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

• [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.

• 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.

• 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.

In dieser Folge spricht Paul mit seinem Coach Dr. Sebastian Rösler über die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse des vergangenen Jahres, den Einfluss von Künstlicher Intelligenz auf Training und Coaching sowie die Ziele und Erwartungen für die Saison 2026.

Link zum Video über Creatin: https://youtu.be/EkOMQ0PDvAg?si=pHHWOHBXYj8AuY9l

👉 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/

Sebastian auf Instagram https://www.instagram.com/life.of_seb/

In this episode, Thomas discusses some major developments in the world of gravel racing before diving into a detailed recap of the inaugural edition of the Gravel Burn stage race in South Africa.

He is then joined by road professional Clara Koppenburg (Team Cofidis), who shares her unique Gravel Burn experience. She discusses the intense challenge of a self-organized stage race, the camp conditions, and the surprising joy she found in gravel competition.

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• 📰 Gravel News: Major changes to the Gravel Earth Series and Lifetime Grand Prix. [00:06:50]
• 🇿🇦 Gravel Burn Recap: High-level overview of the race and key results [00:17:25]
• 🗣️ Conversation with Clara Koppenburg: Why she signed up, the training, and the race. [00:31:10]

• GES Calendar Overhaul: The Gravel Earth Series shrinks from 23 to 12 races in 2026, dropping monuments like Gravel Worlds and The Rift.
• LTGP Money & Rules: The Lifetime Grand Prix increases its prize money pool and introduces a finisher compensation to incentivize pros to complete the series.
• Frozen Adventure: The brutal conditions on the early Gravel Burn stages —rain, wind, and freezing temperatures—that left bikes frozen and clothing soaked, completely defying expectations for a South African race.
• Gravel is Different: Clara discusses how the race was a needed break from the highly organized (and stressful) WorldTour environment, where she could reconnect with riding.
• The Racing: Analyzing the GC race where Axelle Dubau-Prévot won after Ashley Moolman-Pasio suffered a flat tire on the final stage, balancing the misfortune of the lead.

• Clara Koppenburg: Clara is a Professional Cyclist, currently on Team Cofidis Women (Pro Tour). Follow her journey into gravel on her Instagram.
• Thomas Euler: Host of the The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.