Podcast

77. Thomas De Gendt: The Breakaway King vs. The Traka 360

In this episode, we sit down with Thomas De Gendt in Girona to discuss his transition from the pro road peloton to the world of elite gravel. 💪 We dive into his unique mental approach to suffering, how he prepares for 360km of brutal terrain, and what drives a legend to keep pushing his limits. 👑📺 Watch the full action vlog on YouTube:https://youtu.be/Ht0XMCSbnroCHAPTERS 🏁00:00 Transition from road champ to gravel13:09 Founding the Powerplus team23:07 Traka 360 Goals & expectations32:00 Giro & Grand Tour years35:00 Nutrition (The carrot diet)38:00 Lotto days & the art of the breakaway41:15 Watts vs. Data control43:58 Breakaway strategy: 5-minute power secrets46:15 Career power records49:42 Safety and crash prevention in pro cycling54:00 Peloton level improvement & rising dangers56:42 Belgian cycling family tradition59:40 Looking for young talent1:01:36 Feedzone tactics for the Traka1:05:42 Vision for Team Powerplus in gravel1:09:58 Hybrid racing: Planning for Unbound1:15:16 Closing questions: Rim brakes & Heat training1:18:56 The viral Tour de France "Pee break" moment1:20:55 Favorite routes around the world🟩 GET TO KNOW CUSTOM 3D PRINTED SADDLES on https://posedla.com/https://www.instagram.com/posedla.cchttps://www.tiktok.com/@posedla.cchttps://www.strava.com/clubs/posedlaSOCIALS 💬Interview by Jirka https://www.instagram.com/jiriduzar/ 👤Thomas De Gendt: https://www.instagram.com/degendtthomas/Arno Van Den Broeck: https://www.instagram.com/arno.vdb/Powerplus Gravel Team: https://www.instagram.com/powerplusgravelteam/Shot and edited by https://www.instagram.com/adam_miklica/Additional footage by https://framehill.cz/