Beyond the Bike: Demi Vollering on yoga, the Swiss Alps and changing women's sport

Hidden behind helmets and sunglasses, professional cyclists are often faceless when they are on their way to winning the world's biggest bike races.

Have you ever wondered who they really are? How they got there? What has shaped them into the people they've become? What they do on their days off? Who they are away from the bike? Who they turn to when things don't go to plan?

The stories and people within cycling are the sport's real asset. As bike racing grows each year, the gap between the riders and fans is getting bigger – Beyond the Bike is here to close that circle. There's a lot more to know about professional bike riders than you might think.

She might be best known as last year's Tour de France Femmes winner, but Demi Vollering is much more than her race results. In the first episode of Beyond the Bike, she talks about how her upbringing in the Netherlands shaped her into the determined athlete she is today, how she bases herself in the Swiss mountains and spends time hiking and camping in between races, as well as the responsibility that comes with becoming a spokesperson for women’s sport.

Listen to the full episode now