Remember when Juan Ayuso was the biggest story of the week?

Today on the show: Protests in the Basque Country bring the Vuelta to a halt, GC Pidcock has arrived, maybe? And we still haven’t talked about Juan Ayuso officially leaving UAE, so we’ll definitely talk about that.

In this first dispatch from the field, Josh Weinberg talks to Kurt Refsnider, who is attempting to ride the entire Orogenesis Trail from the Canadian border through Washington, Oregon, and California to Mexico via the Baja Divide.

On day 12 of his journey, Kurt shares his progress, which entails riding over 500 miles into Washington with nearly 85,000 feet of climbing, much of it on challenging single-track and moto trails.

Kurt also discusses the physical and mental demands of this particular trail thus far. He compares the experience to other long-distance trails, such as the Colorado Trail and the Tour Divide, with an emphasis on how rugged and demanding Orogenesis is. Reflecting on the balance between effort and reward, Kurt also touches on the performance of his equipment, camping conditions, and the encouragement he receives from local riders and towns.

Today on the show: Juan Solo looks to free himself from the new Death Star, rebel fighter Jonas Vingegaard quietly plots his route to destroying the UAE empire, High Prince Kulset is out of a job thanks to his father, and on the distant republic of Edinburgh, the Grand Départ isn’t looking as certain as it once was …