Gracing Podcast: Building a Gravel Team with Joe Laverick
Thomas is joined by professional cyclist and avid writer Joe Laverick to discuss the state of bike racing and Joe's ambitious plan to launch a new multi-discipline racing team. The conversation explores the changing economics of the sport, why teams will become essential in gravel, and the long-term sustainability of the racing ecosystem.
Joe offers his perspective on the shift from the "Privateer Era" to the "Team Era," drawing parallels between his team concept and successful cultural projects like the UniBet Rose Rockets.
Content we talked about:
Joe’s Substack post about his plans to launch a team
Thomas's piece about his fictional team
Dan Bigham’s Aero Gravel Machine
🎙️ Time Stamps & Chapters:
- [00:00:00] Intro
- [00:02:50] Update Gravel Earth Series / The Rift: How The Rift ended up outside the Gravel Earth Series, the "by The Traka" brand, and more.
- [00:11:05] New Life Time Grand Prix Rosters: New European stars and the highest-level newcomer for 2026.
- [00:17:20] Conversation with Joe Laverick: Why teams are inevitable and the key to a sustainable ecosystem.
📈 Key Takeaways & Discussion Points:
- The Dawn of the Team Era: Joe argues that the need for team tactics and organized efforts (evidenced by races like Unbound) is now resulting in the beginning of the team era in gravel racing.
- Joe's Team Model: The concept is a multi-disciplinary road and gravel team with a cultural focus, emphasizing storytelling over just winning.
- The Community Engine: The idea that a team's long-term sustainability relies on building a robust club/community layer that is loyal to the team's culture, providing a core audience for sponsors.
- Sports in the Attention Economy: Why professional sports need to recognize that they compete in the attention economy and think about their product accordingly.
- Sustainable Sponsorship: Why a team needs non-endemic sponsors to appeal to the cycling consumer's outdoor/lifestyle interests, rather than relying solely on bike brands whose sole metric is often bike sales.
Featured in this Episode:
- Joe Laverick: Professional Cyclist, Industry Analyst, and Founder of a forthcoming multi-discipline cycling project. Follow him on Instagram and read his Substack.
Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing podcast and author of The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.
