Cyclist Magazine Podcast

Pitchforks at the ready. On this week's episode Will is joined by Cyclist's own Ewan Wilson and writer Felix Lowe to review the 2024 pro cycling season and look forward to what may come next. Along the way we find out the lucky winners of some of Felix's annual alternative awards – which you can find in full in Cyclist magazine issue 159, out now – including 'The Manchester United Bin Fire Award'. No prizes for guessing the recipient of that one.They also discuss whether Tadej Pogačar can repeat his historic 2024 season, what's going on with Ineos Grenadiers, the exciting status quo in the women's peloton, the future of the Tour de France's final stage and how to improve safety in races.Discussion with Felix begins at 11:36.----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

This week Will is joined by two-time Olympic gold medallist and World Champion in three different disciplines Tom Pidcock. After a turbulent season that included highs at Amstel Gold Race and Paris 2024 as well as very public lows after falling out with Ineos Grenadiers management in October.Will sat down with Pidcock in November to talk about his rapid rise to power and his rapid descending skills as well as what's on his agenda for 2025: full road focus or more mountain bike side quests? Pidcock also discusses how the media – and Netflix – portrays him, his 'down year' and how things could've gone differently, plus his self-imposed pressure at the Olympics.Finally he also speaks about Link My Ride, the business that he co-founded, which aims to help cyclists around the world organise group rides.Interview begins at 8:42.----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

This week Robyn and Will are joined by track superstar Joanna Rowsell. Joanna was picked up in 2004 by British Cycling's Talent Team, which visited her school looking for new talent, and just four years later she won her first World Championships in the team pursuit. Three more team pursuit world titles followed plus a fifth in the individual pursuit, but it was the Olympics that made her a household name. Riding alongside Laura Trott (latterly Kenny) and Dani King (latterly Rowe), Joanna won two consecutive team pursuit golds, the first at London 2012 and the second at Rio 2016 Games. Retired from competition since 2017, Joanna is still firmly embedded in the sport as pundit and commentator, appearing across the BBC's Olympic coverage this summer.In this episode, Joanna discusses the Olympics and the impact it had on British cycling; coming back from successes and medals to face real life; the emotional connection she still feels with riders from the commentary box; Matthew Richardson's switching nationalities from Aussie to Brit to compete for Team GB; plus she looks back at a stellar career that helped change the face of the sport in Britain and the popularity of women's cycling worldwide.Interview begins at 18.06----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

This week James and Will are joined by Spartacus himself, Fabian Cancellara. Over a career spanning two decades, Cancellara established himself as arguably the greatest Classics rider and time-triallist of his generation, winning multiple Monuments, world, national and Olympic titles and Grand Tour stages. With a cool demeanour and effortless riding style, the Swiss cemented himself as the patron of the peloton, the guy everyone looked up to, listened to and wanted to impress. Today Cancellara owns ProTour team Tudor Pro Cycling, which this year raced its first Grand Tour as a wildcard at the Giro d'Italia, finishing a highly respectable tenth with Aussie rider Michael Storrer.Amongst a sprawling conversation, Cancellara discusses why he never talks tactics with his own team; the importance of rider safety, especially in light of the death of would-have-been Tudor Pro rider, Gino Mäder; his rivalry with Tom Boonen; if and when Tudor Pro Cycling will race the Tour; the importance of failure - and where he hurt most; and the effect of social media on young riders and cycling.Interview begins at 9.27----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

This week Will and James are joined by Peter Sagan. When Sagan burst onto the scene in the early 2010s he was heralded as the greatest talent of his generation, and so he proved to be. 121 professional victories later he'd notched up three World Championships, seven Tour de France green jerseys, multiple Grand Tour stages and national titles plus a Tour of Flanders and a Paris-Roubaix cobble.Famed for his dry wit, flamboyant riding style and antics on and off the bike - from wheelies to running man celebrations - Sagan became cycling's poster boy for the better part of his 15 year career. Now retired, Sagan reflects on a life at the top, from the heady highs to the soul-searching lows; explains the importance of team dynamics; gives us his thoughts on today's riders; and opens up about a recently discovered heart condition that could have ended his life and has ended up costing him any further professional racing career.Will and James also discuss the UCI Cycling eSports World Championships, ridden on the MyWhoosh virtual racing platform, for whom Sagan is ambassador. The live UCI Cycling eSports final will take place on 26th October in Abu Dhabi and will see 20 competitors in both men's and women's events going head to head over three stages for a €60,000 prize purse. The event will be streamed live on YouTube here.Interview begins at 16.36----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

This week James and Will are joined by Ned Boulting: commentator, pundit, author, stage performer, part-time comic and all-round superb raconteur. Ned talks about the 2011 season (the star of his new The Road Book 2011 almanac), from a knife-edge Tour de France with Cadel Evans snatching a last gasp victory, to a Vuelta a España that announced a rising star in the shape of Chris Froome. Conversation then turns to this year's Tour, from Cav's history-making win no.35 to the imperial form of Tadej Pogačar. All that plus Primož Roglič the unsung hero; Alberto Contador, the man who flew too close to the clenbuterol; Dave Brailsford, Ineos and United; and Ned's new touring one-man stage show, Ned's Marginal Mystery Tour – all about his love affair with an unearthed newsreel from the 1923 Tour de France.Chat with Ned begins at 8.34----The Road Book 2011 is out now, with essays from Chris Froome, Emma Pooley, Cadel Evans, Ned Boulting and many more. Edited by Andy McGrath. Order your copy here.Ned's Marginal Mystery Tour is touring nationwide from 22nd October to 20th November. Get tickets here.----Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine? Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door. And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk