Pro Women's Cycling

It's Christmas Eve! Traditionally we've recorded a look back at the year and talked a bit about what's coming up. This year we're reviewing things a little differently, as we take a look back at some of the most popular stories and subjects we've addressed over the years and what they teach us about the sport, the audience and the business of Pro! Women's! Cycling!

This is a significant episode for us, as this week we are announcing the end of our regular podcast series. We talk through the reasons behind our decision to take a step back, what's changed over the nearly six years we've been doing this and also reminisce about some of our favourite things. This is a positive episode and we'll really love for you to share it with us. Thanks for listening, we hope you've had as much fun as we have.

British cyclocross rider Helen Wyman has always been a fan favourite, and it seems like her racing is getting better than ever. Winning her fourth Koppenbergcross this season, she was on the podiums of the last two Cyclocross World Cups, and with the weather turning wet, rainy and muddy, just as she likes it, this could be just the beginning of an exciting season. We talked about what's made a difference, and how the sport has changed over the last five years - including how Helen's work on the UCI Cyclocross Commission has contributed to that. It's not all 100% positive, and we also talked about the changes Helen would like to see in the future, as well as losing her sponsor at a tricky time.

Sean Robinson is one half of Vélofocus, whose photography makes women's road cycling look so good. Sean talked to me about how 2017 was for him - the highs and lows, and changes he saw from his unique viewpoint of the sport. We also talked about how the sport could improve, and who he thinks we should watch out for in 2017. Check out the Vélofocus pictures, and buy their 2017 annual at http://www.velofocus.com

This week we recap our highlights and best parts of the 2017 women's road season. It's been an amazing year of racing and there's so much to celebrate. From the spring classics through to worlds in Norway, we've got opinions on them all! Get your best of the year opinions now!

In this episode we take a look at the changes in races, race days and race types from the 2017 season into the 2018 season. There's been some interesting changes in different global regions and specific countries. We look at which country has the most races and several surprising countries should probably be doing much better. Then right at the end Sarah causes Dan's brain to melt and the episodes in a minor medical emergency... so, enjoy!

This episode we go through what we know about the 2018 UCI Calendar so far, and what's changed from this year. There's been a lot of changes, with fewer overall race days but still a wealth of races, from all over the world. We go through in detail and talk through the implications of this new season for the peloton as a whole. We also catch up on the latest transfer news and a couple of other exciting announcements as well.

This episode we go through what we know about the 2018 UCI Calendar so far, and what's changed from this year. There's been a lot of changes, with fewer overall race days but still a wealth of races, from all over the world. We go through in detail and talk through the implications of this new season for the peloton as a whole. We also catch up on the latest transfer news and a couple of other exciting announcements as well.

This week we dive right into all the latest news and updates on transfers. If you need to know which rider is going where, then this is the episode for you! (Unless they haven't been confirmed yet, in which case, you probably still want this episode but you'll have to learn to live with the fact that we can't predict the future). Lots of interesting moves being made, with notable riders going to interesting teams; young up and comers joining the elite peloton; and a few eyebrow raisers too.

This week we talk through the Junior and Elite Women's Road Races from Bergen in Norway. There was all sorts of excitement in both races, and we talk through the highlights, the lowlights and the interesting moments that made the races. We also have a bit of a chat about riders to keep an eye on from the Junior racing, and of course we get a bit sidetracked, distracted and diverted some of the time too. There's even a special comedy bonus in the post for you!

This week it's been a week of trials, time trials! World Championship Time Trials! We talk through what happened in Bergen with the Team Time Trial and then both the Junior and Elite Women's Individual Time Trials. There are some spectacular results and the racing has been absolutely top notch. We talk through the start of Cyclocross season, and how the American races have gone thus far. There's a bunch of other topics we get through quickly before taking a look ahead at the road race and the scenarios we're hoping to see play out on the road.

This week we catch up on the racing in Spain and France with the Madrid Challenge and the Tour de l'Ardeche. We discuss what happened at the mountain bike world championships in Cairns, and we also get into the latest intrigue from Cycling Australia leading into the Road World Championships in Bergen. Speaking of which, racing in Bergen starts on Saturday! So we talk worlds, along with transfers and new team rumours. Heaps to discuss so let's get to it!

This week we catch up after Sarah's been away at the Boels Rental Ladies Tour in the Netherlands. There's Plouay results to discuss, all the Dutch racing and of course what it means for worlds. Speaking of worlds, we're two weeks out from the festivities in Bergen and so of course it's time for the (sigh, eyeroll) polemica. This year it's Australia's turn to do something unforgivably stupid, and Dan's got shoutpinions about it.

This week Sarah and Dan talk through the polemica and outrage of Dan's whisky choices. Also discussed is each of the stages from this year's Ladies Tour of Norway, including a bit of race-related polemica. Then there's a look ahead to the Boels Rental Tour next week and the implications of current races for Worlds which is coming up quickly indeed now. We also wax rhapsodical about the GP Plouay which is on live tomorrow! And there's an interesting bit of news from around the place with retirements and some fascinating new projects from retired riders. Beware, the swearing abounds this week.

This week we cover the results from Sweden with the Vargarda Team Time Trial, and the Road Race. We also have an interesting diversion into how the calendar shift of this race has changed the way it's raced and the results. Ella CyclingTips this week had a really interesting interview with Leah Thorvilson, the Canyon-SRAM rider who was the winner of last year's Zwift Academy. We discuss that interview and the broader impact of Zwift Academy on the sport, especially interesting as the second year of the program is due to start in September. As always, lots more fun, laughter and Australian weather updates included!

This week we catch up on the Prudential Ride London GP, which was surprisingly held in London this year. We also cover the full results for Juniors, Under23s and the Elite Women at the European Championships in Denmark. We've got a great block of live races coming up with Vargarda and then the Ladies Tour of Norway, GP Plouay all coming up. There's heaps to get across along with all the usual hilarity, swearing and awesomeness!

This week we follow up on the second race from La Course by Le Tour de France; the chase held on the weekend with the top 19 riders from the Col d'Izoard stage raced it out on the streets of Marseille. We talk through the excitement and also the issues that this new format of race revealed. There's positives and negatives, we take our time with both and also explore ways that we think the format could be improved for the future.

Look, we do understand that not all weeks can be huge weeks of racing, but honestly this week was definitely a HUGE week of racing. We had stage racing at the BeNe Ladies Tour in the Netherlands and Belgium. We also had the Lotto Thuringen Ladies Tour in East Germany. With races suiting different types of riders and different types of racing there was no shortage of surprises and feats of phenomenal prowess to be impressed by. All of that before we get into the high mountains for the Col d'Izoard and La Course by Le Tour de France. We also quickly cover some Canadian racing and talk about a couple of other news items from the week.

Marianne Vos' life in cycling just keeps on as a roller coaster. After getting back on top, she broke her collarbone in June, and now is back racing the BeNe Ladies Tour. She told me how her recovery has gone, and what it was like, watching the team she owns, WM3 Procycling, win the OVO Energy Women's Tour, and struggle in the Giro. We also talked about some of her most memorable Giro Rosa moments, and what it's like to deal with some of the race's frustrations. Click through to my website for the links and videos of things we talked about: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/07/12/sarah-interviews-marianne-vos-2017/

The Giro Rosa has finished for 2017 but we're far from done with it. With great racing every day, it's perhaps best summed up by Neal Rogers talking about Lucinda Brand when he said: "Only thing more badass than “no one in the photo”? No one in the photo with blood trickling down your arm". Sarah and Dan recap the biggest stage race on the calendar and all of the highs and lows the second week of racing brought us. After that they continue with the overview on the Tour de Feminin in Poland before wrapping up with some quick results in other disciplines and a glimpse of the calendar ahead, and in 2018.

We're at the halfway point through the 2017 Giro Rosa with five stages completed. We cover each of the stages so far, from the opening TTT through to the ITT and all the travails and changes on GC in between. There has been more than a fair share of surprise Giro geomorphology including some truly brutal climbs and so on. An incredibly close sprint finish and more. There's lots to cover and lots more to speculate on as we continue into the second half of the stages. (Spoiler Warning: We do actually cover the end of stage 6 so bail out early if you don't want us to reveal the winner for you).

All year we watch the TV highlights of the UCI women's WorldTour made by Rose Manley, of InCycle TV. I've always enjoyed Rose's work, so I was delighted when she came on the podcast and told me all about the effort that goes into producing these, and the features she's been making on various riders throughout the season, as well as the high and low points of the year so far. For links of everything we talked about, go to my site http://www.prowomenscycling.com

This week we preview all the stages of the 2017 Giro Rosa, from the Team Time Trial all the way through to the climb of Mount Vesuvius. There's stages to suit the sprinters, the puncheurs, the roleurs and the climbers. Who is suited to each stage? Which teams have the strongest rosters? Who are the riders to watch? How is the race likely to unfold? We answer all of these questions and more. We even unlock the age-old secret of how to interpret the race book (It's Idiosyncratic, Unless It's the Exact Opposite).

Balint Hamvas and Sean Robinson are Vélofocus, who take gorgeous photos of women's cycling. They told me about how the 2017 season is going, their highs and lows - and all about their kickstarter for a fantastic coffee table book about the year in women's road cycling. Listen here, and head to my website, https://prowomenscycling.com/velofocus-interview/, for the links of where you can buy their book, see their work, and a lot more.

This week Sarah and Dan recap the Ovo Energy Women's Tour held in the United Kingdom, reviewing each of the stages and exploring some of the more surprising results. Along the way they accidentally reveal which one of them is the REAL comic book geek (you won't be surprised when you hear who it is!) and of course, take some time to wrap up the other things that they've seen around the way over the past week.

This week marks the beginning of the Ovo Energy Women's Tour, the United Kingdom's best known women's stage race. We run through a full preview of each stage, the riders that are likely to do well and the teams who have very clearly come prepared for this year's contest. Following that we also take a quick look at the recent downhill mountain bike event at Fort William, with a bit of a surprise result.

Isabelle Clement is the director of Wheels for Well-Being, a charity dedicate to helping disabled people cycle more, through both their sessions giving people in London with a hug range of disabilities try a massive range of bikes, and through their national campaigning work. She told me all about these aspects of her work, and talks about barriers to disabled people cycling, both physical, in terms of infrastructure, and emotional, as well as the charity's successes, plans for the future, and what we can all do to help support disabled people's cycling. Find out more about Isabelle, Wheels for Wellbeing, and things we can all do to help, on my website: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/06/04/isabelle-clement-wheels-for-wellbeing-and-their-work-helping-disabled-people-cycle-more/

This week's podcast is a little bit of a catchup as we cover off the impact that May has had on the peloton with races going on in the USA, the Basque country, Belgium and more. Riders and teams have had to choose where to apply their focus and resources and it's made for a very interesting month. We take a particular look at how the Tour of California and the Emakumeen Bira played out and then how they contributed to the way that Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik was raced. As always, there's plenty to laugh about and more than a few diversions along the way!

Hopefully you listened to the recent BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour programme dedicated entirely to women's cycling, and set at the London Bike Kitchen. If you did, you will have heard LBK Director Jenni Gwiazdowski talking about their work teaching people to repair their own bikes - or maybe you've heard the Wheel Suckers' podcast Jenni runs with Look Mum No Hands' Alex Davis, which I was on that same day. You can imagine, being in the LBK space, and being on the podcast made me want to know a whole lot more - how and why did Jenni set up LBK in the first place, and what do they do? Why's she podcasting? What's her superhero secret origin story? There's only one way to find out - asking her! Click through to my website for the links to everything we talked about: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/05/25/jenni-gwiazdowski-london-bike-kitchen/

This week we talk through the events in China at the Tour of Chongming Island. We catch up on Marianne Vos' first win of the season. We take a look at the Women's Tour of California (aka The Breakaway From Heart Disease Women's Race presented by SRAM). We catch up on the latest news from BMX and we take a few minutes to reflect back on the last five years of podcasting. That's right, it's our FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY EPISODE!

If last week was the treble, with three big races, this week it was octuplets! Dan has been in Tokyo for the last week, and missed out on all the racing, so I catch him up on the action from the USA Crits Speed Week, the Festival Elsy Jacobs in Luxembourg, the Tour de Yorkshire in the UK, and over in France, the first round of the 2017 Downhill MTB World Cup in Lourdes. Along the way we talk mindgames in racing, the implications of having eight different women's cycling livestreams over three days, and a lot more. And I told him about my adventures on BBC Woman's Hour, and recording with the Wheelsuckers Podcast. Lots of videos and links to things we talked about, and even more things we didn't get time for, including some interesting articles and gorgeous films, over on our website: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/05/05/podcast-2017-episode-15/

This week's episode covers a lot of historic moments in the midst of a very dynamic 2017 season. There's Tour of the Gila in the US and Omloop van Borsele to cover off, along with the first ever women's edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege in all it's conTEXT and glory. There's some interesting articles from during the week including the latest edition of Ella's SHE-cret Pro which seems to have stirred up a bit of controversy. In addition to which we take the time to appropriately thank the UCI for their help with making La Course more La Course-y than ever before. Click through to our website for all the videos and links that go with this podcast: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/04/24/podcast-2017-episode-14-the-treble/

We're in the middle of the Ardennes week which means there's heaps of racing and heaps of climbs around. This week Sarah and Dan talk through how Amstel Gold and Fleche Wallonne both unfolded (they were amazing!), and what this might mean for Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday. There's also time to catch up on some of the main results from the recent Track World Championships, and to find out a bit more about Lizzie Deignan's new book "Steadfast" which is out now. Of course there's plenty more in the podcast and even more in the post!

This week Sarah and Dan talk through all of the racing for the junior women and the elite women at the Healthy Ageing Tour in the Netherlands. A fantastic set of races that are run entirely by volunteers that include live coverage for the elite women and comprehensive video highlights for both, proving that there really are no excuses for big race organisers (*cough* ASO *cough). There's also a bit of time to discuss what the race organisation looks like and involves along with a look ahead to the beginning of the Ardennes week of hilly classics, beginning with Amstel Gold on Sunday. And most importantly, Sarah teaches us the Buffalo Bill joke.

So this week Sarah was not only AT the Ronde van Vlaanderen but was doing the live English commentary for the race along with Rochelle Gilmore. We talk about what it was like roadside at the race and in the commentary booth before diving into all of the attacks and moves that made up the race. It was an amazing race and there are so many highlights to appreciate.

We're fully into the cobbled classics section of the season and we're a little bit excited. We recap the races of the last week, in particular Dwars door Vlaanderen and Gent-Wevelgem which were great and had captivating finishes. Then we take a look ahead at what to expect on this holiest of cycling Sundays, when the women hit the cobbles for Ronde van Vlaanderen. We also talk about the first round of the Enduro MTB racing in Rotorua, New Zealand. There's the ABSA Cape Epic to catch up on and we also follow the India Pacific Wheel Race (even covering some of it live - sort of) where Sarah Hammond is third overall, and the riders have already covered 4,500km but still have about 1,000km to go. It's an epic podcast for a week of epic racing!

Isla Rowntree is best know for her company Islabikes, which transformed children's cycling - but before that she was integral to the fight for women's cyclocross, in the UK and internationally. Now her next challenge is the Imagine Project, creating sustainable bikes and cycling models for a world of scarce resources. We talk all this and more - and you can read the interview too, on my website, https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/03/26/sarah-interviews-isla-rowntree/

This week we catch up on all the attacks (so many attacks!) from Trofeo Moreno and Trofeo Binda last weekend. You know racing is intense when top riders are gunning it on the front just to settle down the sheer number of attacks! The Dwars Door Vlaanderen started while we were recording, so we give that a moment's consideration and also take a look ahead at Gent-Wevelgem on this weekend. There's a heap of cool media and some epic races including the ABSA Cape Epic and the Indian-Pacific Wheel Race; and of course heaps more!

Catherine Marsal is a legend of women's cycling and French cycling in general. Racing her first Olympic Games at 17, becoming the first ever Junior Road World Champion, and then the first woman to ever be Junior and Elite Road World Champion; winning World Championships golds as a Junior on the track in the Individual Pursuit and in the Team Time Trial; winning the Giro d'Italia, and another of the (now lost) Grand Tours, the Tour de l'Aude twice; and becoming the World Hour Record champion... and much more. After she finished racing, she was a Directeur Sportif for Team SATS, and then after a break from cycling to do a degree and work in business, three years ago she took the job of women's coach/manager for the Danish National Team - which has, of course, included being team coach when Amalie Dideriksen became the 2016 Road World Champion. We talked about her amazing life in cycling, the ups and downs, racing with/against Jeannie Longo, and of course, the incredible results of the Danish women, and a lot more. Marsal is fantastic to talk to, and was super-patient despite technical issues in the call, and if you're at all interested in how cycling's change since the 1990s, the experience of young riders who become World Champions, or Danish cycling, please do listen!

This week we revisit all of the excitement from the Women's World Tour at the Ronde van Drenthe. There's more great racing from Drentse 8 and Setmarna Ciclista Valenciana. On top of this we have several really good articles about ways to improve women's cycling to discuss and there's been some interesting news in regards to British Cycling, and Jeannie Longo's husband Patrice Ciprelli. Of course we can't finish on a downer so we also take note of some of the fun stuff we've seen around the web this week. As always, heaps of links and videos in the post on the website!

I have always been a fan of how women bike riders have made their own media, so I was really excited when two American riders started their separate, and very different podcasts. Abby Mickey, who rides for Colavita-Bianchi, has been interviewing riders she's raced alongside, and with; while Lindsay Bayer, who's the co-owner, manager and rider for Hagens Berman-Supermint, is talking to people involved in women's cycling in different ways, and a different setting (mostly involving alcohol). I wanted to know more about them both - so I invited them on for probably my most meta podcast ever - podcasting about podcasting! We talk about a lot more too - why Bayer started her own team, how both of them have almost always ridden for female-run teams, how to spot Mickey's mother at races, and much more. Have a listen - it's only half an hour long! Click through to my blog to find all the links to where you can find Bayer, Mickey, and most importantly, their podcasts: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/03/14/lindsay-bayer-abby-mickey-podcasting/

This week we celebrate our vindication for having such lofty expectations of Strade Bianche. It was such an exciting and gripping race with one of the most exciting finales we've seen in recent years. Once we're done recapping that (it takes a while)we take a look ahead at the Ronde van Drenthe, and then we get into an interesting and maybe controversial proposal for a new race series.

This week we catch up on the opening races of the classics season. The Omloops (het Nieuwsblad and van het Hageland aka Tielt-Winge), and Le Samyn des Dames. It's been a great opening to European racing with diverse pelotons and results! There's a lot to unpack and enjoy, there's also track racing to catch up on and some other news from around the traps. Remember to park for a clean getaway and then settle in for a hell of a listen.

This week we preview the first of the Spring Classics! Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Tielt-Winge are on this weekend (the weather looks horrendous!!! Yay!). We review the Cali Track World Cup and the results from the last cyclocross race of the season in Leuven. There's some tougher news that we need to talk about, but it's positive in the sense that good journos like Laura Weislo are doing some great work in following up on these stories. Most importantly it's time for round two of our kit vote, so make sure to get in and vote for your favourites!

This week we talk through the last few cyclocross races of the season. We also take a quick look at all the track racing that's coming up soon, including the paracycling world championships. We take some time to kick off the great team kit voting challenge for 2017, so make sure to visit the post to see the pictures, videos and (of course) to vote! We do talk about some of the tougher stories to have come out recently regarding the types of abuse that have been uncovered in the sport. It's tough reading and listening, but it is good for the sport to bring these problems to light.

The 2016/17 cyclocross season has been an amazing one for Ellen Noble, the 21-year-old American rider who not only won the U23 Cyclocross World Cup series (and came 6th overall in the elite women's series), but finished the season coming second in the U23 Cyclocross World Championships, with some incredible descending skills. She tells me all about how it's been, what's helped her get here, and where she wants to go next, with a lot more - including how she felt when the USA cycling media said there was no chance of an American getting onto the podium at the U23 Worlds! Click through to my website for the links of things we talked about: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/02/10/sarah-interviews-ellen-noble/

This week we talk about all the racing that's happened in the last couple of weeks from the Deakin Women's Race as part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race through to the Cyclocross World Championships in Luxembourg. There's been some amazing racing and even more to discuss! There's also been some disappointing news from around the traps and we cover those important events as well. We finish on a high note though, with Sarah's wrap up of how you can help women's cycling in practical ways!

Seven-time Cyclocross World Champion Marianne Vos talks about the 2017 CX Worlds, and how her season has been. You can also read the transcript of this on my site, with some more rider interviews: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/01/28/2017-cyclocross-world-championships-marianne-vos-sophie-de-boer-and-christine-majerus/

This week we catch up on all the Australian nationals results, the cyclocross nationals and the Women's Tour Down Under along with a detailed and robust conversation about how hard it is (or isn't) to provide race highlights. Sarah's been suffering with a terrible lung infection and manages to only cough up parts of her internal organs, while keeping the entire episode actually within reasonable bounds. It's the unicorn episode kid. Links and videos from things we talked about this week: https://prowomenscycling.com/2017/01/20/podcast-2017-episode-2-race-coverage-and-podium-presenters/

It's the first week of 2017 and we're already knees deep in a whole bunch of racing, it's been fantastic! Dan anoints another honorary Australian and we celebrate the joys of the diversity of Orica Scott tactics. There's a new Australian national criterium champion and there's a HUGE amount of changes in the 2017 UCI Racing Calendar to discuss. There's also some cyclocross, some Vos and some other goss to cover. It's a big and exciting start to the new year. Videos from the week's racing, and more links we liked, on our website: http://prowomenscycling.com/2017/01/04/podcast-2017-episode-1-is-the-world-tour-less-worldly/

Following on from last week's episode we round out our review of the 2016 season and talk a little more about how we think things will shape up in 2017. There's been a fair bit of movement among the teams, with some really interesting new line ups. Can Boels Dolmans dominate again? Will they achieve the same level of winning as their astonishing 2016? Will some other team step up to challenge their dominance? What will Marianne Vos' new team look like? And how will other teams find their feet? We discuss all of this and more, including the important new investigation from the Dutch federation. There's lots to cover, just in time to round out the year!