VAN AERT VS SPEEDSTUDIO
MARLY GRAV
Who would have thought? Wout Van Aert, MG, same shot. Not the last time?
Pretty Cool.
Marly Gravel was gifted a surprise starter, recent Roubaix Champion and cycling legend that is Wout Van Aert—joined by other big names like Florian Vermeersch - the current UCI Gravel World Champ, a few from Soudal Quick-Step, and about half the Belgian Pro Cyclocross field. Marly punched hard.
MG was off to a flying start, but after almost 6 consecutive weeks of travel, he realized he’d found the limit. A reset is on now, along with a consecutive block to training. We’ve also made some tweaks to the calendar, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, Cole has been back in California with a Strava feed that requires no further commentary. Give him a follow.
Next stop for the Team: Tulsa Tough, June 6-8.
Three nights of criterium racing and the kind of crowds that might make you forget you’re suffering. It’s one of the best events on the American calendar, and SpeedStudio will be showing up with something to say. We’ve got a thing or two planned.
The Crown of a Lifetime’s Work! 👑 | Our Spring Classics Story - Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Will make a grown man cry.
Sponsor Highlight
KASK
Helmet Partner
We refuse to separate how something performs from how it looks. A helmet is the first thing people notice, and we weren’t going to put anything on our riders’ heads that didn’t meet the highest standard in both safety and design. MG and Cole race in the Protone and Elemento, and our members have access to KASK through the club. When you’re building a program around the culture of speed, every detail on the body matters.
KASK has been making helmets in Bergamo, Italy since 2004. Everything is designed and manufactured in Italy. Seven Tour de France wins have come in KASK helmets, they sell over a million a year across 80+ countries, and founder Angelo Gotti has built the brand around one idea: balance safety, comfort, and design without compromising any of the three. That philosophy mirrors ours.
SpeedStudio Podcast
Ep. 136 - Marathons, Design and Market Disruptors
A one on one from the Studio with Nikki and Chad where they catch us up on Boston Marathon, the London Marathon where two runners broke the two hour record, the difference between running stories and gravel stories, and why running might carry more emotion for people. They also get into the kit design process, what it looks like to design a kit with the bike design leading the way, and XDS launching at Sea Otter is already shaking up the market.
MGR CORNER
It’s been a wild few weeks. With all the racing and travel, I’ve been in constant go-mode constantly either focusing on race recovery or race prep. It’s a load.
This past weekend, I found a limit.
Rather than something dramatic, it was subtle. In Marly, we were in a front group of ten after 1.5 hours. Van Aert, Vermeersch, the best classics riders in the world, and I was there with them. But I lost my legs in ways that felt far from normal. I haven’t been uber fresh since the big early season results, and that it’s time to find again.
The travel and race load have been relentless. To an instance I can say I underestimated to an extent the total toll of the big races, especially back to back.
I haven’t felt my early spring legs in some time. Instead of chasing them through more racing, the move now is to slow down, rebuild, and let the body remember what fresh feels like.
These next weeks are about structure. Riding with intention, not urgency. Sleeping properly. Eating well. Consistent training blocks. I’ve come out of the last consistent time in Girona with the podium at Mid South, and know I can train, and recover, extremely well here.
I’m focused on really polarizing the work, polishing the top end. Endurance rides are pushed to lower Zone 2, with 2 V02 days through the week. Keeping the overall load on the body under control.
I’m really excited to come into Tulsa with a few weeks of big work. Cole has been absolutely locked in and maybe next week I’ll remember to make him write us an update.
— MG
I think I would like to be sponsored by Smoke Dog Enterprises