This week, Abby and Loren are joined again by Hannah Barnes Bewley and Anna Shackley to talk about the World Championship Time Trial, Marlen Reusser's rollercoaster season, why the Italians excel at national team events, and if Demi Vollering can win the road race on Saturday.

Without World Tour racing to talk about, Abby, Loren, Anna Shackley, and Hannah Barnes discuss the Dutch World Championship selection, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's season, and the Faun Tour. 

This week Abby, Gracie, and Georgie talk about the Classic Lorient Agglomeration, Mischa Bredewold's future, Elisa Balsamo, and the biggest transfers so far.

As so many of these side quests do, this particular adventure started with an offhand remark on the Wheel Talk Podcast…

This week we dive into Abby's self-inflicted five-month journey to beat a past version of herself up Mont Ventoux. Today, she sits down with the coaching duo who helped her through it - Lizzie and Phil Deignan.

We will be back next week with more from the world of women's professional cycling. 

A written story is coming to Escape Collective later this week.

The five-day Tour of Britain wrapped up on Sunday, and of the five stages, four were won by one ever-dominant rider. The one stage where another shone was a masterclass in bike racing tactics, but even though two riders topped the race, others proved they are coming into form just in time for the World Championships in Montreal in a few weeks. 

Loren and Abby are back in the "studio" with Gracie and Georgie a week after the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Now that the dust has settled, the four talk more about their lasting impressions of the race, what went right and what needs improving in the future.

Plus! The Lloyd's Tour of Britain is coming! With some big names set to race this week, it's going to be a fantastic edition of the long standing five day stage race.

Before the start of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Lausanne, Kate Courtney sat down with Abby and Loren to talk about her move to the WorldTour with FDJ United-Suez, how her first road races went, and why she values building her personal brand.

With only eight seconds separating two riders, the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift came down to one final, absolutely brutal, stage in Nice. It was short, but packed a punch, and the overall classification was decided definitively. 

Abby, Loren, and Anna are here to talk about the stage and the final GC standings, with audio diaries from Nat Quinn (Mayenne Monbana My Pie), Franzi Koch (FDJ United-Suez), and Amanda Spratt (with a cameo from Niamh Fisher-Black) (Lidl-Trek). 

Every person in the race, from mechanics to riders to directors, has a unique story from each stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Stage 7 was particularly chaotic, and we highlighted it on our episode from the stage, but Abby wanted to share two alternative views on the race: Shawn Clarke, Director for Liv AlUla Jayco, and Fiona Mangan, who rides for Mayenne Monbana My Pie.

If there's anything we've learned in the past eight days, it's to expect the unexpected. Any stage can become a GC stage if it's played right. The race is finally in Nice, with the final stage set on a hilly course in the hills, but FDJ United-Suez aren't here to wait for the finale, and 400 metres of road is all they need to flip the script. 

Abby, Loren, and Anna have made it to Nice, mostly in one piece, but can hardly belive the stage they just watched. 

With audio diaries from Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco), Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), and Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL). Thank you to Lizzie Deignan for previewing the final stage and to Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) for kicking off the episode. 

Atop the iconic Mont Ventoux, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift shattered. Favourites suffered and celebrated; all while the roadside party chanted and cheered. 

Today, Abby, Loren, and Anna stopped by the Cheer Squad to talk to some old friends, including Iris Slappendel, Alice Wood, and Matilda Raynolds. They also ran into the Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney cheer squad, who perhaps just had the best day of their lives.

With audio diaries from Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL), Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek). Stage analysis for stage 8 by Georgie Howe and Gracie Elvin, and a big thank you to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot for the stage introduction. 

The race is far from over, and far from wrapped. With two stages remaining, can the yellow jersey change hands (again)?