Holy Spirit of Gravel

The Holy Spirit of Gravel digs in on two weeks of gravel and whatever the Leadville stage race is because we were getting sick of the Tour (hommes) (we love it but).

Gravel Earth Series seems to be winning the aesthetics war currently with their women’s Rift coverage… I think the men’s was in there somewhere. Foco Fondo had a dialed, grassroots-coded livestream where we could see some normie style aid station usage. Leadville stage...

Holy Spirit of Gravel DESTROYS NBC Sports' coverage of the Tour De France. As much as we enjoy this time of year, why does the Peacock coverage in America feel disconnected from the things that we love about cycling in America? Are we too gravel-pilled, or is the broadcast disengaged from the best parts of cycling in America?

-guys in suits

-Bradley Wiggins and George Hincapie working out

-track cycling to UCI British Olympic pipe...

Today marks our first ever interview on the Holy Sprit of Gravel podcast. We are calling this series the Beyond Privateer Chronicles (until I think of something better).

We're joined by German pro elite hitter Paul Sandmann. You might know him for his 38th place result in Unbound 2025. He pulls back the curtain on life as a lesser-known gravel hitter, if the privateer model is worth it, and the differences between Euro gravel a...

The Holy Spirit talks about SBT GRVL for way too long. It ends up being a podcast about lap races in gravel, neutral feed zones and MAURTEN's nutrition. (Not to be confused with Morton's Steak House or Morton's salt). The Cooldown with Alexey Vermuelen and Keegan Swenson provided insight into a race weekend of narrow tires and champagne gravel from the perspective of the gravel elite.

Eventually, there is a vibe check on Oregon ...

We had to reupload this episode due to the audio being horribly corrupted on the previous one (it made it seem like we were high on uppers interrupting each other constantly but in reality the audio was desynced). We are sorry and we strive to DO BETTER. We are not perfect but we will learn from this experience. Sorry again to everyone, now on to the show. If you were late and this is your first time listening just disregard the la...

Father's day is done and dusted but The Pod Squad goes deeper on Gravel Dad theory and categorization.  Understanding that Gravel Dads can range from ages 22-100 with different skills and vibes.  Also--should sherpas stop escorting rich people up Mount Everest and help wealthy/pathetic gravel dads up climbs? Of course there is lingering Unbound banter.

Other topics include:

-The Cam Jones Media Tour

-The Karo Mignon Winning Every...

"Is American crit racing WASHED?" -some one way too into gravel

The Holy Spirit touches grass after getting TOO activated at UNBOUND. She documents going on a ride without her Wahoo. Then she starts reading about Gravel Earth's Festivus Gravel, attended by Lifetime Grand Prix hitter Simon Pellaud.

The PD SQD (pod squad privateer team) accidentally starts talking about crit racing in America because Tulsa Tough happened. They are incr...

Holy Spirit ventured to Emporia, Kansas to get ACTIVATED. The 200 mile pro field race was full of ruts, dangerous riding by non-elite riders, and clogged with normies on the course. Is it time to redefine the spirit of gravel? (aka the discussion that happens after every race)

More importantly, did the Holy Spirit almost end the race of an unnamed privateer (named John Borstelmann).

Lifetime Grand Prix is actually good this year beca...

The Holy Spirit prepares to head to the most ACTIVATED city in the world--Emporia, Kansas. There's activations, there's GU wrappers, and there's apparently a gravel Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The PD SQD (pod squad) previews the UNBOUND 200 with no information or data. More importantly, will normies be taking selfies with privateers at shakeout rides? The event will be livestreamed, but will we get more vibes than people shout...

EMERGENCY POD to discuss Dylan Johnson's accident--he was hit by a truck and details are scarce. All we know is that he won't be at UNBOUND--not even an activation. His absence will be felt, but will it lead to a revolution of DJ content? Is it time to break up the Bonk Bros? Alexey Vermuelen was on Payson's "With Pace" episode where they talk about gravel mortality. Unbound is going to have a livestream! Gravel is being 'perceived...

The Holy Spirit's Unbound Block Party is going hard and she balances training load with activations. What is the future of Emporia, Kansas? Will it be filled with youtube CREATOR HOUSES in 2025?

Elsewhere, the gravel calendar never sleeps as Giro Stage 9 featured 29.9 km of CERTIFIED GRAVEL, The Gralloch was a CERTIFIED UCI gravel race (they're real?) where the livestream didn't work and Pete Stetina's Paydirt ACTIVA...

Today, we talk about the GCN crew getting carjacked by Catalonian gangsters when they left Traka.  By the way, who watches GCN?  The Holy Spirit begins to document her Unbound Block, including a fall and an extreme stroad ride.  We breakdown some of Traka's best content from Maddy Nutt and vc letsgetit. Musings include neglected greenways, Girona work permits, Sepp Kuss privateer arc, and a future where all bikes have insta360 came...

Sorry Lifetime Grand Prix-- but is the Trakka was the greatest gravel race of all time? We digitally travel to the streets of Girona, attend some sick afterparties and activations, and embedded ourselves in the 10 hour Trakka livestream to bring you the best race and culture analysis available.  It was a huge day for Pas Racing aka Pas Normal Studios. Will this increase their market share in America, and are they on their way to Ra...

Riffs Include:

• New chain ring
• Am I an influencer?

• Recapping roadie coded grass roots gravel race
• Dad Watt Express
• Too much pavement?
• Wife yelling at husband for not pulling
• Psychology of hitter-coded normies
• Bathroom etiquette in rural communities
• Hitters with changing closet robes
• Ben Delaney unfollowed Holy Spirit of Gravel rumor
• K Hole at a Trakka Afterparty
• Daxton Mock Fantasy Gravel Draft
• What happened to Keegan at Whiskey Off...

Holy Spirit and Gravel Dad recap The Growler, a pro race during Levi's Gran Fondo. Is this the salvation of American road racing in America? Or just a road race re-skinned as a gravel race?  Americans got to turn on Youtube and watch a pro race called by British prestige cycling voices Matt Stephens (NOT Lauren's husband) and the pride of greater manchester Hannah Walker.  We're a long way from a cafe ride and the sprin...

We hit many riffs, they include:

• Tertiary city greenbelt trail KOMs

• Mountain bike drafting bros

• Normie bike crash rehab

• Depressing used bike marketplace

• Social politics of Canyon bike sizing

• Joey Pidcock finishing last at Paris Roubaix

• Valterri Bottas bike-fluencer era

• Gravel Earth Series vs Lifetime Grand Prix video production

• Pete Stetina jump scare

• What...

We were not anywhere near the Sea Otter Classic elite field Gravel race this Thursday but the Holy Spirit was locked into the instagram live feed and we had to talk about it to Gravel Dad.

Today's Riffs include...

-Simon Pelluad + Tudor Cycling team is taking over American Gravel Cycling?

-unhinged normies projecting Matt Beers vs Keegan Cape Epic drama

-Lifetime production team killed it with their DIY livestream and rapid uploads ev...