ITV Cycling Podcast

It’s days like this that serve as a reminder as to just how extraordinarily courageous and granite-hard you have to be to be a professional cyclist. The third stage of the Tour de France was won by Tim Merlier, but that doesn’t tell half the story. Geraint Thomas dislocated his shoulder early on - but still finished the stage in some sort of contention - there was yet another frightening pile-up towards the finish, and Caleb Ewen wiped out Peter Sagan during the sprint in what was an horrific incident just metres from the line. Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell and Pete Kennaugh are are quietly praying for an unventful outing on Tuesday. We also hear from Tom Steels, Mark Cavendish, Michael Morkov, Sepp Kuss and Tadej Pogacar - in interviews which landed after the podcast was recorded.

In an emotional day two of the tour, Mathieu Van der Poel took the yellow jersey by powering up the Mur-de-Bretagne for a sensational stage win on his debut - having attacked and attacked and attacked again. The Dutchman is the grandson of late great Raymond Poulidor, who died in 2019 and finished second overall in the Tour three times and third five times during the 1960s and 70s – an era dominated by Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. Famously, Poulidor never wore the yellow jersey, making Van der Poel’s achievement all the sweeter. Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, David Millar and Pete Kennaugh consider it to be one of the greatest stage wins they’ve ever witnessed, so why not randomly invite footballer Lee Dixon onto the podcast to hold court?! (To be fair, he knows his onions.)

Gosh! Well, that was an uneventful start to the 2021 edition of the Tour. Nothing to talk about here at all. Nope, nothing: zip, nil, nada. That’s not true, of course. It was a brutal opening salvo, not least thanks to the intervention of an overzealous and frankly reckless roadside spectator, who wiped out Tony Martin and most of those in his wake by thrusting a sign into the Jumbo Visma rider’s path as he passed. Mayhem ensued. Proper mayhem. And then there was another massive pile-up, this time on a rapid downhill stretch of the course. Ouch! Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, David Millar and Pete Kennaugh pick through the bones of what might literally have been bones after two massive crashes decimated the peloton during a dramatic opening stage between Brest and Landerneau - all of which rather overshadowed Julian Alaphilippe’s victory run. It’s not entirely clear who’ll be saddling up come Sunday, such was the seriousness of both incidents, but everyone at ITV wishes all the riders well. Find out who makes it through to day 2 on ITV4 ...

Only Ned Boulting and Matt Rendell could preview the Tour de France by referencing the Suez crisis, bull tattoos, Sigmund Freud, dental surgery, medieval Cornish and the relative merits of the Brazilian and German football teams. But all this they do, as well as marking your card with their likely winners and lively outsiders for the 108th edition of this magnificent sporting spectacle. The opening stage sees the riders travel 197.8km from Brest to Landerneau - on an undulating road containing six climbs, with potential for crosswinds in the Monts d'Arree. Follow all the action live on ITV4.

The final podcast of the Vuelta, Ned and David reflect on a vintage year of Cycling.

An epic finish on La Covatilla as Carapaz and Roglic go mano a mano. Ned and David reflect on stage 17 of the Vuelta.

Ned and David talk about Magnus Cort's victory on Stage 16, the retirements of Ian Stannard and Yoann Offredo, and etymology. Yes. Etymology.

Ned and David enjoy Jasper's jubilation as Philipsen avoids an oil slick to take the win in appalling conditions on a bruising Stage 15.

Ned and David reflect on Tim Wellens victory over a high class break including Mike Woods at the Stage 14 finish of the Vuelta in Ourense. Grammar also becomes an issue.

Ned and David reflect on a fantastic fourth stage win from Primoz Roglic and an excellent TT performance from Hugh Carthy at Stage 13 of the Vuelta.