The Rouleur Podcast

Doping has sadly become a perennial issue in cycling. Every year there’s a new drug, a new disgrace and a series of articles on websites where we all persuade ourselves that this will be the last time this happens.  Let’s be clear. Cycling is far cleaner than it once was. Despite the non-endemic media’s perception of bike racing as a kind of endurance version of WWE wrestling, the vast majori...

Two Grand Tour legends - Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso - have launched their own bike brand, inspired they say by their decades of experience in the pro peloton. They join presenter Ian Parkinson, along with 19-year old Alpecin-Fenix rider Ben Tulett, fresh from a very creditable performance over the 260 punishing kilometres of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Giro'Italia is already proving as unpredic...

"I didn’t want a Stone Age ecosystem, a ready-meal career path. I wasn’t for UCAS statements, study placements, three-year degrees and guessing how to succeed. I needed anarchy. A world with a clear winner: always the strongest, the smartest, finishing first. Throw away the protocols, policies, processes… no thanks to 9am and waiting for the clock to strike five. I craved a wave of noise, colour a...

Daniel Stewart grew up riding his bike on the streets of East Belfast, dreaming of being a pro racer. And his dream came true, even if it wasn't quite what he was expecting. He tells the story of his mad journey through the pro peloton in Rouleur 20.6 and on this edition of Rouleur Conversations. He joins presenter Ian Parkinson, Executive Editor Ian Cleverly and Paolo Martelli, official photograp...

“You peer at this gleaming canvas of countries and you can see that the paint is still wet.” - Kwame Anthony Appiah, The Lies That Bind With Slovenian riders on the cusp of achieving an historic one-two at the Tour de France, we revisit our 2019 exploration into how a country less than thirty years old, the size of Wales and home to barely two million inhabitants, has risen to the status of cyclin...

The Rouleur crew have torn themselves away from the television briefly to discuss a fascinating opening week of the Tour. Can Primož Roglič go all the way to Paris, assuming the race does... Is Marc Hirschi's stupendous stage 9 descent into Laruns one of the best cycling moments we have ever witnessed? And is Sam Bennett a big crybaby or a lovely, lovely guy? (We know the answer, don't @...

Some fine racing in the opening week of the Tour de France for our panel to mull over. Ineos Grenadiers looking less than convincing, Jumbo bossing it, Caleb Ewan on fire. Fingers crossed we will get to Paris for a grand finale. A Rouleur quartet of Andy McGrath, Ian Cleverly, Maria David and Stuart Clapp join Ian Parkinson for a Tour chinwag.   Lizzy Banks was a revelation at the GP Plouay,...

Matt Rendell tracks Nairo Quintana’s rise from Alejandro Valverde’s understudy to leader in his own right. The 2013 Tour de France saw the Colombian challenge the old order at Movistar – and challenge Chris Froome for the top step of the podium. In this extract from his book Colombia es Pasion , Matt details the key moments from that year’s race as Quintana went on to take a stage victory in Semno...

Jacopo Guarnieri is a key component in Arnaud Démare’s sprint train at Groupama-FDJ – as well as being a rouleur.cc columnist.    Since racing's restart, he’s already guided his main man to a win at Milano-Torino, along with two stages and overall victory at the Tour de Wallonie. All being well, he’ll be leading out stage wins at the Giro d’Italia in October. There’s a new philosoph...

“I’ve seen everything. I’m tired. I am tired of these guys thinking she just needs to shut up because this is the way it is, because I’m a woman in our sport.”  What began as isolated complaints against one man has escalated into numerous accounts of inappropriate behaviour at the least - and sexual assault at worst - in professional cycling teams. Women call for change. Now. Orla Chennaoui u...

Photographer Chris Auld, who took one of the most iconic Tour de France photos in recent history, joins Ian Parkinson as he returns to work in Italy, capturing a hot and dusty Strade Bianche and the torrential downpours of Trittico Lombardo for starters. How is it being back at the races? Is it odd shooting with no crowds? And how did he get the ever-charismatic Julian Alaphilippe to give him a br...

We all have our favourite Tour de France out of the 106 editions of this legendary race. For many, 1989’s stunning turnaround by Greg LeMond of Laurent Fignon in the final stage on the Champs-Élysées remains one of the greatest moments in sporting history, let alone cycling’s crowded canon. A mere eight seconds difference at the end of three weeks of racing – a truly epic battle. Others may cite E...

Nearly time for Le Tour, but who will win? Without any racing to base our predictions on, it's something of a wildcard scenario this year.  The Rouleur team gathers then socially distances in Ian Parkinson's garden to discuss the upcoming edition, our favourite Tours in history and the latest lovely cover by Sean Hardy. And writer Maria David joins us with the story of one of the great sporti...

This is the story of a big house in Belgium. Within its walls, along its corridors, through its communal kitchen and living space, some of the finest riders in the world have idled, prepared for races, slouched in front of the TV, boiled water for pasta and generally discovered whether or not they will make it. It is a remarkable institution, with no official accreditation. It is almost as if it d...

In the overall scheme of things, one delayed bike race is no big deal - but it's surprising how much the Tour De France has become an integral part of so many people's July. Ned Boulting hasn't spent July at home since 2003 but he's hoping to be back on the road in a couple of weeks as racing restarts including, we hope, the Tour De France. He's also reflecting on cycling and transport post lockdo...

“I was told by everyone that I was bad. Bjarne won but he is bad. He is a bad man. All the newspapers. People in cycling. Everyone. I’m a cheat. I lie. That name. For years and years this was my story. It was my life. You almost start to believe it. You have to understand that I stood alone when it all came down. A young man. I didn’t have that much life experience. And nothing about how to handle...

Teniel Campbell has come a long way already, but her ambition is almost limitless. She wants Olympic and World medals, she wants to win Classics and set records on the track. She wants to outdo her idol Marianne Vos. And she wants to help more people like her into the sport. In this edition, Teniel tells Ian Parkinson how a young girl from Trinidad fought her way to the Women's World Tour. Meanwhi...

“I did not cheat, I didn’t dope. I’m proud of that, and I think I beat two of the really great cyclists of my era, Hinault and Fignon.” Cycling was only half the battle for comeback king Greg LeMond. USA’s sole Tour de France champion on Lance, lawsuits, trauma, triumphs and his dream of a return to the sport at 58 years of age. The Rouleur Longreads Podcast brings you selected long form articles...

Sports commentator, journalist and Rouleur columnist Orla Chennaoui opens a big can of worms on the podcast this week – helmets.   It was the subject of her issue 20.3 column and caused some – generally – good-natured debate. Riding round Amsterdam, Orla goes without a head covering, something she’d never have considered when living in London. What is the difference? And what can other less c...

Teniel Campbell hails from Trinidad, not exactly a hotbed of world class cycling stars. But this determined talent is on the edge of breaking big and inspiring the next generation of Trinidadians to follow her path. “ I’m gonna come back to Europe and whoop ass. Just stamp my name. I’m not here to try to survive in the peloton. I’m gonna be great.” This Soca Warrior knows where she's headed. The R...

Owain Doull had 2020 all planned out - Tour Down Under, the Classics, the Giro, then ease off towards the end of the year. That didn't work out, so he's now doing five hour training rides around his home and looking forward to a busy Autumn of racing. It gives him time to concentrate on his new project, though - a boutique coffee brand launched with fellow Olympians Philip Hindes and Callum Skinne...

“We often refer to a bad or disastrous day as a dark one. The kind of dark that surrounded my family, team and friends that­­ day, all the while ignoring the fact that I was swimming in white. A dazzling, shiny and pure white, but at the same time cold and enigmatic. A sort of deaf white, if you like, that’s if a colour can have sound.” On May 16th 2009, during the 8th stage of the Giro d’Italia,...

The Giro would have been hitting the hills any time now but there's no need to let the lockdown stop you getting your fix of mountain views. Regular Rouleur photographer Michael Blann has updated and re-released his classic book Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs and he talks about his love of mountain landscapes, with a couple of tips for the amateur snapper as well. Australian racer Jess Pratt won t...

“ Here I was, standing on a sand dune in Belgium, drinking a powerful Praline Chocolate Porter. Everything started to make perfect sense. ” 'Cross may not be coming - for a while yet, at least - but that doesn't mean we can't daydream about days spent mucking around in the mud. For our latest Longreads Podcast we've turned back the clock to November to tell the story of when, for the Belgian speci...

Luke Rowe checks in from home in Cardiff, training away as usual and enjoying some unexpected extra time with the family while adjusting his sights for a hoped-for return to racing later in the year.    The Ineos rider’s been getting battered by team-mate Rohan Dennis on Zwift, misses racing the Spring Classics but is keeping a calm perspective on the current situation.   The Bigla-...