Mas Holds Firm, Van Aert Runs Riot at the Vuelta | Social Club

Description Max Gawn joins from Thailand for a Wednesday Social Club. He reckons if Pogačar comes to the Tour Down Under, he falls in love with it and comes back three years running. And if anyone has the mail, it's Michael Matthews. We unpack the points system and why being a top-three ProTeam is now the money spot in cycling. That brings in Euskaltel's late points dash for Mikel Landa, and the Oceania Champs heading to Adelaide in January with 250 UCI points up for grabs. Also in this episode: Reflections on the Stuart O'Grady interview and the state of Australian cycling Max's 2015 Player Revue, and what free drink cards will get you Widar beats Pidcock in Guangxi, Simmons v Healy at the Japan Cup, Campenaerts wins the Eneco Tour and McNulty finally wins in the rainbow stripes Another car on the course, Adam Hansen's battle for rider safety, and the NOS investigation into Picnic PostNL Carapaz to NSN, EF's finances, Ayuso's tough first year at Lidl-Trek, Roglič playing the field and Matt White leaving Movistar Max's Patagonia prep, Zwift top-ups between running sessions, and why he might be a Giant Defy man for life The Social Club is presented by Giant.

Max Gawn sits down with Santos Tour Down Under race director Stuart O’Grady to go through the 2027 route, stage by stage, the morning after Max and Ed Langdon Everested Willunga Hill. They talk leaving Willunga out of his first race as director. O'Grady explains how the men’s and women’s races will run on the same day, on the same course, for the first time in the Australian summer. In this episode: Max’s Everest numbers: 8,911 metres, 13,000 calories and 21 hours in the saddle A short, steep climb three times in the final of stage one from Henley Beach Corkscrew twice on stage three, now turning right like the women did this year Willunga Hill from a new direction, and a Norwood to Stirling finale How points farming has changed the TDU, and Max on Jayco’s Australian identity The 2028 route Stewie’s already designed, and whether Pogačar is coming

CPA president Adam Hansen joins us fresh from the first UCI cycling reform meeting to talk rider safety, salaries and anti-doping from the inside. Heads up: the audio isn’t our usual standard, but what he shares is well worth pushing through for. Adam takes us through what was discussed at the reform table, and how rolling road closures actually work after a week of vehicles on course in the Italian races. He lays out his top five safety priorities, from GPS trackers and hookless tyres to helmets only rated to around 22 km/h, and why he expects trackers in every race by mid-next year. We also get into the ITA night tests on Tadej and Jonas at the Tour, the flaws in the ADAMS whereabouts system that riders fear more than testing itself, why he believes the peloton is clean, and where airbags fit into the future of racing.

Max Gawn's top five transfers of the trade period so far, from Giulio Ciccone to Q36.5 and Filippo Ganna to Lidl-Trek to Ben Turner at Soudal Quick-Step. Plus Paul Seixas wins Il Lombardia, Per Strand Hagenes takes Paris-Tours, and Plappy is out of Guangxi with a fractured wrist. In this Social Club: Alex hits the wall at the Chicago Marathon, and Jimmy Whelan v Kipchoge in Melbourne Max on being the heaviest Everester, and why no one over 115kg has beaten him yet Gravel Worlds in Perth, and whether Paris-Tours should be the sixth monument Remco's five-minute safety protest at Lombardia, ahead of our Adam Hansen interview Ciccone v Mauro Schmid, and how Australia sells the Tour Down Under to the world's best riders

Max Gawn has Everested Willunga Hill: 39 and a half laps, 8,851 metres, no power meter and 115 kilos, alongside Ed Langdon and Hamish Blake. Plus Plappy on crashes and police motorbikes on the course in Italy, Remco v Ciccone at the Euros, and who wins Il Lombardia. In this Social Club: Max's Everest top five, the low points, and why the pub at the bottom matters Hot laps with Stuart O'Grady and Darren Hicks, and a road closed by the SA Government Ciccone's mid-contract move to Q36.5, Ganna to Lidl-Trek and Jordi Meeus UCI points now on offer for track, mountain bike and gravel Jimmy Whelan v Eliud Kipchoge at the Melbourne Marathon, and Plappy v Pidcock in China The Social Club is presented by Giant. Max rode his Everest on the Giant Defy.