An autumnal ramble

Season 7, Episode 168,   Oct 09, 2019, 10:50 AM

The World Tour season is beginning to wind down with the race of the falling leaves – il Lombardia – at the weekend but in this episode of The Cycling Podcast Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe reflect on three big stories from the world of cycling.

In part one, Daniel remembers Giorgio Squinzi, the boss of the Mapei company who elevated the brand from the humble world of industrial grouts and adhesives to the position as one of the greatest cycling teams of all time. Dr Squinzi passed away last week aged 76 and Daniel reflects on his legacy.

In part two, we have an exclusive interview with Graham Bartlett, the CEO of Velon, which is owned by 11 of the World Tour teams. Velon also operates the Hammer Series and it has just filed a complaint against the UCI with the European Commission. Is this the latest development in the same, decades-long dispute between the teams, the governing body and other race organisers?

In part three, we discuss e-racing after the winner of the inaugural British eracing championships was stripped of his title for cheating the system to unlock a faster virtual bike. What does this mean for esports and cycling and are we dealing with athletic endeavour or computer gaming here?

Finally, we look ahead to il Lombardia and speculate on who will come out on top in the final one-day World Tour race of 2019.

The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science In Sport.

This episode is sponsored by Stitchfix. Stitch Fix is the personal style service for men and women that evolves with your tastes, needs and lifestyle. Go to stitchfix.co.uk/cycling to find out more.