Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Guys, this is it; the final Race Communiqué of 2026. What a year it’s been! I couldn’t wait to dial up Durbs and Southam to relive the best moments of the season and soak it all in before the bikes go in the garage for the off-season.

Of course, we couldn’t just end with a regular old season wrap up, so I called up old mate and master statistician Dr. Cillian Kelly to host a special edition of the CommuniQuiz!

That’s right, Me VS Southam VS Durbo for ultimate bragging and beer rights. This is a bumper edition with some really tricky questions and a picture round, and Cillian’s really got us on the rack with this one, so play along at home and see if you can do better than any of us ...it shouldn’t be too hard.

Guys, it’s been one hell of a year here at Life In The Peloton, and I’ve loved having you all listening along. I want to say a big old cheers to Tom Southam and Luke Durbridge for joining me on The Race Communiqué for another season of racing chat and laughs, a massive thanks to our friends at TrainingPeaks for making it all happen, and - of course - a special congratulations to Durbs for a stellar career. Enjoy the eternal off season, mate.

Cheers,

Mitch

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The pro calendar is winding down for another year. The world champs are done, Lombardy’s only a few days away, and plenty of riders are racking their bikes ready for a well earned off season. It’s not just the pros getting ready to crack open a few cold ones after a hard year on the road, Harry and Stu - better known as Life In The Peloton’s Race Radio presented by SHOKZ - are heading to Italy for their final race of 2027.

The Italian Classics that pepper the weeks before Il Lombardia are exactly that - classics. These are some of the oldest races around with deep, rich histories and die-hard, passionate fans; the Tifosi. Although they’re not the most well known races, they have an absolutely amazing atmosphere. I only raced a few of these in my career and, let me tell you, they’re bloody hard, but they were such a cool way to end a year of racing.

Harry & Stu have been right there sipping espresso amongst the Nonnas at the Coppa Bernocchi and Tre Valli Varesine. Here’s what old mate Harry had to say about their time in Italia:

Harry: "Italy. Land of art and culture. Of fashion and elegance. Of endless carbs. Of cinema and polemica. Of pneumatic blondes and plastic surgeons. Of great cyclists and drug scandals. Of Mario Cipollini and Marco Pantani.

We came for this exaggerated view, but what we got was a blissful few days bathing in the autumnal sun at two humble, beautiful one-day races in the lead up to Lombardia. As Giro winner Jai Hindley told us: ‘there’s just something in the air, mate’. Take us back.”

This episode is absolutely packed. If you’re a bike racing fan you have to get your ears around this. There’s interviews with some total legends like Jai Hindley, Michael Matthews, Alan Marangoni, and Charly Wegelius, Harry flexes his Italian skills, and the boys take us on an incredible tour around the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo chapel and museum - the ultimate pilgrimage destination for all cyclists.

The boys have finished their season with a bang with this one; the podcast equivalent of winning Lombardy. I do miss the races over in Europe, but having Harry and Stu get roadside this season to capture the atmosphere, tell the story of the race, and share the pure joy of watching bike races has made me feel like I’m right back there.

None of this would be possible without our good friends at SHOKZ, so get across to SHOKZ’s website, and enjoy a cheeky discount for being a LITP listener.

One more Race Radio episode to go in 2027; their end of season awards show. I can’t wait to hear it.

Cheers,

Mitch

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The 2026 Montreal Road Race World Championship was the best race I’ve ever seen. I am actually a bit lost for words after watching that. With Pogačar out, we knew it was going to be exciting, but who could have predicted THAT?!

A race like that deserves an emergency podcast, so I called up EF Education Easypost DS Tom Southam and Greenedge pro cyclist Luke Durbridge for this special episode of The Race Communiqué.

In this episode, Luke, Tom, and I unpack everything that went down on the streets of Montreal. 270 kms with almost 4,000m of elevation was always going to be a brutal day out that left only the strongest riders fighting out for the win, and that’s exactly what we got.

Endless attacks from Pidcocks, dramatic collapses from Evenepoel and Seixas, an incredible comeback from Pedersen, and a ridiculous show of strength from USA Jorgenson, Simmons, and - the eventual winner - Brandon McNulty; you could not look away from start to finish.

Guys, there are just so many stories from this race to list here. You’re gonna have to sit back, get yourself a big steaming bowl of Poutine, and relive this absolutely incredible race with us right here on the Race Communiqué

Cheers,

Mitch

The Race Communiqué is brought to you by TrainingPeaks! Track, plan, and train smarter - just like the pros.

Get 20% off TrainingPeaks Premium now at trainingpeaks.com/litp