After eight days of inspiring and unpredictable racing, it's time to reflect on the inaugural Tour De France Femmes avec Zwift. Rouleur's Rachel Jary has been at every stage of the race, James Startt and Ian Parkinson have been watching from the comfort of home. Can anything - except retirement - stop Annemiek Van Vleuten winning in the mountains? Which teams could do better? And how important is the success of the TdFF to women's racing? Featuring interviews with rising French star Juliette Labous, super-domestique Audrey Cordon-Ragot and veteran racer turned DS Jolien D'Hoore.
]]>Half way through the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and it’s already rivalling the men's race for upsets, emotion and spectacular scenery. The legendary Marianne Vos still sits at the top of GC after her stunning stage victory, but will she survive the high mountains? Will Annemiek Van Vleuten regain her form and her favourite status after the virus which has laid her low until now? And why is Geraint Thomas's gilet making its own way towards the summit of Planche Des Belles Filles? Rouleur's Rachel Jary is on the route, gathering interviews and inside information - she joins Rouleur's James Startt and presenter Ian Parkinson for a snapshot of the race so far.
]]>Jonas Vingegaard heads for the Champs Élysées in yellow after one of the toughest Tours in memory.
At the same time, the women's peloton are getting ready to roll away from the Eiffel Tower to begin the revitalised Tour De France Femmes.
From Paris, Rouleur's James Startt and Rachel Jary join Ian Parkinson to look back over the last three weeks, and forward to the next eight days.
]]>Bike fit has come a long way. The old methods - tape measures, plumb lines and guesswork - still have their place but getting the right size bike is only half the battle. Dan Cavallari catches up with one of the recognised experts in the field. Todd Carver of Specialized and Retül has been helping riders become more comfortable and efficient for years. Retül uses 3D motion capture technology to examine how the rider actually moves on the bike. He tells Dan about the latest developments and why a proper bike-fit is just the start of the process.
]]>Jonas Vingegaard goes into the final week of Tour de France 2022 with his lead looking a little less certain. Pogačar is still 2:22 behind but with the Pyrenees and a time trial to come, and losing two of his team to injuries, Vingegaard will not be relaxing on the run-in to Paris. The soaring temperatures and ever-present threat from Covid are making things even more uncertain, and Ineos Grenadiers remain a threat to both of the favourites. As the peloton takes a break in Carcassonne, Rouleur's Ed Pickering and James Startt join Ian Parkinson for this special rest day Conversations.
]]>The latest from the top of the Tour's most iconic climb. After three days in the Alps which turned the Tour on its head, Rouleur's Ed Pickering and James Startt gather in the press room at the Alpe d' Huez summit finish and reflect. Where are we? What just happened? And who's going to be on the podium in Paris?
]]>As the teams gathered in Copenhagen for the start of the Tour De France 2022, Rouleur's Dan Cavallari caught up with Ineos Grenadiers' Jeff Crombie to check the reality of life as a World tour mechanic working with Shimano and other partners to give the team's riders the best equipment possible. Have wireless gears, tubeless tyres, through-axles and other innovations made his job easier or more complex? And which job does he dread? The answer may surprise you.
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The peloton are on their second rest day, in Morzine, on a Tour de France already packed with incident, controversy and excitement. Rouleur's James Startt is in Morzine, editor Ed Pickering is close by - they join Ian Parkinson to pick apart the stages and characters so far. Questions on the agenda: is there anything that Wout Van Aert can't do, can anyone stop Tadej Pogačar and was Fred Wright robbed of his rightful combativity prize? More worryingly, could Covid in the peloton upset all our expectations?
]]>After three days in Denmark, the Tour de France 2022 heads to its heartland. Travel day for the riders and teams and a chance for us to reflect on the opening stages - Rouleur Editor Ed Pickering joins presenter Ian Parkinson and Rouleur's photojournalist on the Tour James Startt.
]]>It's nearly July and for cycling fans that means only one thing - days glued to screens, or standing at the roadside, as the greatest sporting show on earth rolls through the French countryside. And, this year, Denmark. Rouleur editor Ed Pickering and veteran Tour photojournalist James Startt look ahead to the Copenhagen Grand Depart. Team DSM's technical wizard Piet Rooijakkers tells us how he manages the technology and tactics for 500 races each year and how he works with Shimano on the company's latest innovations. Australian journalist Sophie Smith, author of new book 'Pain and Privilege', talks about her 'addiction' to the Tour, and 'fat shaming' in the pro peloton.
Can anyone beat Pogačar and Roglič? It's the Tour - anything can happen.
]]>How green are the chemicals we put on our bikes to clean, lubricate and repair them? And how much faith should we put in claims of biodegradability and green credentials? Dan Cavallari talks the issues through with Alberto de Gioannini, founder of the Effetto Mariposa brand. His company makes high-quality tools and accessories, and eco-friendly cleaners, sealants and lubricants. Dan looks at the innovative tech behind the products, including the tyre sealant Vegetalex, made from olive waste and described by Alberto as 'like a very bad pesto'.
]]>Rouleur editor Ed Pickering talks through the biggest edition of the year - The Tour Issue. This year, it's two separate magazines in one - with equal space given to the men's Tour De France and the Tour De France Femmes. There are features on race favourites Primož Roglič and Annemiek van Vleuten, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's guide to the Grand Depart host city Copenhagen, and the story of the first women's Tour De France in 1984. And in the second half of the podcast, Ed talks to a cycling geologist with a particular fascination for the mountains and plains which make up the Tour route.
]]>Bike buyers have never had it so good, says Dan Cavallari - we live in an age of unprecedented options. But how do you choose between the brands? What makes them unique or special? And how do you establish a bike brand in such a crowded marketplace? On this episode, he talks to some of the team at Vitus, one of the smaller brands on the scene, but one with a long and intriguing history.
]]>On this edition, host Ian Parkinson joins the Shimano Neutral Service squad on the first stage of this year's Itzulia Basque Country. He learns about the work of these unsung heroes of the pro peloton and gets a high-speed ride around the Basque hills in the passenger seat of one of the famous blue Skodas.
Phil Wright reads Passion Project from Rouleur 109, the story of how two Italian entrepreneurs started an international bike clothing brand from their kitchen table.
]]>Dan Cavallari dives deep into the technology behind the Hammerhead Karoo, the latest and, according to its makers, most advanced cycling GPS unit. He's in Austin, Texas talking with Hammerhead's Vice President of Product, Jess Braun. According to her, it's all about developing technology that doesn't get in the way of your ride.
]]>Pro-cyclists are getting younger. Really, it's not you getting older. In the men's and women's pelotons, Grand Tours and World Championships are being won by riders in their early twenties, or even younger. Good timing for Rouleur 111 - the Youth Issue. On this podcast, Rouleur's Rachel Jary talks about her article on the lack of racing for Under-23 women, and the problems that's causing for the sport as a whole. And Rouleur editor Ed Pickering chats with Joe Laverick about the roller-coaster challenge of racing in Belgium.
]]>What's next for road bikes? Are there any more major technical leaps to come after discs, electric shifting and tubeless tyres? What's the next 'game changer'? Or will it simply be slow and incremental improvements on tried and tested basics? Cervélo have been at the heart of road bike development for years, especially through their work with pro teams and riders. For this episode Dan Cavallari gets together with three of their senior team - Maria Benson, director of product management; engineering manager Scott Roy and senior mechanical designer Robert Pike.
]]>On this edition, Steve Cummings joins host Ian Parkinson to talk about his new book 'The Break' and the surprising evolution of Ineos Grenadiers. And Rouleur editor Ed Pickering reports from the London launch of the highly-desirable indoor training system Technogym Ride.
]]>So you’ve taken that (not very difficult) decision and bought yourself a gravel bike. But the choices don’t end there. What sort of tyres are you going to put on it? Smoother tread or knobbly? Dry or wet compound? And what pressure?
Dan Cavallari is on the case as always, with the help of Ken Avery - Senior Vice President of product development at Vittoria. Between them, they can help you choose the right tyre (or tire as Dan insists on spelling it).
]]>The pre-season crash which left Egan Bernal in intensive care has again focused attention on the safety of time-trial bikes. Tom Pidcock and Chris Froome are among the high-profile names warning that TT bikes are too dangerous to ride on open roads. But are the bikes to blame - or the natural inclination of pro-riders to ride as fast as possible, even in training? Dan Cavallari seeks the opinion of three people who know - former US Time trial champion Cameron Piper, now product manager at Specialized in California, multiple British time trial champion Michael Hutchinson and Trek-Segafredo pro Toms Skujins.
]]>“You’ve got to love bike racing - it’s the best thing in the world”. Ben Turner of Ineos after 257 km of dust, cobbles and crashes in this year’s Paris Roubaix. Rouleur’s Rachel Jary was there and in this edition she talks us through the surprises of the men’s race with contributions from Ben Turner himself, Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford; and talks to two of the youngest riders in the women’s race about their baptism on the cobbles.
Ed Pickering is Rouleur’s new editor. He joins host Ian Parkinson to talk about his love for the sport and his plans for the magazine.
Follow Ed on Twitter: @EdwardPickering
Follow Rachel on Twitter: @racheljaryy
]]>Dan Cavallari seeks answers from two training experts – Neal Henderson, head of Wahoo Sports Science, and Shayne Gaffney, performance training manager at Zwift.
]]>‘Cycling’s Great Wasted Talent’ is the cover line of a new book dedicated to Belgium’s tragic star Frank Vandenbroucke. Eddy Merckx said Vandenbroucke was so talented he could win anything in cycling, but he was brought down by a series of drugs scandals – on and off the bike – and an urge for excess and self-destruction. In his book ‘God Is Dead’, former Rouleur Editor Andy McGrath details Vandenbroucke’s extraordinary rise and fall.
Signed copies of Andy's book exclusively at Rouleur.cc and listen in for the chance to win one.
Also on this edition, Phil Wright reads ‘The Joy of Setts’ from Rouleur 110, Paul Maunder’s detailed tribute to the cobble.
Want to leave feedback for the show or enter the competition? Email podcast@rouleur.cc
]]>The bicycle drivetrain has remained true to its roots for over a century — until now. Dramatic departures from the derailleur-based chain drive system have cropped up in recent years, perhaps offering a peek at what the future holds for bicycle development.
Classified Cycling CTO Roëll van Druten reveals how the Powershift system allows front derailleur-type shifts without a front derailleur. And Driven Technologies (a CeramicSpeed company) CTO and project pioneer Jason Smith walks us through what a chainless drivetrain looks like now, and how it will change the overall design of the bikes we buy in the near future.
]]>Host Ian Parkinson asks Rachel about the all-star Team SD Worx, coming up in the Classics-heavy issue 110, out next week. We consider Paris-Roubaix and our endless fascination with cobbles. And Ian C draws the short straw and has to drink fine beers with the boys from Deserter, all in the name of research, of course. Proost!
With thanks to Curators of Craft, suppliers of excellent craft beer, for the selection of Trappist ales for our 'survey'.
]]>The women’s classics season kicks off this weekend with the elite Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 128 kilometres of cobbles and vicious short climbs. Among the teams on the start line will be long-standing UCI continental outfit Le Col Wahoo. Rouleur’s Rachel Jary joined riders and staff at their pre-season training camp to find a team raring to get stuck in.
And host Ian Parkinson talks to Irish champion Imogen Cotter as she recovers from a horrific training crash in Girona.
This Rouleur podcast is supported by Le Col.
]]>Custom frames and bespoke builds continue to garner a healthy corner of the bike market. Those searching for a head-turning ride made totally to their specification are prepared to part with serious money for their dream machines.
Matteo Visentini from specialists Passoni tells Dan Cavallari who the customer is, why they desire one of the Italian company's timeless titanium frames, and how a trained architect prefers a career working with beautiful bikes. And if you recognise Matteo’s surname, that’s because his father Roberto won the 1986 Giro d’Italia. Bicycles are in his blood.
We are also joined by Ben Farver from Argonaut Cycles, who grew from being a one-man steel operation to custom carbon production in Oregon with a dozen employees, combining the wonderful ride qualities of steel with the almost limitless customisation potential of carbon. Ben will tell you all about it.
]]>Rouleur 109 – the Enable issue – is entirely devoted to Paralympic sport and disabled athletes. It features Kristina Vogel, Marion Clignet, Hannah Cockroft, Barcelona's remarkable Genesis team and many more, including British athletics and paracycling star Kadeena Cox.
A promising runner until she was diagnosed with a life changing illness, Kadeena took up track cycling, then decided to continue competing in both sports. Her determination has been rewarded with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. She talks to host Ian Parkinson about her career and her ambition to make elite cycling more diverse.
And after nine years at Rouleur, five of them as editor, Andy McGrath is off to new challenges. He reflects on the changes in the magazine, and the sport.
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