Cycling, Wine & the Art of Paying Attention: Aldo Sohm & Brian Nygaard

Cycling, Wine & the Art of Paying Attention: Aldo Sohm & Brian Nygaard

What does it feel like to ride through a vineyard and actually understand what's in the glass waiting at the end? That's the thread running through this conversation—and two guests who live at the crossroads of cycling and wine are the perfect people to pull it. Host Molly Hurford and inGamba creative director James Startt sit down with Aldo Sohm, multi-time North America's Sommelier of the Year, wine director at Le Bernardin, and author of Wine Simple and Perfect Pairings, and Brian Nygaard, cycling journalist, former press officer and then team manager at Leopard-Trek, philosophy graduate, and winemaker behind his own California label, Oceanic.  The conversation covers why the bike is one of the best tools for understanding terroir (feeling the temperature drop as you climb from Lecchi toward Radda is worth more than any textbook), how running a World Tour cycling team and running a winery share more DNA than you'd expect, and why our Chianti Classico cycling trip keeps earning its way back onto both their tables.  In this episode: * Why cycling and wine culture keep finding each other — generosity, slowness, attention * Riding as a way to understand microclimate and terroir firsthand * Brian on being a press officer and then team manager at Leopard-Trek, managing a vineyard through Covid and California wildfires, and launching Oceanic * Aldo on reading the room: why AI will never replace a good sommelier * Champagne with steak? Aldo makes the case * Emerging wine regions worth paying attention to right now * Rapid-fire pairings for every cycling moment Find Aldo at @AldoSohm on Instagram and at the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in New York. Find Brian and his wines at @OceanicWine on Instagram. Interested in pairing your inGamba trip with a specific wine region or joining Aldo himself on a trip next April? Reach out at ingamba.pro/contact [http://ingamba.pro/contact]

Women Who Ride: Kate Veronneau, Katie Boling & the Rise of inGamba Women's Weeks

What does it feel like to show up to your bike already prepped, your route loaded, your tires perfect — with nothing left to do but ride? For the women who joined inGamba's sold-out Calpe women's week this past February, that was just the beginning. Cycling Conversations with inGamba co-host Molly Hurford sits down with two Kates who made it happen. First up is Kate Veronneau, the force behind the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, who joined the Calpe trip as a guest and came away with a new answer to what a pro cycling experience actually feels like. Then co-host James Startt takes over to chat with Katie Boling, inGamba's women's program lead, about how the numbers of women on inGamba trips have climbed past 30% — and what comes next. Between them, they cover the team-camp energy of 15 women from four continents riding the sun-drenched climbs of Costa Blanca, a private nine-course dinner at a seasonal restaurant that hadn't even opened yet, and why Lecchi in Tuscany and the Algarve coast of Portugal are the next two destinations on the women's calendar. Kate V. also gives a preview of what to expect from the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift this summer: a route starting on Lake Geneva, a finish in Nice, and a Ventoux stage with 12,500 cyclists on the mountain the day before the women race it. In this episode: * What the Calpe women's week felt like from the inside: the riding, the bonds, the best meal of the trip * Why inGamba isn't a training camp, and why that's exactly the point * How Katie Boling has helped grow women's participation at inGamba and what the dedicated trips offer * Upcoming women's weeks: Lecchi, Tuscany (fall) and Algarve, Portugal (January 2027) * Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025 preview with Kate Veronneau Want to join an upcoming women's trip? Visit ingamba.pro/trips [http://ingamba.pro/trips]

The Art of Solo Dining & Finding Flow on the Bike: Behind the Scenes of THE MAGAZINE

What does eating alone have to do with riding bikes? More than you'd think—and this episode makes a compelling case for both. Host Molly Hurford is joined by writer Colin O'Brien and inGamba creative director James Startt for a conversation around two features from the new issue of inGamba’s latest issue of The Magazine. Colin's piece "Party of One" is a love letter to the art of dining solo: the freedom, the focus, and why putting the phone away is half the battle. James also takes the group to Siena, a city as close to inGamba's heart as the races that finish there, covered in the magazine by Barry Ryan. Then Bill Strickland, Editorial Director of the Hearst Enthusiast Group and one of cycling journalism's most celebrated voices, joins for a wide-ranging conversation on what it means to stay in love with the sport across a decades-long career. His piece in the magazine, "The Flow," captures something all three have felt — that state of being fully present on the bike, whether alone on a descent or tucked into an echelon with new friends. They also get into the riders they'd most want to sit down with for a meal. In this episode: * Colin O'Brien on the joy of dining alone, and how to actually do it without doom-scrolling * Siena: cycling city, Renaissance city, and one of inGamba's most beloved destinations * Bill Strickland on "flow": what it is, why it matters, and how inGamba embodies it * James and Bill on how their love of cycling has evolved from racing to something richer * The riders they'd most want to share a coffee (or a bottle) with Learn more and book a trip at ingamba.pro [https://ingamba.pro/] Want to get a copy of THE MAGAZINE? Contact us here: hello@ingamba.pro

Paris Roubaix, Cubism, Futurism and Franzi Koch: Behind the Scenes of The Magazine

Our creative director and award-winning cycling photographer James Startt and inGamba The Magazine guest editor Ed Pickering joined cycling journalist Molly Hurford to discuss the a very relevant feature in the new edition of The Magazine: A celebration of cubism and futurism that begins, surprisingly, at Paris-Roubaix. James was also on the ground at the race and shares his experience watching Franzi Koch, a rider we featured in The Magazine, ride to the first major victory of her career. Full shownotes: https://ingamba.pro/feature/podcast-3-paris-roubaix/ [https://ingamba.pro/feature/podcast-3-paris-roubaix] In this episode: * Wout van Aert, Franzi Koch, and the drama of Paris-Roubaix 2026 * Why the bicycle was a symbol of modernity for early 20th-century artists * Metzinger’s Au Vélodrome and the layers of a Cubist painting * Futurism and capturing movement in a still image * The one-word answer that explains the link between cycling and art Join us in 2027 at Paris Roubaix – spots are open now! [https://ingamba.pro/trip/paris-roubaix-2027/]

Legends Never Quit — A Conversation with Adrie van der Poel

What does it take to win monuments, wear the yellow jersey, become a cyclocross world champion, and raise one of the greatest cyclists of all time? Adrie van der Poel does it all. In this episode, inGamba's James Startt sits down with the cycling legend for a wide-ranging conversation that covers nearly 20 years of professional racing, the tactical sprint that shocked Sean Kelly at the 1986 Tour of Flanders, the yellow jersey he wore for a single unforgettable day, and how he spotted Mathieu van der Poel's talent before the boy could even reach the pedals. Adrie is one of inGamba's most beloved special trip leaders — and this episode is a preview of the kind of storytelling you get when you ride alongside him. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE Nearly 20 years as a top pro — the secret to longevity Adrie's answer is disarmingly simple: he just loved riding his bike. When the big classics became too hard in his mid-30s, he found new goals in smaller races and cyclocross rather than walking away. He draws a parallel to Greg Van Avermaet, who retired when he knew Flanders would never come again — a very different kind of story. Mathieu van der Poel — the moment Adrie knew The story starts before Mathieu could even ride without training wheels. His school teacher called Adrie to ask why he still had them on — because Mathieu had been riding every other kid's bike in the schoolyard without them. "When he was five, I started doing some small races in the region and you saw a certain drive. How he got on the bike, got off the bike, changing gears — you only had to explain it once. He was just a total natural." But Adrie is clear: talent was only the beginning. Why cyclocross produces great road riders: Asked about the pipeline from cross to road (ahem, Wout van Aert, Mathieu, Tom Pidcock) Adrie's take is characteristically direct: "They have a lot of talent. And later on they discovered they were very good on the road. But it all starts with talent. And then: try to enjoy your work. That's the only thing that matters." Flanders vs. Roubaix — which is more special? Despite winning Flanders, Adrie's most cherished race is Paris–Roubaix. His reasoning mirrors what Tom Boonen told him: Flanders shares roads and climbs with a dozen other spring races, but the Roubaix cobbles are opened just once a year. "The cobbles at Roubaix — they didn't put them in the ground on their knees. They dropped them from an airplane. That's it." Still a kid on new bike day: Even now, riding 10,000 kilometers a year, Adrie puts a new bike in the bedroom and stares at it. "I enjoy a new bike like I was 10 years old." This season, Adrie van der Poel is part of our inGamba trips to Milan–San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris–Roubaix — and the stories you'll hear on the road make this podcast episode sound like a warm-up act. Sign up for one of our 2027 trips now so you don’t miss your chance! ingamba.pro [http://ingamba.pro] Cycling Conversations with inGamba is produced by inGamba. Hosted by Molly Hurford. Creative direction by James Startt. Visit ingamba.pro [http://ingamba.pro] to join the next trip.