1.Welcome and Worlds recap

Today I'm going to chat with Canyon Professional Cyclist, Rory Townsend. Let's cue that intro! 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 and this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Anthony Walsh and welcome to the Rowman Podcast. Roman, welcome back to a Roman Cycling Podcast super interview coming up today for you with Canyon Pro-Rider Rory Townsend. If you're watching the World Championships of the weekend and why wouldn't it have been watching the world at the weekend? It was absolutely amazing. The world should be in Belgium every year. Now there's a tot. Flanders World every single It was like a rock festival and it's been brilliant to see after what's been a difficult you know two years for cycling fans and restrictions on viewership on the roads packed amazing best worlds ever with a formidable and deserving winner Julian Alaphilippe, the housewives favourite. Rory Townsend, our very own Irish representative, was up the road shown the Green Jersey for a large part of the day. I catch up Rory and I talk about what it's like to be in the world, life as a professional cyclist and his uncertain future. Will he be able to continue next year? At the moment he's without a contract. Fingers crossed he gets a contract. It was a brilliant interview and I'm really excited to bring it to you. Before I dive into that, just a couple of housekeeping public service announcements. As always, the podcast, it's funded entirely from the Patreon. That's over on patreon.com forward slash Anthony underscore Walsh. It's the beer phone so you can make a contribution to the beer fund over there if you're enjoying the content. And there's a little hook till the end so you hang around till the end of the podcast. There's an amazing charity in Ireland called Jack and Jill. And at the moment, Irish comedian PJ Gallagher, he's a host on the Breakfast Show on Nova FM. He's doing this wacky challenge where he's trying to ride from Hotehill, which is my local training climb to Hill 16, which is our big stand in Crow Park in the center of Dublin. But he's doing it on a penny firing. So it was on the radio show catching up with PJ this morning. And he is one of the funniest men in Ireland. Ask me, he's one of the funniest guys in the world. He's hilarious. So I've extracted that clip and it's at the end of the podcast. So if you check out the charity as well, which PJ refers to in it, it's called Jack and jail. They're a very warding charity and it's a brilliant, brilliant call. So if you have a second, check out Jack and Jail and that clip is at the end of today's podcast. Roadman, please welcome to the podcast. He's up the road all day in the world. He's a former sprinter as he winner at a Torah Britain, Rory Townsend. Rory Townsend, welcome to a roadman cycling podcast. Good to be here, mate. Thanks very much. Rory, thanks for taking the time. I know you've a busy schedule at the moment, on the way back from Worlds and then heading off to Nationals. Yeah, no, I've got a couple of easy days here. Just trying to recover from Worlds of the day. How's the cramp? Honestly, my hamstrings, the still painful would like just to touch. I've done some serious muscle damage from a bit of prolonged cramp. So it's not something I'm you see to be there. So anyone that didn't see worlds, I don't know why you're listening to podcasts, if you haven't seen the world, go back and watch the highlights. But if you didn't see the world's Rory, he spent a bit of time up in the break. I know one of our coaches at Roadman Sean McKenna, he was in the break in Worlds in Austria a few years ago. And he's literally had bragging rights since. So every time you're out on a coffee spend, when I'm and drop them, he says, doesn't really matter, does it always in the breakout worlds? So you kind of have that now. Yeah, it's nice when it's having the pocket. Yeah. No, I actually felt like it was good from like even like a tactical perspective, I was quite keen to be being there. And I think if you look back at the race, when that 59 group came off the front, there was one point I thought, yeah, I've nailed this because if they'd come over, I was just spinsed out there, you know, happy as it could be, just sat and hanging on for as long as it occurred. But she didn't quite materializing that way. What was the plan? I know one of my good buddies was your DS for the day, Timmy Barry. Timmy's doing my DS at Aquabaleo for a good few years. Is Goldcrack, was there a plan for today? Or was Timmy just fucking out and played the game? Not the occasion lads. Yeah, Tim was Megathob's first. The first time I've worked with him, so he was great. He was really nice. I pretty like how much fit around it. So yeah, he just asked us all what we wanted out the break, sorry, out of the race and you know I actually went into it like with genuine hopes of doing quite well and I said to him that you know I would have one I one sort of one eye on the break Eddie was like real keen to get in the break as you might see him as well but I was sort of looking at it like okay if it's a decent group say eight riders or more then I'll jump with it and and it was starting off with just nine and then was eight of us thinking the end.

2.Sneaking into the breakaway

And that was purely just to sort of like try and get far into the race without having to follow the like sort of massive selection that would enough to be occur. And just sort of, yeah, be ahead of the race for when it came and joined us. So that was kind of what I was hoping for. What was it like, how difficult was it to get into the break? like contrast the team, you know, your regular British domestic race. Oh, honestly, like, well, I'd say it's hard to get into a break into the most serious. Believe it or not, like, it's a funny one because obviously for a team of our level, like we're only sort of like the domestic team group, which is constantly level. So when we go to like to a Britain and races like that, you know, it's drilled into us like you have to be in a break, have to be in a break. And, you know, having won like the sprints Jersey to have written before, I sort of know my way around in terms of how to pick a break, whether it's like spotting the right move or the right group of jerseys that are going away. I tend to know my way around it fairly well. So I was just sat back to 10th, 12th wheel, pretty much wasting the break of the day and then I just nipped across quite late, I was like, Eddie was there like firing off with every single move. But you know, there's only 70 bullets in the chamber in there. So I think, yeah, I'd love to see his file for the start of the race a bit. Be better than impressive. Yeah, I wonder what sort of power is done. What sort of power are you doing to open the break? Not loads before. I think I averaged about, well, it was a decent amount. I think I averaged about three, three, three, three, eight until they caught us. which proves things like a lot, but it's sort of like the way the way I was obviously delivering the power is probably like a lot better way than I would have been in the bunch where I'm like, obviously just kicking out of every bend. I'm a normalize, it was probably a lot lower in the breaks than it might have been in the bunch. It was a funny world because it's the first world I can remember where corners were actually an issue. And it's for someone listening that hasn't raced bells and caramasses or that type stuff, it might look like it's a big thing. but you're kicking it out of every single corner. I mean, you look at a pair of that. There's just so many spikes in power which tracks are normalized up then. Yeah, I'd race the flounder circuit we did. I raced that in a 1.1 we did over Icy. And that was a real like, you know, from 13th I raced. It was like a race into every corner. So I was fairly prepared for like that, if I was going to be in the group. But yeah, just being out front, just allowed us to take it our own speed. And when the gaps are coming down, I was saying to boys and the break, like we need to get to Leuven before they capture us, which we most do. So that at least kept the scene in sort of in a good shape. And obviously floating around that top 10, top 15, for a good amount of time, even after we've been caught. What was the atmosphere like? look like fucking Lullipalooza or something. What's your TV? Honestly, it was honestly just the best thing I've experienced like racing and like, you know, Tory Yorkshire always used to be great. You know, tour of Britain was always pretty good. You get decent crowds out like, you know, what a domestic life there. They're a good laugh, but nothing was sort of compared to that, not even Yorkshire. world a couple years ago, like it was just an epic. And honestly, I'd go out the first climb in Leuven. I'd say I'd go to Spunk's like going up it. It was just incredible. I mean, yeah, I sound like a right-west of the sadness, but I was genuinely felt quite emotional going up the climb. I just thought, like, what an amazing sport. Like, that's all I was thinking like, it's incredible. I sort of want to, I want to as moment you've got to hold yourself back where you just got to stop pedaling so hard because you just even pushed up the climb. And you had a Jasper Stoyven getting rolled for the podium place into his hometown, that must have been heartbreaking for him. Yeah, that was tough. It was an amazing finish the way away and you can see how much everyone invested in the day, you can't even get out the chair to sprint. Every day you'd be back in the day that sprint, but it's very different off to 70K. So what's planned for rest of season? You were talking off area, coming back for Irish nationals? Yeah, yeah. So I'll be back for nationals. And then that's pretty much it. That's what I've got planned. And obviously I win nationals in which case. I've been jagged in season out for as long as they're physically possible. What's your Irish connection? Cause I know a lot of people will be like, that doesn't sound like an Irish accent. And I tell you what you mean. Yeah, no, my dad was born and raised in Ireland, in Camp Fortford, so that's sort of the case, my mum's English and I was born in the UK as well.

3.Switching to Irish license

So I switched over to an Irish license he is going out when, my cousin John Dempsey, I'm sure some of your listeners will know, he sort of asked me, I was interested in and obviously I know all for it. So it's really sort of brought me some great opportunities and being able to represent Ireland the two world champs of Europeans and the Tokyo test event as well in 2019, which was exactly. I didn't know what John was your cousin. We got a roadman kit off John on Ferris. He's got a map. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, he wouldn't give me a good infinite Thursday in there for a cheeky ass. Yeah, John was a proper boy-crowder as well. Yeah, yeah. Do you want the wrath, was it the wrath moon to do? Yeah, really, really good. Just when I was, I probably missed them, we didn't have much overlap. When I was getting started, I was probably too shit to really know who the top cat ones were and he was one of the good guys. And by the time I got to cat one, I think he'd finished up. But yeah, no, he's definitely one of the big names and horizontal over the last couple of generations. Yeah, yeah, big name for a little man. So. Yeah. You've been county level, which is kind of, if anyone's not familiar with the tiers in professional cycling, your world or just kind of like your premier division, sitting just below that then, you've pro-quantity and then conti is the level you've been a just below that for Canyon. It's been different iterations of a THB or Inglezollis or something, but you've been there since 2016. What's life like as a conti level rider? I mean, you know, in a lot of ways, great. I think from my perspective, like I didn't expect to be riding as long as I have. So I have to look at it as I've had so many great experiences through this team, getting to do races that I never thought I'd be doing and going to places that I never thought I'd be. So from that perspective, it's just been a great journey. But when you're comparing it to like life as like a true pro in the other world, or in pro-con to. It's quite a difficult comparison to make. We do not have the kind of money that those guys are floating and we turn up to races that are sort of training races to them and it's like our biggest race of the season. It's quite hard going into those and being competitive with those guys, you know, I have to be on like a good day, whereas, you know, it can be an average day for them. And it's usually like just me, you know, I won't have like the same sort of backup teammates and so on as those guys do. So yeah, it's sort of like a bit of an up to a struggle racing against them. But that's, you know, that's what I'm there to do. Like, that's those are the best days when you're racing the big guys. So when you're talking about budget, are you talking about the team's budget? And it's difficult to cope because you don't have the same infrastructure or backup, or are you talking about off the the bike stuff that you're not getting the wage. And so it's difficult to be in a good mental headspace. Yeah, well, I've been looked after quite a few years by a team in terms of my wage and stuff. So that's been helpful. But obviously, COVID has been pretty tough. But also the team, the infrastructure, I think as a team we've done one or maybe two training comes together like in the in the whole time I've been there. So like we definitely don't have that same sort of like connection like we're all mates and stuff like that but like in terms of like formulating a plan and like you know making it happen like we we're just not we don't have that level of organization like it's very hard to to make that happen in a race and then you know other things like we're like traveling the day before race we arrive like we we don't get to like recke anything we're sort of like you know We are there on a budget. So even things like recovery is never great because we literally we don't stay after a race. We just have to get straight home again. So, you know, we spend a lot of time like traveling like, you know, two, three o'clock in the morning back to the UK from like Belgium or wherever it might be. I think that's the piece people don't see. We were chatting offer a little bit about tour of boats. And I remember riding tour of boats. I can't remember what year it was 2015 or something like that. 2014 and Philip Duygno was in it. He was riding for United Healthcare, and I'd finished sort of both the same time as him. We were chatting about, are you gonna ride nationals? And I was like, yeah, yeah, gonna ride nationals. And he's like, I should see you back there. And the difference in the race finishing and the freshness level he had compared to I have when I arrived back at nationals. He flew directly from boats back to Ireland. And I went like, drove from Quebec, 12 hour drive to Toronto, another eight hour drive down to Chicago, a flight to each, I went over, basically four days of constant trouble getting home.

4.Self-coaching at Conti level

Whatever for my hat after racing seven days and sort of boats was fucking gone. Like I felt sick, I felt run down dehydrated when I got there. And then everybody's like, you know, they see the same preparation as the other riders. They're like, Oh, you must be flying after tour of boats. And I'm like, I'm absolutely on my hands needs. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Um, no 100%. As well, like for us, like, there's definitely like guidance and things that I would like, like, I'd love to have from like, uh, from a world tool set up, you know, like they have everything laid out for them, which, which I have to work out a lot on myself, like, you know, I coach myself, um, I do my own strength, like I do all of these, but I try and implement all of these things to get myself in as good a shape as possible, but it's just me, it's just me doing it. What you self-coached, is that a financial thing or is that just a controlling? It's more of a controlled thing. Yeah, it just means that like, so I loosely know like what I'm doing, what I need to do, like what point I need to be in the best shape and things like that, but certainly like a bit of a financial thing as well, because I'd have to be paying like top top dollar to have someone looking off me in the same way that a world talk coach would for their riders and but you know I feel like the next best thing is me you know looking after it myself so. And during COVID was obviously challenging in many ways for a lot of cycling teams at the top level but you can multiply that then when you move down to county level. Did you let's take a wage Sean Conte was the team. Looked after you. I was like, wait, it just went overnight. So that was like a really difficult thing to deal with. Like I said, just mentally like it is like, yeah, like mentally, it's like, it's quite exhausting. Like, especially when you come to like the biggest roads of the year and stuff, you know, like even to a Britam recently, like once you've had a whole year of like, late nights and you know, find out she's been a bit like on a budget and things like that and you come to Bigg's Race of the Year where you want like everything to be right and you're already exhausted for like a really tough year and then you know we get to the race itself and like I haven't got a TT bike like didn't even see it until the morning of the event so like take a race like that which is my Bigg's Race of the Year and I went into the time child fourth in GC, I think, finished it like 40th maybe. That's painful. And the brutal thing on this is there's not a massive what's difference between what you're, as you can see at the weekend, you know, you're in the break in a world of oryx, you know, there's not a huge difference. So it's horrible to hear the equipment and stuff is holding your back, but how do you pay your bills when wages are cut off overnight? Well, obviously like within the UK, like we were lucky enough to have the financial, the government support. And that's literally how I've survived, doesn't it, here and now. I coached in other riders, besides myself. And I work with a Grins coaching, and that's sort of like kept me afloat as well. Like that's been like a good sort of solid sort of income, especially for last year, I was getting nothing from the team. And it's not like, it's not like I'm starting blaming the team or anything like that. It's just the case of when COVID hit and companies are struggling, the first thing they're going to cut is marketing. That's where all of our budget comes. So we literally lost the sponsor overnight. And that was that. I got bailed out from government support, really. What's the buddy he wrote for Kanye a few years ago? I'm not sure were you teammates at Robbie John McCarthy. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, team makes it Robbie's trying when I'm quite a bit when he was living over here and went to edge around and done a few blocks and stuff with him. He's a good guy. But it seems like for me, it's he left Canyon in much sort of the same circumstances, your face at the moment. And this question is kind of prompted by a tweet you had out to today said this could well be my last pro race, what a way to go if so. I remember Robbie on for the exact same thing on like of no contract for next year. It's, does Canyon have a quota off her? They're like, you know, you've been here too many years. You're not stepping up. It's time to go. No, no, not at all. Like, um, they, you know, they've, they've been like great to me. Um, and you know, to be fair, I've spent so many years with the team, like, and for a long time, the team was literally growing at the same rate that I was. Um, the team was literally improving and doing more races as, as in when I needed them. And then yeah, I think before COVID in 2019, I had a really good year and was really hoping to secure a move and like just missed that.

5.Hitting the ceiling at Canyon

So yeah, fast forward through the pandemic and stuff like that. I'm in the same tissue now, I'm sort of, you know, hoping for that move, having a decent year and, you know, trying to make that jump because for me now, like I'm just sort of like, I suppose I'm out of ceiling with sort of the team and within the UK as well where the next step for me is up. And I think that'll open up like a load more opportunities and a load more space for my own personal growth. Your mindset and your attitude within the team change. When you get there in year one, it's fresh, anything is possible, there's dreams or world the total contracts. Does that sort of enthusiasm, does that change in your two, your three, your four, I guess you're going into your four with the team? To be fair, when I first joined the team, I didn't have those aspirations and things. I was obviously at uni when I first joined. It was just a bit of an invention. I'm just going through races and seeing how far I can go and how I can finish stuff. It's hard to say like we're at what point my mentality changed as such to be looking at that next level and really think that it was going to, you know, that was the next path. But yeah, like it's just been a sort of like a constant sort of like state of growth really. Like we started off doing a lot of 1.2s and those races and yeah like I'd like struggling those at first and then you know the time I can start doing okay and then and now like I go to them and I feel like like about myself to like win in that level of race and now I'm looking at like the 1.1 and everything that's in the top 10 is like is is is a failure whereas like before like I was like I couldn't I couldn't even breathe in a 1.1 like the level was just too high for me so yeah it's been like a just a steady like progression all the way. Because companies are strange at a hybrid level where one week you're racing against amateur guys who's also a fucking dentist on the side. But then the following week you're racing against one of the best riders in the world who's world or. And I know when I had a chance at a hybrid where I've exposed to these better riders, I just knew I was like, I'm never fucking getting there. This is a complete oil opener. But for you it seems to be different. It seems to be like you can see them, you can touch them, you can go shift, they're not that different to me. No, I do feel like that. I think in 2019 I had some really good results, but a lot of them were from the right place or at time. I had a couple of podiums in 1.1 races from basically being in an early move, getting caught by a reduced group and still having a few better legs at the end. So I managed to get some probably good looking results that were maybe better than my ability at the time. Whereas now I feel like I actually belong with those results at that level. Coming to a bunch of finish to Britain and finishing ahead of Alifalee and Nizolo. Yeah, that's a massive conference boost for me, but equally that's where I expect to be. That's what I expect for myself. Did all sort of results, did I drive you? Yeah, definitely, yeah. Because you used one more of the same, like, it just makes me like, home with more like that. I wanted to, I wanted to go on for like two more weeks because I just wanted like, like every day I was like, like, I'm going to go for it today. Is there an element of frustration with them where you're like, you know, look, I'm fucking here. I'm, I'm Robin Childers with these guys, but they're in and, you know, out of league, but I don't know what contract he's on. you'd have to take north of a million quite a year. At least, you know, you're rubbing shoulders with these lads and beating them on occasion. And you're like, you're going home and you're living off like fucking government subsidies. Yeah, I guess there is, I don't know, I don't like think like, that they're like not deserving or anything like that. I just think it's more of a case of how good it could be. But I would certainly like to say if it ends tomorrow, I'll take it as a great experience and think about it was great what I had. So I'm not going to sit here and be a bit twisted about it. it again. And you can, you know what you know now, you know that you can rub shoulders with these guys, you know you can get in the break the world. Do you stay at Canyon or do you make a move? Do you sign for a French amateur team? You know what looks like a step down, but maybe has more of a pathway to the world tour? That's a really good question to be fair. And I hadn't thought about it much before. I suppose what I would have done is, yeah, try and expose myself to kind of different racing a little bit. I don't see much. I don't see a way out of the UK from doing purely UK stuff. In that regard, Canyon has been great because you've had such a great calendar abroad and things like that.

6.French amateur pathway missed

But it seems like nowadays most teams take riders from their feeder teams and things. That seems to be the program that they follow now or the path that you like to follow. So I definitely would have considered, yeah, specifically like those French sort of like DM1 teams, basically just like, because I like I love racing in France, like I that's where some of my best results have been like, and I really enjoy like the style of racing they have there versus like versus Belgian to fail, I bet with the classic go to but you know, I actually much for racing in France and France and Holland. Yeah, Tony, I raced for French name there, DM1 now, Apoge, super you. And at the time, like the pathways, they're all talked about when you're there. It's like, you know, it's amateur, but in their minds, it's a step above content because it's the next step after that world tour, you're not doing the intermediate step. And they would have always referred to UK scene as a graveyard that when you go there, it's very difficult to step out because it doesn't have that history and those established pathways. And so much of soiklin's just its connections, it's and those French teams, they seem to have the connections to place riders in the world tour. Even if, I think you guys have kind of broke them all a little bit, or maybe you and JLT, where Yuzard doing quite a big European race and calendar as well. But I still don't know if the English teams have the connections to place the riders the same way the French amateur team seemed to. Yeah, I tend to agree with that. Yeah, I suppose it's just like we have quite a mixed and varied calendar. So I'll be racing a different team week out, whereas I'm running for a BM1 team. I could be racing FDJ every day of the week. And you really get the exposure from racing to teams directly. That is the best opportunity to do stuff, I think, when they can physically see the way you're doing it and the way you're performing versus their guys. And they can say, okay, yeah, this guy absolutely brings something different. Do you feel it's too late to take that step? I think, yeah, I think time is ticking, to be honest. because financially it's just going to be a difficult hit. I'm set up in the UK, my partner and I, we've got a house and things like that. It is a bit of a difficult one. It's actually a product that's a bit weird, like ages are thing now. I'm only 26, but these kids are getting younger and younger. younger. So, you know, be a difficult thing sort of like upsticks and start again as such in France for me. It's a funny one because I know I played soccer before I played, I was trying to make us a pro soccer player before university and all that. At 17, I was telling myself I was too old for soccer. And yeah, because it's just, it's, you know, at 17, you've already missed a year or two years of full time. Well, when everyone else is, you know, signing Premier League teams, you're still in and it's kind of that way as well. At 26, it's kind of like, oh, I'm not a young rider anymore. Yeah, the heart, I think, well, to be fair, like in soccer, obviously, like, so skills based, when you get, when you get sort of faced by like different challenges and things like that, like your development can, can increase sort of exponentially, whereas like, I think I bring like a lot of different qualities from being at quantity level for so long, Whereas if I suddenly like then went to for sort of World Tour and I had all the equipment and I had like even like, you know, like the power of the jersey and the balance and stuff like that, like having that space to be allowed at the front and things like that, you know, it's like going to add 20% onto what I've already like worked hard and developed for. I think you're coming from a nice spot as well in that you have your degree, your degree is in sport times. Yeah. I feel like that brings something as well into it, but it's also, I suppose now it's a safety net for you where if you fall, you're not going to fall too far. Yes, certainly. I mean, I'm hard to say where the next sort of like where the next path will be. But there's a few things like a few eyes on the fire, such as to why I would do like be on the sort of competitive element of cycling. So, and that at least is like, means that I can, you know, go to bed and sleep at night without having to be kept up with a stress of like, oh, if I don't get a contract, like I'm dead and buried, you know, I'm not like, so like all do or nothing on that at least. Yeah, I was about to say, are you opening your mind to the possibility that next year could be a year where you're not a full-time cyclist, or are you just not even letting that talk across your mind's mind? I'm fully prepared for that sort of eventuality. It's disappointing that it's like, yeah, I've got to be ready for what happens next and there's a very strong chance with us. That's not going to be riding, so. Yeah, and that's sort of, that's it, really.

7.Owed nothing by the sport

You think you're staying involved in this sport in some capacity? Yeah, I'd say it'd be pretty hard just to leave it there. Like, I'd still carry on racing and stuff, just like I would no longer be like trying to, I suppose progress and it's a very different mindset once I've sort of decided that I'm sort of like, I'm doing other things. So I just think it would be quite liberating, you know, I'd just be able to ride and enjoy it. And there'd be certain races that I like, that are fancy doing and things that I could really target. And besides that, I can just go out enjoy the riding and get. You know what, it's actually not all that fast. It's like, I really don't see it as like, so do you, I think like, I only, I'm trying to just like be like, you know, like sort of like glass, I full kind of like ask you to it. Because I think, yeah, it'd be an amazing opportunity. Like if I do make that jump, like, you know, life changing if that's what you want to call it. But you know, the alternative is like, it's not half shit, like, you know. I think you're in a great spot, right? Like so many people listen to the podcast. are thinking, you know, when it sounds like a tough spot you're in, but when you step back and analyze it, it's way and way and way and a lot of what direction you know. Honestly, honestly, I think so many people, I think it's a real problem in cycling, right? I think so many people feel like they're owed so much by the sport, and I don't know where it comes from. It's definitely like this sort of like social media generation. I know like I'm pretty good, like, off and around here, but I didn't feel like people felt like they're like owed this because they see people like Alifalee from these guys and what they get and what cars they drive and the watches they buy. And they feel like because they train just as hard and work just as hard that they deserve the same. And that is just not right. It's just not the way it is. So that's why I'm trying to say it. I'm just grateful for everything that the sport has given to me so far. And in 20 years time I was just looking back at this for a great period of my life. not get a look back at it with like bitterness and anger for what could have been should have been. I remember stopping full time and stopping where, you know, at that point where Soyclan's the main thing you're like for your planning your whole day around your session, your whole week around your race. And the year after that was the most fun I've ever had on the bike, I can only compare it to, you know, back when you're in school and you're on your summer holidays. And it just feels so liberating. like you look out the window and it's lashing rain, you don't have to ride. It's like I'll go to the fucking gym, I'll go to the movies, I'll go chill out for the day. You don't have to ride, you don't have to grow up every Sunday morning and be away from your girlfriends. You know, for a long time, you know, while your girlfriend must have thought that weekends were just about getting up, putting K on and going out the door. Like I didn't know anything different than getting up, putting K on and going out the door and it's like, hold on, I can chill out and have a coffee. I don't need to be out the door at nine o'clock to do four or four or six errors like. Yeah, I think it'd be funny as well because I actually feel in some ways like I'll see like the best version of myself a little bit more as in on the bike. Like right now I spend so much time a lot on a train. I train hard, I do think I work and graft a lot harder than, you know, people of my level generally because what I made me for is something higher. And you know, once the things I feel, you know, a chilled out approach to it and I do a little bit less than I decide, okay, I want to hit the rough mood, I want to say like Rutland's typical classes, like these are just a couple of events I've thought and I'd like to have a go at them, you know, next year if things don't go, if plan A doesn't materialize, I'd still have crack at it. And I reckon I could go into those races and still get my best results because I'm no longer like absolutely plugging myself every day of the week to try and make myself better. And they're short enough. One of the things I think back in my sightland, and I didn't get to put my name on a lot of the big trophies in Ireland because I spent my full-time years in France, in Canada, in America. I was thinking back to our regretting, I don't because I got to travel so much. You come back and you still do have that residual form. I won a stage of Ross me on two years after being full-time on the Queen stage down there. I wasn't training a quarter when I was training, but it was full-time. You still just have that bit of residual smartness. You picked up a bit of craft along the way.

8.Strength work in winter

Yeah, and sure, if you threw me into like day seven of stage rates, whatever like that, you'd notice a difference. You wouldn't be anywhere near that capacity for sure on a one day rate so you can you can get around. And I know you're a big proponent of strength and conditioning work. How big a role does that plan your China? Well certainly like in winter and stuff it's like a massive it's a massive part of it and then I really try and like try and keep on top of it at least sort of want to session one session like every couple weeks in during the season like I found like during the this season I let it slip a little bit and then I wasn't performing quite the same way and then I had one session back and it immediately like felt great again because it was just like allowing me to utilize the muscle fire like recruit more muscle fibers that I wouldn't be able to use but I wasn't I wasn't tapping into from just purely riding. So how do you build it into a week over the winter? So I suppose even it's a good place to take a straight because we're kind of heading into for anyone not to a national so there are a lot of people are starting to think about winter. How are you structuring winter week including the S&C you're working on? So my week itself would literally be planned around those sessions so I think about when it's a good time to hit the gym if it's like a case of like all right you know it's going to be busy at like five p.m. so like what days can I get there at 11? We're going to be not quiet when you squat rack without the blog is taking a picture. They're like, you know, like, um, so I find that, find that period and then, and then plan for that. So say I do it on like a Tuesday or on a, on a Friday. Um, I was spent, I usually spend about an hour and a half, hour 15 in the gym. Um, and then around that, like I try and pad it out with, I try and do like a double day when I do gyms. So I add in like a turbo or a road session doing some like cadence work. Because one thing I have found like or like even like when you read up and stuff like Jim when you when you're lifting like heavy weights and stuff like that unless you're doing like plyometrics it does tend to like make guys a bit more slow to which and a bit more sluggish. So just by doing a bit of like high cadence work, it can stop that sort of progress, that transfer of muscle fibers to slow to which it can keep you still like keep a bit of speed in there. So you're not just becoming absolutely diesel from, you know, you've become stronger but it's something from becoming slow. I think that's what you hear a lot of people last are big proponents of strength and condition They don't know where to slot at into the week because they're like, okay, my typical week is say I ride Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, take Monday and Friday off and ride endurance Saturday Sunday. If I add into gym sessions, they're like, so is that me? No rest days for the entire week. And that's often for a time crunch last. That's, you know, it's a tough sale with the family or work. Yeah, I just think you need to have it as like an alternative session. You're just going to have to take out some of those bike sessions. It's also very difficult to have too much intensity in a week whilst you're doing your gym. Like the gym you have to consider that as the intensity because your legs are going to be a ribbon especially like even up to the first like three weeks of doing the sessions you're still going to wake up with, you know, absolutely like, right leg. So it is, yeah, this saxophone is going to be made, but it's all for like the progression, I think. Will it be weird going into, because this is the contract netter zone there where you're, you could get a contract in January. I know the longer it goes on, the harder it is to get these contracts. But will you finish nationals and then go, you know, I'm taking a clean break here and I'm going to see what's happening. Already you finished Nationals to go unprepared and for the fact that I might get a contract in December or January. I think I will, yeah, I'll probably finish Nationals and then I'll have that. I'd have like a standard like two, three week break as it is and be hoping for something to materialize in that time. And then, yeah, I'd be, I'd get back into like regular training. Like I said, I'm not going to be someone that's just going to like wrap a bike and just go and go up like that's not my sort of style. The only thing that's going to change in my training sort of lifestyle I suppose is I'll have a little bit less time whilst I'm working on other things over winter. I might try a few different things like I'll I'll grab the runners and it gives me a chance to do that kind of stuff. But I'll be cracking on and working hard in the time that I have available. Rory, that's class.

9.Contract uncertainty and signoff

Best look in Nationals this weekend. It definitely won't help or won't hurt your contract chances if you go and roll the National title win at the weekend. I'm really upset. For lads listening that want to follow you and figure out, fuck the suspense. Does an open loop here? Did he get a contract? Did he not get one? How can they continue following you to do Instagram Facebook? Yeah, I think Instagram is my main thing Rory turns in the fight I'm in there and yeah Hopefully you're not changing that to like Rory Townsend like shopkeeper next Rory thanks you must come back on the podcast in a couple of weeks or a couple of months and let us know how it all Finished up here. Yeah, I was not sure where thanks friendly Rory. Thanks, buddy is the week when the amazing Mr. PJ Gallagher, I'm picking him up now because he's been giving out to me all morning. The amazing Mr. PJ Gallagher takes on this incredible challenge. We are going hill to hill for Jack and Jill. So look at, you know what this is all about, okay? The idea is that the brilliant Jack and Jill charity who provide so much support and allow people to care for their sick children in their own homes. It's such a vital charity as always as most charities in need of vital funds. And for the month of October they want you to go up the hill for Jack and Jill. The idea is any hill anywhere in your vicinity doesn't have to be a big challenge. You know, taken on a mountain, you know, can be a leisurely stroll up the side of a little hill. Anything at all you can go and have a picnic over hill or carry a couch over hill. I'm just saying ridiculous things but any of these things will work. All of these things are acceptable to be fair. You can do any of those things and the idea is whatever you end up doing just get your family and friends to sponsor you to do us and those funds to go to Jack and Jill. That's what it's all about. Now to launch that campaign this coming Friday of course PJ is going to cycle his very own penny-farthing from the summits of a whole hill along the coast all the way into Hill 16. Hill to Hill for Jack and Jill. That's what's happening this coming Friday okay. And if you want to get involved, if you want to give us a little bit of support on this one and help Jack and Jill in the process you can text WeCare, W-E-C-A-R-E, WeCare to 50300 for 4 Euro and Jack and Jill will receive a minimum of 360, the provider is like charity. And the other thing you can do is check out Nova.E because all the details about what Jack and Jill would like you to do and all the things about what we're doing, all that sort of stuff you'll find on the Nova website if you go to Nova.ie and you can donate there as well, right? Now, in the build up to it is a formidable challenge, isn't it? I think so, yes. It's a penny-farting, not the easiest thing in the world to cycle. And it's definitely almost impossible to go down here. It's amazing the amount of people go, you're going down, no, no, no, no, no, trust me, it's a unicycle with a tail, this thing doesn't like going down. Preparation is the key with all things, so we've brought him board the experts, right? This man is a former Irish pro-cyclist, he's director of A1 coaching, he's the host, He's the host of the Roadman podcast, which is all about cycling and its various healing effects on mind, body and soul. I mean, this man was professional, as I say, a former Irish pro cyclist in the likes of America and Canada and France and Belgium and all that sort of stuff. So let's say, Anthony, the Roadman Walsh, good morning. Good morning, good morning. Now listen, our first question for you is this, right? Have you yourself ever ridden a penny farting? You know, my dad used to be a boy to mechanic in his spare time to make a few acts required and he had a penny for hurting and I wrote it once but it didn't end very well. Oh no! You see, this is exactly the kind of coaching support we need. Yes, for BJ. The idea that tragedy awaits a lover. So do you think what you reckon, I mean, would be the, you know, the unique challenges that he's going to face as opposed to doing this as a normal cyclist? Look, he's got to take this seriously. You've got to go full on race preparation, like it's getting ready for a stage of the Tour de France for this one. So I'm thinking it's got to be turbo-blowing the night before, like caffeine pills that morning. And you're really got to be thinking carefully about what you're wearing. Well, I've got a talk of kind of the aerodynamics, but also advice from him saying you don't end in hospital with dirty underwear. Well, yeah, I'm lucky now I've got a fresh pair of those shorts with the big lumpy soft bit in the middle, and that they can wear. So that'll get me going. Mind you, you may have to, I mean, it is good advice there from Anthony that you may maybe you should consider spares because, I mean, coming down whole hill on a penny far, I mean, who knows what condition things might be in at the end of us.

10.PJ's penny-farthing prep

You as a coach, no, tell them, please explain to these people that coming down hill is as high as going up, isn't it? This is going to be difficult. Have you considered shaving your legs for it? No, I didn't know. I never thought to shave my legs. Why would I do that? So shaving your legs, fortunately it looks kind of cool, but it's granted that's a niche group of us to think that, but really the real benefit is if you crash, it's going to be easier to treat the cuts if you have shaved legs. That's very important. I think you're right. I think we should really prepare for medical emergencies here, PJ. You should probably do a full body wax really. Oh, so what? I don't know. I always fall to the right side. Maybe I'll just do one leg. Yeah. I'll be grand. One leg. Yeah. of them of kind of like preparation for something like this. I mean where where's go to hurt the most, Anthony? I honestly think his ass is gonna hurt the most. I think this is gonna be a case of you know, you have those shorts anyway with the chummy built into them. Yeah, probably want to look at something like we call it chummy grain, you can call it both border whatever you want, but you need something to lubricate that whole area. Oh my god, so you said this is incredible. We are going to try and find butts butter. Yeah, I don't know about that. I think this thing has the potential to be embarrassing enough without me putting a half pound of butter into me shorts, to be honest. Yeah, although that could have all sorts of benefits for you. Right, so listen, so we're thinking maybe that literally it will be the saddle soreness as opposed to any sort of muscle fatigue and stuff like that that he's likely to encounter, yeah? I think that's going to be the main one. Who's going to be difficult to navigate on downhill, on Penny Hardy? Yeah, I will because all the waste is pretty much on the front wheel, so to be honest I'm actually genuinely worried about pulling the brakes. Yeah, yeah, no, it would be as well. This man is the greatest coach ever! It's like, oh jeez, I wouldn't do it anyway, tell ya. Oh god! I mean, so, I mean, have you coached any petty fighters before? It comes to mind. Oh, it's a small enough group out there, not many left. It's a woodland group, you care. That's because they keep going downhill. That's why. Yeah. So, listen, can we get some final words of motivation and coaching for PJ then? If we're like you as a man who's been a pro cyclist, you're director of A1 coaching and all that sort of stuff, you've got the podcast, the roadman podcast on the go. I mean, you're parting words for the great PJ Gallagher as he embarks on this epic challenge. I think PJ you need to whip yourself into a state. So you're thinking about Conor McGregor before a voice here. You know we just need to just horn up on a fight day and hope is in a state. You need to whip yourself into a frenzy. So I'd be listening to a lot of heavy gangster music. I'd be taking a lot of caffeine. So when you come out with a summer pool you're not just strolling out with connoisse. If you're going into the office you're charging out the door maybe to some entry music and potentially even a cape. I'm like a yes, that's very good nothing says gangster more to the mid-lage man and the penny-faring with a cape and And butter spread all over the Anthony the roadman while she were a legend I tell you something that is some of the greatest coaching I have ever witnessed in my career Thanks a million for talking to a buddy Take care bye-bye Hey everybody, it's Anthony again. Really quick, I want to invite you to join arguably the best thing I've ever put out inside the roadman community. It's a challenge. It's a challenge called a 14 day Kickstarter challenge. So regardless of where your fitness is at right now, this is gonna be the catalyst for making you faster and making you the leaner. I've created this challenge to take the guesswork out of everything. It's 14 days, training plans, regardless of what your level is. There's masters, beginner, advanced. There's meal plans, shopping list, even a video course, holding your hand and talking you through at all. So what I recommend you do right now is just stop everything, press pause on this audio and go to roadmancycling.com forward slash 14 day or check out the link in the bio. That's roadmancycling.com slash 14 day.