Open Mic With Mike Creed

THIS EPISODE Mike joins Levi Leipheimer for dinner and discussion in Santa Rosa, and we're treated to a rare, frank conversation with one of the most-sought-after interviews in cycling. In between tasty bites at a sidewalk café, Levi shares some honest perspective with Mike about his seventeen-year career as a racer, being a controversial figure in the sport, and a his life as a passionate advocate for cycling and bike racing. He and Mike compare notes on retirement, what they miss and don't miss, how the bike is still a magical thing, and what the future holds in store for them both. Oh, and Levi calls Mike "such a dick" as they dish on race announcers and how hard it is to commentate a race, and they reminisce on how unhealthy it was to be a pro living in Girona back in the day. Good times. Open Mic with Mike Creed is sponsored by The Colorado Cyclist, Mike’s very first professional cycling team in 1998. Thanks to everyone at Colorado Cyclist for their support of Mike over the years, and a big thank you t

THIS EPISODE Mike catches up with peloton pal and teammate George Hincapie. Nineteen years as a pro, tied for the record number of Tour de France starts, George recounts a life on the bike and what he's doing to keep busy now. He and Mike trade stories and talk about some of the luxuries of retirement from pro racing – like chips and calzones – and what they do and don't miss about the monomania of being a bike racer. With 35 national championship titles between them (Mike's 22 to George's 13), they have lots of history and stories to share about the past, and what the future holds in store. Open Mic with Mike Creed is sponsored by The Colorado Cyclist, Mike’s very first professional cycling team in 1998. Thanks to everyone at Colorado Cyclist for their support of Mike over the years, and a big thank you to them for stepping up and sponsoring the podcast and offering two $50 gift cards to our Twitter contest winners. Please visit their website at coloradocyclist.com and give them a follow on Twitter at @co_

THIS EPISODE Mike gets together at the Tour of Alberta with old friend, professional spandex model and pro cyclist Brad Huff, aka HuffyUSA of the Jelly Belly Cycling Team. The guys discuss the difference between interviewing friends vs. *wink* friends; the collision of 'husky genetics', diet, and do-it-yourself eating disorder methods; and how much vanity and self-doubt come into play in the psyche of the pro bike racer. In the course of story-telling, some truths come out about a certain breakaway move in the Qinghai Lake race that causes a bit of a scuffle to break out between Creed and Huff, apologies are demanded, an eventual reconciliation is reached, thankfully, and a major announcement is made. A few "Dirty Dancing" references and verbal smackdowns later, and it's all smiles and reminiscences as they share one hilarious story after another. This is sure to rank among one of the most entertaining "Open Mic" podcasts ever, and we're absolutely certain you're going to be grinning throughout. Enjoy! Ope

THIS EPISODE Mike meets up with Garmin-Sharp's gentleman racer and patron of the peloton, David Millar, at the Tour of Alberta to share a few cocktails and discuss everything from when it's time to call it a day (Spoiler: retirement plans are revealed) and what the future holds, the desperate need to please people vs. proving something to yourself, and how that affects your racing. They explore the balance between fame and self-indulgence, caring about what people think and say about you on social media, interacting (or not) with fans, and the addictive nature and ego trip of Twitter. Creed learns the proper pronunciation of "Millar," shames David into following him on Twitter again, and we're treated to a live nature break on air. Enjoy this fascinating conversation between two very different – and yet similarly stylish – and intelligent cyclists. Open Mic with Mike Creed is sponsored by The Colorado Cyclist, Mike's very first professional cycling team in 1998. Thanks to everyone at Colorado Cyclist for th

THIS EPISODE Mike catches up with Clark Sheehan, one time 7Up Colorado Cyclist racer now known as the "Fencing Tycoon," who turns the tables on Mike and makes the podcast as much about Creed as himself. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Sheehan was lured to cycling much the same way as other Colorado natives during the late '70's and early '80's - by the Coors Classic. He began racing at the age of 14, and soon showed his gift by winning a junior national time trial title. An 'apprenticeship' under the then-national coach Eddie Borysewicz at the Olympic Training Center soon followed, along with time spent racing in Belgium. In between laughing and reminiscing, the two talk dream women, teammates past, shifting priorities, being a polylinguist, everybody's Randy Wicker legend, their times on U.S. Postal and Rock Racing, and how you come to rationalize things as a bike racer. Their conversation ranges from track racing to cyclocross on mountain bikes and everything in between, including that time that Cla

THIS EPISODE Mike sits down with Phil "the Thrill" Gaimon, world-renowned cookie aficionado and pro racing stalwart of Jelly Belly, Kenda, and Bissell fame who's just gotten the call-up to the big show with Garmin-Sharp. Over the course of an hour, Mike and Phil shoot the shit about all sorts of randomness, with topics ranging from CrossFit as an efficient way to puke without a six-hour training ride, six-pack ab appeal in a romantic encounter, pranking Russian WT team bosses, low-bulk diets, being indispensable, conflict aversion, and bizarre racing situations in Asia. It's clear that Creed and Gaimon enjoy each other's company and sharing the stories that make up the fabric of their racing lives. Sit back and enjoy this frank, funny, and sometimes off-color conversation.

THIS EPISODE Mike sits down with Timmy Duggan, the 2012 U.S. National Road Race Champion who rides for Team Saxo-Tinkoff. Following a year of high points, Duggan had a disappointing start to the 2013 season when he crashed out of the Santos Tour Down Under in January, breaking his leg and derailing his race plans. In the continuing efforts to explore uncharted interviewing waters, Creed gets Timmy talking about exploiting a glitch in the matrix, the power of faith and family, being a badass on the bike, and Timmy making a good impression in his first days on the national team by spitting on Creed by mistake. They reminisce about racing together in the 2008 Tour of Georgia where the peloton hit 60mph on a downhill and Timmy crashed so badly he sustained a traumatic brain injury. He credits his recovery to his unwavering faith, his solid relationship with his wife, and his tenacity. You learn the mantras that Timmy lives by - having a goal is everything, and "Never look back" – a hard lesson learned from th

THIS EPISODE Mike sits down in between stages at the Tour of Utah with über domestique Charly Wegelius, currently Directeur Sportif for Team Garmin-Sharp and author of the critically-acclaimed autobiography, "Domestique." Over hippy-dippy sulfate-free beers, Charly dispenses DS tips to Mike as they discuss how a good director works with his riders to maximize their potential and allow them the freedom to be their own personalities. Charly then reflects back on his long and storied career as a domestique for some of the top teams in professional cycling, enthralling Mike with his stories from back in the day, and his analysis of the peloton as a collection of insecure kids at the school playground. Enjoy this extremely engaging conversation with one of the most brutally honest and fascinating stalwarts in the sport of cycling.

THIS EPISODE Mike catches up with cycling legend Frankie Andreu, current Team Director of Kenda/5 Hour Energy Systems, at the Tour of Utah where they swap stories from the trenches, one ex-pro and DS to another. Frankie and Mike have a "Frank" talk about crashing, descending fears, bike handling skills in the peloton, and the dangers of thinking too much while racing. They touch on the drama in the Andreu household during the Lance era, the madness of Floyd Landis, and the what-ifs and might-have-beens. And Frankie shares his passion and enthusiasm for mentoring the always-exciting crop of young riders with promising talent that he wants to nurture and help grow into successful professionals. We hope you will be as riveted by this engrossing conversation with one of the most fascinating and likable personalities in pro cycling.

THIS EPISODE Mike meets up for a beer or two with Ted King, the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team stalwart who came to international attention at this year's Tour de France after his contentious elimination from the race when he missed the time cut in the team time trial by 7 seconds. As they sit around the team RV in between stages at the Tour of Utah, the guys discuss the nuances of oenophilia, the challenges of going gluten free (GF in the vernacular) on an Italian cycling team, and why quitting pro cycling cold turkey is like heroin withdrawal. Ted relates the events leading up to his fateful crash in the Tour, talks about what his European teammates think of the Tour of Utah, and how awesome his off-season is racing CX and hanging out at the beer garden. And as a very special treat, we hear the stories of the birth of "IamTedKing" and how Creed sold Ted's used LiquiGas bike shorts on eBay. We hope you enjoy this sharp and witty pair of pros as they wax philosophical on matters small and large.

THIS EPISODE Mike pays a visit to Lucas Euser, the self-proclaimed eccentric over-achiever and hair model who rides for United Health Care pro cycling team. The guys shoot the shit on friends and enemies, the impact that the routine of the road has on your life and your refrigerator contents, the hipness of Fleetwood Mac, and how being a paperboy is the perfect childhood prep for life as a pro cyclist. They also consider Lucas's role as the best damned teammate in the peloton, why there is no middle class for pro bike racers, and how Lucas recovered from his devastating training crash in Spain in 2009 to go on to place in the top 20 at the Tour of California the following year. You're going to love this high-energy conversation between two smart and funny cyclists.

THIS EPISODE Mike sits down with Neal Rogers, Editor in Chief of VeloNews.com and Velo Magazine. A slight departure from past conversations with pro bike racers, this engaging and thought-provoking back and forth with one of the top U.S. cycling journalists is a rare glimpse into some of the motivations and decisions behind covering the sport of cycling. The guys have a free-ranging conversation covering the role of social media, personal vs. professional opinions, and the merits of quality espresso machines. We hope you enjoy this insightful interview as much as we did.

THIS EPISODE Coming to you from the Tour of Utah (where Mike is driving the team bus), Creed has a chat with teammate Chad Haga, who rides for Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, where he's been a stalwart of the team for several years. Mike and Chad are great friends who raced together prior to Mike's retirement this summer, and they chew the fat on all sorts of things, including the rumor that Chad will take his "best of Texas" attitude to a major World Tour team for 2014. We hope you enjoy this frank and funny conversation.

THIS EPISODE Mike sits down with Jim Miller, USAC vice president of athletics – the guy charged with overseeing the top-tier racing programs for USA Cycling in all disciplines. Jim and Mike are old friends who raced together back in the day, and they reminisce about those times, as well as Jim's transformation into one of the movers and shakers in U.S. cycling today. They dish on Oleg Tinkov and Twitter crazy town, USACycling's luxurious digs in a strip mall, and talk about the difficult transition from life as a pro cyclist to life after racing. We also get to eavesdrop on the inner workings at USACycling and how athlete programs are organized to achieve goals for success. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation between old friends.

THIS EPISODE Mike talks to Rapha-Focus star Jeremy Powers, the ambassador of U.S. cyclocross, who also rides for the domestic Jelly Belly squad. They wax poetic on niche podcasting, the birth of Behind the Barriers, and bringing fans to the races (and vice versa). In addition, Powers’ dog Moose tries to get on air, the guys talk about missed Twitter quip opportunities, and Powers recounts his nearly perfect early season and podiuming before Louisville only to somehow have CX Nationals and Worlds "go to complete shit" on him. We also get to hear Jeremy tell the story of the first time he and Creed met in Belgium, and the advice Creed gave to him that Powers now passes on to future generations. We hope you enjoy this frank and funny conversation as much as we did.

Satisfying his constant need for attention, Mike Creed takes to the airwaves to have frank conversations with his friends, who just so happen to be figures in the world of pro cycling. Now that he’s a retired mediocre bike racer, he’s using his access to these athletes to humanize them, show you what he sees, and bring back a personal aspect to cycling. This is not the show for you if you’re looking for controversy and the hard questions. It’s more of a rambling conversation with and about the people and the sport that he loves. THIS EPISODE Mike chews the fat with one of the nicer guys in the peloton (after Creed, Jesus, and Santa Claus). Tom currently rides for Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, and was recently crowned the US National Time Trial Champion after a difficult period of near-miss results following his contentious positive for DHEA in 2009 – the year of his silver-medal winning finish at the US Pro National Time Trial Championships and his 4th place finish in the UCI World Time Trial Championships.

Mike catches up with friend and former teammate Andrew Bajadali, a stalwart in U.S. cycling who recently hung up his shoes after a disappointing release from Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies this year. Andrew has such palmarés to his credit as wins at the Tour of the Gila, the Tour of the Redlands, and the Tour of Utah, to name just a few. Mike and Andrew get together at a local coffee shop and have an intimate conversation about racing, the crazy joy his daughter brings him, life after cycling, and what it was like to render an heroic performance at the 2006 USA National Road Cycling Championships. Presented by Cyclismas.

Open Mic with Mike Creed Satisfying his constant need for attention, Mike Creed takes to the airwaves to have frank conversations with his friends, who just so happen to be figures in the world of pro cycling. Now that he's a retired mediocre bike racer, he's using his access to these athletes to humanize them, show you what he sees, and bring back a personal aspect to cycling. This is not the show for you if you're looking for controversy and the hard questions. It's more of a rambling conversation with and about the people and the sport that he loves. THIS EPISODE Mike has a conversation with Katie Compton, the reigning queen of US cyclocross and the silver medalist at the UCI World Cyclocross Championships held in Louisville this year. Mike and Katie have a rambling sit-down and talk about weight, eating, weight, training, her super-smart dad, and what it was like to take silver in front of the home nation crowds. Presented by Cyclismas.

Open Mic with Mike Creed Satisfying his constant need for attention, Mike Creed takes to the airwaves to have frank conversations with his friends, who just so happen to be figures in the world of pro cycling. Now that he's a retired mediocre bike racer, he's using his access to these athletes to humanize them, show you what he sees, and bring back a personal aspect to cycling. This is not the show for you if you're looking for controversy and the hard questions. It's more of a rambling conversation with and about the people and the sport that he loves. THIS EPISODE Mike has a conversation with Jonathan Vaughters, owner and director of the Garmin-Sharp pro cycling team. He catches up with JV the week before the start of the Tour de France, at the home of Vaughters during his birthday party. Presented by Cyclismas