She Rides

This week Saar and Kristof are joined by Audrey Cordon Ragot to look back on the season with the She Rides Awards and talk through the moments that defined women’s cycling this year.

From dominant performances and emotional post-race interviews to confusing UCI decisions and strong opinions on new jerseys, everything gets discussed. We highlight the riders who stood out, the moments that hurt, and the situations that left us shaking our heads.

Plus: fashion police is back, we pick the best rider of the year, talk about teamwork at its best, and reflect on the stories that made this season so memorable.

This week Amalie Winther Olsen joins Saar and Kristof to talk about her journey from multiple-time Danish track champion to national paracycling coach.
She shares how she fought her way through the sport without a national team, why she wants young girls to believe they can make it, and the moment coaching opened a new door — all the way to the Paralympic Games, and two medals.

We get into the misconceptions around para-cycling, the importance of trust between coach and rider, and why marginal gains and nutrition matter just as much as heart.
Plus: her hardest session ever, starting a new tandem project in Denmark, and her mission to bring more riders back to the track.

This week Erin Boothman joins Saar and Kristof for a fun chat about her huge year on the bike — and her step up to the Liv AlUla Jayco Continental Team for 2026. 

At only eighteen, Erin has already won world titles on the track and taken an iconic victory at Wevelgem! 

She shares what it felt like to realise cycling could become her full-time career, why winning as a team hits differently, and how she stays calm when races get chaotic. Erin also opens up about the real-life side of being a young athlete: long travel days, the training sessions she actually enjoys, and the little “normal life” things that keep her balanced. 

We get into her race instincts, her advice for girls who feel intimidated by male-dominated clubs, and the tactical split-second that won her a Nations Cup — plus the one that didn’t. 

And of course: pre-race music, pizza, and why she refuses to wear cycling gloves. 

Plus: A very early Giro route review!  

After six months of trying to match our schedules, UAE ADQ rider Paula Blasi finally joins Saar and Kristof for a wild, honest, and surprisingly hilarious deep dive into her first full year in the WorldTour — and why her rise in cycling hashappened so fast. From discovering the sport after multiple injuries to balancing university, work,and way too much training, Paula takes us inside the chaos of the peloton, the shock of racing next to the biggest names in the world, and why she’ll always follow her feeling rather than her power meter. She shares the pressure of joining a WorldTour team so early, the lessons her teammates keephammering into her, and the reality behind that “new kid in the candy shop”energy she brings into every race.

Recorded after her breakthrough season — this episode gives you everything you need to know about one of the most exciting young riders in the peloton… plus someelite cow content.

This winter track special dives into the fast, loud, and chaotic world of track racing — a part of the season that often gets overlooked while everyone focuses on cyclocross.

Ida Krickau shares what it’s really like to step into the elite peloton at 19: longer races, tougher fields, school deadlines, new UCI rules, and the challenge of keeping the fun in cycling while growing up in the sport.

In part two, Yuli Van Der Molen reflects on a year of crashes, comebacks, and rediscovering confidence on the track. From London and Copenhagen to the Euros, she talks about finding her rhythm again, racing in packed velodromes, and earning a new contract for 2026.

A warm, honest episode about young riders learning, rebuilding, and finding joy during the winter track season.

Episode 50 brings race results, cross dominance, two rants (yes, justice for Julie!), and the unexpected but brilliant comeback of Lotte Kopecky on the track. Plus transfers, updates, and our usual bias. Rather uneventful week, solid chaos.

In episode 49 of She Rides Saar talks with Robin Farina, General Manager of Cynisca, about building real pathways to the pro women’s peloton — and why sustained support and funding matter just as much as talent. Robin shares how Cynisca is creating opportunities for riders to grow, stay in the sport, and chase their full potential.

Plus: stay till the end for an extra-extended latest-news segment, where we catch up on everything we missed over the last 2.5 weeks.

After a brutal crash and a long fight with concussion symptoms, Esmee Peperkamp opens up about the hardest comeback of her life — and how she found her way back to cycling, and to herself.

She talks with Saar and Kristof about the pressure to race again too soon, why concussion care in cycling needs to change, and how recovery taught her to slow down, breathe, and celebrate the small wins.

From team life to gravel freedom, Esmee shares how rediscovering simple joy on the bike helped her rebuild confidence, connection, and love for the sport.

Just a few days before this year’s Gravel World Championships, gravel world champion Kim Knaeps (age group 34-39) joins Saar and Kristof to dive into what the gravel scene is really like — and how to watch it with a bit more insight.

From discovering cycling during COVID to combining motherhood, work, and training. Kim talks about the pressure that came with wearing the world champion jersey, why gravel racing feels fairer than road cycling, and what makes this discipline so unique.

Recorded in the lead-up to the Worlds, this episode gives you everything you need to understand to enjoy the biggest gravel race of the year.

Saar is joined by Connie Hayes — back on the podcast and back in the peloton after more than a year out injured. They talk about her return to racing and dig into the biggest stories in women’s cycling right now: from transfers and the uncertain future of Conti teams to the coolest underdog win of the season, Worlds drama, and a look ahead to the upcoming Euros.