Unclipped with Grace Brown: The Cost of Year-Round Form

Early-season wins used to come with a warning: peak in January and you would fade by July. But in 2026, that narrative is shifting, as more riders arrive sharp and stay sharp across the entire season.

As the year kicks off, Grace unpacks what has changed, from smarter load management to better recovery and fueling, and asks the bigger question: if the body can handle year-round form, can the mind? In a sport that rarely switches off, mental burnout may become the real limiter.