The Cycling Podcast
The Cycling Podcast is an independent sports audio production presented by Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie, and Daniel Friebe. Launched in 2013, weekly, hour-long episodes provide insight, analysis and often irreverent take on professional road cycling. Each episode features interviews with different professional cyclists, team staff and other actors from across the sport. Increased coverage is provided at the Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España) where daily episodes are recorded at the end of each stage. It is also published by the UK broadsheet newspaper, "The Telegraph". History. The Cycling Podcast  began as short audio dispatches from the 2013 Tour de France supported by sponsorship from Sharp. Listener numbers hit 9,000 halfway into the race which helped secure funding from Jaguar for the following year. In 2015, audience numbers grew to 30,000 and partnerships were developed with The Telegraph and Eurosport. Support from sports nutrition brand Science in Sport saw The Cycling Podcast cover their first Giro d'Italia in 2016 and title sponsorship from cycling lifestyle brand Rapha, secured the future of the podcast for the following two years. Notably, The Cycling Podcast was referenced in the House of Commons Culture , Media and Sport Select Committee's report into Combatting doping in sport. The Cycling Podcast was the first podcast ever to be accredited to the Tour de France. The Cycling Podcast has been nominated for several awards since 2016. The podcast was given best podcast at the 2016 Cycling Media Awards. In 2018, The Cycling Podcast was a Bronze medalist in sports podcast category at the British Podcast Awards. It has been renominated in the Sports category in 2019. The Grand Tour Diaries, the second book by the team behind The Cycling Podcast was released in November 2019. The Cycling  Podcast was recorded live with an audience at the 2019 World Championships. Coverage. Giro d'Italia. It was in 2016 that The Cycling Podcast team covered the Giro d'Italia for the first time, thanks to new sponsorship funding from Science in Sport. Italian journalist Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport is a regular contributor during the three-week stage race. Tour de France. The Cycling Podcast began as daily dispatches from the Tour de France in 2013. Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe, along with a cast of special guests, have provided analysis and insight from each of the  21 stages of the race every year since. Esteemed French journalist and author François Thomazeau (winner of the 2015 Prix Jacques Goddet) has joined them in their coverage since 2017. Vuelta a España. Following the title sponsorship of cycling clothing brand Rapha, The Cycling Podcast added the third Grand Tour to their coverage in August 2016. Spanish cycling journalist and communications manager for , Fran Reyes provides insight during the Vuelta a España coverage. Contributors. The Cycling Podcast features regular contributions from journalists François Thomazeau, Ciro Scognamiglio, Fran Reyes and sports commentator Rob Hatch. The Service Course, a new tech show  by The Cycling Podcast launched in 2019 with YouTube star Keira McVitty and radio producer Tom Whalley. Unfortunately McVitty proved to be an unpopular addition and the podcast received terse criticism of her contributions and presentation style. She was soon axed from the show and a more successful partnership with Lizzie Banks, a double Giro d’Italia stage winner, was formed shortly thereafter. "Past contributors:" Matthew Beaudin, Ned Boulting, John Bradley, Caley Fretz, Rupert Guinness, Andy Hood, Matt Rendell, Owen Rogers, Owen Slot, Anthony Tan, Hannah Troop and Moeen Islam (avid fan of the show). Support and sponsorship. As of 2020 , The Cycling Podcast is sponsored by iwoca, having until the end of 2019 been sponsored by Rapha. It also receives support from Science in Sport. Past sponsors include Allpress Espresso, HumansInvent.com, Sharp, Van Dessel Cycles, British Eurosport, Nederburg Wines, Jaguar, Wellbrix and Hansgrohe showers and taps. "The Telegraph" is a long standing media partner of The Cycling Podcast. References.