The Adventure Stache Payson McElveen

Last week, Lachlan Morton finished the 2,670-mile Tour Divide in just 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes, more than a day faster than the officially recognized record. He also did it in the midst of the Life Time Grand Prix, between Leadville and Chequamegon.

This weekend, Payson caught up with Lachlan in Wisconsin just hours after completing Chequamegon to talk about his experience. From being ready to throw in the towel to marveling at the breathtaking beauty around him, Lachlan discusses the moments that stand out the most from his 12 days on the trail. He talks about facing his greatest fear, a crucial rendezvous with a hair dryer, and a very creative--and dare we say ingenious--use of a sock.


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This week, Payson is joined by one of the Australian riders in this year’s Grand Prix, Brendan Johnston. Brendan dominated the marathon mountain biking scene in Australia for several years, winning the national title no fewer than four times and winning 19 consecutive races between 2015 and 2017. He’s also dabbled in road racing, finishing third at the 2022 National Championships in a stacked field. After juggling cycling alongside a full-time career, Brendan decided to focus on riding this year and moved across the world to compete in the Grand Prix. 

In this conversation, he talks to Payson about becoming disillusioned with World Cup XC early on, finding a niche within the domestic Australian scene, and deciding to take a break from a stable career down under to try his hand at American gravel. He talks about the difficult transition, how a frustrating ride at Unbound led him to double down a little too hard on training, and the turning point he had last month that changed the course of his season. 
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This week, Payson catches up with one of the fastest racers in this year's Grand Prix, Zach Calton. So far this season, Zach has placed 6th at Leadville and 9th at Unbound, and is currently sitting 8th overall in the Grand Prix standings. He also happens to have a full-time job off the bike.

In this conversation, Zach talks to Payson about what is shaping up to be a breakout season, why he still isn’t sure that making cycling a full-time gig is the goal, and his job at Specialized. He also talks about how he went from the U23 XCO circuit to finding himself without a team in 2020, and the top gravel pro who’s been coaching him for the last two years.

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Payson caught up with fellow Grand Prix racer Maude Farrell at Leadville a couple of weeks ago to talk about how her season is going, why she went to Leadville even though she chose to skip racing it, and how she juggles professional racing with a full-time career at the electric vehicle company Rivian. They discuss the challenges of trying to have it all—professionally, athletically, and personally—and do a deep dive into the state of the electric vehicle industry and why there’s no silver bullet when it comes to making transportation more sustainable.
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There was one story that dominated Leadville this year. Keegan Swenson smashed the course record by more than 15 minutes and finished nearly 25 minutes ahead of second place. On the women's side, Sofia Gómez Villafañe won a tight battle among the top five, followed closely by Ruth Winder.
In our recap, Payson chats with Velo reporter Betsy Welch about how good both the men’s and women’s fields have gotten this year, and where Keegan’s dominance leaves the rest of the racers.
For a first-hand perspective on the women’s race, we hear from Ellen Campbell, who came to Leadville this year hoping to top her 7th place result last year. She talks about the dynamics of the women’s race, how they used Tobin Ortenblad’s blistering lead-out to their advantage, and why pee breaks can make or break the race in the women’s field.
Lastly, Payson breaks down Keegan’s power numbers to see just what it took to achieve such a stunning result.

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The queen of ultra-endurance cycling returns to the show to talk about her punishing experience at this year’s Tour Divide, her upcoming stab at the Colorado Trail race, and her plan to race around the world, which she devised while riding several thousand miles to the start of the Tour Divide.

After setting countless course records on bikepacking routes around the world, Lael is focusing all her energy on racing this year. Following her grueling experience on the Tour Divide that saw her coughing up blood, vomiting for weeks, and struggling to breathe, she’s preparing to complete the Triple Crown, which consists of the Tour Divide, the Colorado Trail race, and the Arizona Trail race. Lael tells Payson about working with a coach this year for the first time, her potential route for racing around the world next year, and why she and her wife Rugile Kaladyte, a visual journalist, haven’t been producing as many media projects about her riding lately. Payson also chats with Rue about what it was like following Lael’s Tour Divide race from afar, and how she plans to spend the rest of the season.

Our full episode with Rue from 2021 can be found here: #127 Rugile Kaladyte, photojournalist and videographer
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