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.

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 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

In the latest Cyclingnews podcast we cast our eyes over the main contenders at the Vuelta a Espana. The field is stacked with stage racing talent, from Chris Froome to Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, Richard Carapaz and Dan Martin. We hear from Dumoulin about his own chances, and how he has coped with such a short but intense season.

We also look back at the men’s edition of the Tour of Flanders and discuss the rivalry between winner Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert and  how the pair could shape the Classics for years to come.

The whirlwind of a season then takes us to Italy, where we hear from Jaoa Almeida and Tao Geoghegan Hart as the final week of action begins at the Giro d’Italia.

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 Cyclingnews podcast, brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello, we talk about the precarious situation at the Giro d’Italia after a number of positive COVID-19 tests have lead to two teams withdrawing and one additional team’s management requesting that the race come to an early end.

We discuss if the Giro will make it to Milan or not and how the organisers are vowing to carry on.

We also hear from Mark Cavendish, who spoke to the media in Belgium this week, and we look at the potential teams that he could join in 2021.

With the men’s and women’s Tour of Flanders coming up we look at the favourites and we talk to Elisa Longo Borghini about her season, the Classics and Trek Segafredo.

In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews podcast, we look back at the Giro d’Italia, Gent-Wevelgem and talk about where Mark Cavendish goes from here after he told the world that Gent-Wevelgem might be his final race.  We also hear from Mads Pedersen, Jack Haig, and Alex Dowsett.

We start with Mark Cavendish, who told reporters that Gent-Wevelgem could be his final race as pro rider. In emotional scenes, the British rider gave little else away but with his contract up and no confirmation of an extension at Bahrain McLaren could this be it for the sprinter who has won 30 stages of the Tour de France, Milan-San Remo, and many more races? Daniel Benson and Ed Pickering discuss the huge impact Cavendish has had on the sport, his major achievements, what he was like to interview, and how his personality and his fast finish went hand in hand.

We also look back at the Giro d’Italia  - before the latest COVID-19 results were announced – and analyse the finish in the men’s edition Gent-Wevelgem. Coming up in the next edition of the podcast we have an exclusive interview with Elisa Longo Borghini from Trek Segafredo and preview the Vuelta a Espana.

In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews podcast, brought to you by Sportful and Pinarello, we look back at the first four days of the Giro d’Italia and recap the men’s and women’s editions of Liege-Bastonge-Liege.

We have an exclusive interview with women’s race winner Lizzie Deignan (Trek Segafredo) who talks about her victory, dividing up leadership and the first edition of Paris-Roubaix. We also hear from Marc Hirschi, who finished second in the men’s race.

In the Giro we hear from current race leader Joao Almeida and Matteo Tosatto, who talks about Geraint Thomas after the Welshman crashed out of the race.

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