The Cycling Podcast

S13 Ep151: Trapdoor - Inside the Astana Miracle

In this week’s episode of The Cycling Podcast, we revisit one of the most intriguing storylines of the late summer and autumn in the first instalment of a new KM0 series - Trapdoor - examining the fight to avoid relegation from the WorldTour.  First up is Astana and their miraculous recovery from a dire position a year ago. Exactly how did the recruitment of a data scientist, new bikes, a bit of ‘Moneyball’ recruitment and a completely fresh approach to race planning revive a team that looked dead and buried twelve months ago? Maybe the key individual in the whole, miraculous process, the team’s Head of Performance, Vasilis Anastopoulos, reveals many if not all of the secrets in this interview with Daniel Friebe.  Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast [https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast] Instagram @thecyclingpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thecyclingpodcast/] Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com [http://thecyclingpodcast.com/] to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here [https://thecyclingpodcast.substack.com/] for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). 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 [https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/] to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava [https://www.strava.com/clubs/thecyclingpodcast] The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

S13 Ep150: All White Now

In this week’s episode of The Cycling Podcast, we digress from the usual diet of weekly news and analysis for a check-in with a familiar voice and regular guest over the years, Matt White, who in recent weeks has joined the Movistar’s team staff after over a decade in senior management at Jayco-AlUla. White’s departure from the Australian trade team he had shaped for years was almost as much of a surprise as his professional ‘emigration’ to Spain, although he has lived close to Valencia for many years. In this episode, he explains the specific challenges facing Movistar to Daniel Friebe, while also meditating more broadly on the challenge for ‘mid-table’ teams of staying relevant in the Pogačar era.    EPISODE SPONSORS NordVPN Get NordVPN two-year plan + four months extra ➼ https://nordvpn.com/tcp [https://nordvpn.com/tcp] It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Indeed If you are looking to hire someone for your company, maybe the best way isn’t to search for a candidate but to match with Indeed. Go to indeed.com/cycle [http://indeed.com/cycle] now to get a £100 sponsored job credit and get matched with the perfect candidate fast. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast [https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast] Instagram @thecyclingpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thecyclingpodcast/] Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com [http://thecyclingpodcast.com/] to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here [https://thecyclingpodcast.substack.com/] for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). 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 [https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/] to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava [https://www.strava.com/clubs/thecyclingpodcast] The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

S13 Ep149: An end-of-season ramble

With the 2025 road racing season now firmly in the rear view mirror, join Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie for a freewheeling ramble through some of the big stories that have hit the headlines in the past couple of weeks. We start by discussing the fragile nature of survival at World Tour level with the news that the Australian team Jayco-Alula came within days of possibly folding, and the delays to confirmation that two Belgian teams, Lotto and Intermarché, intend to become one. Where does that leave the riders, especially Intermarché's biggest star Biniam Girmay? Then we indulge in a bit of off-season speculation and wonder what Tadej Pogačar's 2026 season might look like, particularly with a number of race organisers making changes seemingly to entice the SlovAlien to ride. The Vuelta a España starting in his adopted home town of Monaco is not a particularly subtle overture and it seem an appealing prospect but, as we discuss, the picture is more complicated than that. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast [https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast] Instagram @thecyclingpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thecyclingpodcast/] Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com [http://thecyclingpodcast.com/] to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here [https://thecyclingpodcast.substack.com/] for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). 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 [https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/] to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava [https://www.strava.com/clubs/thecyclingpodcast] The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

S13 Ep148: Pog, Larry, Avoid

The Cycling Podcast returns on Halloween for an end-of-season debrief and audience with the rider formerly known by his team-mates as ‘The Ghost’, Larry Wabasse - for reasons the Tudor Pro Cycling ace will explain. After a quick dip into the week’s headlines, including news of Oier Lazkano’s provisional suspension for biological passport anomalies, we open our mailbag and invite Larry to respond to your questions. From Madeira travel tips to the now familiar question of whether Tadej Pogačar is turning pro cycling into a snoozefest, we demand answers and Larry, happily, obliges.     EPISODE SPONSORS Join Cycling The app designed to get you to your cycling goals, whether you're new to structured training or seeking to take your riding to the next level. Enjoy a 30-day free trial at join.cc/cyclingpodcast [https://join.cc/campaigns/thecyclingpodcast] NordVPN Get NordVPN two-year plan + four months extra ➼ https://nordvpn.com/tcp [https://nordvpn.com/tcp] It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast [https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast] Instagram @thecyclingpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thecyclingpodcast/] Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com [http://thecyclingpodcast.com/] to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here [https://thecyclingpodcast.substack.com/] for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). 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 [https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/] to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava [https://www.strava.com/clubs/thecyclingpodcast] The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

S13 Ep147: Unwrapping the 2026 Tour de France

Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie and Rob Hatch, give their verdict on the parcours unveiled in Paris on Thursday morning.  The ASO bigwigs have backloaded the course, apparently in the hope of maintaining a little more suspense this year. Will they succeed? Or, in trying to Pog-proof the Tour, have they merely underlined what an impossible task that is?     EPISODE SPONSORS Join Cycling The app designed to get you to your cycling goals, whether you're new to structured training or seeking to take your riding to the next level. Enjoy a 30-day free trial at join.cc/cyclingpodcast [https://join.cc/campaigns/thecyclingpodcast] Calm Calm has an exclusive offer for listeners of The Cycling Podcast. Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription to help you sleep better and reduce any anxiety you may be feeling ➼ https://calm.com/cycle [https://calm.com/cycle] Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast [https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast] Instagram @thecyclingpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thecyclingpodcast/] Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com [http://thecyclingpodcast.com/] to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here [https://thecyclingpodcast.substack.com/] for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). 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 [https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/] to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava [https://www.strava.com/clubs/thecyclingpodcast] The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.