The second race in the Challenge Mallorca series takes Lionel Birnie to the south east of the island and a glorious beach. But what is Ciro Scognamiglio's verdict?

We hear from man of the match George Radcliffe, Lionel predicts the winner because of course he does and we discuss the impact of tourism on the island.

Sponsored by Sports Tours International
The Cycling Podcast is proudly sponsored by Sports Tours International. Whether you want to ride, or watch the best in the world in action, Sports Tours International can take you to the heart of some of the world’s biggest cycling events. Choose from a VIP experience at the Tour de France or one of the major classics, or riding events such as the Etape du Tour or Marmotte, you can travel in style with Sports Tours International.

One of the most prestigious sportive events in the world is the Mallorca 312 in late April. You can experience the beauty of the island on closed roads, tackling either the full 312km, or the short 225km or 167km events.

Let Sports Tours International take charge of all the planning and logisitics so all you have to do is enjoy the ride.

Go to sportstoursinternational.co.uk for full details.

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The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Lionel Birnie is in Mallorca for the five-day Challenge Mallorca, a stage race that's not a stage race. In this opening episode of KM0, recorded at the Trofeo Calvià, Lionel and Rob Hatch discuss the history of the race and Lionel sees two very different sides to the island. 

The series title – Never Mind The Balearics, This Is The Cycling Podcast – is inspired by the classic 1977 Sex Pistols punk album of a similar name.

Now it's over to Lionel and Rob for the Hipster's Tour Down Under...

Sponsored by Sports Tours International
The Cycling Podcast is proudly sponsored by Sports Tours International. Whether you want to ride, or watch the best in the world in action, Sports Tours International can take you to the heart of some of the world’s biggest cycling events. Choose from a VIP experience at the Tour de France or one of the major classics, or riding events such as the Etape du Tour or Marmotte, you can travel in style with Sports Tours International.

One of the most prestigious sportive events in the world is the Mallorca 312 in late April. You can experience the beauty of the island on closed roads, tackling either the full 312km, or the short 225km or 167km events. 

Let Sports Tours International take charge of all the planning and logisitics so all you have to do is enjoy the ride.

Go to sportstoursinternational.co.uk for full details.

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
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.
The Cannibal & Badger
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.
The 11.01 Cappuccino
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

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie and Rob Hatch return to reflect on the Tour Down Under, where the climb up Willunga Hill once again proved decisive and some familiar faces from previous editions shone. To Daniel’s delight, the trio also look ahead to this weekend's cyclocross world championships in France, where Mathieu van der Poel is aiming for his seventh rainbow jersey. Health-permitting, Thibau Nys will be among MVDP’s challengers – and we hear from the precocious Belgian about his past, present and future. 

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Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

We’re back! In the first episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin of 2025, Rose Manley, Denny Gray and Jo Rowsell are looking ahead to what promises to be an enticing road season.

We offer up our 'bold predictions' (thanks Denny!) for the coming months, sparking arguments galore as we work out which count as downright ‘fanciful’ and which are seemingly probable. Potential Grand Tour victors, Anna van der Breggen’s return and winning opportunities for some young pretenders are all up for debate.

Plus we discuss the first Women’s World Tour race of the season – the Tour Down Under – and reflect on what it might mean for the rest of the year. Noemi Rüegg was the overall winner in Australia, cementing her champion status after a breakthrough season last year. There were also stage wins for Daniek Hengeveld and Chloe Dygert, and a first peek at some new look teams.

Also on the agenda, a present from the stork, showing off to your ex on Instagram and some continued Christmas Quiz seething.

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Follow us on social media:
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Friends of the Podcast
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.
The Cannibal & Badger
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.
The 11.01 Cappuccino
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

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie and Rob Hatch return to ring in the new season, which commenced this week with the Tour Down Under. After two stages and two emphatic wins for Redbull-Bora-hansgrohe’s “Flying Wombat” Sam Welsford, we look ahead to the weekend’s decisive stages. 

There’s also a postscript to last week’s discussions about both the future of the sport and its business model - and also what 2025 has in store for INEOS Grenadiers. 

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Follow us on social media:
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Friends of the Podcast
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.
The Cannibal & Badger
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.
The 11.01 Cappuccino
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

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

After a Christmas and New Year break, The Cycling Podcast returns with the now traditional early-season speculation episode.

With suggestions from some familiar voices, Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie and Rob Hatch  look at some of the stories and trends we think may shape the 2025 professional cycling season.

Episode sponsors

AG1
If you want to take ownership of your health, try AG1 and get a FREE one-year supply of Vitamin D AND five free AG1 travel packs with your first purchase.
Go to drinkAG1.com/cycling.

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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

Follow us on social media:
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Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

The final Grand Tour of the season rolled out from Portugal in searing temperatures and with question marks over several of the contenders. We were there to witness and report on all of it, with Fran Reyes bringing his sultry presence to week one, Richard Abraham dropping in for week two and Rob Hatch helping to bring the ship in to Madrid. Once again, there were talking points, adventures and laughs aplenty. 

The Cycling Podcast presented by Shokz
The Cycling Podcast is proudly brought to you by Shokz, pioneers of bone-conduction headphones. Shokz headphones give you unmatched sound quality and comfort without compromising your awareness of the sounds around you. Get £10 off every purchase at uk.shokz.com with the code CYCLING10. The discount code is valid until December 31.

Follow us on social media:
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Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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MAAP
We’d like to say a big thank you to MAAP for their support of The Cycling Podcast over the past three seasons, and congratulations for their move into the World Tour as kit partners of the Jayco-Alula and LIV-Alula-Jayco teams. Check out the new kits at maap.cc.

DVine Cellars
Our Christmas ‘Best of the Grand Tour Rest’ selection is available at https://dvinecellars.com/collections/the-cycling-podcast-cases

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Journey back to the height of summer and the Grand Départ in Florence with our Tour de France team of Mitch Docker, Richard Abraham and Graham Willgoss. They were there to witness Tadej Pogačar’s domination, a record-breaking 35th stage win for Mark Cavendish, and a historic trio of stage wins for green jersey winner Biniam Girmay. They also endured the horror of ‘the kebab shop hotel’, soaked up the sights, sounds and flavours of France, and almost ran out of gas before the Tour concluded in Nice.

The Cycling Podcast presented by Shokz
The Cycling Podcast is proudly brought to you by Shokz, pioneers of bone-conduction headphones. Shokz headphones give you unmatched sound quality and comfort without compromising your awareness of the sounds around you. Get £10 off every purchase at uk.shokz.com with the code CYCLING10. The discount code is valid until December 31.

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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).

MAAP
We’d like to say a big thank you to MAAP for their support of The Cycling Podcast over the past three seasons, and congratulations for their move into the World Tour as kit partners of the Jayco-Alula and LIV-Alula-Jayco teams. Check out the new kits at maap.cc.

DVine Cellars
Our Christmas ‘Best of the Grand Tour Rest’ selection is available at https://dvinecellars.com/collections/the-cycling-podcast-cases

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Relive some of the highlights of the first Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia, with this compilation of some of our best moments from Italy in May. Daniel Friebe and Brian Nygaard were your guides, Tadej Pogačar the race winner and dominator. Along the way, an eclectic cast of characters also made memorable contributions - from Ciro Scognamiglio to Larry Warbasse, a professional truffle to Carlo Ancelotti’s childhood best friend.

The Cycling Podcast presented by Shokz
The Cycling Podcast is proudly brought to you by Shokz, pioneers of bone-conduction headphones. Shokz headphones give you unmatched sound quality and comfort without compromising your awareness of the sounds around you. Get £10 off every purchase at uk.shokz.com with the code CYCLING10. The discount code is valid until December 31.

Follow us on social media:
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Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Vanta
This episode is supported by Vanta, the first ever enterprise-ready trust management platform. Vanta simplifies security and compliance at every stage. Whether you are starting a business or scaling your company, demonstrating top-notch security practices and establishing trust is more important than ever. To watch Vanta’s product demo go to vanta.com/cycling

Friends of the Podcast
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.
The Cannibal & Badger

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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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).

MAAP
We’d like to say a big thank you to MAAP for their support of The Cycling Podcast over the past three seasons, and congratulations for their move into the World Tour as kit partners of the Jayco-Alula and LIV-Alula-Jayco teams. Check out the new kits at maap.cc.

DVine Cellars
Our Christmas ‘Best of the Grand Tour Rest’ selection is available at https://dvinecellars.com/collections/the-cycling-podcast-cases

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

It’s beginning to look a lot like… a bumper Christmas episode from The Cycling Podcast Féminin. In the true style of an old Christmas TV special, this episode has a bit of everything: chat, music, cameos from a few familiar voices and of course the feared and revered Christmas quiz. 

First up, Rose Manley, Denny Gray and Rebecca Charlton pull out their favourite moments from an exhilarating and sometimes contentious year of cycling. The hosts are spoilt for choice in a season which saw the closest ever finish to a Tour de France, an Olympic road race which came down to the final kilometre and a Classics season which saw the spoils divided among comeback queens and breakthrough stars. Add to that more than a few moments of team in-fighting playing out on the road and the result is one of the best racing seasons in memory.

Then Denny and Rebecca go head-to-head as we look to crown our 2024 Christmas quiz champion. There’s a brand new round this year - the 'What’s That Sound?' round to add to returning favourites 'Blankety Crank' and 'Cryptic Criterium'. And it wouldn’t be our Christmas quiz without some squabbling, upset and a deterioration in professionalism from all involved.

Also on the agenda: Mastermind board games, the Tour de Wandsworth and a Juliette Labous cocktail.

The Cycling Podcast presented by Shokz
The Cycling Podcast is proudly brought to you by Shokz, pioneers of bone-conduction headphones. Shokz headphones give you unmatched sound quality and comfort without compromising your awareness of the sounds around you. Get £10 off every purchase at uk.shokz.com with the code CYCLING10

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Vanta
This episode is supported by Vanta, the first ever enterprise-ready trust management platform. Vanta simplifies security and compliance at every stage. Whether you are starting a business or scaling your company, demonstrating top-notch security practices and establishing trust is more important than ever. To watch Vanta’s product demo go to vanta.com/cycling

Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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).

MAAP
Check out the latest kit, including the new Jayco-Alula and LIV-Alula-Jayco World Tour team kits at maap.cc.

DVine Cellars
Our Christmas ‘Best of the Grand Tour Rest’ selection is available at https://dvinecellars.com/collections/the-cycling-podcast-cases

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

For the penultimate instalment of our Review of 2024 series, we reprise and re-iterate on one of the most popular episodes of 2023, a long & very in-depth interview with Redbull-Bora-Hansgrohe Head Sports Director Rolf Aldag.

The venue is again Mallorca, the occasion is again the team‘s first training camp of the winter, & once again posing the questions is Daniel Friebe. Last year, Aldag was looking ahead to Primoz Roglič‘s first season with the team - & precisely that is the main topic of conversation here, with Roglič’s huge disappointment at the Tour de France & season-ending triumph at the Vuelta a España. 

The Cycling Podcast presented by Shokz
The Cycling Podcast is proudly brought to you by Shokz, pioneers of bone-conduction headphones. Shokz headphones give you unmatched sound quality and comfort without compromising your awareness of the sounds around you. Get £10 off every purchase at uk.shokz.com with the code CYCLING10

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

AG1
If you want to take ownership of your health, try AG1 and get a FREE one-year supply of Vitamin D AND five free AG1 travel packs with your first purchase.
Go to drinkAG1.com/cycling

Friends of the Podcast
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.

The Cannibal & Badger
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.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
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).

MAAP
The Cycling Podcast x MAAP collection is available now. Check out the Black Friday sale – on now – at maap.cc.

DVine Cellars
Our Christmas ‘Best of the Grand Tour Rest’ selection will be available to order from Thursday December 5 at https://dvinecellars.com/collections/the-cycling-podcast-cases

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.