In our second Tour de France podcast - sponsored by Zwift - from the 2021 race we look back at the second week of racing and hear from Wout van Aert, Greg Van Avermaet, and Matt Brammeier.

In our first Tour de France podcast - sponsored by Zwift - from the 2021 race we look back at the first nine days of racing and hear from Geraint Thomas, Tadej Pogacar and Tom Southam.

In this week’s episode of the Cyclingnews podcast we focus on the 12-rider long-list Team Ineos have built for the Tour de France. We run through the riders included, focus on their main GC challenge and ponder where this leaves Egan Bernal after it was confirmed that the Colombian would aim for the Giro d’Italia.

We chart the progress of Geraint Thomas – hear from him twice at the Etoile de Besseges and ask whether age will finally catch-up with him or if he can discover his 2018 Tour winning form and claim a second win in the race at the age of 35.

There’s a discussion over whether any team can win all three Grand Tours in one season, and we discuss some of the latest action from  Etoile de Besseges as the European season kicks up another gear.

In the first 2021 episode of the Cyclingnews podcast we look back at the first major news story of the year involving the sudden contract termination of Marc Hirschi at Team DSM and his move to UAE Team Emirates. We analyse why the move may have come about and what this says about Team DSM and their decision to release one of the revelations of last year’s season mid-way through his contract.

We look back at some of the other riders who have left the team during existing deals, from Warren Barguil to Michael Matthews, Marcel Kittel and Tom Dumoulin and describe out the departure of Hirschi is somewhat different. The Swiss rider’s departure certainly leaves a void in the team but we look at who can step up to fill the gap and whether Romain Bardet is the perfect fit as their new team leader. Along with that, Daniel Benson and Ed Pickering from Procycling make some bold predictions for the season in both the men’s and women’s WorldTour, and we also play some of the possible new Cyclingnews theme tunes that our trusted listeners have sent in over recent weeks. 

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After a long hiatus Philippa York has returned to the Cyclingnews podcast for a special episode recorded in the UK last week.

It’s been an unprecedented year in cycling but one of the aspects we’ve missed most has been our regular podcasts with York, having previously covered the Tour de Romandie, Criterium du Dauphine, Tour de Suisse and Tour of Britain in her company. But with the off-season in full swing, and with social distancing rules followed to the letter of the law, we met up with York for a catch up.

We talked about her first Tour de France as a reporter this year and what it was like returning to the race in such dramatic circumstances due to the nature of the pandemic, while we also analysed the recent moves involving Mark Cavendish and Rod Ellingworth.

The latter has moved back to Team Ineos after just 18 months at Bahrain McLaren and we discuss whether Ellingworth initial move to Bahrain was a success, what lessons were learned, as well as how important a good director can be for a rider when it truly comes to the cut and thrust of racing.

York also shares her thoughts on Cavendish’s return to QuickStep after a difficult period in his career and whether the move represents a win-win situation for both rider and team. York also goes into detail about how riders handle aspects such as slowing legs and possible retirement, and what it’s like to have the carpet pulled from under your feet when it comes to contracts and stopping.

At this point in the year our coverage is typically full of training camps and team presentations but those days are either on pause or held virtually. However, York shares some of her favourite memories of training camps and team presentations with most of her anecdotes involving cake or in one case, a manager’s daughter even jumping out of a cake at a TVM presentation. It’s a must-listen episode brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello.

The Cyclingnews Podcast is brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello. To subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast, click here.

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Born in the Italian Dolomites, Sportful has been making athletes faster, more efficient and better protected since 1972.

Official apparel supplier to Bora-Hansgrohe. The same Pro Issue apparel, which includes our BodyFit Pro and Fiandre lines, worn by Peter Sagan is available to purchase by all cyclists. 

BodyFit Pro; a form fitting design with a focus on enhanced aerodynamics was created specifically for the rigors of pro bike racing. 

Our versatile Fiandre line uses proprietary technology to keep you dry and comfortable in inclement, variable weather conditions. 

Sportful leads the market with innovative and technical apparel so you can experience those unforgettable moments, your very best days on a bike. 

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In this week’s edition of the Cyclingnews podcast - brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello - we hear from Nicolas Roche about his season and Team Sunweb. The Irishman played a significant part in the team’s success in 2020, which included three Tour de France stage wins, and he talks about his road captain role and plans for next season.

We also hand out season review report cards for Sunweb and AG2R La Mondiale, and we ask our listeners to record a new version of the Cyclingnews podcast theme tune.

With just 5 wins this year, which was a third of what they won in 2019, AG2R La Mondiale had a tough season.  Their standout riders were Nans Peters at the Tour and then Benoît Cosnefroy, who took three of their wins. At 25, he’s really starting to fulfill the potential he showed when he won the World U23 title in 2017. However, the team as a whole struggled, losing Romain Bardet at the Tour to a crash, and then missing out on a glut of victories in smaller races in France after the majority of them were cancelled. We review their year, Ed Pickering from Procycling awards them a grade, while we also cast our eyes over their 2021 roster.

Over at Sunweb, the German registered team won 16 races, which is their most since 2014 when they had 41 wins. They won three stages in the Tour, Fleche Wallonne, finished second in the Giro d’Italia, and had two of this year’s breakthrough riders in Jai Hindley and Marc Hirschi.

The Cyclingnews Podcast is brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello. To subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast, click here.

Sponsor message

Born in the Italian Dolomites, Sportful has been making athletes faster, more efficient and better protected since 1972.

Official apparel supplier to Bora-Hansgrohe. The same Pro Issue apparel, which includes our BodyFit Pro and Fiandre lines, worn by Peter Sagan is available to purchase by all cyclists. 

BodyFit Pro; a form fitting design with a focus on enhanced aerodynamics was created specifically for the rigors of pro bike racing. 

Our versatile Fiandre line uses proprietary technology to keep you dry and comfortable in inclement, variable weather conditions. 

Sportful leads the market with innovative and technical apparel so you can experience those unforgettable moments, your very best days on a bike. 

For more details visit sportful.com Follow the ride on instagram @sportful

In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews podcast – brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello we hear from Israel Start-up Nation duo Alex Dowsett and Kjell Carlström. Dowsett talks about the reasons behind his December attempt on the UCI Hour record, while team director Carlström provides an insight into the team’s transfer strategy, Chris Froome’s path back to the top of the sport, and where the team’s strengths lay in 2021.  

Hosts Ed Pickering and Daniel Benson recap the endings from both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana but also take an in-depth look at what’s gone wrong at NTT Pro Cycling and how difficult the market is for dozens of riders struggling for teams next season. We also discuss Richard Carapaz, and whether the Vuelta runner-up is Ineos’ best hope for Grand Tour success next season.

The Cyclingnews Podcast is brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello. To subscribe to the Cyclingnews Podcast, click here.

Sponsor message

Born in the Italian Dolomites, Sportful has been making athletes faster, more efficient and better protected since 1972.

Official apparel supplier to Bora-Hansgrohe. The same Pro Issue apparel, which includes our BodyFit Pro and Fiandre lines, worn by Peter Sagan is available to purchase by all cyclists. 

BodyFit Pro; a form fitting design with a focus on enhanced aerodynamics was created specifically for the rigors of pro bike racing. 

Our versatile Fiandre line uses proprietary technology to keep you dry and comfortable in inclement, variable weather conditions. 

Sportful leads the market with innovative and technical apparel so you can experience those unforgettable moments, your very best days on a bike. 

For more details visit sportful.com Follow the ride on instagram @sportful