Joe Laverick was one of the standout British talents through his junior years and earned a place on one of the top development teams in cycling: Hagens Berman Axeon. He spent two seasons there under the guidance of the world-renowned Axel Merckx.Joe had hoped to make the jump to the WorldTour, but things didn’t fall into place, and he found himself without a contract at the end of 2022 — facing an uncertain future.Instead of walking away, Joe built something completely different: a one-man privateer project that blends road racing, time trialling and gravel, fuelled by spreadsheets, sponsors, side clients and a serious obsession with marginal gains.Joe lifts the curtain on:What it actually costs to race as a privateer (race budget, travel, equipment)Why you need to be more than “just a bike racer” in 2025Balancing being a rider, writer, team owner, sponsor-hunter, soigneur and logistics managerHow he uses products like the Castelli Gabba R and new gravel kit – and why honest feedback mattersThe learning curve of gravel: tyre pressure, technical skills and why it’s an “untapped jigsaw of performance”200+ days on the road in the US gravel scene, host housing, burnout, and finding balanceWhy enjoyment is the ultimate performance metric, and his advice for young riders choosing between the pro pathway and privateer lifeWe wrap up with Joe’s dream Girona loop over Sant Hilari and Montseny – a 6.5-hour, 180–200 km that he still calls one of the best rides in the world.– LINKS –Joe Laverickhttps://www.instagram.com/joe.laverick/Sant Hilari RideCastelli SOGhttps://www.castelli-cycling.com/spirit-of-gravelMen’s Unlimited Gravel Collection:⁠https://www.castelli-cycling.com/IT/en/Men/Collection/Unlimited/c/Man-Col-Unl⁠Women’s Unlimited Gravel Collection:⁠https://www.castelli-cycling.com/IT/en/Woman/Collection/Unlimited/c/Wom-Col-Unl⁠Castelli's Xmas Ride, Nov 29:⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/66959⁠CHAPTERS00:00 – Intro, Castelli Christmas Gravel Ride & Spirit of Gravel Cabal02:00 – Who is Joe Laverick? Beating Remco & Girona life04:00 – Quickfire round: fashion crimes, coldest rides & junior chaos in Belgium09:10 – Contracts dry up: Tour of Alsace, injuries & the decision to go privateer14:30 – Building “Joe Laverick the brand”: writing, sponsors, and race budget reality18:30 – Gear geek: equipment choices, spreadsheets, and why the Gabba R blew his mind22:00 – Influencer vs athlete: social media, honesty and choosing the right partners27:20 – 200 days on the road: US gravel, burnout and learning to say “no”32:30 – Gravel as an “untapped jigsaw”: tyre pressure, skills and doing more with less budget44:40 – Joe’s favourite Girona mega-loop & how not to bonk47:00 – Advice to young riders: pro vs privateer, happiness and why fun has to come first Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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