I know you all think the Tour de France is the best Grandy of the year, but you’re wrong. For me, it’s all about the Vuelta. 

The Vuelta a España is the grand tour I started the most in my career, racing 7 Vueltas over the years. It was my first grand tour way back in 2012, and I have really fond memories of racing in Spain. The atmosphere, the culture, the relaxed vibe at the end of the season; I had some hard moments at the Vuelta, for sure, but on the whole it was always a great race for me. I am a massive fan.

Speaking of massive fans, it’s time to check in with the Race Radio boys, Harry & Stu. They’ve recovered after their trip to the Tour, and they’re back with their old mate Cillian Kelly in tow, bringing you all the stats you could ever possibly need. Here’s what the bald bonced bandit Harry has to say about this month’s ep:

‘With La Vuelta underway, we thought we’d invite our good friend Cillian Kelly on the show this week. Cillian is TNT’s official statman, providing the race commentators with all manner of fascinating facts and curiosities to read out at the grand tours. He shares a few of his Vuelta-related gems with us – including revealing one Merckx-related fact that shocks us to our core – before we go on to discuss strange sprints, how we ‘consume’ cycling, and baking bread on the Muur.’

I loved hearing the boys yarn with Cillian. If you like what you heard, you can check out their other pod ‘DNF’ where Harry, Stu, and Dr Kelly break down some of the wildest statistical gems in the sport. I also spoke to Cillian back in July for a special episode of Life In The Peloton all about the financial stability of pro cycling so if you missed that, get back across and give that a listen, too.

Guys, I hope you enjoy this month’s episode and the Vuelta! It’s maybe the one race I really miss - mainly because I could usually get away with a few pequeña cervezas in the evening.

Catch up soon!

Cheers,

Mitch

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