Autsaid - Gravel Podcast

In this special, candid roundtable conversation, Thomas is joined by UCI Gravel World Series Manager Erwin Vervecken of the Golazo Group, alongside pro gravel racers Rosa Klöser and Paul Voss. The conversation addresses critical feedback and discusses the future vision for the UCI Gravel World Series (UGWS). It covers everything from the philosophy behind the races to the need for improvements in safety and fairness for the women's elite field. Chapters: [00:00:00] Rosa, Paul, and Thomas talk about their expectations [00:04:00] Erwin joins for the roundtable conversation with Rosa, Paul and Thomas [01:51:20] Paul and Thomas discuss their takeaways from the conversation ️ Discussion Points: UGWS Philosophy & Growth: We learn why the UGWS team focused on races lasting 4-6 hours from the get-go, why they grew to 45 races next season, and what the optimal size would be. Safety: We talk through the safety challenges that exist in gravel and how the UGWS tries to address those. The "Too Fast" Problem: Did the sport's rapid growth outpace the ability of organizers and safety protocols to keep up? Women’s Pro Racing in the UGWS: How can the safety and fairness issues caused by mixed starts or minimal time gaps be solved? UGWS Coverage: Does the series have a coverage problem and what measures can improve its visibility? Will gravel races in 2026 be on TV? Featured in this Episode: Erwin Vervecken: Manager of the UCI Gravel World Series at Golazo Group. Follow Erwin on Instagram Rosa Klöser: German Gravel Champion, 2024 Unbound winner, and Women’s WT pro. Follow Rosa on Instagram. Paul Voss: German Gravel Champion, Host of the Autsaid podcast. Follow Paul on Instagram. Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing Podcast and author of The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram

In dieser Folge spricht Paul Voß mit Luis Neff, Mitgründer des Rose Racing Circle, über die geschäftliche Seite des modernen Gravel-Sports. Während sportliche Themen wie Rennkalender und Highlights nicht zu kurz kommen, liegt der Schwerpunkt dieser Episode auf den Business-Mechaniken hinter einem der derzeit spannendsten Projekte im deutschsprachigen Radsport. Luis erklärt, wie aus einer Idee ein funktionierendes Unternehmen wurde – mit Angestellten, Sponsoren, Budgetplanung, Teamentwicklung und Jahreszielen. Sie sprechen darüber, wie man Professionalität wahrt, ohne Authentizität zu verlieren, welche Herausforderungen der rasant wachsende Gravel-Markt mit sich bringt, und warum die Zukunft des Sports mehr Struktur, mehr Teamdenken und mehr Wirtschaftlichkeit braucht. Jetzt reinhören und keine Folge mehr verpassen – abonniere den Autsaid Podcast überall, wo es Podcasts gibt! Paul auf Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paul_voss/ Luis auf Instagram https://www.instagram.com/luis_neff/

John Peter aka The Stable Cyclist joins Thomas to discuss their All Gravel Awards ballots! With the newly formed expert voting panel assembled for the All Gravel Awards 2025, Thomas and JP put their own (preliminary) ballots on the table to discuss the biggest performances, surprises, and teams of the season. The conversation covers all the awards, from Most Valuable Rider, Most Impressive Performance, Best Race, to Best Team. Time Stamps & Chapters: [00:00:00] Intro: A brief update on writing for Escape Collective and some recent pieces Thomas published there. [00:06:44] All Gravel Awards Ballots with Stable Cyclist JP: The discussion of the awards begins. ️ Discussion Points: The Keegan Rumor: Thomas provides a personal update on his article about the rumored Keegan Swenson to Specialized transfer, explaining why he wrote about it. Read the article here. The All Gravel Awards: JP and Thomas go through their ballots and discuss who they considered for each award and who they ended up voting for. Featured in this Episode: JP (John Peter): Host of The Stable Cyclist Podcast. Follow JP on Instagram. Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing Podcast and author of the The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.

Thomas is joined by professional cyclist and avid writer Joe Laverick to discuss the state of bike racing and Joe's ambitious plan to launch a new multi-discipline racing team. The conversation explores the changing economics of the sport, why teams will become essential in gravel, and the long-term sustainability of the racing ecosystem. Joe offers his perspective on the shift from the "Privateer Era" to the "Team Era," drawing parallels between his team concept and successful cultural projects like the UniBet Rose Rockets. Content we talked about: Joe’s Substack post about his plans to launch a team Thomas's piece about his fictional team Dan Bigham’s Aero Gravel Machine ️ Time Stamps & Chapters: [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:50] Update Gravel Earth Series / The Rift: How The Rift ended up outside the Gravel Earth Series, the "by The Traka" brand, and more. [00:11:05] New Life Time Grand Prix Rosters: New European stars and the highest-level newcomer for 2026. [00:17:20] Conversation with Joe Laverick: Why teams are inevitable and the key to a sustainable ecosystem. Key Takeaways & Discussion Points: The Dawn of the Team Era: Joe argues that the need for team tactics and organized efforts (evidenced by races like Unbound) is now resulting in the beginning of the team era in gravel racing. Joe's Team Model: The concept is a multi-disciplinary road and gravel team with a cultural focus, emphasizing storytelling over just winning. The Community Engine: The idea that a team's long-term sustainability relies on building a robust club/community layer that is loyal to the team's culture, providing a core audience for sponsors. Sports in the Attention Economy: Why professional sports need to recognize that they compete in the attention economy and think about their product accordingly. Sustainable Sponsorship: Why a team needs non-endemic sponsors to appeal to the cycling consumer's outdoor/lifestyle interests, rather than relying solely on bike brands whose sole metric is often bike sales. Featured in this Episode: Joe Laverick: Professional Cyclist, Industry Analyst, and Founder of a forthcoming multi-discipline cycling project. Follow him on Instagram and read his Substack. Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing podcast and author of The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.