The Cycling Podcast

In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, after our on-the-whistle analysis in Arrivée at the weekend, we revisit Milan-Sanremo in the company of Larry Warbasse of AG2r-Citroën, who was in the thick of the action right up until the moment of Mathieu van der Poel’s race-winning attack on the Poggio. Larry takes Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie inside the peloton, dissecting and demystifying the wiles and vagaries of the first Monument of the season. We also hear the latest news from the Remco-Roglič battle in Catalonia - and look ahead to a weekend that signals the true start of the cobbled Classics season.   The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Sports Podcast Awards shortlist The Tour d’Écosse series has been shortlisted for the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards. It’s a public vote so it’s over to you. If you enjoyed the series and would like to vote, you can do so here. You need to create an account t

In this year’s first episode of Arrivée, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe review the action from Milan-Sanremo aka La Classicissima. Would Tadej Pogačar continue where he left off at Paris-Nice last weekend? Could Van Aert and Van der Poel thwart him? And would Lionel reprise the foccacia-in-cappuccino dunking ritual premiered at last year’s Giro d’Italia? Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Arrivée by The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Sports Podcast Awards shortlist The Tour d’Écosse series has been shortlisted for the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards. It’s a public vote so it’s over to you. If you enjoyed the series and would like to vote, you can do so here. You need to create an account to vote and we are in the ‘wilderness’ category. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens Supersapiens is a

In this month's episode of service course Tom Whalley and Lizzy Banks discuss Victor Campanaerts' secret weapon for the spring classics. Lizzy reveals what she's been up to on her secret mission to Girona and speaks to Cannondale's top nerds, Sam Ebert and Nathan Barry. Tom also set out to gain an insight into the process of kit design and spoke to Kate Wagner, Sam Morgan of Paria and our very own Lionel Birnie. The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Sports Podcast Awards shortlist The Tour d’Écosse series – which was produced by Tom Whalley – has been shortlisted for the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards. It’s a public vote so it’s over to you. If you enjoyed the series and would like to vote, you can do so here. You need to create an account to vote and we are in the ‘wilderness’ category. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens Supersapiens is a

In this week’s regular episode of The Cycling Podcast, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie are joined by former Team CSC and Team Sky press chief and Leopard-Trek manager Brian Nygaard to review the two big WorldTour stage races that concluded at the weekend and look ahead to the first Monument of the 2023 season - Milan-Sanremo.  After the usual weekly news round-up, we discuss the latest Pogcineration of Paris-Nice and the Roglication of Tirreno-Adriatico. What do these two results mean for the Grand Tour season and, in particular, Jonas Vingegaard’s chances of retaining his Tour de France crown? In the final part of the episode, we also look ahead to Milan-Sanremo, by many estimates the most boring Monument of the season and by Daniel’s the best.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Sports Podcast Awards shortlist The Tour d’Écosse series has been shortlisted for the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards. It’s a public vote so it’s over to you. If you enjoyed the series and would

This episode of Explore was recorded in March 2022, when Lionel Birnie travelled to Berkshire to meet Phil Cavell. Lionel fitted squarely into the demographic Phil was writing for in his book The Midlife Cyclist and, as one of the people behind Cyclefit, has spent years trying to make riders more comfortable, more efficient and more powerful on the bike. As the years tick by and the likelihood of aches and pains on and off the bike rises, the middle aged cyclist has to pay more attention to their position, their pre- and post-ride regimes and their diet. But getting old does not mean slowing down. In fact, many riders in their 40s and 50s – and even older – are riding better than ever thanks to advances in our understanding of how to keep the body in good condition. Over a coffee Lionel and Phil chatted all things cycling. Explore by The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-f

Lionel Birnie is joined by EF Education-Tibco rider Lizzy Banks and Edward Pickering, the editor of Rouleur magazine, to help see through the dust thrown up by Strade Bianche. Saturday was a day when teamwork came under the microscope. In part one we examine the women’s race which was dominated by two SD Worx riders who had everything worked out except the ending. Demi Vollering seemed as surprised as anyone that her teammate Lotte Kopecky sprinted against her. Then we turn attention to the men’s race, won in exhilarating fashion by Ineos Grenadiers rider Tom Pidcock who attacked almost 50 kilometres from home, overhauled the riders ahead of him and struck out on his own. Although his lead was barely ever more than a minute, and at one stage was down to a handful of seconds, the lack of cohesion in the chase and notably between the two Jumbo-Visma riders undoubtedly played into Pidcock’s hands. In the final part, Lionel checks in with François Thomazeau, for an update on the opening couple of days at Paris

In this week’s regular episode, Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie and Rob Hatch of GCN and Eurosport commentary fame reflect on two thrilling days of racing at Opening Weekend in Belgium.  On Saturday, a dominant Jumbo-Visma performance culminated in victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for a rider whose winning moves typically display all the stealth, cunning and deftness of a gemstone heist. This was followed on Sunday by another Jumbo masterclass and success for one of the team’s less prolific yet most versatile stars.  As usual, there’s also a full round-up of the week’s news and we also look ahead to Strade Bianche next weekend.    The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens Supersapiens is a continuous glucose monitoring system that helps you make the right fuelling choices. See supersapiens.com Science

Comebacks, controversy and new rivalries, there’s plenty for Rose Manley, Orla Chennaoui and Lizzy Banks to discuss in this month’s episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin. We hear from Charlotte Kool who caused a major upset in taking two stage wins over former teammate and sprinting superstar Lorena Wiebes at the UAE Tour. She tells us what it is like taking on the mantle of leadership in one of the world’s best sprinting teams and going head-to-head against a rider you used to lead out. Newly crowned U23 cyclo-cross world champion Shirin van Anrooij talks to Orla about life at Trek-Segafredo and about enjoying some time off the bike before the Ardennes Classics. Plus we discuss all the main headlines to come out of Setmana Valenciana and the UAE Tour, including the rejuvenation of Ashleigh Moolman and the polemic surrounding Elisa Longo-Borghini’s win on Jebel Hafeet. The Cycling Podcast Féminin is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now

In this week’s episode of The Cycling Podcast, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie are joined by the young and ambitious chief of the Uno-X men’s and women’s teams, Jens Haugland, to discuss their unlikely journey towards the pinnacle of the sport - the Tour de France.  In a wide-ranging interview, Haugland explains why professional football and the priesthood could have been his alternative career paths - and revisits his team’s very humble beginnings.  Before all of that, we round up the week’s main headlines and zero in on key talking points from the Ruta del Sol and Volta ao Algarve, ahead of Belgium’s Opening Weekend.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens Supersapiens is a continuous glucose monitoring system that helps you make the right fuelling choices. See supersapiens.com Science in Sport The

This is a trailer for La Marseillaise, a five-part series for Friends of The Cycling Podcast subscribers. Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau tell the story of Marseille's cycling history and take in the opening race of the 2023 French season. Lionel heads to Marseille in search of a mid-morning coffee, pre-lunch pastis and the perfect bouillabaisse. François tells the story of the city's rebellious history and its newspaper's Communist roots. There's a trip to the Vélodrome, the role of Bernard Tapie in revolutionising Olympique de Marseille and professional cycling in the 1980s and the origins of the French national anthem. Friends of the Podcast There are more than 80 original episodes on the Friends of the Podcast feed. The episodes include: 2016 • Mont Ventoux: Heat, Wind & Fear • Young Americans • Joe Dombrowski's 2016 Giro d'Italia Diary • The Rise and Demise of HTC-High Road 2017 • The 1987 Giro According to Stephen Roche • Youngis

In this week’s regular episode, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie are joined by former Team Sky and Katusha ace turned gravel-racing maestro Ian Boswell.  After our usual round-up of the week’s news, it’s time to reflect on Tadej Pogačar’s 2023 racing début at the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior - and his scintillating victory on the white roads of what has already established itself as Spain’s answer to Strade Bianche.  The Pogcineration on the Andalusian farm tracks is also our cue to quiz Ian about what’s in store for him and the gravel scene generally in 2023. Then, in the last part of the episode, we hear from EF Education First - Easypost’s Esteban Chaves about his recent victory in the Colombian national road race championship and what made it so poignant.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens

This week Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie are back and joined by one of the most illustrious and recognisable voices in Belgian cycling, Sporza’s veteran commentator and reporter Renaat Schotte.  After the usual news round-up, we review the action from the cyclocross Worlds in Hoogerheide, where Fem Van Empel and Mathieu van der Poel went double Dutch by taking the women’s and men’s titles respectively.  Defeat for Wout van Aert meant disappointment for Belgium, although spirits there will have been buoyed by the latest evidence of Arnaud De Lie’s prodigious talent at the Étoile de Bessèges. With Renaat’s help, we find out more about a rider who is already being hailed as a Tom Boonen-Philippe Gilbert hybrid.  Neilson Powless took overall victory at Bessèges - and the American would be most people’s choice as the rider of the early season. We hear from the EF Education-Easypost man about his early-season success, why he’ll try his hand at the cobbled Classics and why his Native American ancestry is so imp

Explore is about cycling with a sense of adventure, journeying into the unknown and setting off for a challenge not knowing quite what lies ahead. This episode is no exception, although it features a slightly different type of journey. Lionel Birnie talks to American cyclo-cross rider Ben Frederick, who made the trip of a lifetime to Belgium over the Christmas and New Year period. It was his first visit to Europe and he was there to take part in the big festive cyclo-cross races where he rubbed shoulders with Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock. There's nothing especially amazing about that, you might think. After all, Frederick, who is 32, has talent. He was eighth in the US nationals in December and had earned his place on the start grid. But Frederick's sojourn to Flanders was the culmination of an extraordinary journey. A few years ago, an innocuous crash while training on the trails caused a serious concussion. He had to re-learn how to do simple tasks, such as making coffee, and how

In this week’s episode, Daniel Friebe is joined by Rob Hatch and Lionel Birnie, fresh back from his trip to the GP La Marseillaise for the start of the French season.  We round up a flurry of racing over recent days, including that curtain-raiser in Marseille, and exchange hot takes about what we’ve seen so far in Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Spain. We also reflect in greater detail on an emphatic start to the season by two teams, Intermarché Circus Wanty and Team DSM, with contrasting approaches to rider recruitment in particular.  In the final part of the episode, we ponder the news announced by Peter Sagan last week - that 2023 will be his final campaign in the sport’s biggest races. What was Sagan’s impact, what is his legacy and what chance is there of a Monumental swansong? The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11a

In this episode of Service Course, Tom Whalley speaks to Ian Boswell about the upcoming gravel season, the rule changes made by Unbound, and his plans for a very podcast-y Cape Epic ride partnering Mitch Docker. Boz also talks about his plans to transition from the pointy end of gravel races to the party end at the back. Beyond that, Tom and Lizzy Banks discuss the UCI rule changes for road bikes in 2023, Artificial Intelligence doing us all out of a job, and that Lab 71 bike that no one is confirming the existence of. Turns out there may or may not be one in Lizzy's kitchen. The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Supersapiens Supersapiens is a continuous glucose monitoring system that helps you make the right fuelling choices. See supersapiens.com Science in Sport The Cycling Podcast has been supported since 201

After their first appearance to look back on the 2022 season a few weeks ago, we reunite Joe Dombrowski of Astana-Qazaqstan and Larry Warbasse of AG2R Citroën and turn our gaze and thoughts forward to their respective 2023 campaigns.  We ponder their hopes, dreams and fears for the coming campaign, and reflect on a broader question: to what extent is the grunt work that goes into arriving at and staying in peak condition science, and to what extent is it art? At the heart of the discussion are some of the points raised by the trailblazing triathlon coach Olav Aleksander Bu in a recent appearance on the Rich Roll podcast, which you can access here. https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes/ As ever, we also review the week’s main news stories, including the shock non-retirement of Nairo Quintana. Colombian journalist Juan Carlos Berajano joins us to talk about how that plot twist has been greeted back in his and Quintana’s homeland.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. The 11

The Cycling Podcast Feminin kicks off 2023 with a look at the racing that is already in full swing in Australia. Rose Manley, Orla Chennaoui and Lizzy Banks discuss the first Women’s World Tour race of the season – the Tour Down Under – which returns to the calendar for the first time since 2020. We also hear from brand new Australian National Champion Brodie Chapman about finally winning the race that kickstarted her cycling career. Back in 2018, Chapman had a full-time office job and was competing in her first ever UCI race when she made the final selection at the National Championships. Her sixth place finish saw her land a pro contract, a move to Europe and even victory in the Sun Tour of Annemiek Van Vleuten. Now she has joined one of the biggest teams in the world, Trek-Segafredo and is looking to both bolster their team of champions as well as pursue some of her own ambitions this year.  Fellow Trek-Segafredo recruit Amanda Spratt also had a stand out performance at the Tour Down Under. Her explosive

The 2023 men’s WorldTour kicked off with the Tour Down Under, and that race features heavily in this week’s regular episode, with our roving reporter on the ground in Adelaide, Mitch Docker, bringing us up to date with the latest action.  Mitch is joined by Daniel Friebe and multiple former Monument and Grand Tour stage winner Dan Martin to also discuss the rest of the week’s news. That includes the announcement that one of the most beloved riders in the pro peloton, Thibaut Pinot, will retire at the end of the 2023 season.  The existential void into which some riders disappear when their career ends is our big discussion point in the second half of the podcast. It is also a poignant one in the week when the former Astana rider, Lieuwe Westra, passed away at the age of just 40, after years of mental turmoil. In the episode we’ll hear about those from Westra’s friend and biographer, Thomas Sijtsma.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Pod Live Sport Join Daniel, Lionel an

After the presentation of the 2023 Vuelta a España route in Barcelona on Tuesday, The Cycling Podcast takes a closer look at the 21 stages that will make up the peloton’s journey from the Catalan capital to Madrid in the summer.  Daniel Friebe is joined by a pair of experts well known for their work on GCN and Eurosport - Rob Hatch and Laura Meseguer. We hear their thoughts on a route whose difficulty either impressed or appalled the riders present in Barcelona on Tuesday - but will happily leave a lighter carbon footprint than last year’s edition, hence the Woody Allen-inspired title of this week’s episode.  There’s also the usual round-up of the week’s main news, including an interview with Allan Peiper. The Aussie is returning to Tadej Pogačar’s side at UAE Team Emirates after a break due to illness.  The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Pod Live Sport The Cycling Podcast will be part of the line-up at Pod Sport Live at Kings Place in London’s King’s Cross on Sunday, F

After our Big Predictions Pod last week, in this episode The Cycling Podcast continues to gaze into the crystal ball by taking a close look at a team that, we suspect, will continue to soar in 2023. That team is Bora-Hansgrohe, and one of the main brains behind their change of focus in recent months is head sports director Rolf Aldag, who joins Daniel Friebe for an in-depth conversation about the new, post-marginal gains age in professional cycling, how Bora-Hansgrohe are attacking it and some of the stars who could glitter in green and black in 2023. Before that, Daniel reviews the week’s news with ace Eurosport commentator Rob Hatch, and we also cross to Scandinavia to hear how Uno-X’s invitation to the Tour de France has been celebrated there. The Cycling Podcast is supported by Supersapiens and Science in Sport. Pod Live Sport The Cycling Podcast will be part of the line-up at Pod Sport Live at Kings Place in London’s King’s Cross on Sunday, February 12 2023. To buy tickets go here. The 11.01 Cappuc