The Rouleur Longreads Podcast: Learning to Fly from Rouleur 20.6

The Rouleur Longreads Podcast: Learning to Fly from Rouleur 20.6

Daniel Stewart nearly made it as a pro cyclist. He recalls his time in cycling’s ratrace, its colourful characters, beauty and bleakness. The sport’s loss is writing’s gain

Illustration: Eleni Dabo Longreads Longreads podcast Rouleur Longreads Words: Daniel Stewart

Laka

"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 and zeal. Klaxons, chaos and bup, bup, beeeep. Moments to unfurl on a team car bonnet, opportunities to be hurled like live grenades: forward and back until they explode.

I wanted to be riding, or lying down,
Lying down, or sitting up,
Sitting up, or eating up,
Anything else
Was wrong.

This awe-inspiring, time-consuming wave is cycling. I wanted to ride that wave, to achieve perfection.

I wanted to be a professional cyclist."

Not just any cyclist either, but the second coming of Sean Kelly. It didn't go quite as Daniel Stewart had hoped, however. For the longread taken from our latest issue, the Irishman reflects on his turbulent time in the ratrace.

The Rouleur Longreads Podcast brings you selected long form articles from the magazine, especially recorded for Rouleur. Don’t stop what you’re doing – do it while listening to the world’s best cycling writing.

The latest in this series is ‘Learning to Fly’ by Daniel Stewart, from Rouleur 20.6. Download the Rouleur app and use the code LEARNINGTOFLY to read the whole issue free of charge.

*This podcast contains some swearing and adult themes*

Listen on Acast

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

SPONSORED BY LAKA


We are delighted to have Laka as a brand partner of the Rouleur Podcast.

Laka is a team that looks out of each other. Laka’s collective cover is made for cyclists, for life on and off your bike. Laka has flipped outdated traditional insurance on its head.

No more fixed upfront premiums. Instead, your monthly contributions are based on the collectives’ claims that month. Your max monthly price is capped, but the savings are all yours. Plus, 80% of your money goes straight back into the collective: fixing, replacing, helping, whatever. And the other 20% keeps their wheels spinning. It’s as simple as that.

And when s*** does hit the fan, Laka’s got your back. Claims are handled by experts and usually agreed within a day. With no depreciation or excess. Laka are so over annual contracts locking you in…with Laka – if you want to leave, you can. Anytime.

If you are new to Laka, you can get a £10 credit by signing up today. Just use the discount code: rouleur

Illustration: Eleni Dabo Longreads Longreads podcast Rouleur Longreads Words: Daniel Stewart

READ MORE

Fabio Jakobsen: This is how you make sprints safer

Fabio Jakobsen: This is how you make sprints safer

As the first big sprints battles of the year take place at the UAE Tour, Picnic PostNL’s Fabio Jakobsen has an idea of how to...

Leer más
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig for MNSTRY

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig: ‘I want to be back racing with my heart’

The Danish rider has signed a two-year contract with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, changing her training, fuelling and mindset in order to get back on top of the...

Leer más
Tadej Pogačar at the 2024 Il Lombardia

UAE Tour 2025 preview and contenders: Can anyone deny Pogačar?

A raft of top sprinters are lining up to vie for stage victories in the year's second WorldTour stage race

Leer más
Demi Vollering 2025

Is FDJ-Suez the team that can help Demi Vollering to Tour de France Femmes redemption?

There are big changes for the Dutch rider in 2025 - will they pay off? Or could leadership issues arise again? 

Leer más
Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has teased his participation on social media, but is it a legitimate possibility?

Leer más

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE