The Cycling Podcast

This is part two of our bumper XL Tour de France Preview, with Lionel Birnie, Graham Willgoss, Rob Hatch and François Thomazeau. We pick up where we left off with François' run-through of what to expect on the road in weeks two and three of the 2025 Tour de France, interspersed with some of the more intriguing sub-plots to look forward to. There's also Whitey's Whiteboard – in which experienced sports director Matt White shares some of his tactical expertise and breaks down how a typical team goes about selecting its line-up for the Tour de France and how the daily strategy is decided and conveyed to the riders. INTRODUCING VAN RYSEL, OUR TOUR DE FRANCE SPONSORS We are very pleased to welcome Van Rysel as our sponsors for the first half of our Tour de France coverage. The Tour gets underway in Lille, the city where the company was founded and has its headquarters. The city is steeped in French cycling history and heritage, not least because the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are on the doorstep. Van Rysel suppl

Join Lionel Birnie, Graham Willgoss, Rob Hatch and François Thomazeau for the first part of The Cycling Podcast’s bumper Tour de France preview. This episode focuses on the first half of the 112th Tour, which will take the riders from Lille in the north east, across to Normandy and Brittany before cutting down through the heart of France to the Massif Central. The head-to-head battle between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard is currently tied at 2-2, with the Slovenian winning in 2021 and 2024 and the Dane taking back-to-back victories in 2022 and 2023. But, as closely-matched as they often seem, none of those four clashes has been particularly close and, as we saw at the Dauphiné last month, Pogačar seems to have the upper hand at the moment. So, will we see a battle royale between the Three Tenors – © Rob Hatch – with Remco Evenepoel one of the riders most suited to a punchy, scrappy opening week, especially with a time trial to contend with? François breaks down the route and explains what we have to

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss for the final instalment of their pre-Tour de France 'attitude camp'. In this episode they recap the final major preparation race, the Tour de Suisse where UAE Team Emirates – who else? – took the overall honours. But while João Almeida's overall victory had a feeling of inevitability about it as soon as he reached the midway checkpoint in the final time trial, the week was perhaps more revealing about the two riders who joined him on the podium. We hear from third-placed Oscar Onley, who won a stage and put together the best stage race performance of his career as he prepares to head to the Tour for Picnic Post NL. And we discuss Kevin Vauquelin's credentials as a potential star for the home nation at the Tour. He won a stage during the opening weekend in Italy last week and he very nearly delivered a huge result for an Arkea-B&B Hotels team that has been struggling in the World Tour this season. There's a recap of the other races, including two events on the cal

They may not have made it to their Swiss chalet, but spirits are still high on this month’s Cycling Podcast Féminin as the team tackle several weeks of lively racing. Rose Manley, Denny Gray and Rebecca Charlton set themselves the challenge of picking out some moments that made them say “Ooh!” from the Tour of Britain Women and the Tour de Suisse, which is no easy task after a number of memorable moments and breakthrough performances. Plus this month’s mini feature offers up a sneak preview of an upcoming Friends of the Podcast special. Four time British national champion Lisa Brambani sits down with The Cycling Podcast producer Tom Whalley to talk about the first ever women’s Giro in 1988. Brambani offers some rare detail as she battled convent dormitories and cold water showers as well as the race itself, all diligently recorded in her diary. We also look ahead to this year’s Giro d’Italia and explore the punchy eight stage course which includes three summit finishes. Also on the agenda, Denny’s imaginar

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss as they review the Critérium du Dauphiné and ask whether it was a full dress rehearsal for the Tour de France. Get ready to check-in for another block of pre-Tour preparation at The Cycling Podcast’s ‘Attitude Camp’. With Eddy Merckx about to celebrate his 80th birthday, Tadej Pogačar equalled The GOAT's tally of Dauphiné victories (one) and reminded everyone, including Jonas Vingegaard, he remains the number one favourite for next month's Tour de France. But what else did we learn from the Dauphiné? Brian Nygaard is on hand to remind us that although it wasn’t a winning week for Vingegaard, the Dane and his Visma-Lease A Bike team need not press the panic button just yet. We ask Rod Ellingworth of Bahrain Victorious about Lenny Martinez’s stage victory on the final day, as the long wait for a French Tour champion approaches 40 years. And we make a quick visit to Coorevits Corner to find out what Hugo made of Remco Evenepoel’s Dauphiné. EPISODE SPONSORS NordVPN Ge

Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss kick-off The Cycling Podcast’s build-up to the Tour de France, which starts in Lille on July 5. The Critérium du Dauphiné began in spectacular style with fireworks at the end of the opening stage on Sunday. The three riders who finished on the podium at last year’s Tour de France – Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – lined up alongside each other for the first time since last July. And they all came alive on the final climb of the race, breaking clear with Mathieu van der Poel and Santiago Buitrago, to hold off the sprinters in Montluçon. It was a statement of intent from the three leading contenders for this summer’s Tour as they begin their final preparations for the grand départ. EPISODE SPONSORS NordVPN Get NordVPN two-year plan + four months extra ➼ https://nordvpn.com/tcp It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Indeed If you are looking to hire someone for your company, maybe the best way isn’t to search for a candidate but to match

As the dust settles on a sensational 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia, Lionel Birnie is joined by Matt White – one of the people in cycling who knows Simon Yates best –  to analyse how the race was won (and lost) on the Colle delle Finestre. Until the eve of the Giro, Matt was head of performance at the Jayco-Alula team, having been with the Green Edge organisation since it was founded. Until this season, Yates had spent his whole professional career with the team and he and Matt shared many highs and one memorable low. Matt was in the team car when Simon Yates lost the 2018 Giro on the Finestre following Chris Froome’s audacious long-range attack on stage 19, so he has a fascinating insight into the tactical and psychological issues that played out on the mountain on Saturday. Yates bounced back later that season to win the Vuelta a España. But what else stood out to Matt as he watched the stage on Saturday? How did Visma-Lease A Bike pull it off, and could Isaac Del Toro, Richard Carapaz and their respect

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. NordVPN Get NordVPN two-year plan + four months extra ➼ https://nordvpn.com/tcp It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat up

On The Cycling Podcast Féminin this month, Rose Manley, Denny Gray and Rebecca Charlton head back to their virtual cabana to talk about everything that happened in the Spanish racing block. With a win at Vuelta a Burgos, Marlen Reusser’s ascendency continues. The Movistar rider has put a difficult 2024 behind her to become one of the very best GC stage race contenders in the world. Plus we can’t agree on whether to put Team SD Worx’s lacklustre GC stage racing campaign in Burgos and Itzulia down to overreaching team orders or plain old bad luck. And there are some new names to look out for in the peloton, with riders like Mie Bjørndal Ottestad and Celia Géry enjoying breakthrough performances. For this month’s mini feature, we speak to two Irish riders who have joined the World Tour this season - Lara Gillespie of UAE-ADQ and Mia Griffin of Roland. The pair formed half of the quartet that made history at the Paris Olympics as Ireland’s first ever female pursuit team, a feat all the more remarkable consideri

The hardest stage of the Giro d’Italia, by general consensus, takes the race into the Valle d’Aosta two days before its conclusion. Italy’s smallest region has often played host to drama in the Giro - but exactly where is it and what does this mountainous & mysterious land represent.  In this episode, Daniel Friebe & Michele Pelacci ponder and answer these questions and look ahead to what could be this Giro’s most spectacular day.

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and The

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. 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). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and T

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. NordVPN Get NordVPN two-year plan + four months extra ➼ https://nordvpn.com/tcp It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee.  Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat u

Join us for daily coverage of the Giro d’Italia recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Albania to Rome. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Italy, plus our regular check-in with Tudor Pro Cycling’s Larry Warbasse. Saily If you are travelling abroad and want to reduce or even eliminate roaming charges you need an eSim from Saily, brought to you by the creators of NordVPN. ⛵Download the SAILY app and use our code cycling at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. Or go to saily.com/cycling for full details Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and