“If you ain’t first, you’re last!” – Ricky Bobby
We all watched Sunday’s final TdF stage. Wow.
After three weeks of a Tour that was arguably the most boring since the Voldemort days, the last stage in Paris gave us twenty minutes of pure adrenaline, elation, and disbelief. All of the emotions you hope for when you turn on Peacock. The two best riders in the world, off the front in on of the best cities in the world, fans losing their mind on the cobbles, and a finish decided by a tire width (30!).
What’s crazy about it all is the fact that Pogačar didn’t even need it. The Tour was already his. He went anyway, same as he did last year. Nothing to gain in GC, but everything to gain in glory. True GOAT behavior.
The same could be said for MVDP. He had already won a stage, and he’s got one of the best sprinters in the world as his best mate. The conservative move would’ve been to stay on the front, get Jasper over the climb, chase down the break and lead out the sprint. They said that the course change made it too long and too flat to stay away. That’s what logic said. Nah, let’s do incredible instead.
Playing not to lose, what the traditionalists would insist is the “smart” move is not really our style either. The results sheet rewards you for it for sure. But nobody remembers the results sheet below number 1. Nobody ever got out of their chair for the safe move or the field sprint.
We’re a creative agency with a race program, which means the racing has to actually be worth watching or there’s no story to tell. You can’t manufacture what people felt on Montmartre. You can’t brief it, budget it, or schedule it into a content calendar. It only shows up when someone decides to risk everything in front of everybody.
People remember how a race made them feel, and they remember exactly who made them feel it. That’s the thing we’re chasing.
In our own little corner of pro cycling, Michael also went first-or-last mode at Chicago Grit on Sunday. Perhaps inspired by what he saw that morning, or perhaps it’s just instinct. Solo with 16 laps to go, 25 minutes at 465 watts, a hundred riders frantically chasing. He was caught on the last lap, and we’re thrilled about it. Nobody’s talking about the sprint, but everyone’s talking about that ride. (Read all about it directly from MG below.)
And just remember, what we felt watching Sunday didn’t come from anyone playing it safe.
Next stop: Core Four and Gravel Worlds. Going all-in.
CHICAGO GRIT GALLERY
TUNE NANO AND NANO CS
The wheel partner of our professional race program, Tune, has launched 6 new wheelsets this week - Nano 35, 45, and 60, and the Nano CS 35, 45, and 60.
As one would guess, the number describes their respective depth and CS adds a carbon spoke option for more stiffness and less weight. Tune manufactures their wheels in house with German precision we know and love.
MG has been riding the Nano 60 CS for the last few months, with nothing but elation.
Read more on the wheels here.
MGR CORNER
Its been a while but I’m home!
I’ve said this a few times this season.
Im a bit tired still, carrying some load and getting back into the rhythm of city life — but calm. It’s really nice to be home for the next few weeks. I’ll head up to North Georgia soon and I’m genuinely excited about that. It’s been a while and up there the work and recovery just flows.
Just over a week ago (Sunday the 19th) we raced Foco Fondo Gravel in Fort Collins.
Foco was a bit of a wash for us. I was carrying a lot of fatigue from a big training block, went into the early break, and the legs just weren’t quite there. Cole had the race in his hands until a massive tire slash took him out of the front group. Frustrating for him — he was the guy that day. It happens. Small race, right context, spirits stayed high. The signs underneath the result were good and that’s what mattered.
I flew out Tuesday and made a quick stop in Atlanta to see my mom — she had a bike accident and needed surgery (thanks Dr. Allen!) and she’s recovering super well. Wednesday morning I was on a plane to Chicago and that night at a bike race in Northbrook.
Chicago Grit was a blast. The organizers literally called it #boysweekend and honestly that’s pretty spot on to what it was.
I rented a place with some of my closest friends, Luke and Gianni Lamperti. We grwe up racing together, and traveling the world together with LUX, the national team, and more. My first experience with luke was him coming around me in the sprint at 13-14 crit nationals in Tahoe, CA . How time flies.
Luke is racing in the World Tour now, and Gianni is a private pilot (and still biking loads). Gianni’s last race had been junior world championships in Harrogate in 2019 — which is absolutely nuts — and after some time training together in Denver he made the call to come out and race with us. It was so cool, us at it together like old times.
Luke and I were somewhat racing as a team, and the whole week just had this incredible energy to it. We rode to the races every day and home again. Saturday was our biggest day — a hundred miles with a 75-minute crit in the middle.
I was fourth one day, Luke got on the podium another. We were both marked like hell as usual. Sunday I finally snuck away and went all in with a big solo move but was caught with one lap to go. Not the result I wanted but I never feel sad about leaving everything out there. It's exhilarating, honestly, and boy was I suffering. After such a crazy block, that’s nothing but good signs.
Now it’s about what’s ahead. Core 4 Gravel — 120 miles. Lauf Gravel Worlds — 150 miles. These races are about as hard as it gets. Seven, eight hours of suffering at the pointy end. And I’m just really grateful to be in a position to be building well and feel super confident in the preparation for them — building strength, stacking volume, getting the body ready to go deep. The confidence is real and growing.
Really excited for what’s coming.
— MG
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