The Cycling Performance Podcast

What separates raw talent from a rider who actually reaches their potential?

Nathan Haas sits down with Esra Tromp, General Manager of EF Education-Oatly, to talk about how talent is identified, developed and sometimes missed in professional cycling.

Drawing on her experience as a rider and years spent building and leading women’s cycling teams, Esra shares what she looks for beyond the numbers, from curiosity and mentality to adaptability, patience and simply enjoying the sport.

They discuss why young riders shouldn’t rush their development, the danger of comparing yourself to cycling’s rare “diamonds,” how to figure out what kind of rider you really are, and why asking questions can be one of the most valuable traits an athlete can have.

They also explore why coming to cycling later isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, how playing different sports can build better athletes, and why reaching your potential often has as much to do with time, environment and personality as physical ability.

What if the biggest thing limiting your performance isn’t your physiology, but what you believe you’re capable of?In this episode of The Cycling Performance Podcast, Nathan Haas and Colby Pearce sit down with elite gravel and ultra-endurance racer Maddy Nutt to talk about performance, identity, risk, data, and what it really means to find your limits.Maddy’s path into cycling hasn’t been a conventional one. She only started riding seriously at 20, with cycling initially built around coffee rides, adventures, and having fun on the bike. Eventually, she left a career in finance to see how far she could take racing. Five years later, she’s become one of the world’s top ultra-gravel riders, with a second place at Unbound XL among a growing list of results.But recent physiological testing with Team EF Coaching challenged something Maddy had long believed about herself as an athlete.She’d always thought of herself as a classic endurance “diesel”: someone who could ride hard for a very long time, but without much ability to produce short, explosive efforts.The testing showed something different. Alongside her exceptional endurance capacity, Maddy also had a surprisingly powerful glycolytic system.And that raised a bigger question: how much of what we think we’re capable of is shaped by physiology, and how much is shaped by the story we’ve been telling ourselves?That discovery becomes the starting point for a much wider conversation about data, self-belief, risk, and whether finding your limits sometimes starts with questioning what you thought they were.

For many coaches, the menstrual cycle feels like one of the hardest conversations to start. But avoiding it doesn’t help athletes perform at their best. In this episode, Nathan Haas and Colby Pearce are joined by Professor Kerry McGawley, a leading researcher in female athlete health and performance, to unpack what coaches and athletes actually need to know about the menstrual cycle. They explore why communication matters more than expertise, how coaches can create an environment where athletes feel comfortable discussing their health, and why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to female performance. Along the way, they discuss common menstrual symptoms, the latest evidence on performance throughout the menstrual cycle, REDs, hormonal contraception, and practical strategies for supporting female athletes without overcomplicating training. Whether you’re a coach, an athlete, or simply interested in the science of women’s health in sport, this conversation offers practical, evidence-based insights grounded in both research and real-world coaching. Professor Kerry McGawley is Professor of Sports Science at Mid Sweden University, where she researches elite endurance performance and female athlete health. She also consults with athletes and teams worldwide and is an accomplished age-group triathlete, including winning the IRONMAN 70.3 Age Group World Championship.

Is heat training the biggest performance breakthrough in endurance sport, or just the latest trend?In this episode, Nathan Haas is joined by Team EF Coaching coach and professional cyclist Francesca Hall and EF Pro Cycling Performance Director Nate Wilson to unpack the science behind one of the hottest topics in endurance performance.
The trio explores why heat training has exploded in popularity, how it differs from traditional heat acclimation, and whether it can genuinely deliver altitude-like physiological adaptations. From plasma volume expansion and hemoglobin mass to nervous system fatigue and practical training protocols, this episode separates evidence from hype.
Whether you're preparing for a hot race, curious about environmental training, or wondering if a heat suit belongs in your training plan, this conversation offers practical, science-backed guidance on how, and when, to use heat training effectively.
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What happens inside your brain when you’re pushing your limits?

In this episode, we sit down with Professor David Spindler to explore the science behind better performance. From making decisions under fatigue to managing emotions during hard efforts, we discuss how your brain influences the way you train, race, and recover.

David explains why breathing is one of the simplest and most effective tools for regulating your nervous system, how your brain responds when you’re under physical stress, and what athletes can do to make better decisions when the pressure is on. We also dive into pacing strategies, mental resilience, and how a better understanding of the brain can help you perform more consistently, both in sport and everyday life.

Whether you’re preparing for your next race or simply looking to train smarter, this conversation is full of practical insights that will change the way you think about performance.

Key Topics

• How the nervous system influences performance
• Making better decisions under fatigue
• Breathing and self-regulation during training and racing
• The role of brain chemistry in endurance performance
• Pacing strategies for long-duration efforts
• Building mental resilience through neuroscience