With Pace

Caleb Swartz started racing cyclocross when he was eight years old, but the discipline has been dwindling in the US since the 2010s, and the writing has been on the wall for any American racers wanting to make a sustainable career from it. Last year, Caleb started branching out into a few gravel events just to see where it would take him, and he ended up with two standout performances at Grand Prix races — 11th at Little Sugar and 6th at Big Sugar. This year, he’s going all-in as one of the new faces on the GP roster. 
Payson sat down with Caleb after a surprise encounter in Girona to talk about how he’s navigating training for a season unlike any he’s ever done, how his years of hardscrabble work behind the scenes as a privateer have set him up for this moment, and the tough industry realities that have led him to transition away from cyclocross. They also talk about his collegiate racing days at Marian, graduating during the pandemic, and the high-speed crash he had at Big Sugar that didn’t stop him from nearly making the podium.
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YouTube: Payson McElveen
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You might have heard that Allied just released a new feather-light trail bike this week. The FITZ is new territory for the brand, so it seemed like a good opportunity to bring in Allied’s CEO Drew Medlock and Director of Product and Engineering Sam Pickman to talk about why they decided to add a trail bike to their lineup and what makes this one so unique. They discuss the nitty-gritty specs, of course, as well as the decision-making process and behind-the-scenes debates that went into it, but they also talk about their individual journeys with the bike, from defying the aging process to Payson's religious experience on a trail he's ridden countless times. 
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YouTube: Payson McElveen
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Most riders spend their first year in the Elite ranks just trying to find their feet, but Riley Amos was determined to be different. He had good reason for it. Not only did he have a dominant final season as a U23 in 2024, but he also finished 7th at the Paris Olympics, the highest an American male has ever finished in the Olympic XC race. Looking back on his mindset coming into 2025, though, he admits that he might have pushed himself a little too hard. 
Riley sat down with Payson in Girona this week to talk about how overtraining and back pain led to a somewhat disappointing 2025 and how observing fellow riders like Nino Schurter and Chris Blevins has changed his entire approach this year. Then, they get nerdy about product testing, specifically Riley’s relationship with Trek product development grandmaster Travis Brown and his years-long obsession with suspension. 
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YouTube: Payson McElveen
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Haley Smith has been on one factory team or another since she was in her teens. In that time, she spent a decade as a World Cup XC racer, went to the 2021 Olympics, and won the inaugural round of the Life Time Grand Prix. But this year, she’s embarking on a new chapter as a privateer. She’s also doing it while completing her PhD. 
Haley caught up with Payson in Girona this week to talk about the challenges and opportunities of privateering, including why it was the best way forward for her and how she’s pieced together her program. She also talks about the all-star coach she’s been working with since November and why she felt that now was the time to continue her academic work. 
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YouTube: Payson McElveen
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Mads Würtz Schmidt might be a newcomer to gravel, but he’s already established himself as one of the best in the world. The 31-year-old Danish rider went all in on the sport last year with little financial support and ended up winning the Traka, becoming the European Gravel Champion, and snagging fourth at Unbound. This year, he’ll be racing alongside Keegan Swenson and Matt Beers as part of the new Specialized off-road team. 
Mads joined Payson in Girona to talk about his reluctant departure from the WorldTour, how becoming a dad has changed everything, and why he prefers doing heat training to altitude training. They also talk about his dominance as a junior and U23 rider, the low point in 2022 when he thought about quitting cycling altogether, and how he thinks the introduction of teams into gravel (including Specialized Off-road) will change the sport. 
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Instagram: @withpacepodcast
YouTube: Payson McElveen
Email: [email protected]