Train like a Monk

Join Pat, Kerry and I in the team car for Duda Cycling at the Melbourne to Warrnambool."The Warrnie" is the second oldest bike race in the world. The parcours is by no means challenging but the conditions and length of the race mean anyone that completes this historic event has stories to tell for years to come.This year's edition was decorated by crosswinds, cramps and a healthy dose of carnage in the convoy.Sit back and enjoy a look behind the scenes of what many describe as the best race on the Australian Cycling Calendar and the pinnacle event of the new ProVelo SuperLeague.

If you've watched any bike race from Australia you've likely had the pleasure of listening to Keeno's commentary. He's become the voice of cycling in Aus and has an unmatched encyclopedia of race results and cycling knowledge built into his hard drive. Matt may have used to his gift of the gab to build a career providing race commentary for the biggest races in the world, but his love of cycling has humble beginnings in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, and we take it right back to his hay day in this episode. Nowadays, cycling sits a little further down the list of priorities for Keeno but it's great to get an insight into how he continues to balance his training (not just on the bike...) with family and work commitments. Lots of tips for the everyday punter in this one. Being the superior interviewer of the two of us, Matt also manages to flip the focus onto me a few too many times, so you get a little extra personal insight from yours truly in this episode. A little different to the usual but let me know what you think! Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk Thumbnail: Signature Sport

The Aussie couch peloton are still recovering from a whirlwind Tour de France with the revelation of this year's TdF Femmes, Sarah Gigante.Sarah is an avid listener and former guest on the pod (go and listen to that episode if you haven't already!) and she has put in more requests than most for guests. We thought we'd start with request number one and get the man behind the scenes of her results this season, Dylan Lindsey, on the pod.Hear the training behind the success of Sarah and many of his other athletes, and most importantly, this man's relationship status.Thumbnail image: Cor VosEditing: Terance Hore

We put so much time, money, blood, sweet and tears into our training to improve our physiology, but how much do we work on our mindset? And how much does this impact our performance on race day?Shannon knows her way around this topic better than most, after pursuing her own career at the top of the sport and now helping many athletes better manage theirs.If you haven’t had some filthy head noise going on mid effort or while you’re dangling at the back of a race then you haven’t been riding bikes very long. Shannon provides some great insight on how to manage these thoughts and turn them around to get the most out of yourself even when things aren’t going your way.

Marko is to the Australian Cycling Scene what potato salad is to a Christmas Lunch. Always there, always a crowd favourite but usually not top of the rank, until this year. Marko bucked the recent trend by outstaying the young up-and-comers at this year's 270km Melbourne to Warrnambool. We discuss how he manages to stay at the front of any race he enters so deep into his own career and look at how he's helping the next generation make their own way to the top of the sport. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: TJ Hore Thumbnail photo: Wimmera Mail-Times

Nick has a coaching Palmares any coach would envy: countless world and national champions across multiple disciplines and a healthy number of World Tour pros targetting races across the calendar. Nick's pathway into cycling is certainly an interesting one and a story I hadn't heard before, though I'm sure all his athletes are stoked he's found his place at the top of this sport. It was great to sit down and discuss Nick's coaching methods and see exactly why he's had so much success. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore P.S. Huge apologies for my audio on this one, had an absolute shocker on the tech side from my end but lucky you can hear Nick's words of wisdom loud and clear.

Stephen (or SLane as he's commonly known by those who find two syllables too long for a name...) has helped countless cyclists achieve their goals on the bike. Whether it be winning the local club series or making the step from the Aussie domestic scene to a fully-fledged pro. SLane has a unique skillset, utilising both the knowledge gained through his academic pursuits and his own experiences in racing and training to provide coaching that is not only backed by science but proven to work in a practical sense. We discuss not just his coaching methods but his own training and how he is now living most cyclists' dream of following the sun and riding his bike every day. It felt like we could've touched on many areas here in a lot more depth than we had time for today, so let us know in the comments what you'd like to know a little more about next time I cross paths with SLane. Editing: Terrance Hore Music: Cyrus Monk Thumbnail Photo: Con Chronis

Who's Coaching the Coach? This week I chat with my Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team Coach, Helmut Dollinger. The easy-going Austrian has worked with many top-level cyclists in the past and draws on his experience as well as the latest research in the field to help me and many of my teammates seek top results in 2024. I've made some big steps forward since commencing Helmut's coaching late last year and we discuss his training philosophies and methods including how he applies these to get the best from his athletes. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

Australia’s Golden Girl Grace joins the pod to talk about how she trained for Olympic and World Championship Gold in her final year as a pro cyclist.Plenty of golden nuggets of wisdom in this one, Grace is a legend.Thumbnail image: GettyMusic: WalterEditing: Terance Hor(s)e

One of the most consistent performers in the World Tour. Harps provides great insight into how he has continually improved each year since turning pro, and more recently, how he prepared to win his first Grand Tour stage.Fourth Frontier Heartrate Monitors: fourthfrontier.com***Big apologies for my audio on this episode. The recording grabbed the audio from the headphones instead of the mic so it's rougher than Roubaix for this episode***Music: Cyrus MonkEditing: Terance HoreThumbnail Image: LaPresse

Mudgey has been a bit of a journeyman of the sport. Riding for Aussie, Irish, Kiwi and now Chinese teams across a 10-year career to date.Last year he had his biggest prize money earnings to date by winning the China Pro League.What is the China Pro League? What's the racing like in China? How's the food? Listen to find out

Daniek started the year with a solo win at the very first race on the World Tour. Instead of chasing her down during her stint in the Ocre Jersey, I got to sit down with her at the end of a training ride near her home in Nice and find out how she started the season so well and what her training at the moment is looking like.

Georgie packed a lot into a short stint at the top of the cycling world, but she's not done yet.Hear how Georgie transitioned into cycling from a rowing background and how the training differs (or doesn't) between the two sports.We also go into Georgie's battle with REDS. The steps she's taken to get healthy again and how she's looking to continue in the sport even after what it's thrown her way.This episode is brought to you by SUL Nutrition. Use the code MONKFUEL10 at checkout for 10% off your next bucketload of rocket fuel.Energetics of a World-Tour Female Road Cyclist During a Multistage Race (Tour de France Femmes)https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/34/5/article-p253.xml

From Runner to World Tour Cyclist in less than 4 years. Now from Pro Cyclist to Pro Triathlete in a matter of months.Hear how Jimmy is taking the skills learned and experience gained from top level road cycling and applying it in the world of triathlon.Can he make it to the end of the pool yet without stopping?

Julian has rapidly gone from being a regular listener of the Train Like a Monk podcast to starring on it!Taking home the U23 National RR win in Perth at just 18 years of age, Julian has bucked the trend of having to sacrifice his schooling to fit in training time on the bike.We discuss how he has managed to go from making up the numbers at many junior races to riding for Australia’s best domestic team and heading over to Europe in his first year U23.A must listen for all junior cyclists wondering what to do in their final years of school.

Keeper of The Fern, Kim Cadzow, has started the season on fire. She played a major role in EF-Education Oatly teammate Noemi Ruegg's TDU win and achieved her own personal goal of defending the National TT title and netting her first National Road Championships victory.We chatted in the middle of her build toward Kiwi road nationals so it was great to get an insight into her preparation for these events amongst a busy race schedule.Really enjoyed chatting with Kim, she skips the cliches and tells it like it is!In other big news for Train Like a Monk, we welcome Dan Jones to the team as editor. You've probably seen Jonesy's handiwork back in the golden days of the Greenedge 'Backstage Pass' Videos, or more recently as a host of 'The Social Distance Podcast'. He's very handy on the tools and we're happy to have him on board. That being said, any issues with the editing or finishing touches can now be directed his way!Music: Cyrus MonkEditing: Dan JonesThumbnail photo: EF-Education Oatly

He's defending his title later this week but it's fair to say, no matter the result, this title will still hold true. Gatey has a ridiculous palmares on both the road and track, the latest achievement becoming the oldest rider ever to join a World Tour Team for the first time (34 is ancient) and just recently reaching a World Tour Podium at Cadel's Road Race. I caught up with Gatey in The Hilton just before the start of TDU to discuss how his training has differed since changing coaches for the first time in 15 years and how he prepared to be in flying form for Summer Down Under. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail image: cyclingweekly.com

Maeve has represented Australia at two Olympic Games, won Commonwealth Games gold and countless National Championships. Alongside her exploits on the bike she has become a well renowned advocate for cycling in Australia and even more so in her home town of Adelaide. I sat down with her at her local beach to discuss how she has balanced training for top level track competitions and World Tour road racing and the learnings she has taken from these pursuits. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore

Noemi had a breakout season in 2024, turning heads at the Olympic Games Road Race and netting herself a National Championship. Those who didn't know her already certainly do now, after winning the Tour Down Under in dominant fashion with a memorable win up Willunga Hill. We sat down a few days after the victory to discuss her preperation for this event and how she managed to perform better than ever in 36 degree heat after training in a cold Swiss Winter. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail: Velomotion/Getty Images

Plappy has made the month of January his own, consistently finding form to start the year. This discussion took place just before his nationals campaign where he not only defended his TT title, but selflessly delivered teammate Luke Durbridge to victory in the road race. We discuss how Plappy prepared for these goals and, more specifically, for Tour Down Under next week. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail image: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images