
SEMIPRO CYCLING
Welcome to Chain Reaction. I’m Coach Damian Ruse, a professional cycling coach for over a decade. Each episode unpacks a real cycling story about the human side of performance.
Episodes
254 episodes
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A soulful dive into how cycling doesn’t just make us feel more alive—it might actually help us live longer.
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4:21

Breath-Holding, Doping, and the Truth About Cycling Performance
What if holding your breath could make you faster? Allen Lim thought so—until Floyd Landis showed where the real gains came from.
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4:49

They Never Saw It Coming
The week started off like any other—routine, predictable. But by the weekend, everything had changed.
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4:18

The Mistake That Cost Him the Race
He trained harder than ever—so why did his race fall apart at mile 100?
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4:11

Two Riders, Two Paths: The Difference Between Super Champions and Almost Champions
Two talented young cyclists start with identical potential - but what leads one to European glory while the other fades into obscurity?
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6:17

The Shift That Changed Everything for One Cyclist
How an unexpected holiday shattered a performance plateau and revealed the hidden cost of everyday stress.
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4:04

Caffeine might not enhance performance for everyone!
When too much caffeine ruins a race – the science behind it.
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5:52

INEOS using aero undershirts and the Vuelta stuff you missed
In today's QuickSpin Cycling Digest, we dive into new and cool cycling products. We cover Remco Evenepoel's road bike, Lachlan Morton's crazy stem, innovative tools, new aero undershirts, and the stuff you missed at the Vuelta Espana 2023.<...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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7:23

Did Tramadol Help Nairo Quintana at the Tour de France?
Delving into the controversy surrounding Nairo Quintana's positive tests for tramadol during the 2022 Tour de France. We discuss the complex considerations surrounding the substance's classification, its potential impact on performance, and rec...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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10:31

Did Fairings Help Jonas Vingegaard Win the Tour de France?
Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma had a secret weapon or two at the Tour de France that could of given him a drag reduction of more than 9% that meant savings of 1.5 seconds a kilometre. We dig into the aero impact of this secret weapon and ask ...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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11:53
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"From 'Little Guy' to Leader" Jonas Vingegaard Interview
How did Jonas Vingegaard transform from 'the little guy' working at a fish factory to a Jumbo-Visma leader? I have top the top 5 takeaways from a recent Jonas Vingegaard interview before he races in the Vuelta a España 2023.That’s on to...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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10:52

How Much Do Pro Cyclists Make? Shimano 105 12-Speed Mechanical?
On today’s show, and… Damian has news on bike launches from Canyon and Bianchi, a glimpse at the potential next-Generation SRAM AXS Shifters, and some other tasty treats, and Peter Sagan real retirement plans for 2024…but we’re starting this sh...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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12:29

The surprising reason Pro MTB rider uses gum before a race
The surprising reason and performance benefit Pro MTB rider Puck Pieterse uses gum before a race.We dive into the fascinating connection between gum and cycling performance. Plus World Championships Recap, the Evolution of Endurance Trainin...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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14:09

What is the Specialized Speed Sniffer? And what is Peter Sagan doing in Retirement?
In this week's episode of Quick Spin, Damian provides a comprehensive rundown of the latest happenings in the world of cycling. This show covers the new Specialized Tarmac SL8, featuring the "Speed Sniffer" fat head tube. Find out ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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11:18

Pro Cyclist: Jai Hindley - The making of a Giro d'Italia winner
In this episode we talk with Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley to find out what it takes to win a Grand Tour. And we’re not only talking about the 3 weeks during the race, but also the decades of work and journey beforehand. From lifestyle, to f...
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1:15:24

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Teun van Erp - How do World Tour cyclists actually train and perform in races? - Part 2 of 2
In this two part series we chat with Dr. Teun van Erp, current data scientist with INEOS Grenadiers, about how World Tour cyclists train and perform during competitions. In our opinion, given Tuen’s extensive research and experience working wit...
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58:00

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Teun van Erp - How do World Tour cyclists actually train and perform in races? - Part 1 of 2
In this two part series we chat with Dr. Teun van Erp, current data scientist with INEOS Grenadiers, about how World Tour cyclists train and perform during competitions. In our opinion, given Tuen’s extensive research and experience working wit...
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52:07

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Elisabetta Borgia- A new emphasis and approach to sport psychology in cycling performance
Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast! In this day and age of power meters, advanced physiologic metrics, and emphasis on aerodynamics it is very easy to overlook other key components of cycling performance- suc...
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57:00

Cycling Performance Club: Luke Plapp - From world class track cyclist to World Tour road racer
Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast! In this episode we chat with Luke Plapp - Olympic bronze medalist on the track, current Australian Road Champion, and Ineos Grenadiers rider- about his transition from a su...
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1:22:19

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Nicholas Jamnick- Down the rabbit hole of exercise intensity, Part 2 of 2
Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast! In this episode we continue our trip down the rabbit hole of exercise intensity with Dr. Nick Jamnick (part 2 of 2). Previously, we critically examined graded exercise test...
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45:10

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Nick Jamnick - Down the rabbit hole of exercise intensity, Part 1 of 2
Welcome to The Cycling Performance Club Podcast! When it comes to performing and prescribing training sessions, there are four main principles to consider: frequency, duration, volume, and intensity. The first three of these...
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35:50

Cycling Performance Club: Shannon Malseed - Life lessons in mental wellness and high performance
On this show we really enjoy talking about the nuts and bolts of cycling performance. Whether it’s determining thresholds, approaches to training, or race tactics and skills, if you’ve listened to the show before you know we love that stuff. Bu...
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50:24

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Dajo Sanders- Research evolved into practice at the highest level of cycling performance, Part 2 of 2
In this episode we continue our discussion with Dr. Dajo Sanders (part 2 of 2), an individual whose skill and expertise in the realm of cycling performance are well developed. Dajo is a prolific researcher in many aspects of endurance training ...
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48:02

Cycling Performance Club: Dr. Dajo Sanders- Research evolved into practice at the highest level of cycling performance, Part 1 of 2
There are many components within endurance training. Take for example field-testing, training intensity distribution, or training load. Each of these components have dozens of papers in the scientific literature that can help guide a cyclist’s ...
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1:10:37
