I was going to go to Denmark initially just to do my transition year, because that was the plan for my older brother Thomas. But then after a year in Denmark, he was like, no, I'm staying here, because the cycling at that time was better. when you're in mainland, you're traveling around, you ought to do races also as a junior, it's just easier. So I just knew that was the way that was the path for me by trying to make this bike rider. So it wasn't that difficult to make the transition. And I think it's when I sort of reflect and think about, geez, I grew up in Wicklow, said, I'm proud and happy to have those, you know, the Irishness in me. You know, and if you, when I walk into an Irish pub and in demigro, I make sure to not get caught out with my accent. You know, the worst is when people say, Oh, yeah, I can see you're about to lose your accent. Don't say that. But so, you know, despite not, you know, despite writing for the national team, because as well, as well, you know, before I was close to turning pro and the biggest thing was to be acknowledged as good enough to make the Danish team as a junior as an on 23 because everyone, all the young, all the riders who ridden on the national Irish team abroad know how high the level of racing is. I mean, we go to the Belgian at the Champs-Kellie House to make selection for the New Olympics. That was just before we moved to Denmark. There, just the Belgians, the Danes. I remember once I was on the 16th and we went did an Irish trip to Belgium to do a stage race. Great trip and Dan ran the spa area and the Danish team there just demolished everyone. They'd look at me as if I had two heads that starts big names and we're like, this, they didn't know who I was. So was that a bit like, was it maybe looking at the infrastructure of the intersection and going a lot? It wasn't even wrapped up in nationality, it was just wrapped up in ambition, the decision. Like I know, like trying to have Robert John McCarthy and he'd something similar where he grew up in or moved to Australia. But then he talked, like, I want to be a pro. And he said, Ozzy has a better infrastructure. It wasn't about national identity, it's just like, what's that? This is hard to make it what gives me the best chance. Absolutely. I mean, I still consider myself as Irish as the day I left and I wear that with pride, but I think it was just drive to try and make it bigger on the cycling scene. But still at the same time, I mean the amount of support there was in Irish cycling back then, even though it wasn't as big as it is now, was massive. It's what brought me to where I am now. I've seen a little bit of literature of you riding up up to, I think it was afterwards, correct me if I'm wrong, and you start to get a photo with the lace, grace, gay heart. Absolutely, it wasn't afterwards, I can't know what stage it was, but definitely, I mean, another legend of Irish cycling. So whenever I get the chance to say hello to people I recognize, then you know, I do what I can because I owe everything to the support of Irish cycling. So, so it's just for me to move to Denmark and then try and make selection there. Then it was just one thing that's to another and then it was that was, you know, the rest of the history really. Does your kids have a, what's your kids name? Erica. No, she doesn't have a dual nationality. Does she have an awareness of a rush or is that something you want to, you know she's absolutely a monster. Yes, she's 17 months, but I can't wait to go back and show her where I grew up. I mean, it was the best place to grow up as a kid, absolutely. On the little chugloaf, it was brilliant. You know, the Jags Mountain, the Speakschugloaf, all that area was wow. I couldn't have asked for a better place to grow up on a pike in those, in that environment. environment. So what's it like now fast forward where you're actually, you know, you've, you're living the childhood fantasy, like, you know, I never grew up dreaming to be a pro cyclist. I drew up going to be a pro footballer, never made it or both of that. But you are living out, you know, a childhood fantasy. What's that like? It's, I mean, at the moment, it's, it's, it's obviously, it's a bit depressing when you think about there's no racing, but I mean, still, it does make me appreciate what I'm a part of and what I've experienced as a pro, you know, journalists from the magazine were hilarious, just sent me a picture where he was doing a count of the writers that have finished all the five monuments where I was one of the 14 who were still active. And you know, things like that make you realize that, wow, okay, it is as good as and even better than what I dreamt of, growing up, reading pro cycling magazines, watching the racing things. Even the amateur riders that were strong, you just be so fascinated. Then you see some pro that are crit or whatever, you'll be like, whoa. And then the next step was you do talk Denmark was on a concert team, you go, whoa, this is huge. Then you do the worlds. And then all of a sudden I was sort of, I was there, you know, I was, it was unbelievable to suddenly be handed a contract from, from Bianaries who was, who is the godfather of Danish cycling. So all of a sudden, you know, I had a pro contract in my hand. It's just, it's lived up to all everything I expected and more. You know when you're coming up and I remember again started and I was in H3, or C, the change the classifications to A3, A2, A1. I think it's part of every, I feel like their winners would be for it. So, we're going to what they are. C is D's. So, right. And they're, they're politically correct.

5.Was a C, I used to look up at the A's, I got like a holy shit

Yeah. And so, and I was a C, I used to look up at the A's, I got like a holy shit. Like how do they get so fast? Exactly, exactly. Not like the definition in their legs, the boy, the leanest the skin suit. And then I got there. And then I'd hope the guys. who are brought racing in France or something like, oh, how did they get there? Do you still have that sort of reverence, even though you're at World Tour to people within the bunch, or is it just where all appears? No, I still look up to a lot of riders in the bunch, and still am fascinated by more or less all the riders that I ride with and against. So, everyone's different. Everyone has their talent, their strength. So it is, I really have to pinch myself every time I do a race, is the creme de creme of cycling. So I still have that awe of being a pro, which I think is a healthy thing to have and necessary if you wanna keep running as a pro and enjoy it, you know? Because like you, I look up to the Yay riders and then I look up to all those that are above me and there's still a lot of riders above me. But now it's a nice feeling to sort of They also looked down at my own handlebar. I'm like, whoa, okay, I'm riding on a team bike which is in Scott doing the tour. This is, it doesn't get bigger than this, you know. And like you've been teammates with some of the best riders, like ever it'd be fair to say. You saw a guy on Comptador. Absolutely. I was, and you know, riding, that was probably, what I consider my breakthrough year 2015, right? I did my, it was my second, only my second grand tour was the Giro, where we're concert or one where I really, you know, put in a lot of miles in the front and he held on to the jersey just, you know, in the end. And then I went on to win the national time-taught champs, won the twop Denmark, which is again, you know, it's the tour in Denmark. It's huge. I mean, the men's people on the side of the road, you know, that was cool, but that was all thanks to the three weeks I spent trying to defend, you know, a bet of concert or it's winning pink and then yeah and then just recently you know doing the tour last year we won four stages right with the AIDS brothers riding with so many other massive stars on Michigan Scots you know just makes you realize and appreciate that geez these are the best. Is that a pinch me moment when you're on the front of the bunch? Controllers and the leaders here is in a grand tour and he's sitting on your whale and you're just like how the fuck did this happen? Absolutely. that's every domestic sweatshring, to be in that position, have that role because that's what I am. That's my strength as a bike rider and what I'm acknowledged as being one of the good domestic in the peloton. Being able to ride for stars like Kansador and the teammates I have on Mitch from the skart ride in the front, help them win big races. That's the best feeling. You know, you got the motorbikes, the TV, the fans, the helicopters. You know, you're all bike riders are vain. So you really do feel like, fuck, this is cool. On King of the World. Yeah, absolutely. Look, ma'am, on Telly. Yeah, yeah, you get the boss. But it's like, sort of... Last week, I'm not sure at what point you can ever, if you can't call yourself a podcaster, but I definitely had a moment last week where I was trying to toy their Hamilton on the podcast. And like, I had a poster, I thought around my bedroom wall and I was just like, keep your shit together and start around. That's it, but it's probably, it's the same feeling. I mean, more wants more. So when you get up there, where it's, it's, it's real fun. And there's a lot of people following, listening, watching, then, you know, it is, it is what keeps us, you know, keeps the drive going, you know, it is that public acknowledgement, really, you know, that is, It's part of the whole, part of the whole sort of game of it really. Like I see cycling in a weird space at the moment. I've chat about this in a couple of recent podcasts where I think it's in. If you look at running in the 1980s, it was all about the track and fail stars. And I had quite that to the world tour stars now. And then we had a big movement towards participatory, like the marathon, where 99% of marathon participants couldn't tell you who won it. I see that as gravel and gravel being the threat to world tour. and it's going to be a participatory base, but I see yourselves, backstage pass and EF education with that sort of insight and showing us the personalities. I see that as kind of the fight that World Tour is putting up against this because some of it's just faceless, like what any else is doing for me, it's just crap, like it's not entertaining to watch like they're signing, like no personality, no one, I don't care. Like, you know, if you watch a movie, I was reading my new year resolution this year was a learned storytelling through podcast video, whatever means. So I started reading a bunch of books about storytelling. The first thing any good movie has, it'll tell you they call it a saved cat scene. Like why do we connect with the main character? Why do we care if he lives or dies? And I don't have any connection with any else writers. You know, Barry Dunbar, because he's an Irish lad, but they don't know who fostered that connection. But you know, I just don't care if they win or lose, but U-lads with the backstage pass. Like I remember Impi last year on Bastille Day. Like even a couple of vlogs isn't a break on my fucking scream of Rimpi like. Yeah, well I mean, I think that's what this team can do really well is creating a story and creating heroics. And I think some of the best backstage passes and some of the best memories on this team. And then fortunately it also just came into one join the tour is that when the team sort of under the pump a little bit, things haven't been going our way. That's where we really pull out the big stories and pull out the emotion. And I mean, that's what I think that's what everyone's lacking at the moment is the emotion of watching and following the sport, whether it's football or cycling, whatever it is, then it's that emotion that's involved in trying to win something in sport that is so powerful.

6.Then that's, I think, when you look at the, for example, the stage,…

And then that's, I think, when you look at the, for example, the stage, the first stage, know, the second stage Simon Yates won. There was as well, you know, we had a plan, put it into place and then just everything just worked out. I mean, I suppose it's the same story for all the four stage wins. And the imping stage win came after, you know, things had gone a little bit tits up with GC with Adam, which was unfortunate, but it didn't mean that we sort of just shut down and like, okay, whenever you just have to try and get through and everyone sort of readjusted to what the situation was. And Matthew or why it is the master of trying to turn those situations around. And you just sit there on the bus. I mean, it's, your hair is really rising on the back of your neck, you know? And you're like, wow, okay, let's get amongst them. Now it's time to go. Why comes across a very likable lad? Absolutely. I mean, he has to be one of the best sports directors around because he's... You can sit in the boss, you can have your Spotify battles, play music, play tunes. He follows every sport under the sun. You can... 45 minutes before Grand Tore stage. He's to a cricket match or a rocky match. He's really getting into it. He got on the radio, it's on the speakers. Everyone's getting involved. And it's like, okay, boys, put your phones away, time to get stuck into the race meeting, and everyone's just like, okay, here we go. It is brilliant. And that's, again, everyone's trying to find a way where we can sort of interact or follow the riders on Swift or on the net or whichever way we can join this non-racing period. But we also sort of, I feel like I really missed our sports directors as well, you know, because they also play a massive part in how this team races and how they sort of get everyone revving and all cylinders. So that's something I'm, I actually, I miss quite a lot, gone out to the race and feeling that energy from the staff. I mean, you know, the swan is, the mechanics, you know, when Adam lost terrain or by point, whatever of a second. We had Italian mechanics in tears, you know, and it just shows how much emotion is involved in racing, you know, one of the biggest stage races in Italy. So close to winning it as a team, you know, that was, for me that was pretty powerful to see how much it meant also to our staff and you can feel that whenever you go to a race. The lights are coming on in the cinema. It's that time of the show again. It's intermission time. the time where we take a little collective exhalation and we just appreciate for one second what an absolute dude in Chris Uorensen is. I hope you're enjoying this and this podcast as much as I enjoy bringing this podcast. Please help me to help these podcasts maintain themselves, help us become self-sufficient. You can do that by making a small contribution and buoy me a beer over on patreon.com forward slash panty on their skull watch them and leave a show note and leave the description link in the show notes and also head on over to a1coaching.net and check out her store because that roadman kit is fresh let's get back to Chris. Chris let's get back to Chris look at me so much if you watch if you're looking to kill some time on the trainer, it's on YouTube, it's called the Ronde, the behind the scenes at Tour of Landers. It's a series of episodes, it's brilliant, but it's not really about the Reuters, it's more about the directors and about the fans, but it's just, it nearly looks more crack in the cars than it was racing, like the passion of its unbelievable. It's powerful, it's powerful stuff and I think that's what makes it makes a great team, you know? But that's the challenge for you guys to think Because like you need to obviously you know it's a tour of landers you need to get switched on and be professional and do your job and you want to block out the media but also the media it's the fans that's the time we want the most glimpse into what's going on so it's I think the team that finds the way to you know get that balance is going on. Absolutely it is yeah it is a fine it is a balance because I mean the boss is our safe space where we can sort of shut the world out but but it is, you know, you have to see it as, you know, we need them as much as they need us. So it is, like you say, it is, it is it, it's a fine balance to master. And if you do it, then you also, you can feel that there's appreciation from the media, from the fans. So it doesn't, you know, we're not banging heads, where it's more sort of, we get the most out of one another. And there, I think the Backstage Pass shows as well, we're pretty easy going people and if we need to turn the camera off, turn the camera off, but that's the rare, on rare occasions that no one really feels that they don't want to be filmed because everything's sort of pretty open and pretty relaxed but also serious at the same time which is, yeah, the recipe to success I reckon. Chris, on a change career slightly, you were on my radar obviously as a lot of you grew up in Ireland, I never met you and never raked against you because I think you'd gone back home before like starters or back to Denmark. I'm not sure where you go. Where'd you call home? Are there a Denmark? I must admit I hope I don't offend any of my Irish fans but I must admit that I do consider Denmark being my home now. I mean I've been here since 2005. I'm married to a Dane. I have my home here. Then that Denmark is my home but I certainly consider myself you know, the Irishness runs through me like Guinness, so it's still there. You keep an eye on the Irish scene, I noticed. And when I noticed that was I was riding for Aquabaloo Academy, which morphed into the Aquabaloo sport. And the team made him mine. He was a student at the time. He was wild as fuck. He was a good A1, he was winning races here, but he was winning races in a set of shoes that were just completely bust up and he had them held together with duct tape. That's right. He turned up at a race then a few weeks later, a brand new set of shoes.

7.Was like, Mark, where'd you get them

I was like, Mark, where'd you get them? And he's like, Chris, you'll get some sentiment. He was like, what? Tell us that story. Well, you actually have to refresh my memory because I remember sending the shoes, but God, I can't remember who actually told me about him. I don't know if it was a Murph. It could have been Murph. Morph did claim credit on the podcast. Well then, yeah, it was Murph, because I remember he was probably well so I was getting him sash or whatever. He was telling about story and I was like, that sounds like a real classic, strong brood of an Irishman that can just destroy Peloton and choose duct tape together. But I was actually... I was just going to take a moment. He used them and he's still racing. No, exactly finished. So he's actually a good mate of mine. We're teammates for three or four seasons. But he's only a kid. He was a genius, a mathematician. And he interned actually from a... I hope his professors aren't listening. I covered for him for a year. He was meant to be doing his internship. So he's like, I want to go to Italy racing, but I'm meant to do an internship. So we cooked up the story that he was working in. That was for me and he booked off the Italy for the year to do his internship. So we went over there, but he signed for one of these dodgy Italian teams. They stuck him out in the middle of a forest on his own and he never met anyone. And he'd show up to races and just weird stories happened to him. Like, like he saved up from Lopez because he was feeling serious isolation and starting to get depressed as he hadn't seen anyone in weeks. Like, and he saved up from opad gave it to the manager, like learned this phrase in Italian like her saved his money. Can you buy me a moped? I found that I'm the equivalent to Don Dale or whatever. And the Italian lad basically bought them open for I'm told them there's a problem with it and kept it himself. And he'd seen him drive around. He never got his moped back. But that was one of a lot of bizarre stories. And he had a schoitjier out with air basically and ended up falling out with over a lot of crashes and stage races out there. And he fell out over the boy completely and he's back home now. And I actually only went down to visit him in Limerick about two or three months ago. And he started a new tech company and got a bunch of VC from them. So he's a lunatic. So you're the only trying to mark. Yeah, he sprint. But he still looks in great shape. It's like, geez, you look like you're doing a lot. He's like, I've a new training regime everywhere I go. I sprint. So he's gone to the shops for a breakfast roll. He sprints across the road for God. That sounds pretty effective. He's a mad for car. But yeah, that was you showed up on my radar then it's like Jesus. He's a sound that Yeah, I mean like I said, I mean I know a lot to the T. I've seen it was them I mean some of the hardest races like I like like we spoke about our our and Ireland I mean, I hope I really do hope that a grand total start in Ireland again soon Because I mean that would be I mean I must say You know, I've that was my first grand tour actually and spent all time. You didn't he? Yeah, but I was on Tinko. That was my first grand tour. I was writing sex back Tinko. But I remember, I mean, oh, that was amazing. I actually, I cooked it up the first three days because I just got, you know, I just got so carried away, especially the last stage where we came right into Dublin to see big sugar looking background, little sugar looking. I was like, oh, here we go. But then I remember when we got to Italy, Barry, everyone was expecting good because obviously it pissed down for three days in Ireland, which did not come surprised to me. But then we were expecting now and now we're going down to the sides of Italy, good weather. And it kept pissing then. And they're after like two, three stages in Italy. I really are, man. I was in a world of pain. But luckily I actually fit up the argument with one of the masters of the Giro. He was doing the Giro that year, which saved me having him in the bunch as well. Go crack. He was a toppy. He was one of the real good pros that I enjoyed talking with. Yeah, it was good guy. But there, I'm in just, you know, I hope, I hope the geo tour of the world has a star in Ireland soon again, because that was brilliant. I mean, the amount of crowds as well was massive. Yeah, more than the last stroke at a quite dynasty, I think, in that one over here. Yeah, let's hope. Let's hope there's a few more races to come. I snagged VIP tickets to the finish line for that year. I think on that day. Yeah, Kittle won. Yeah, fucking him. Kittle. Yeah. And I was in a car the next day, I was getting a taxi into the city center and this real dope taxi driver. And he knows nothing about like, but he's talking to me and I'm playing along like, I know nothing about talking. He's like, just see that Joryo yesterday. I was like, yeah, yeah. And he's like, I'm already interested in what happens. He's like, you get all these lads, they look soldiers for your man, the main family. And they go to battle all day for your man. And you see that fella yesterday, his soldiers, they went all day. And yeah, my his name was Kittle. And he's like, just at the right time that Kittle comes to the boil. Yeah, but it's true. It is true. So it is just a bunch of soldiers that just go toe to toe. Chris, what's it like now with your change in role in not just the team, but in the Peloton going from kind of, you know, the junior joke or reputation to, yeah, still haven't. Yeah. But no one went to get serious. and people looking for a voice and you've won big races to a Swiss national championships. You've ridden so many grand tours, had amazing teammates now. People look at your difference than the Neil Pro. I hope to do, I hope to do. But I think it actually, the first time I did the tour, I've only done the tour twice.

8.First time I did the tour in 2016, which was my first year on Mitch's…

First time I did the tour in 2016, which was my first year on Mitch's the sky. That was a bit of an eye opener as to, You can be the Joker for a period of time, but there is, if you want to master big races, then you really got to have your head screw on the right way. And that was a bit of a turning point for me. What do you mean, real? Let's grow up. Let's grow up. In terms of, you can't really get away with having the laugh the whole time when you go to the tour. I mean, it's just a massive race. It's just everything involved with the tour is just 10 times bigger than anything else. So there you really need to be switched on 24-7. You can still have fun, but you need to realize that there's a big job at hand and a lot of responsibility. And I think that sort of helped me realize that there's, I still had work to do to try and evolve into that role of being a domestic, that rides with the responsibility on a team that is there to win, you know? And luckily, I consider myself having developed into one of those riders that is one of the bearing forces on a team, not in terms of making results but trying to keep it close in a well-smooth unit. And I'm pretty happy, pretty proud that I've gotten to a point in my, I've been pro for eight years. I still feel like a neo-prose, sometimes. I was obviously doing the Jira on the tour last year, was a cool example that the team acknowledges me for the job I can do. And that's pretty cool. That is pretty cool. You still bring some learning? There's always plenty to learn. And luckily there are still plenty of writers to learn from. And also, I mean, on a team like this, the average age is pretty low. But writers like the eighth brothers, They haven't ridden, well, now they've ridden for it, obviously they've ridden for a good few years, but they ride as if they've ridden for twice as long. You know, they're, you know, you can learn a lot from riders that are younger than you as well, which is, which I've gotten a lot, you know, I've learned a lot from, it's a good combination, you know, right? With a guy like MP, Albercini, Garan, Haman, and then also the eight brothers' shaft is, you know, those types, it's a good mix. Has your training changed for the years or does it get more scientific? Are you going more off intuition? It's getting more scientific put in an enjoyable way. I have a great coach, Mark Quad, who's been on the team in the beginning and he's the man. He's brilliant in terms of explaining his approach to training when he has an idea that we should try out. It's not just like do this and it'll work. It's you can do this because it will have this sort of benefit if you do it right and then it's you know It's it's it's like a You you you sign up to it because you want to do it, you know, and and there I When I look back then yet, I've definitely changed changed my approach to train quite a lot, especially during the winter period I'm a I'm a writer than loves to race. You know, I love getting as many race days under my belt as possible during a year So two grand tours for me is just, you know, that you're income true. And also it means that you can have a more relaxed and enjoyable winter period because we've got so many race lakes, race days in your legs and you can sort of start a little bit later and you don't have to start with so much, you know, with so much emphasis, the focus on getting mega miles in your legs. Also after eight years, those caves don't just disappear after four weeks off the bike. Yeah, 100% Which has meant that I've actually living in Denmark as well, you know, sometimes, okay, now, climate change, there's no real winter anywhere. But still, you know, having family, living in Copenhagen, not so much daylight during the winter, you know, I've actually structured my training around making sure that everything's, you know, everything works, family, family time, training time, recovery, you know, and that's meant that I spent far less hours on the road during the winter, but I just I you know I'd destroy myself on the on the tax. So this this period of corona is not you know I'm I'm luckily not a writer that has a negative relationship to my to my tax trainer. But are we back in November now? Like is this a complete event? Here, here we're already back. You know, usually I'd start out, you know, this year I took, you know, I actually took almost six, seven weeks off the bike, but it's already doing, you know, two, three runs, four runs a week, the week after the world. So I finished my season pretty early for a pro, which is after the world. Which we, we, again, the Irish Danish, And it certainly came, was on the forefront at the world. We were in the same hotel. I love going to the world and saying hello to everyone in the Irish team. Also, Kurt, the Belgian that I stayed with as an underage rider. And I always said hello to when I was racing in Belgium as an amateur. He was there. I always go over and say hello to the Irish team. And so it was obviously a bit strange, but it was funny that after the race, the paddies were in the pub, the Danes were in the pub. I wore this notorious for a bit of a piss-up after, isn't it? Especially when you're on the winning team, which was mind-blowing, it still is actually. But yeah, that's where I finished my season. And then I was off the bike for about six, seven weeks, but I was running, I remember running 50k a week. That's not fast. I don't run fast. say it's a fast jog. But there I'd wrong with the pram every time Eric had to have her afternoon nap. I'd go for a run and make sure she slept and make sure I got to work out. And that meant that once I hit the bike I was banging at the watch as if I'd been on the bike for weeks. And that's what I'm going to get now. I am. Yeah, I run throughout the season. It's actually become quite popular. There's more many of my teammates who do it, I mean, happy he did a math on, half math on before the season, just over two hours. I mean, he can run like an actual runner.

9.Can't even comprehend doing over 12K

Or I mean, I can't even comprehend doing over 12K. I mean, I can do 260k stages, no problem. But I mean, I've never gotten over 15K runs. I mean, I just I've fought pieces. And what's your coach saying on the kind of crossover transferability from running back to the boy? Oh, he loves it. He can see that it has massive benefits for me because last year when I did the Giro, it was the same thing. I did the Giro and then more or less the Tuesday after the final stage, I was back home and there, my chilling, but then also to keep my head sort of ahead in my shoulders, I make sure to run every second day and then I more or less just ran for two weeks after the Giro, knowing that I was in with the shot of doing the tour and then when I got back on the bike, I straight into doing the power that I had to in order to make the tour scene. It's a great way of keeping my weight down because I'm a heavily built rider with plenty of muscles, so it's a good way of keeping that low. Big bond. Yeah. It says, well, you're probably like, what weight are you? You're definitely under 70 IG. Oh no, my race weights are around 73, a stable 73. And so the road is with weight of 48. The corona weights around 75 76 76. Because I've seen what Nicholas Roach on Zwift's and I figured out how he's going to get a new contract. It's just you stick your weight in at about 42 kilograms. And then you're gone. And then you stick it in 140 kilograms and you just repeat this. It's a strong answer. Yeah, but if there's a writer that knows how to help himself in Snickers Road. I mean, I, another great writer I've written with on, on Tinko. And he, I think if you, anyone you ask in the pelton that knows Nico and his rhythm. and against it, and they know that he can destroy himself to an next degree, you know. So him sitting on a home trainer absolutely turns out a new one, that's perfect. I need to get him on the podcast sound to defend his accusations of wait to open. Yes. Chris, tell us this before you head off into the noise. This period is locked down. Everyone's packaged as a negative. It's your own positive you can take out of it. Any self-reflection that you think, you know what, this has gone well or this is a new direction I should go afterwards. I think there's plenty of positive. I think the thing that just affects the positive is just the massive uncertainty that surrounds not just cycling but just everything in general. If you just sort of isolate all that and just narrow it down to the day-to-day sort of run of things, then it is. I mean, like I said, we've left Parliament and Co-Bing and headed out north, up north out to the sea where life is simple to begin with. I think that's something we've really appreciated, turning it down a couple of notches and just living really, you know, the simple day to day life, which I think people were, the world was in a bit of a state to begin with. People were stressed, a lot of anxiety, people were busy, you know, people were very busy. We're in an area where we've been forced to sort of slow down. I hope that we can combine that with getting back to normal, which we all need. But also, you know, I hope to maintain that sort of easyness around getting through day to day things, which is nice. It puts things into perspective, especially when you have kids, luckily, you have a daily routine, you need to stick to, you can't just lie until 11. You get up to 6, you've got about a 10. It's been funny to re-prioritize in the stuff as well, people that were maybe previous obviously held by society to be on well because they had a big car. It just doesn't matter now. It's sitting in your driveway. Are you held? Absolutely. Do you have less chance of getting sick than the next person? This stuff was there in a really prioritized. Do you have good relief? Like games or your family and your friends? Absolutely. I think that that's one of the benefits. And one of the things I'm happy with being a bike rider, it's affecting cycling big time, which is a bit scary to think of that, how big an impact this could on cycling in general. You know, fingers crossed the tour. We get to do the tour and we get to do some races at the road. But on the other hand, it also makes you realize, appreciate the value of riding your bike as a profession. And also just for those who aren't pros, just riding your bike in general. For those who can, not obviously not everyone has a home trainer, so they can ride and swift or just ride indoors. But using cycling, using sport as a way of sort of meditation, if you know what I mean without getting too wishy washes and it is a great way of blowing out the corona cob waves after you know during the day then that is to get in your bike and just you know get a good sweat going get a good workout and that's again it's just so simple today absolutely and it's just so simple I mean people have a different approach to how they ride their bike and how they train but I mean I think everyone no matter what way you choose to train, everyone can agree when you click out your pedals and have a shower, you feel heaps better than you did before. So that's something I'm happy that it doesn't really change much. Like I said, I'm used to training on the bike inside. So it doesn't really affect the way I approach my job. Actually, it just makes me appreciate my job even more and also when I get my rides out in the road, the weather's been great here in Denmark. Ironically enough, the day the prime minister shuts the country then, the sun has the soft shining. It's leaving to her else. Anytime your exam starts, the sun comes out. Exactly. But it just makes me really value getting out of the bike and then obviously training hard. Still feeling that I'm getting better, I'm holding walks that I should be holding this time of year, even though we're not racing, which is, you know, that's just makes everything simple. You know, that's what it's about. Just becoming better. And that's what I just conversation with a client earlier. And it's exactly that I sent him. I was like, you have your goal, you have your target.

10.That's called off. I was like, but really, when we strip it back,…

That's called off. I was like, but really, when we strip it back, it's never about the goal or the target. It's about the journey on the way. It's about those ways. You know, like you said, change, change, changes the goals. I mean, when I ran the bike, I just, I mean, I'm, I'm my biggest competitor because so if I do 330 watts for two hours one day then you know it's a question of trying to do 335 to next day. So I just got back and completely smelt myself for two hours and then come back and go okay that was you know that's pretty good and then I wait till my next time around. You're scaring people with them numbers Chris. Yeah but I mean it is a strange way of keeping yourself sane, which is destroying yourself on the bike. But at the moment, it's what works, which is nice because it is my work. Chris, you're the most Irish man in the peloton. It's been interesting. Thanks for John, buddy. Absolutely. It was great to speak with another Claddy and I. Like I said, I owe a lot to those who help me on the on the IRH cycling scene, especially my first coach, actually speaking of, you know, I was talking about training and this and that. My first train program was Aidan Ryan from Sorrento, you know. He was actually the one. Yeah, he was the one who, who got me to sort of log my training, intervals, you know, before I got train programs made, my intervals was just trying to beat my dad, which probably still the most valuable intervals you you can have as a key growing up. But Aid was the one who really sort of made me realize how to structure your training. So again, I mean, I'm, oh, heaps absolutely loads to Irish cycling. So I'm happy to see that it's also growing in strength, both the numbers in the pro peloton and the support in general, which is brilliant. And something I hope to get you back on during the grand tours. Go ahead. and we'll chat on that book because there's so many people just want that. It's the say of the cutting we're talking about. We care about your story because we feel like you're one of us because we feel like you're doing the same races. You've bled on the same road. Stomone's gone now. We gave or did? Terrible. Yeah, shocker. That was on my... Signing on and all the pobs. I mean, ah, gee, it was brilliant racing Ireland. You'll need to just rock back someday for Mitchell and Scott kids saying open to now on and just rock up. I think I'm a two-scared to rock back up in a set up by that and do the rest. I probably am a head kick then. I don't think so. But I actually know I really want to go back to Ireland. Like, for example, do the Shea Elliot and do all the clients that I'd be traumatized from doing when I was training and Ireland because they'd just be so hard. But then still go back. and they probably still be just as hard. But see them again, Sally Gapp, Shea Eddy. I think the roads are just dead or something over here compared to the tarmac. Do you have a noise there tarmac on for the front? Yeah. But it just makes for tougher bike riders, I reckon. I've finished on this one. I met a lot. I was climbing, she said, must have been six, seven months ago. One of those days, open wake lowers, coming up over the top of Sally Gapp, a hissing rain, it's fog. I can't see where I'm going. I'm catching a lad and I can see him and he's barely moved and I'm catching him. I'm catching on Steve as part of the climb and he's back sort of to his pace and I look over to him and I was like, how do you get done? And he's like, oh yeah, Grant. And I was like, I was asking him, like, he do much or how long he out for. And he's like, ah, you know what, length of the climb's length of the spin doesn't bother me. I only ever look an inch ahead of myself. I was like, if ever I called the podcast Roadman. If I could get a picture of this laugh, this is what a roadman was. He was just record from being 50 years in the wind climbing that mountain. What a ledge. Hey, Chris, I let you get the sleep there and I'll talk a bit later over your neck at odds. Thank you Anthony. It was an absolute joy to be on the podcast. Cheers, man. You're a gentleman. Thanks, man. All the best. All the best. I'll see you around. Well, that's my bye bye. Oh well well well if Chris Gilejenson isn't your favorite writer in the bunch after that interview I don't know what I can do for you anymore. An absolute gents, some funny moments and he said that I would love to talk to again and again on the podcast. An absolute breath of fresh air. Thanks for listening again this week and I do remind you like a repetitive part. Please do it now before something else pops up head on over to patreon.com forward slash Anthony under scar watch link is in the show notes click that volume your coffee by me a point the beer site tip to cap to you sore also jump on over to a one-coach and dot net and check out the store and get yourself the road monty short get your girlfriend the road monty short roadman is gender neutral get somebody a road monty short for a present and I'm gonna be back to you next Wednesday with you know you guessed it by now another world-taught guest. It just keeps rolling here at the Rob Man podcast. Jotty all next week.