VeloNews Podcast: Michael Woods vs. Trek-Segafredo in France; Kiel Reijnen’s UAE Tour dispatch

Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) took on Trek-Segafredo this past weekend at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var and almost won. In this week’s episode, we break down the thrilling early-season battle in France and discuss what it means for Woods and for Trek-Segafredo, which has started 2021 with a bang.

Then, we examine the UAE Tour and why Chris Froome’s comeback to racing does not appear to be going well. Tadej Pogačar, Sepp Kuss, and other stars seem to be on form, while Froome is more than a few watts shy of where he needs to be. Plus, Mathieu van der Poel’s team had to pull out of UAE Tour after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19. Could van der Poel now race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad? Andrew Hood explains the process van der Poel must go through in order to race.

Then, American Kiel Reijnen (Trek-Segafredo) joins the podcast for a dispatch from the UAE Tour, where brutal winds and painful echelons have torn the race apart. Kiel offers his insight into what it’s like to ride in an echelon, and why the effort provided by the UAE Tour is so important for classics racers like himself.

This week’s podcast is sponsored by Flobikes.com, which is your broadcast home for the spring classics. Watch Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and more races live and on-demand in the U.S. and Canada. Subscribe today.