The Beginner's Guide to Pro Cycling

How can cycling be more welcoming to newcomers? How do you know if you are one? Does it matter? Holly takes the reins as she and Iain assess the landscape for fresh fans of the sport, figure out the best way to open the tent for everyone, and come up with a handy tool to Find Your Own Pro Cyclist Name. 

So you've watched the Tour de France – what next? With a continent-hopping WorldTour calendar, running from January to October, there's a whole lot to wrap your head around. Holly and Iain run through the races that are worth getting up early (or staying up late) for, the ones that help shape the season's narrative, and the ones that are worth skipping.

Ever have a question about the Tour de France? We've got you covered. 

Cycling's a beautiful sport. It's also a nightmare for new fans to get into – a mess of jargon, history, and tactics. Journalism professor (and new cycling fan) Holly Johnson has questions, and together with Iain Treloar, is on a mission to decipher pro cycling. In the first episode of this Rabbit Holes podcast offshoot: a chat with EF Education-Easypost CEO Jonathan Vaughters about how teams work...

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson discuss the final episode of Unchained, focusing on the finale of the 2024 Tour de France.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Dane Cash, and Intern Nick tackle the penultimate episode of Tour de France: Unchained, centering on the hopes of Richard Carapaz and other stagehunters trying to break free of the firm grip that UAE has on the race.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Dane Cash, and Intern Nick talk Unchained S3E6, which focuses on the history-making achievements of Biniam Girmay and Mark Cavendish.

Caley Fretz, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash dive into the fifth episode of season three, which takes a closer look at Jonas Vingegaard's journey back to racing after the crash that derailed the first half of his season.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson talk Unchained S3E4, which centers on the gravel stage of the 2024 Tour and the twin battles for stage honors and for GC position.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Chris Marshall-Bell break down the third episode of the third season of Unchained, covering Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's evolution and the challenges the team faces trying to get a return on sponsor investment

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson talk season three, episode two of Unchained, honing in on the four-rider GC battle at the 2024 Tour de France.

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson discuss the opening episode of Tour de France: Unchained season three, which focuses on the build-up to the race and the dynamic of smaller teams taking on big-budget powerhouses.

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses the final episode of season two, the last Tour days of Thibaut Pinot.

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses season two, episode seven of the show, which focuses on Soudal-Quick Steps quest to win a Tour stage. 

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses season two, episode six of the show, which offers an inside look in the Jonas Vingegaard's ascent to the top of the Tour standings.

The crew discusses season two, episode five of Unchained, which focuses on the Ineos Grenadiers and Tom Pidcock.

The podcast discusses the fourth episode of Unchained season two, which focuses on the Bahrain team in the aftermath of Gino Mäder's tragic death.

Dane Cash, Kit Nicholson, and Caley Fretz discuss the third episode of Unchained, where Jasper Philipsen and Alpecin-Deceuninck take center stage.

Kit Nicholson, Dane Cash, and Caley Fretz discuss the second episode of the second season of Unchained, which focuses on Australian GC hopefuls Ben O'Connor and Jai Hindley.

With the release of season 2 of Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained, the Unchained Binge podcast is back. In this first episode of the year, Kit Nicholson, Jonny Long, and Caley Fretz dive into the first episode, which sets the scene for another season of drama behind the scenes at the Tour. Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member...

On the final episode of this season of the Unchained Binge Podcast, we get a bit of the back of the race – the fast finishers trying to make the time cut in the mountains – plus the final fight for the yellow jersey and a sprinters' "world championships" on the Champs-Élysées.

In episode 7, we see a lot of Marc Madiot. So much Marc Madiot. We also get a really close look at how old Geraint Thomas really is, as both Gaudu and Thomas battle for one spot on the Tour de France podium.

On this episode of The Unchained Binge Podcast, we watch one of the world's best bike racers be inexplicably bad at bike racing, we learn that one of the world's best sprinters can't remember his shoes or, unfortunately, when there is still a breakaway up the road, and we debate whether there was any real drama inside Jumbo-Visma.

On episode 5, we return the focus to EF and to the Ineos Grenadiers. We get a lesson in descending from Tom Pidcock, we warm up to a rider in the twilight of his career, and we learn that Neilson Powless had a good breakfast.

Episode 4 offers an inside look at one of the most thrilling Tour stages in recent memory. We see Jumbo-Visma crafting a plan to take on Tadej Pogačar on some of the toughest terrain in the race, and then watch as the action unfolds on the journey from Albertville to the Col du Granon. Also, we discuss the different personalities in the Tour and the ways the show narrows those personalities down,...