Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast

A very long transition stage meant a big break with familiar stage hunting names. A sequence of four climbs late in the stage would decide who would be the winner, either a sprinter, climber or rouleur could win if they were strong enough. Other news was Ciccone and Evenepoel withdrawing from the Giro d'Italia before the stage, both presumably worse for wear after their crashes yesterday.  Sh...

Benji and LR discuss perhaps the most explosive GC day in this Giro d'Italia so far, with a nasty final climb to Sega di Ala. Once again this Giro proving, despite the big time gaps on the second rest day, that you never know what can happen in the third week of a Grand Tour. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Photos | Cor Vos If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel f...

LR and Benji recap the second week of the Giro d'Italia 2021, including discussing INEOS and Bernal's dominant performance, the current GC standings, the stages to come as well as whether anyone can topple Bernal in this extremely difficult third week. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Photos | Cor Vos If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel free to do so here: https...

An all too familiar sight at what was supposed to be the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia, absolute chaos before the race had even started. Negotiations for shortening the race (at the request of whom, we do not know) lead to the Queen stage removing two of its main climbs due to concerns over the weather. When the race did eventually start, coverage issues lead to the race defining moves (and pre...

A crash in the opening few kilometres of this stage heading towards Slovenia, meant that Giro d'Italia stage 15 got off to a rough start. The commissaires neutralised the stage in order for the injured riders to receive medical support and then a large breakaway went once again, with Peter Sagan and Bora-Hansgrohe seemingly ambivalent to the opportunity of a stage win. Benji and LR also recap the...

Time for the fearsome Monte Zoncolan with some big GC gaps, a strong breakaway and crazy fans. Benji and LR break it down as well as a bonus segment on the Daryl Impey deviation in the last stage of Andalucia causing Rob Stannard to crash. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Photos | Cor Vos If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel free to do so here: https://ko-fi.com/...

A straightforward bunch sprint day in the Giro d'Italia gave some respite to the GC contenders ahead of Zoncolan tomorrow. Benji and LR discuss who Quickstep should sign for bunch sprints next year as well as Dan Martin's comments after the Montalcino stage the other day. We also recap stages 1 and 2 of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, a World Tour level race for the women's peloton with all the usual...

Over 4400m of climbing awaited the peloton after the hard day to Montalcino yesterday but the finish to this stage may not have had enough to entice the GC men. Quickstep will have been licking their wounds after the shambolic stage 11 but would any GC teams really try with INEOS looking by far the strongest team. All this suggested breakaway, of which we got a large and strong contingent going cl...

The much anticipated Montalcino stage with the famous gravel sectors has arrived after the first rest day. The GC action kicked off early and did not stop until the finish line, with riders needing good 10 minute power, handling, positioning and wits to make it through this tough parcours unscathed. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Photos | Cor Vos If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us...

Solo break-away by Benji today! A quick recap of what happened in the Giro so far, and discussing what might happen in the coming stages. I also look through the team of the current Velogames league leader. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Photos | Cor Vos If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel free to do so here: https://ko-fi.com/lanternerougecyclingpodcast 🤗 Fo...

A perfectly balanced route for the climby sprinters to put the non-climby sprinters under pressure, with 3 short climbs stuff together in the middle of the stage with the last cresting with 39km to go. Would Bora-Hansgrohe light it up for Sagan? Would Merlier and co be able to hang on? A fantastic sprint stage eventuated as well some intermediate sprint action between Bernal and Evenepoel Show Par...

The big mountain stage of the weekend with 3500m of climbing across a day that was constantly up and down. The finish included a 1.5km section of smooth gravel with some steep pinches, beckoning to the GC men for some attacks before the first rest day. Would Bernal, Vlasov, Ciccone and Evenepoel take the opportunity for the stage or would a breakaway win once again? Show Partner | https://lecol.cc...

A stage designed perfectly for the breakaway with a long climb that would be too hard for the sprinters and an uphill rise of 3km at 6.5% gradient that was not enough to entice the GC riders out of slumber.  Show Partner | https://lecol.cc https://lecol.cc/blogs/content/project-aero If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel free to do so here: https://ko-fi.com/...

Another likely sprint stage on the cards with the main climbs of the day over 80km from the finish. A tricky finish awaited the sprinters, with a 12% 200m section and multiple corners in the final 2km. Big contenders were Merlier, Nizzolo, Ewan and Sagan before another hilltop finish tomorrow. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc https://lecol.cc/blogs/content/project-aero If you enjoy the LRCP, and yo...

The Giro has truly opened up with this chaotic stage. A stellar breakaway, terrible weather, coverage drop outs, a mountain top finish and the INEOS choo choo rearing its head, this stage was certainly one to remember. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc https://lecol.cc/blogs/content/project-aero If you enjoy the LRCP, and you want to support us by leaving a tip, feel free to do so here: https://ko-f...

A day for the bunch sprinters despite some weather forecasts providing hope of more excitement with a light cross tailwind for some of the day. Exposure in the break for the wildcard teams was the order of the day before a technical finale with 5 corners in the last 2km and plenty of road furniture, causing some unfortunate crashes and GC ambitions to be ruined before the first week was done. Show...

A difficult medium mountain day with a tough 4.3km 9.5% finish to the stage amidst atrocious conditions. A nightmare for a GC man hiding weak legs and perhaps an opportunity for a large break to form with the maglia rosa up for grabs. Chaotic coverage and some cracks in the GC men were the story of the day. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc https://lecol.cc/blogs/content/project-aero If you enjoy th...

A climby sprinty kind of day for the Giro d'Italia stage 3, with Bora and Peter Sagan hoping to distance the other sprinters and catch the break before the line. Things wouldn't be easy for them and they had the GC teams to worry about. LR and Benji also discuss the Lefevre comments regarding Almeida and Sam Bennett leaving Quickstep at the end of the year, whether he is bluffing and where they co...

The first sprint stage of this year's Giro d'Italia, with Dylan Groenewegen, Caleb Ewan, Peter Sagan, Tim Merlier, Nizzolo and Viviani all lining up for the stage honours. A stacked field, just missing Bennett, WVA and Ackermann and a tricky finish with an S bend in the final 600m and a gently curving right hand bend to finish it off. Positioning would be important as well as having a clear run to...

The opening stage to LR and Benji's favourite grand tour, the Giro d'Italia, with the Maglia Rosa up for grabs for the stage victor. A lot of hype prior to this time trial, with Ganna seeming fallible in recent weeks, Evenepoel having his first race back from his Lombardia crash and a stacked climbing field of GC men trying to limit as much time loss as possible in this 9km flat time trial. We rec...

Our much anticipated Giro d'Italia 2021 preview is here, where LR and Benji analyse everything to do with the race and just the race. We discuss the GC contenders, sprint field, every stage parcours and likely stage win hopefuls as well giving our final predictions for GC at the end.  Show Partner | https://lecol.cc To join our Velogames league: 1. Create an account on https://velogames.com/i...

How did Benji and LR meet? Who are their favourite riders? Where do they want to take the podcast in the future? We answer your questions and more in this Q&A special, prompted by hitting 10k subscribers on the podcast YouTube channel and 20k audience on podcast players  Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Introducing Drops Le Col | https://lecol.cc/pages/introducing-drops-x-le-col If you enj...

The final stage of Tour de Romandie 2021, an individual time trial of 16km with steep climbs, barely any long flat sections and some technical sections. GC was to play for with Woods only 11 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas and Porte looking to step onto the podium not far behind as well. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Introducing Drops Le Col | https://lecol.cc/pages/introducing-drops-x-le-col If...

The big mountain test in this week's Tour de Romandie, brought forward by 2 hours because of bad weather...which was really, really bad. One of the most chaotic and brutal stages of the World Tour in 2021, with neutralisation drama, crashes and Marc Soler attacks. Show Partner | https://lecol.cc Introducing Drops Le Col | https://lecol.cc/pages/introducing-drops-x-le-col If you enjoy the LRCP, and...

LR and Benji recap stage three of Tour de Romandie, another rainy miserable day with not too much to gain for the GC contenders and some punishing climbs within 10km of the finish. A sleepy stage woke up in the last 30 minutes with the weather causing multiple crashes including some big GC contenders and a surprise winner made his move much to our excitement.  Show Partner | https://lecol.cc...