Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
Adam Baranski’s and Michael Sharp's friendship is built on a shared love of cycling. From tough trails to leisurely rides, their adventures are filled with stories, banter, and authentic connection. Their podcast blends entertaining anecdotes, heartfelt conversations, and cycling excitement—welcoming you into their community and the joy of the open road.
Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
Space Helmets And Brake Checks On Tour
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One brutal truth defines the Tour de France time trial: you can do everything right and still lose time. We pick apart Stage 16’s individual time trial where Remco Evenepoel rips the course at blistering speed, grabs the stage win, and claws back 28 seconds on Tadej Pogacar. It’s a big moment for Remco’s confidence and a clear reminder that against the clock, he’s one of the most dangerous riders in the world.
But the yellow jersey story stays complicated. Pogacar limits the damage and carries a commanding GC lead of 4 minutes and 32 seconds into the next day, which forces a real question: is the Tour still open, or does it take chaos to crack that margin? We talk through what that gap means tactically, how two straight wins can shift a team’s mindset, and why momentum matters even when the standings barely move.
Then the episode takes a darker turn with a reported road rage incident involving Brandon McNulty on the way to the start, plus the emotional gut punch of Florian Lipowitz crashing near the finish and abandoning the race. We keep it grounded in what’s known while also speaking plainly about cyclist safety and how moments like these can rattle a squad.
We wrap by nerding out on time trial gear and marginal gains and then look ahead to Stage 17: mostly flat, likely controlled by sprinter teams, but still full of breakaway intrigue. If you like Tour de France analysis, cycling tactics, and smart takes with a little banter, subscribe, share the show with a riding buddy, and leave us a review. What do you think decides the Tour more often, legs or luck?
Adam and Michael’s friendship has grown through years of shared miles, challenges, and laughter on the bike. Their passion for cycling has carried them through life’s twists and turns, creating a bond full of stories, jokes, and unforgettable rides. In their podcast, they bring that same spirit to the mic—sharing adventures, trading banter, and welcoming listeners into their cycling community. Whether tackling steep climbs or cruising open roads, their conversations capture the fun, friendship, and freedom that cycling brings. Tune in for stories that celebrate the ride and the camaraderie that makes it unforgettable.
and Remember,
It's a Great Day for a Bike Ride!
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Buddy, you're muted. Oh my God, after all of that. Hold on one second. Hold on one second. I'm gonna cut it out.
SPEAKER_05Welcome back to the Cycling Men of Leisure's Tour de France update. This is a mini podcast we like to call the Leisure Breakaway. Uh today the riders traded mountain legs for stopwatch nerves
Mic Trouble Then Quick Reset
SPEAKER_05as the race of truth delivered blazing speeds, dramatic crashes, and another reminder that every second matters. We'll break down Rimco Evanpool's brilliant ride and what it means for Toddy and the yellow jersey and take a look at uh forward at tomorrow's ride. I am Michael, and with me as always is my good friend Adam.
SPEAKER_01Pagotcha, pagotcha, pagotcha. Oh,
Stage 16 Time Trial Recap
SPEAKER_01sorry. I was yeah, I'm here. I'm alive. Yeah, thanks. Oh, sorry. Pagotcha. I'm just making sure I know how to say that. Good to be with you, buddy.
SPEAKER_05Good to be here. Another day uh after the rest day yesterday. Uh crazy, crazy day. Uh the distance today, today was the individual time trials. Uh the distance was what was the distance? The distance was 16.2 miles here for us Americans. For everyone else, it was 26.1 kilometers. Uh elevation gained was only 450 millim uh kilometers, which is only 1,475 feet. Stage winner today. Did I not call this yesterday?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I thought it was B, but go ahead.
SPEAKER_05No, you're raising your hands. What's he raising? No, you were not the winner. But I think yesterday, some brilliant mind on this show said that Rimco Evanpool was going to win and get some time back. And I believe he did win. So all quick step. Yeah, he took it. Uh winning time was 32 minutes and 19 seconds. His average speed was 48.5 kilometers, which is 30.1 miles per hour for us Americans. Uh, it was it was awesome. Uh Evan Poole reminded everyone that he is indeed uh, if not one of the world's best time trialist, um, winning his second consecutive stage and taking 28 seconds off the race leader. Now, yesterday, I believe, if you remember, I said I thought he could take back some time. I honestly thought he would take back probably about 45 seconds, but uh he got back 28, which is that's a that's a start. Um Pogatya, though, did limit his damage. Uh, he still has a commanding overall lead of four minutes and 32 seconds going into tomorrow's stage. Uh, the big news was uh Florian Lipowitz crashed near the finish. Unfortunately, he had to abandon the tour. Um, and he was actually doing really well, so that's that's kind of sad there. And it was uh you know, time trials are never my favorite thing. It does break the race up just a just a shade. Uh there was another big story, but I'm gonna let you talk a little bit about that. But um it did not nothing changed in the uh overall jersey standings. So that's what I got. But I'll let you uh talk about another little uh story that
Lipowitz Crash And GC Snapshot
SPEAKER_05that happened prior to the race.
SPEAKER_01Well, we've got uh we've got a very interesting thing. We have a road rage incident. Um and and what I find interesting about this is I'm gonna go to my story here, and it says uh American cyclist Brandon McNulty, who rides for EAU to EAE, oh my god, UAE team, Emirates, uh supports race leaders. Uh Pagaccha was cycling towards the start of the individual time trial. According to the team member and CEO, um he said he was uh he was driving behind McNulty, apparently became uh a driver
McNulty Road Rage Incident
SPEAKER_01behind McNulty became angry. Sorry about that. And then the motorist overtook McNulty and then stopped and reportedly uh braked abruptly. Uh in America, we call that let me pull around you and brake check you. And this is exactly what what he did. And unfortunately he couldn't stop and he did fall. He collided with the vehicle and fell, but luckily he was not seriously injured and was able to complete the stage. Um the CEO characterized it as an apparently road rage incident, saying the driver was a little bit upset for an unknown reason. I don't know. If you pull in front of a cyclist and brake check them, I think you're more than just a little bit upset.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I think there's some therapy that's needed or something because I don't know. It just seems really odd. I really hope McNulty uh put a nice big dent in the back of whatever kind of vehicle he had. So that also brings another thing that surprises me that and maybe he was out just getting some miles in. I'm assuming he he wasn't going from, you know, the the trailer to the start line. I'm assuming he was like out on the road, maybe you know, getting warmed up or something. But you'd think that there would be a little bit more security around the general area of of that, and it doesn't say how far away it was or anything like that, but um, you know, we talk about this all the time. What a jack wagon.
SPEAKER_01So uh the only fact that I did find, and and I wanted to make sure when we talk about here the facts that we have um is he did only have minor injuries. Um but you're the lawyer on the show normally, because if I say something, you usually protect me. I have to make sure that I read the following statement. Um there is no confirmation that the driver's identity, police investigation, charges, or an independent determination that that breaking was deliberate. Therefore, the road rage is presently the team's description of the episode, not the publicly established legal finding. So I just you're usually the lawyer, so I figured I would mention that. Although everybody knows that when a car breaks fast, so you are uncomfortable. That's brake checking, road rage.
SPEAKER_05So especially if he pulled out and like sped by you really fast, gunned the engine, and then slid in in front of you. And but you bring up a good point. Uh right now, all we've got is the the team CEO explaining to us what happened. He said it wasn't really a big deal. Um, you know, we'll see if anything develops or we get any additional uh information about this later in the week.
SPEAKER_01You mentioned Evan Poole. You said, you know, that you you did. Um I'll say it right here. You said last night that you thought that he was gonna be, you know, the exciting part of the time trials today was that maybe if he could knock off more than you know the 20 something, 28 seconds, I think you said. Um uh but it says there uh the uh reminds everyone how dangerous he is against the clock. Uh he could not erase uh a multitude minute, a multi-minute deficit, but the stage was another demonstration of his world-class time trial ability. Um but um one of the things that was interesting because I kind of was watching some bullet points, making sure that I would be ready for the Road Adventures of Cycling Man of Leisure podcast. I was looking at the oversized chain rings. I thought that was very interesting. Those arrow helmets that look like they're going to space. Uh the skin suits that would make me look like a sausage casing. Uh the the disc wheels, the olive oil to get those skin suits on. You know, you oh oh wait, there was no olive oil.
SPEAKER_05But that's only if you were trying to put the skin suit on. Or me, you know.
SPEAKER_01But but but it got it got me thinking. Like, I remember uh a good friend of ours um was talking about like the weight of his bike, and oh, I changed the bottle bottle because it dropped it by you know three grams and everything.
Time Trial Tech And Marginal Gains
SPEAKER_01And I think this would be a perfect case for that. Where these guys are on time trials, and it's an this could be the difference of a major thing. But I don't know, guy out in ragbri, you change your water bottle because it dropped it, you know, three three ounces or whatever.
SPEAKER_05You know, dropping, I don't know. And in a rag bri or something like that, you can drop it a pound. I will venture to say it's not going to help you one bit. But uh, when you look at the technology behind the time trial bikes, uh, you know, they use special bikes. Obviously, you've talked about they have this high-tech skin suits that I mean is incredible, incredible fabric, and they're tested and all this stuff for wind resistance and all that kind of thing. Uh the helmets are, you know, just out of control uh as far as how they're designed. Uh and just even like the wheels and stuff like that. I mean, it's incredible, all the technology that goes into any of these professional bikes, but certainly the time trial bikes. But yeah, I think guys like you and I, uh just just keep whatever uh water bottle holder you got there because uh reducing it by four grams or probably reducing it by two pounds is really not gonna make any difference in the ride that the rides that we do.
SPEAKER_01I mean, just like my de brim. Oh, wait a minute. Never mind.
SPEAKER_05That acts as a sale and actually works against you, but it also you will disregard my physics when I try to explain the physics of the de brim and how it hurts you. Yeah, beat me, go ahead. Fine. No, no, no.
SPEAKER_01I I I that I saw you're reaching for the button. You were gonna beat me. The button's down here. See? That's the bee one.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna reach for sometimes the de brim works like a big rain shield and keeps rain off my face.
SPEAKER_05This is why you don't give large children electronics. Keep that in mind.
SPEAKER_01You know, the only thing I thought about some of those helmets is the following. I will wear that helmets all the way to space. All kidding aside, some of those look like so big. I th I picture like putting that uh those helmets on, like you and I just going out for an average Sunday spin.
SPEAKER_05Every time I see those helmets, I start to think of uh what was that movie, the the space spoof movie?
SPEAKER_01Melbourne's space balls.
SPEAKER_05Space balls, when uh you know the Darth Vader character had that huge, huge helmet that was like three times the size of his head. I just that just always goes through my mind.
SPEAKER_01But I'm surrounded by holes. How many holes are on this ship? You know, we never did do the movie show. We gotta do that.
SPEAKER_05So uh uh, you know, I've been I've been doing some work on it. It it's it's uh a little bit more complex than you might think, but we'll uh we'll get that up there. So what what else? Tomorrow's a normal day.
SPEAKER_01So Pagatya lost the battle, but strengthened his grip on the war, is what I've got. And and where I come from come from that is you know, you mentioned the 45 seconds that you thought was possible. It's only 28. Um, and then my question to you is while yes, his 28 seconds difference, do you think that could be used as a success? I mean, do you think that's I mean the 28 seconds is still gonna probably be now that I'm paying more attention, we got a last week coming up. I'll let you talk about stage 17. I'm not gonna suck your thunder out there, but um do you think that four minutes and 32 seconds, I mean, short of no crashes, short of
Can Remco Still Threaten Yellow
SPEAKER_01I mean, if he keeps riding like he is, it's is it's almost impossible to catch him, right?
SPEAKER_05Uh it's very, very unlikely. I'm not gonna use the word impossible. Excuse me. It's very unlikely that he'll get caught. However, I will say this this is two days in a row Rimco has won. That could be a powerful motivator. I mean, when you look at he's won two days in a row, sure, he's got four and a half minutes, but he gained back basically a half a minute over the last two days in those two wins. Um, you know, I I think it's a long shot, but I still think it's possible. Gotcha. Gotcha. I think this really has got Rimco going. I think the team is really going and they're looking at it. It's like it's a lot of time to make up. But uh, you know, Toddy's been doing a lot of work. I don't know what kind of you know condition he's in, this kind of thing. We'll we'll I mean I obviously he's in good condition, but I'm just saying how tired he's getting from doing those massive attacks on those mountains, you know, day after day, like he was doing. I think I think there's still some life in this horse, and we'll we'll watch. So I I think uh I think it's gonna get a little tighter than what it currently is, but we'll see. Same thing could be said, I guess, about Rimco. Well, you know, he's been pedaling hard and all that kind of thing. But two two back-to-back wins like that, that can give you a lot of confidence and a and a boost for the team. So we'll see.
SPEAKER_01And before we finish this up and talk about stage 17, uh, I I do have one other thing. What about the emotion versus the numbers? I mean, obviously Evan Poole won, but then the crash involving Lipowitz, I mean, you know, it caused a little bit of emotion there.
SPEAKER_05And that's the other thing. And I and before we we came on and started recording, I uh we were talking about that incident, and I was like, look at the team that he's on. I mean, that's Toddy's team. Guy got hit, uh, car, not major, but any all these little things add up. And you've been riding hard for two weeks and you're in the heat of competition, and you got one more week to go, and the heat's been killing, and I will guarantee you, half of the Peloton is just hanging on for deer life because it's just been so grueling. And little things like that, like getting, you know, clipped by a vehicle, even though it didn't hurt anybody, I think that that can get in your head. And, you know, RuneCo's won two days in a row. One of our main domestiques, you know, got clipped by a car. Uh, you know, it all starts, you know, cracking the the moral, I wouldn't say the moral, but starts cracking the fabric of the team, the the togetherness, and we'll see.
SPEAKER_01Well, all right. Well, uh give us what stage 17 has to offer. And uh I know everyone's been loving the song. You only get one more week of the song, although we could maybe slide it in once in a while just for fun, but officially only one last week.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, uh tomorrow, uh hundred and seventy-four point seven kilometers uh for you and I. That's 108.6 miles. Tomorrow's gonna be mostly flat, uh, some slight rolling terrain, um, which obviously that's gonna favor the sprinters, providing that the breakaway uh is reeled in before the finish line. Now, tomorrow, uh, because of we've had several days of mountains, watch the breakaway. Because I think you'll see uh very strong breakaways start out, and I will would almost bet you will see teams pulling those breakaways
Stage 17 Preview And Breakaway Tease
SPEAKER_05in, um, not letting them get out there and get started. But I'm gonna venture to say by halfway through the ride, one of those breakaways, probably with uh, you know, five to ten people, will get out there, will be able to break some time. I doubt they'll be able to stay out there, but I think they'll make it uh a fun uh day um because basically those sprinter teams are gonna control the gonna control the ride. But I think we'll see breakaways try. I think they'll pull them back. I think one will get out, I think it'll be fun for a while, but before the finish line, the sprinting teams will come back in and pull them in, and we'll see how uh Rimco does. Um we're not in the mountains, although Toddy does good and all the stuff. Rim Rimco is more suited towards the the flatter days, so we'll see.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh speaking of breakaway, tomorrow um I have been spending a couple days preparing, making sure I'm gonna talk about breakaway. I'm gonna talk about the pros, the cons. Um, and yes, there are both actually. So tomorrow I'll I'll be uh breaking that down. That'll be my my addition. So if you uh are l looking to check that out and wondering when we talk about leisure breakaway, or although they're probably not having much leisure, but uh uh but uh yeah, well, I'll give some facts and figures about breakaway.
SPEAKER_05So that's that's a good idea because I I don't think some people understand, you know, why do you break away, have these breakaways when most of the time they don't succeed. And uh there's team strategy involved and there's individual strategy involved. And uh yeah, I'd like I I look forward to hearing you uh talk talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_01That sounds good. Until then.
SPEAKER_03Welcome to the show breakup.
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