ABOUT THIS EPISODE
After 13 years racing at the absolute highest level of the sport, 2021 Australian National Road Champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Sarah Roy has officially retired from the professional Peloton.
In Season 1, Episode 8 of the Spidcast, hosts Peter Swiek and Stephen Schaefer sit down with Sarah to discuss her remarkable career, from entering the sport late with a massive physiological engine, to fighting for minimum wage and respect in the Women's WorldTour. Sarah provides an unfiltered look at the grueling reality of professional cycling, the highs of racing the European classics, and the heartbreaking setbacks that ultimately led to her decision to step away.
Most importantly, Sarah talks about "shifting gears" into a gap year, healing from the burnout of professional sports, and finding her identity beyond the bike, including a recent 775-kilometer bikepacking trip from Nice to Girona with her former teammate.
Whether you're a cycling fan or navigating a major life transition of your own, this episode is a powerful conversation about knowing your worth, overcoming adversity, and leaving on your own terms.
Chapters (Timestamps)00:00 - Intro & Catching Up00:43 - Introducing Champion Sarah Roy05:00 - From Gymnastics to Discovering a World-Class Engine10:50 - Early Setbacks, Artery Surgery, & Rebuilding from Zero28:55 - Hacking the System: Racing in Europe to Afford Groceries36:12 - The Lived Reality of the Women's WorldTour45:26 - Fighting for Minimum Wage & Respect in the Peloton57:40 - Olympic Heartbreak, Crashes, & the Decision to Retire1:13:20 - Shifting Gears: The Gap Year & Life Beyond the Bike1:22:20 - The "New" Sarah: Bikepacking 775km from Nice to Girona1:27:15 - What in Tarnation? Wild Boars & Copperhead Snakes1:33:00 - Outro & What's Next for Sarah
Links & Resources
Follow Sarah Roy’s continued adventures on Instagram and Strava.
https://www.instagram.com/sar_roy/?hl=en
https://www.sarahroyconsultancy.com/
Learn more about our mission to support amateur athletes at the Spid Werkz Foundation.
https://spidwerkz.com/
