Put on your Breton stripes, pick up your bagpipes and listen in as Rose Manley and Denny Gray take a look at Stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.

Follow along as they cover the race from the Grand Départ in Brittany to its conclusion in the Alps. There will be interviews, insight, features and Denny’s inevitable daily pilgrimage for cheese.

And don’t forget to follow The Cycling Podcast on your favourite podcast app to listen to the episodes as soon as they drop.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes), including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes.

Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month, plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

Come join the Breton festivities with Rose Manley and Denny Gray as they pick apart the first stage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.

Follow along as they cover the race from the Grand Départ in Brittany to its conclusion in the Alps. There will be interviews, insight, features and Denny’s inevitable daily pilgrimage for cheese.

And don’t forget to follow The Cycling Podcast on your favourite podcast app to listen to the episodes as soon as they drop.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes) including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us, by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes.

Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss as they recap the 2025 Tour de France.

We’re back on the road for the 13th time with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes feature race analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.

To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes) including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us, by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes. Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

Learn a language the fun, easy way with intuitive 15-minute lessons you can do when you want. Choose from 14 languages including Spanish, French, Italian and German. Listeners can get up to 60% off for a limited time only at babbel.com/tcp

Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss as they recap the 2025 Tour de France.

We’re back on the road for the 13th time with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes feature race analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.

To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes) including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us, by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes. Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

A month or so before the Tour de France, Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss were discussing ideas for KM0 episodes...

'How about camping on Mont Ventoux?' said Lionel.

'Yes!' said Graham.

And so Lionel packed a tent, airbed and sleeping bag and decided not to book a hotel near the Giant of Provence so there could be no turning back.

After picking up camping equipment for Graham at the Nîmes branch of Decathlon, they set off up the mountain to meet Simon Gill, who was in his camper van. The original plan was to camp in the forest, where other Tour spectators were setting up for the night. However, police restrictions on the crowds and vehicles meant Lionel and Graham could not risk being stuck down the mountain, 10km from the summit, on race day, so they soldier on, past Chalet-Reynard and the shelter of the tree-line and up to the bald, rocky peak.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience – as in something they will not repeat in a hurry. Unforgettable in its own way as they braved the strong winds.

Who knew Ventoux could be windy? Well, the clue is in the name for a start, and remember the last time the Tour was scheduled to finish at the top of the climb, in 2016, when high winds forced the organisers to bring the line down to Chalet-Reynard?

This is the story of Lionel, Graham and Simon's wild night on the mountain.

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss as they recap the 2025 Tour de France.

We’re back on the road for the 13th time with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes feature race analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.

To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes) including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us, by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes. Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

This episode of KM0 tackles Dave Brailsford's return to Ineos Grenadiers and the Tour de France, the scene of his greatest sporting triumphs.

Between 2012 and 2019, Team Sky and then Ineos Grenadiers won seven out of eight editions of the Tour. However, there had been controversies along the way – therapeutic use exemptions to permit their key riders to take otherwise prohibited medication, therefore pushing right up to the line in terms of what is allowed by the rules. The jiffy bag incident. Letting riders and staff members go in the wake of the 2012 reasoned decision by the United States Anti-Doping Agency into Lance Armstrong's doping, and their team doctor through the glory years, Richard Freeman, getting struck off by the general medical council for his conduct while working in cycling.

After a spell at Ineos Sport, overseeing Jim Ratcliffe's sporting empire, and an unsuccessful period with Manchester United football club, Brailsford returned to the cycling team on the eve of the Tour de France with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a sweet shop, according to team CEO John Allert.

But since the start in Lille, allegations from Team Sky's past have stalked Brailsford. It concerns their head carer, a Slovenian called David Rozman, who had been involved in the Operation Aderlass doping investigation relating to alleged text messages between him and Dr Mark Schmidt, subsequently jailed for doping offences, shortly before the 2012 Tour.

Brailsford and the team initially said they would not be commenting on the allegations but today (Thursday) they confirmed Rozman had been contacted by the International Testing Agency regarding the alleged texts, initially informally.

Lionel Birnie delves into the background, examines Brailsford's comeback and talks to David Walsh about why he has more questions to answer about what went on in 2012.

We’re welcoming Féminin listeners old and new to get into the Tour de France Femmes spirit with Rose Manley and Denny Gray as they meet up to preview the race over a platter of French cheeses. 

In what proved to be a far longer “punchy” episode than anticipated, Rose and Denny share their top fives of the race to come. They discuss the top five things to look out for on the course, plus their top five GC contenders, interesting prospects and stage hunters. Plus they finish it off with some crucial guidance for new listeners to the Féminin pod: a top five of Féminin references so that everyone knows their Nienke Vinke Fan Club from their ‘Casio’ Niewiadoma.

Also on the agenda, the English for “fromagerie” and Denny gets trapped down a SD Worx vortex. 

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss as they recap the 2025 Tour de France.

We’re back on the road for the 13th time with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes feature race analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.

To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app.

We’re very happy to welcome Wahoo as sponsors for the rest of our Tour de France coverage and the Tour de France Femmes later this month. Wahoo have been having a fantastic Tour de France so far. They supply more than half of the teams in the Tour (and Tour de France Femmes) including those by Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Ben Healy and Jonathan Milan.

Wahoo’s vision is to build the best athlete in all of us, by transforming the way the world moves through connected fitness technology and training insights. Wahoo creates a full ecosystem of software, sensors, indoor, and outdoor training equipment for those just starting their journey in cycling, right through to competitive athletes. Go to WahooFitness.com to find out more.

If you are travelling abroad and want to reduce or even eliminate roaming charges you need an eSim from Saily, brought to you by the creators of NordVPN.

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Twitter @cycling_podcast

Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

This is the third part of Lionel Birnie's conversation with Shelley Verses about her experiences working as a soigneur for the 7-Eleven team at the 1986 Tour de France. She was the first woman to work as a soigneur on the Tour and her presence on the race attracted a lot of attention from the media. If you've not listened to part one yet, you can find it here. That concludes our Chapter & Verses mini series for now.

This episode of KM0 is available for everyone to listen to for free, thanks to you the support of our Friends of the Podcast. To sign up to listen to all our KM0 episodes go to thecyclingpodcast.com. An annual subscription works out at a few pounds (or dollars) a month and plays a huge part in keeping the show on the road.