CASTELLI Cycling Podcast

Kim Le Court Pienaar joins us to discuss the incredible highs and difficult setbacks that followed her breakthrough 2025 season.

From winning Liège–Bastogne–Liège and becoming the first rider representing an African nation to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes, to recovering from a fractured wrist after a devastating spring of crashes, Kim opens up about pressure, self-doubt, resilience, and returning to the biggest race of the season with even bigger ambitions.

Whether you're a cyclist, an athlete, or simply someone fascinated by resilience and high performance, this is an honest conversation about what happens after success, and what it takes to come back even stronger.

– LINKS –
Previous episode:
Kim's Journey into Cycling – Chasing Dreams
Kim's Instagram

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
03:25 Catching up in Tignes before the TdFF
04:10 From promising talent to breakthrough season
07:05 Winning Liège & becoming the first African rider in yellow
10:35 Why winning is the only goal
11:50 Living with pressure, expectations & self-doubt
14:25 Representing Mauritius on the world stage
16:35 The crashes that changed everything
20:30 Recovering from injury & learning resilience
21:50 Returning to racing at the Tour de Suisse
23:50 TdFF ambitions: yellow, stages & GC
25:55 Why teamwork matters more than results
28:40 Looking beyond the Tour: World Championships & the future
31:20 Final thoughts

________

After a breakthrough 2025 season that saw her win Liège–Bastogne–Liège and become the first rider representing an African nation to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes, Kim Le Court Pinaar returns to the Castelli Podcast for an honest conversation about what came next.

Recorded during AG Insurance–Soudal's altitude camp in Tignes, just two weeks before the Tour de France Femmes, Kim reflects on the pressure that follows success, recovering from a fractured wrist after a difficult spring of crashes, and the resilience needed to return to the sport's biggest stage.

We also discuss representing Mauritius, overcoming self-doubt, the importance of the team's "Wolfpack" mentality, and why true success is about far more than results. As Kim prepares to chase yellow once again, she shares the mindset that's driving her into the biggest race of the season.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to win the toughest ultra gravel race in the world?

Rob Britton takes us inside his record-breaking victory at the 2025 Unbound XL, the brutal 350-mile self-supported gravel race across Kansas.

Rob breaks down the key decisions that helped him average over 20 mph for nearly 18 hours and smash the previous course record by more than two hours.

From aerodynamics and nutrition strategy to hydration systems, gravel race tactics, and bike setup optimization, this episode explores how small performance gains compound over ultra-distance racing.

We also dive into the development of Castelli’s first Unlimited Gravel Suit, featuring integrated hydration storage, aerodynamic cargo pockets, and real-world testing at the highest level of gravel racing.

Topics covered in this episode:

•Winning the 2025 Unbound XL
•Gravel racing aerodynamics explained
•Ultra-endurance nutrition and hydration strategy
•Integrated hydration systems in cycling apparel
•Aero gains over 18 hours of racing
•Gravel bike setup for ultra racing
•Racing through the night against Lachlan Morton
•Comfort vs speed in endurance cycling
•The future of gravel race apparel and technology

If you’re into gravel racing, bikepacking, endurance sports, cycling tech, or performance optimization, this episode is packed with insights from one of the fastest ultra-gravel performances ever recorded.

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on cycling performance, innovation, aerodynamics, and elite racing.

– IMPORTANT LINKS –
Rob Britton
Castelli SOG

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
02:38 Quickfire Round
04:05 Chasing Lachlan Morton Through the Night
06:21 Racing History with Lachlan & The Final Catch
07:05 Tactics, Fatigue & Managing the Lead
07:50 Bike Setup, Aerobars & Carrying Nutrition
10:38 Why the Speed Suit Could Have Decided the Race
11:58 How Ultra Racing Has Changed in Recent Years
13:32 First Ride in Castelli's Prototype Gravel Aero Suit
15:25 Nutrition Storage, Hydration & Self-Supported Racing
17:31 Why Ditching the Hydration Pack Was a Huge Advantage
19:35 Aero Performance & Suit Design Details
21:21 Castelli's Aero Heritage & Innovation Story
23:12 Marginal Gains, Ryder Hesjedal & Performance History
23:48 Winter Riding, Future Testing & What's Next
24:18 “The Netflix of Cycling Clothing”
24:28 Outro

– HOST –
Søren Jensen, Global Marketing Manager at Castelli, has worked for this iconic brand since 2006. He usually rides backroads and dirt trails, testing new gear in the Italian Dolomites. If you can't find him there, check the Castelli Headquarters in Fonzaso. Connect:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
If you want your questions to be answered on air, be sure to submit your questions by sending us a message on social media or by email to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@castelli-cycling.com⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate 150 years of innovation, Castelli unveils a special edition Giro d’Italia kit—blending heritage, performance, and cutting-edge design.

In this episode, we sit down with Castelli Global Brand Manager Steve Smith to unpack the story behind the anniversary jersey worn by Soudal Quick-Step. From silk jerseys and the first-ever speed suit to aerodynamic breakthroughs and modern race-day technology, this conversation dives deep into the moments that reshaped cycling apparel.

You’ll hear the untold stories behind iconic innovations, the thinking behind the 150th anniversary design, and what it takes to keep pushing the limits of speed—decade after decade.

This isn’t just a look back. It’s a glimpse into the future of performance.

LINKS
⁠STRAVA Challenge ⁠
⁠Social Ride, May 9⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Gabba R White Paper⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Gabba Story ⁠⁠🎧
⁠Gabba Wind Tunnel Testing⁠ 🎧

CHAPTERS
00:00 — 150 Years of Castelli
00:57 — From Silk to Speed
02:00 — Giro Anniversary Kit
03:29 — Design & Scorpion Timeline
05:50 — 1967: First Speed Suit
07:20 — 1977: Lycra Shorts
09:40 — Colored Shorts Break Rules
11:45 — 1982: Sublimation
12:50 — 2007: Aero Race
16:20 — Aero Adoption
17:05 — Gabba & Sanremo
17:56 — Today’s Fastest Kit
20:29 — Marginal Gains
20:56 — Wind Tunnel Life
21:23 — Peak Aero?
23:39 — Innovation Pressure
24:41 — Future Materials
25:22 — Where to Buy
26:09 — Closing Thoughts

– HOST –
Søren Jensen, Global Marketing Manager at Castelli, has worked for this iconic brand since 2006. He usually rides backroads and dirt trails, testing new gear in the Italian Dolomites. If you can't find him there, check the Castelli Headquarters in Fonzaso. Connect:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
If you want your questions to be answered on air, be sure to submit your questions by sending us a message on social media or by email to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@castelli-cycling.com⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full-time school teacher by day, ultra gravel powerhouse by night — Svenja Betz is redefining what’s possible in endurance sport.

She didn’t just take on the biggest races in ultra gravel — she won them all. First Unbound XL, then The Traka Adventure, and Badlands.

Her rise has been anything but conventional. She doesn’t train full-time. She doesn’t follow the typical pro playbook. And she doesn’t sleep during races.
Instead, she relies on instinct, resilience, and a deep love for the process.

In this conversation, we dive into what really matters when the distances get serious: how to fuel properly without falling into energy deficits, how to pace when sleep isn’t an option, and how to stay mentally strong when everything starts to fall apart.

Svenja also opens up about balancing elite performance with a demanding career, navigating the pressure of social media, and why being “skinny” isn’t the key to going faster.

If you’re curious about ultra cycling or wondering how far you could really go, this episode might just challenge your assumptions and inspire you to push your own limits.

– IMPORTANT LINKS –
Follow Svenja Betz: https://www.instagram.com/svenja__betz/
Castelli SOG: https://www.instagram.com/castelli_sog/

– CHAPTERS –
00:00 – Intro
02:18 – Balancing teaching + ultra racing
05:25 – Training with limited time
09:41 – 52 hours, zero sleep
13:45 – Intervals vs endurance
18:36 – Nutrition, RED-S & weight myths
22:51 – Fueling strategy in ultras
25:31 – Heat, hydration & survival
32:12 – Are you ready for 500km+?
40:14 – Mental toughness & self-talk
43:05 – Winning move at Badlands
47:34 – Social media vs reality
54:47 – Castelli kit, mindset & identity
59:33 – What’s next: new goals

– HOST –
Søren Jensen, Global Marketing Manager at Castelli, has worked for this iconic brand since 2006. He usually rides backroads and dirt trails, testing new gear in the Italian Dolomites. If you can't find him there, check the Castelli Headquarters in Fonzaso. Connect:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
If you want your questions to be answered on air, be sure to submit your questions by sending us a message on social media or by email to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@castelli-cycling.com⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of our conversation with sports performance nutritionist Dani Hofstetter, we go beyond theory and into the real-world habits that actually improve endurance performance.

From properly fueling long and double training days to understanding why most athletes underestimate their glycogen needs, this episode breaks down what really matters when it comes to carbohydrate intake, recovery, and metabolic efficiency.

We dive into:
Why you can’t fix bad fueling during the ride
The critical first hour post-training (and why most athletes waste it)
Simple, repeatable habits that outperform complex strategies
The risks of underfueling, RED-S, and chasing weight loss too aggressively
How to stay consistent when juggling training, work, and life

Fresh off his new book Train, Eat, Repeat, Dani shares a clear, no-nonsense approach to nutrition—cutting through trends, supplements, and overcomplication to focus on what actually works.

Whether you’re chasing performance gains or just want to feel better on the bike, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can apply immediately.

👉 If you haven’t listened to part one, start there first:
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000758776017

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
3:05 Why you can’t fuel hard training during the ride
4:03 The missing habit: building consistent fueling routines
5:25 Why post-ride nutrition gets neglected
7:53 The ideal recovery shake formula
8:59 Hydration: how much you actually need to replace
9:24 Planning vs reality: why logistics kill recovery
10:48 Train less, recover better? The real performance gain
11:00 Weight loss & performance: a risky trade-off
13:09 RED-S explained: warning signs athletes ignore
18:37 Nutrition mistakes when traveling
24:03 Probiotics, supplements & gut health
25:49 3 race nutrition rules for hotel stays
28:27 Why there are no shortcuts in nutrition
29:44 Biohacking, social media & performance myths
31:32 Study: social media can reduce performance by 9%
37:18 A perfect fueling day for a long ride
41:11 Protein, carbs & fiber: simple daily guidelines
44:11 The idea behind Train, Eat, Repeat
51:25 Favorite Castelli winter kit
54:27 Outro

– LINKS –
TRAIN EAT REPEAT - The Endurance Cookbook
https://www.dorlingkindersley.de/buch/marlene-low-feride-dogum-dani-hofstetter-fabian-haefeli-train-eat-repeat-9783831050734

PREVIOUS EPISODES
Smart Nutrition for Hot Weather Riding
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000722138953

RED-S Ep. 1
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000671492861

RED-S Ep. 2
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000672166132

Sports Nutrition: Winter Training, Indoor Riding
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000639782748

Sports Nutrition: Race Day Fueling, Hydration Strategy
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000638271631

Sports Nutrition: What is the Optimal Diet for Cycling Performance
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000636862451

Sports Nutrition: Carbs, Fruits, Veggies for Everyday Performance
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000635636881

– CONNECT –
Dani Hofstetter
⁠Website⁠: ⁠
https://danihofstetter.ch⁠
Instagram⁠
https://www.instagram.com/dh_performance_nutrition/

Host: Soren Jensen⁠⁠⁠
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjensen77
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.