Stage 19 | Caso / Gijon | Vuelta a España 2017
This episode of The Cycling Podcast finds Lionel Birnie and Fran Reyes in Gijon on Asturias day as the Vuelta a España nears its conclusion. The day belonged to Thomas De Gendt of the Lotto-Soudal team. Not only did Lotto win their fourth stage of the race, and second in a row following Sander Armée’s victory yesterday, but De Gendt completed the set of Giro, Tour and Vuelta stages. Having won...
41m Sep 08, 2017
41m
Stage 18 | Suances / Santo Toribio de Liébana | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España headed deep into the Cantabrian countryside and at last a breakaway was given a big advantage so they could fight for the stage. A group of 20 got clear and as the end approached, five men broke away. It was eventually Sander Armée of Lotto-Soudal who got the better of Julian Alaphilippe and Alexey Lutsenko – both stage winners earlier in this Vuelta – to give his team thei...
38m Sep 07, 2017
38m
Stage 17 | Villadiego / Los Machucos | Vuelta a España 2017
Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España took the riders to previously uncharted territory and the steep Los Machucos climb. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Lionel Birnie, Daniel Friebe and Fran Reyes are at the top of the climb having completed their won battle with the steep, rough, partially-concrete road, albeit with four wheels rather than two. It was a dramatic day both in terms of the b...
30m Sep 06, 2017
30m
Stage 16 | Circuito de Navarra / Logroño | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España resumed after its rest day with an individual time trial from the motor racing circuit in Navarra to Logroño in Rioja. Chris Froome tightened his grip on the leader’s red jersey by winning the stage ahead of Team Sunweb’s Wilco Kelderman and extending his overall lead on Vincenzo Nibali to almost two minutes. Lionel Birnie has rejoined the race, replacing Richard Moore, an...
43m Sep 05, 2017
43m
Stage 15 | Alcala La Real / Alto Hoya de Mora, Sierra Nevada | Vuelta a España 2017
Arguably the toughest stage of the Vuelta a España took the riders to 2,510 metres and a spectacular finish at Alto Hoya de Mora, Sierra Nevada. It was won by Miguel Angel Lopez who caught and passed Adam Yates, who had launched a long-range bid for victory, in the closing kilometres of the monster climb. The Cycling Podcast was at the summit and our stage 15 episode includes interviews with s...
41m Sep 03, 2017
41m
Stage 14 | Écija / Sierra de La Pandera | Vuelta a España 2017
The latest Cycling Podcast comes from the summit of La Pandera as the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España was won by Poland's Rafal Majka. Richard Moore and Fran Reyes report on Majka's victory and the battle behind between the overall favourites. Esteban Chaves, Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador all had a go but Chris Froome's red jersey didn't look to be in any danger. Of Froome's group it ...
36m Sep 02, 2017
36m
Stage 13 | Coín / Tomares | Vuelta a España 2017
In the latest episode of The Cycling Podcast from the Vuelta a España there’s an interview with Sir Dave Brailsford, who tells us, at the end of a week in which Team Sky confirmed the signing of four of the world’s best young riders, about the British squad's future plans. We also hear from Vuelta director Javier Guillén, who reveals his ambition to expand the Madrid Challenge, the one-day wom...
41m Sep 01, 2017
41m
Stage 12 | Motril / Antequera | Vuelta a España 2017
It was a dramatic day at the Vuelta a España as stage 12 took the riders from the coastal town of Motril inland to Antequera, with two hard climbs at the end. The drama started before the stage, with the overnight news that the bus belonging to Aqua Blue Sport, the Irish team, had been set on fire and destroyed. We hear reaction to that from the team’s sports director, Nicki Sorensen, and press...
35m Aug 31, 2017
35m
Stage 11 | Lorca / Observatorio Astronómico de Calar Alto | Vuelta a España 2017
Rain and cold once again dominated proceedings at the Vuelta a España as Miguel Angel Lopez, the young Colombian nicknamed ‘Superman’, won stage eleven at Observatorio Astronómico de Calar Alto. It ended with a brutal climb, in driving wind and rain, with Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali duking it out for second, a battle that Froome won to consolidate his overall lead. It was a bad day for th...
44m Aug 30, 2017
44m
Stage 10 | Caravaca / Elpozo Alimentación | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España resumed after its first rest day in rainy Murcia and The Cycling Podcast has an interview with Chris Froome, who is in the overall lead and in a strong position to win his first Vuelta. He talks about the threats ahead over the next two weeks, his fears about another ambush, like the one that cost him the Vuelta in 2016, and how his rivals have caught up with him – he also h...
40m Aug 29, 2017
40m
Stage 9 | Orihuela / Cumbre del Sol, El Poble Nou de Benitatxell | Vuelta a España 2017
Stage nine of the Vuelta a España saw another hilltop finish and a win for Chris Froome – the first time this season he has been able to cross the line first with his arms in the air. Richard Moore and Fran Reyes discuss the stage and also the latest news concerning Cannondale-Drapac, the World Tour team whose future has been plunged into doubt following the withdrawal of a sponsor. We hear fr...
53m Aug 27, 2017
53m
Stage 8 | Hellín / Xorret de Catí | Vuelta a España 2017
Stage eight of the Vuelta a España finished close to the summit of Xorret de Catí, a famously tough climb in southern Spain. Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Fran Reyes tell the story of the stage but the main drama of the day was arguably before any racing started with the news that Warren Barguil had been sent home by his team, Sunweb. Barguil was one of the stars of the Tour de France, winn...
39m Aug 26, 2017
39m
Stage 7 | Llíria / Cuenca | Vuelta a España 2017
It was another day for a breakaway at the Vuelta a España as stage seven took the riders inland from Llíria to Cuenca. Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Fran Reyes discuss a stage that almost supplied a fascinating twist to the plot when it seemed that Jetse Bol, of the tiny Colombian Manzana Postobon team, might take the red jersey of overall leader from Chris Froome. In the end Bol fell short...
41m Aug 25, 2017
41m
Stage 6 | Villareal / Sagunt | Vuelta a España 2017
The hills of Valencia made for open, aggressive racing both in the pursuit of the stage win and the race for the leader’s red jersey. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie, Daniel Friebe and Fran Reyes discuss the sixth stage from Villareal to Sagunt, which saw a Polish one-two at the finish. The honours went to Lotto-Soudal’s Tomas Marczynski, an old training p...
37m Aug 24, 2017
37m
Stage 5 | Benicassìm / Alcossebre | Vuelta a España 2017
The Cycling Podcast comes from the beach at Alcossebre, as holidaymakers enjoy a pre-dinner drink, and Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Fran Reyes reflect on the fifth stage of the Vuelta a España. The stage finished with a steep climb which led to a slight reshuffle of the overall places, although Chris Froome of Team Sky retained the leader’s red jersey and stretched his overall advantage by...
41m Aug 23, 2017
41m
Stage 4 | Escaldes-Engordany / Tarragona | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España reached Spanish soil after it’s opening few days in France and Andorra, and although there are few seasoned sprinters in the race, the peloton nevertheless brought everything back together in time for the finish. And it was the Italian Matteo Trentin who succeeded in giving Quick Step their second stage win of the race. They had hoped to lead him out for victory in Gruissan...
40m Aug 22, 2017
40m
Stage 3 | Prades Conflent Canigó / Andorra la Vella | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España headed from France into Andorra and the first serious climbs of the race. And it was no surprise to see a former Vuelta champion and the pre-race favourite right at the head of affairs. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe are joined by Spanish journalist Fran Reyes to discuss stage three of the race. The stage was won by V...
48m Aug 21, 2017
48m
Stage 2 | Nîmes / Gruissan | Vuelta a España 2017
The wind blew across the south of France but the Vuelta a España peloton did not split although there was a change of race leadership at the finish in Gruissan. Although there were no breakaways, it was still a tense, nervous day in the peloton as no one wanted to get caught out if gaps started to open in the bunch. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie are j...
47m Aug 20, 2017
47m
Stage 1 | Nîmes | Vuelta a España 2017
The Vuelta a España started in Nîmes in the south of France with a spectacular team time trial that took the riders through the Roman amphitheatre in the centre of the town. BMC Racing won the stage and put their Australian rider Rohan Dennis into the first red jersey of the race. In this episode, kicking off three weeks of coverage of the third grand tour of the season, Richard Moore, Lionel...
47m Aug 19, 2017
47m
The Cycling Podcast Féminin | Episode 15
August 15 | This month's Cycling Podcast Féminin, with Orla Chennaoui and Richard Moore, looks back at the recent racing, from the RideLondon Classique to the European championships and Crescent Vargarda team time trial and road race. From Sweden we hear from Anna van der Breggen, Hannah Barnes and Drops Cycling Team owner Bob Varney. There's also a feature on female sports directors and we sp...
1hr 3m Aug 15, 2017
1hr 3m
The transfer merry-go-round | Episode 21
August 9 | This episode of The Cycling Podcast is the final one before our daily coverage of the Vuelta a España begins on August 19. Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe discuss the flurry of transfers as riders and teams confirmed their moves once the August 1 deadline passed. We also discuss Alberto Contador after he confirmed the Vuelta will be his final race before retirement. ...
1hr 2m Aug 09, 2017
1hr 2m
Post-Tour racing and the transfer window | Episode 20
August 1 | In this, our first episode since the end of the Tour de France, Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie are reunited with Daniel Friebe to discuss a busy week of racing. The San Sebastian Classic was won by Michal Kwiatkowski, one of Sky's Tour de France stars. The Pole added the Basque race to Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, which he won in the spring. At the Ride London-Surrey Classic,...
49m Aug 01, 2017
49m
The Cycling Podcast Féminin | Episode 14
This episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin comes from the summit of the Col d'Izoard and the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille as Richard Moore, Orla Chennaoui and Lionel Birnie cover La Course. But was the innovative two-day format an improvement on the circuit race on the Champs-Élysées? We hear from the riders, including Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, Lizzie Deignan, Megan Guarnier and the winner of ...
1hr 9m Jul 24, 2017
1hr 9m
Stage 21 | Montgeron / Paris Champs-Élysées | Tour de France 2017
The Cycling Podcast’s coverage of the 2017 Tour de France concludes with Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau picking their individual highlights of the race. We also canvass the opinions of some of the riders and perhaps are not surprised that many of them cite reaching the Champs-Élysées as the high point of their race. The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science in...
42m Jul 23, 2017
42m
Stage 20 | Marseille / Marseille | Tour de France 2017
The 20th stage of the Tour de France was the long-awaited time trial in Marseille, starting and finishing in the Stade Velodrome, home of Olympique Marseille. With three riders so close overall, everything was up for grabs, in theory, although Chris Froome’s superiority in the time trials meant that his yellow jersey was never likely to be threatened. But second and third overall did swap pla...
43m Jul 22, 2017
43m
Stage 19 | Embrun / Salon-de-Provence | Tour de France 2017
After the Alps and before the time trial in Marseille, the Tour de France had a long transitional stage into the heart of Provence. Had the wind blown it might have been a very interesting day but as it turned out it was the first stage of the race when the breakaway riders had a chance to fight it out among themselves. And in the end it was a roundabout that proved decisive. Just inside the l...
49m Jul 21, 2017
49m
Stage 18 | Briançon / Col d’Izoard | Tour de France 2017
In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau are joined by Orla Chennaoui to discuss the 18th stage from Briançon to the Col d’Izoard. It was billed as the decisive mountain stage of the Tour but Romain Bardet and the rest were unable to unseat Chris Froome and so the Team Sky rider appears to be the favourite to win his fourth Tour title in five ...
40m Jul 20, 2017
40m
Stage 17 | La Mure / Serre-Chevalier | Tour de France 2017
In this episode of The Cycling Podcast from the Tour de France, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau report on stage 17, which saw the race head into the Alps with the climb of the biggest mountain on the route, the Col du Galibier. The stage was won by the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, a former ski jumper who descended brilliantly to give Team LottoNL-Jumbo their first victory of th...
39m Jul 19, 2017
39m
Stage 16 | Le Puy-en-Velay / Romans-sur-Isère | Tour de France 2017
During the 16th stage of the Tour de France, the wind blew and caused more than a bit of disruption at the end. In this packed episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau discuss the race as it resumes following the rest day. Michael Matthews of Australia gave Team Sunweb their third stage win in four after some fantastic team-work. But it was not a goo...
51m Jul 18, 2017
51m
Stage 15 | Laissac-Sévérac-l’Eglise / Le Puy-en-Velay | Tour de France 2017
Today’s episode of The Cycling Podcast starts in the car, as journalists Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau drive the course of the 15th stage of the Tour de France from Laissac-Sévérac-l’Eglise to Le Puy-en-Velay. It was a twisty, technical course consisting of narrow, grippy roads and steep climbs. Up front the Dutch rider Bauke Mollema attacked 30 kilometres from the finish...
40m Jul 16, 2017
40m
Stage 14 | Blagnac / Rodez | Tour de France 2017
There was a significant twist at the end because Fabio Aru, who was left without support from his Astana team-mates, lost time and the yellow jersey to Chris Froome. It was a surprising finish because today was not expected to be a critical one for the overall favourites. But, in this Tour that is being decided by seconds in short bursts of intense racing perhaps nothing should surprise us. B...
40m Jul 15, 2017
40m
Stage 13 | Saint-Girons / Foix | Tour de France 2017
The shortest stage of the 2017 Tour de France was just 101 kilometres but it packed a punch. There were attacks from the moment the race left the neutralised zone. And one of the riders who made the early early attack, Warren Barguil, ended up winning with a perfectly judged sprint. It meant that France had a victory on Bastille Day for the first time since 2005. But the big story of the day ...
48m Jul 14, 2017
48m
Stage 12 | Pau / Peyragudes | Tour de France 2017
Stage 12 of the Tour de France from Pau to Peyragudes was slow to get going but after Team Sky dominated all day in the Pyrenees, riding strongly in support of Chris Froome, their leader faltered when it really mattered on the steep final ramp to the line. All the day’s drama was packed into 800 metres of slow-motion sprinting against the gradient, with Romain Bardet winning the stage and Fabi...
48m Jul 13, 2017
48m
Stage 11 | Eymet / Pau | Tour de France 2017
In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau review stage 11, which was a flat and fairly predictable run south from Eymet to Pau. But don’t let the lack of action in the Tour de France put you off listening to the podcast because we have a packed, varied show with plenty of talking points. We discuss the stage, which was won by Marcel Kittel – h...
35m Jul 12, 2017
35m
Stage 10 | Périgueux / Bergerac | Tour de France 2017
After the drama of Sunday’s mountain stage to Chambéry came the rest day and then a stage that could almost be described as a rest day on bikes. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau we hear from the breakaway king Yoann Offredo, who was frustrated at his long, fruitless ride with only one man for company, and had a few ideas to persuad...
46m Jul 11, 2017
46m
Stage 9 | Nantua / Chambéry | Tour de France 2017
An amazing, incident-filled day on the Tour de France saw two of the top five riders crash out and Chris Froome call on the unwritten rule that no one should attack the yellow jersey when he has a mechanical problem to keep his grip on the race lead. Richie Porte, the Australian rider with the BMC Racing team, suffered a shocking crash on the descent of the Mont du Chat near the end of stage n...
57m Jul 09, 2017
57m
Stage 8 | Dole / Station des Rousses | Tour de France 2017
A fast, aggressive eighth stage of the Tour de France may not have shaken up the general classification too much but the toll will certainly tell on the riders. It was hot, fast and, at times, brutal racing that many may pay the price for in the coming days – perhaps as early as tomorrow’s stage over the mountains to Chambéry. In this packed episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lione...
43m Jul 08, 2017
43m
Stage 7 | Troyes / Nuits-Saint-Georges | Tour de France 2017
One of the closest finishes in Tour de France history meant that the winner could not be determined by the naked eye or even the finish line photograph. Instead, the jury had to look at enhanced pictures to give the victory to Marcel Kittel, by a margin of just six milimetres over Edvald Boasson Hagen. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau ...
46m Jul 07, 2017
46m
Stage 6 | Vesoul / Troyes | Tour de France 2017
On Thursday the Tour de France returned to the flatlands after the mountains of the previous day, with the sprinters doing battle again in Troyes. Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Francois Thomazeau of The Cycling Podcast discuss the day’s main talking points, and we get reaction from Jack Bauer of Quick Step Floors and Marc Sergeant, the man in charge of the Lotto-Soudal team. Troyes is a tow...
37m Jul 06, 2017
37m
Stage 5 | Vittel / La Planche des Belles Filles | Tour de France 2017
The first mountain-top finish of the 2017 Tour de France offered a few clues as to who is going to contend for the final yellow jersey of the race but La Planche des Belles Filles did not provide the big sort we have seen on the climb in the Vosges in the past. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau discuss Fabio Aru’s stage win – the second...
38m Jul 05, 2017
38m
Stage 4 | Mondorf-les-Bains / Vittel | Tour de France 2017
A long, slow day on the Tour de France ended in drama, disappointment and disqualification in Vittel. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau discuss the decision to disqualify the world champion Peter Sagan for causing Mark Cavendish to crash in the finishing straight. There’s reaction to the post-race confusion which culminated with the de...
45m Jul 04, 2017
45m
Stage 3 | Verviers / Longwy | Tour de France 2017
Peter Sagan’s victory at the top of the hill in Longwy was not a surprise, but the manner of it was exceptional. The world champion seemed to toy with his rivals on the climb, closing down a move by Richie Porte, then teasing Greg Van Avermaet and still having enough to win the race even after pulling his foot out of his pedal and calmly clicking it back in again. In this episode of The Cyclin...
44m Jul 03, 2017
44m
Stage 2 | Düsseldorf / Liège | Tour de France 2017
Stage two of the Tour de France took the riders from Germany into Belgium, where Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Francois Thomazeau convene to discuss the action and main talking points, from chaotic bunch sprints to controversial skinsuits. We hear from Brian Holm, sports director of the stage winner, Marcel Kittel, and from Ben Swift, the British rider who was seventh. The day’s heroes wer...
48m Jul 02, 2017
48m
Stage 1 | Düsseldorf / Düsseldorf | Tour de France 2017
The rain fell as the Tour de France got underway in Düsseldorf but Geraint Thomas of Team Sky powered through the drizzle to win his first Grand Tour stage and take the yellow jersey. In this episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and French journalist François Thomazeau discuss the opening day of the 2017 race and ask how long Thomas can hope to keep the yellow jersey. ...
36m Jul 01, 2017
36m
Countdown to the Tour de France | Episode 19
June 21 | In this week's episode of The Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe discuss the latest racing and look ahead to the Tour de France. When next they meet it will be in Dusseldorf for the Grand Départ, but there has been no let up in the racing over the past week, with the Tour de Suisse, which saw a stage win for friend of the podcast Larry Warbasse, the most s...
50m Jun 21, 2017
50m
Last day drama at the Dauphiné | Episode 18
June 15 | In this week's podcast Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe are joined by Eurosport commentator, and Chief Superintendent of the Pronunciation Police, Rob Hatch, as they discuss a thrilling Critérium du Dauphiné. As Jakob Fuglsang rode to a surprising victory what does Chris Froome's capitulation and Richie Porte's impressive defence of the yellow jersey mean for the Tour de France? And w...
46m Jun 15, 2017
46m
The Cycling Podcast Féminin | Episode 13
In this month's Cycling Podcast Féminin we report from the OVO Energy Women's Tour with as the Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma held on for a convincing and deserved win. This episode takes you inside the team cars: Richard Moore joins Team WNT and Orla Chennaoui spends a day with Canyon-SRAM. We also hear from Niewiadoma, Lizzie Deignan, Hannah Barnes, Anna van der Breggen and many more. The Cy...
1hr 8m Jun 12, 2017
1hr 8m
Lunch with Paul Watson | Episode 17
June 7 | This episode of The Cycling Podcast is another in the occasional series of lunches with someone from the world of cycling. First, Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie meet up in London for the first time since the Giro d'Italia to introduce the episode and briefly discuss the weekend's inaugural and innovative Hammer Series race. (There'll be more on that when Daniel Friebe returns to the ...
1hr 31m Jun 07, 2017
1hr 31m
TRAILER | Pancake Breakfasts and Pursuiter’s Cough: Alexis Ryan’s Californian Diary
Canyon-SRAM rider Alexis Ryan kept an audio diary for The Cycling Podcast at the women’s Tour of California. In it we hear about her roommate Tiffany Cromwell’s unscheduled adventure, we eavesdrop on an unusual motivational speech from Erik Zabel, and we learn about the important ritual of pancake breakfasts – and ‘happiness watts.’ To listen to the full episode, become a Friend of The Cycling...
3m Jun 06, 2017
3m
PREVIEW | The 1987 Giro according to Stephen Roche
We're celebrating the end of #Giro100 by giving you a sneak peak of our latest special! On the 30th anniversary of his controversial victory, our fifth Friends Special of 2017 is an interview with 1987 Giro d’Italia winner Stephen Roche. It was controversial because Roche, in an echo of the 1986 Tour de France, where Bernard Hinault battled Greg LeMond, ended up taking on his Carrera teammate...
23m May 29, 2017
23m