Re-Cycle: The cycling history podcast

In 1985 and 1986, mercurial climber Robert Millar twice came one step away from becoming Britain's first Grand Tour winner – only for a combination of bad luck, mismanagement, Machiavellian machinations and team alliances to thwart him. We remember how the Scot fell short of glory in controversial circumstances.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, we re-count when Federico Bahamontes blew a 16-minute lead to hand his big rival Jesús Loroño the yellow jersey on a plateIt was one of cycling's bitterest rivalries and that fateful Vuelta 1957 took things to a new level. But there's much more than there seems to a story that blends social, political, economic, sporting and personal conflict.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, we re-count the time Rudi Altig defied teammate Jacques Anquetil to win the 1962 Vuelta. Frenchman Jacques Anquetil entered the 1962 Vuelta a España aiming to become the first rider in history to win all three of cycling's Grand Tours. But the time trial specialist was beaten at his own game by his young teammate, who became Germany's first ever Grand Tour winner. Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, we look back on a ride that really was too good to be true.A day after handing the initiative to Oscar Pereiro for a second time following an implosion at La Toussuire, Floyd Landis turned the 2006 Tour upside down. Going clear on the first of five climbs 120km from Stage 17's finish, Landis blew his rivals away with an unbelievable solo win in Morzine to revive his yellow jersey bid.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, we're riding with Eros Poli, a man famous for being the tallest rider in the peloton as well as finishing last in the Giro d'Italia, while also piloting Mario Cipollini to multiple stage wins. Then, on a sweltering day in the Tour de France, Poli went on the attack en route to Mont Ventoux. Here's the story of how some quick thinking, a little James Brown and a hot can of Fanta fired a giant to victory up and over the Beast of Provence.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sunstroke and a bottle of wine made Abdel-Kader Zaaf a household name at the 1950 Tour after he passed out on his bike then, in a daze, rode back towards the peloton. A year later, the Algerian trailblazer finished last after launching the move that ended the grieving Fausto Coppi's bid for yellow. Felix Lowe remembers a man who blurred the lines between myth and reality, between patronising praise and casual racism.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss, and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first of our 4-stage Tour run of Re-Cycle, Felix Lowe tells the story of the accidental yellow jersey. Eddy Merckx's bid to wear the Yellow Jersey from start to finish at the 1971 Tour de France was scuppered when his Molteni teammate Rini Wagtmans took the race lead by mistake on a crazy triple-split stage. Felix Lowe remembers a chaotic race at the height of Merckx Mania, when the Cannibal was pushed to his very limit by his great rival Luis Ocaña.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, Felix Lowe turna back the clock to June 1946, just a few months after the end of World War II. A reduced field took to the start of the Giro d’Italia in Milan, with Italy divided and in turmoil.His career derailed by the War, Gino Bartali’s third victory in the Giro came 10 years after his first. But he had to battle hard to deny his former apprentice Fausto Coppi the Maglia Rosa by a margin of just 47 seconds, as their great rivalry came to a head.An epic duel between the legendary pair was just what Italy needed – but as these two men resumed their rivalry, another less renowned rider would emerge to become the unexpected hero Italy was searching for in its time of need.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s rightly gone down as one of the most legendary stages in the Giro d’Italia: when the race hit Tuscany’s Strade Bianche amid a deluge of rain turning the usually dusty affair into a mud slick.Stage 7 of the 2010 Corsa Rosa, saw world champion, Cadel Evans prove too powerful for Alexandre Vinokourov, as the Australian called on all his strengths to come away with the win.“That win really stands out as one of my favourite victories because it really encapsulated everything about me as a rider – my career, my mountain bike background, the preparation of equipment down to the Paris-Roubaix wheels I used. It really encapsulated my team, how I was as a rider, and everything”.Felix Lowe recalls a chaotic day’s racing and conditions so grim, you could barely tell one rider from the next. Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luxembourg climber Charly Gaul braved blizzards and frozen temperatures on Monte Bondone to win Stage 20 of the 1956 Giro. By doing so, the ‘Angel of the Mountains’ overturned a seemingly impossible deficit to take a heavenly overall victory as his rivals gave up or hitched a lift to the summit. In the latest episode of Re-Cycle, we recall one of the Corsa Rosa’s most extreme stages...Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Part Two of a Cipollini two-parter. As Mario Cipollini moved towards retirement, his flaws were amplified, his words were heard differently and his true nature became clear."In the pantheon of Giro greats – the names that have really shaped the history of the event – he wasn’t fit to shine their shoes".Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Part One of a Cipollini two-parter. Alfredo Binda’s record of 41 stage wins in the Giro d’Italia stood for 70 years, until Mario Cipollini went one better. With his wavy blonde locks, bulging biceps, and a penchant for an eye-catching skinsuit, Super Mario was as ruthless as he was fast. Cipo made headlines and Giro history – but few friends during his controversial and colourful career.Felix Lowe not only documents the incredible run that saw 'Mousselini' reign supreme but pits him against Binda: a man who on the surface was a cold and detached champion, a man who had about as much in common with the charismatic Cipollini as a smooth Barolo to Grappa. One was a champion vintage to savour long on the lips, another a coarse digestif enjoyed – if that’s the word – at the very end of a meal, something that came and went in a matter of seconds. And, once it hit the spot, it left behind a bitter aftertaste.Part Two will be released as the Giro peloton hits the streets of Turin on Saturday the 8th of May, where Felix delves into the murky world of Cipo's retirement.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For 10 days in the spring of 2011, Philippe Gilbert was invincible. Having won Brabantse Pijl, the Amstel Gold Race and La Fleche Wallone, he held his arms aloft in Liege at the race most dear to his heart. A decade on, Felix Lowe recalls a mesmerising run on home roads with the brilliant Belgian.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Swedish powerhouse Magnus Backstedt felt so strong going toe-to-toe with Johan Museeuw in 2004’s Hell of the North, he even questioned whether there was a chain on his bike. Felix Lowe recalls the Lion of Flanders’ last major race, when a flat tyre stopped him sprinting for a record-equalling victory.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. This episode was edited by Ola Fisayo.Please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thirty-four years before Mathieu van der Poel won the Tour of Flanders, his father pipped Sean Kelly to the line. Felix Lowe turns back the clock to 1986, and the race in which the Irishman would come closest to glory in the only Monument that would forever elude him. Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re winding the clock back a bit further this week to 1910 and a spectacle we will never again see in cycling.Before he became the first man in history to wear the Tour's Yellow Jersey, Eugène Christophe battled mountains of snow, freezing temperatures and even wore the wrong trousers to take victory after more than 12 chilling hours at La Classicissima.Felix Lowe remembers the uniquely extreme 1910 race that was branded "probably the toughest bike race ever".Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. This episode was edited by Ola Fisayo.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No one has shone brighter in the Race to the Sun than Sean Kelly, who won seven straight editions after Stephen Roche’s GC victory got the wheels turning for Ireland in 1981. Felix Lowe recalls Kelly’s formidable streak, after speaking to the man who dominated the likes of Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon during a golden age for French cycling.Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Sponsored by Zwift, where Fun is Fast! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Re-Cycle is back for a third season - and we kick off with the day Team Sky's Ian Stannard pulled off one of the surprises of the century at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2015.Outnumbered three to one, Britain's Stannard outfoxed a stellar Etixx–Quick-Step trio of Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh to defend his Omloop Het Nieuwsblad crown. Felix Lowe spoke to the former Team Sky rider about his gutsy win on the Belgian cobbles. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The fearsome Angliru immediately became a Vuelta a España legend on its introduction to the race in 1999, when Spanish climber José María Jiménez was first to conquer the mountain. We remember a mythical win shrouded in fog and controversy.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.That's it for our 2020 run - we will be back for more trips down cycling's memory lane in 2021 but if you enjoyed this season of Re-Cycle, please do rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just when you thought Tao Geoghegan Hart’s Giro d’Italia victory over Jai Hindley was a close-run thing, we rewind to the 80’s and the closest a GC battle has ever beenIn 1984, French rookie Éric Caritoux was called up at the 11th hour to replace the legendary Sean Kelly and make his Vuelta a España debut. He would defy a hostile home crowd, take the race to the wire and top the GC by just six seconds.As it became clear that Caritoux would push local favourite, Alberto Fernández to the line fans insulted him, spat at him, doused him in cold water, threw newspapers at his wheels, and pelted him with rotten fruit. Some even tried to shove umbrellas into his spokes.Please like, review and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. This episode was edited by Ola Fisayo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the 50th anniversary of Luis Ocaña's breakthrough 1970 Vuelta a España title, we recall the first Grand Tour of the volatile Spaniard’s colourful career – and ask why it did not lead to more triumphs for the nearly-man Eddy Merckx thought of as his biggest threat...Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. Please like, review and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice.This is the first of three Vuelta episodes to finish our 2020 season. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nerves of steel from the Irish underdogs saw Stephen Roche ride to the Rainbow Jersey at the 1987 World Championships, becoming only the second man in history after Eddy Merckx to wear it after winning the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. But he got a big helping hand from Sean Kelly.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. This episode was edited by Ola Fisayo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A mix of leg power, cunning and killer instinct from charismatic Yorkshireman Tom Simpson saw him outkick Rudi Altig to take the Rainbow Jersey in San Sebastian. Felix Lowe winds back the clock to 1965, when Major Tom banished British cycling's inferiority complex.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. This episode was edited by Ola Fisayo.Please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice - and don't miss next week's second World Champs episode... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An artist and adventurer who flew planes and crossed oceans; an intrepid reporter who rubbed shoulders with presidents, kings, popes and dictators; a pioneering broadcaster who brought the Tour to life, and in doing so, paid with his own.In this week's Re-Cycle, we remember the remarkable figure of Alex Virot...Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Re-Cycle returns, we look back at the 1956 edition of Il Lombardia, when Fiorenzo Magni – incensed by some goading from the so-called Woman in White – denied Fausto Coppi a sensational sixth win in the autumn Classic as the leaves were falling on the poster boy of Italian cycling’s career.Remember to review and rate us on your podcast platform of choice - and Re-Cycle will be back during the Tour de France when we look at the extraordinary life of Alex Virot... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Few Tour de France stages have caught the imagination quite like the day Lance Armstrong crashed on Luz Ardiden before fighting back for victory. We rewind to 2003 and the extraordinary centenary Tour tussle between Armstrong and Jan Ullrich.Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A desperate Eddy Merckx's seemingly indomitable grip on the Maillot Jaune was prised loose when Bernard Thévenet reeled in The Cannibal on the climb to Pra Loup at the 1975 Tour de France. We recall the punches, punctures and brutal controversy for Re-Cycle.Written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton.Next week, it's time to revisit one of the all-time villains of cycling....Remember to subscribe, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Felix Lowe remembers the first Dutchman to lead the Tour de France: Wim van Est, in 1951. But he crashed 70m into a Pyrenean ravine – and was lucky to escape with his life – before Pédaleur de Charme Hugo Koblet reigned supreme. Re-Cycle is narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spaniard Eduardo Chozas denied Italy's Claudio Chiappucci in the Giro d'Italia's first ever summit finish in the ski resort of Sestriere in 1991 – 14 months before El Diablo soloed to victory on the same climb in one of the most magnificent breakaways in Tour de France history. Graham Willgoss narrates a story of two summit finishes. Re-Cycle is written by Felix Lowe and produced by Pete Burton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marco Pantani's swashbuckling victory at Madonna di Campiglio in the 1999 Giro d'Italia should have been his crowning moment. Instead, the Italian was kicked out of the race while wearing the Maglia Rosa, ending the defence of his title and sending his career into freefall.We take a look back at Il Pirata’s tragic turning point. Written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back. After a brief hiatus, Re-Cycle returns for the first of three Giro d'Italia episodes. And with no racing at the moment, what better time to delve into cycling's rich history...We kick off with the story of Franco Bitossi. Felix Lowe remembers how the Italian rider with cardiac arrhythmia became the first to conquer Mount Etna in the 1967 Giro d’Italia. But questions remain over whether his psychological frailty cost him a Rainbow Jersey in an agonisingly close, famous finish.Please remember to subscribe, rate and review us on your podcast plafform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We revisit Frank Vandenbroucke's swaggering La Doyenne victory in 1999 - a win which promised to be the first of many Monuments, but ultimately proved the pinnacle of a highly troubled life and career.It was a year in which everything the flamboyant tyro touched – even his hair – seemed to turn to gold. So dominant was Vandenbroucke’s showing that spring that the question had to be asked: was this the second coming of Eddy Merckx?But 10 years later, he was dead. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eighteen years after Belgium's Johan Museeuw won his third cobblestone trophy, Paris-Roubaix fans are still waiting for another wet edition of the Hell of the North. The second of our Roubaix-themed retrospective Re-Cycle features ponders the enduring appeal of slippery cobblestones while looking back at the muddy mayhem of the last time it rained on Roubaix.It's our first episode recorded in lockdown - narrated by Graham Willgoss, produced by Pete Burton and written by Felix Lowe.Don't forget to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the latest episode of Re-Cycle, we recall the fraternal feeling of 1921’s Paris-Roubaix, won by Henri Pélissier ahead of his brother Francis. It remains the first and only time in cycling history that siblings have finished on the top two steps of the podium in one of cycling's fabled Monuments.Set against a backdrop of renewal and recovery, when cycling was battling back from the destruction of war, two brothers pulled off a famous, unparalleled one-two in the 1921 Paris-Roubaix in spite of a bounty on their heads for trying to break away from La Sportive, the suffocating consortium which then governed the sport. Written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1992 Frenchman Jacky Durand defied all the odds by winning the Tour of Flanders from a breakaway of 217 kilometres. Part of a four-man move, the 25-year-old became the first rider in Ronde history to win from a long-distance break – and remains to this day the last Frenchman to win the cobbled classic.Written by Felix Lowe, narrated by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rewinding only five years to the crazy, windswept 2015 edition of Gent-Wevelgem, Felix Lowe remembers bearded Italian veteran Luca Paolini’s victory on a day of blustery subplots, cobbled catastrophe, endless drama and a meme-tastic crash by Geraint Thomas.Read by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As season two of Re-Cycle continues, we look back at Sean Kelly's second Milan-San Remo victory, when the Irishman reeled in rival Moreno Argentin on his fearless descent of the Poggio before kicking clear for the final big win of his illustrious career.Read by Graham Willgoss, written by Felix Lowe and produced by Pete Burton.Read the article here: https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/re-cycle-when-sean-kelly-s-perfect-poggio-plunge-won-his-second-milan-san-remo_sto7707054/story.shtml See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Re-Cycle returns for season two! The first of the 2020 series looks back at one of the greatest editions of Paris-Nice. Felix Lowe revisits the 1966 Race to the Sun, when Jacques Anquetil won the race for the fifth and final time by denying compatriot Raymond Poulidor on the very last day.Read by Graham Willgoss and produced by Pete Burton. Please listen, share and rate us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the final Re-Cycle of season one, we take a look back at the last time the World Championships came to England prior to the 2019 race. The 1982 world title may have gone to the red-hot Italian favourite, but it was the actions of Greg LeMond, who controversially chased down fellow American Jonathan Boyer, which made the headlines.Re-Cycle will return for a second season in March! Until then, please listen, share and rate us on your podcast platform of choice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From winning the inaugural Vuelta a Espana in 1935 to helping put a man on the moon, Belgium's Gustaaf Deloor was a pedalling pioneer whose career was cut short by war. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This time, we’re rolling with the first rider to win all of cycling's Grand Tours – France’s Jacques Anquetil and the 1963 Vuelta victory from the man considered the best time triallist of his generation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this edition of Re-Cycle, we’re riding with the first South American to win a Grand Tour – Colombia’s Luis 'Lucho' Herrera – and delving into the stories of race fixing and saddle sores behind his 1987 Vuelta a Espana title, as well as the kidnapping that followed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the latest episode of Re-Cycle, we look back at the year the greatest road cyclist of all time, Eddy Merckx, broke rival Luis Ocana by almost winning two stages in one day during the 1972 Tour de France. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One hundred years after the introduction of the first yellow jersey, the latest in our historical Re-Cycle series looks back at the creation of one of the most iconic symbols in the world of sport. We delve into the origins of the fabled maillot jaune – first worn by the Frenchman Eugène Christophe on 19th July 1919... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Re-Cycle, we doff our cap to Brian Robinson, Britain's first ever Tour de France stage winner courtesy of a remarkable solo win on Stage 20 in the 1959 race. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This time out we’re going back to 1937, when defending Tour de France champion Sylvère Maes withdrew from the race with his entire Belgian team while wearing the yellow jersey – just days away from Paris... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From one extreme breakaway to another, and this time out we’re riding with Andy Hampsten, who – with the help of sheep's wool fat and neoprene diving gloves – conquered the snow-capped Gavia to become the first American to don the maglia rosa in 1988. It was the day that did more than any other to make Hampsten the first and only American to win the Giro – and a stage otherwise known as ‘The Day the Hard Men Cried’. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last time out, we climbed to the Basilica San Luca with Fiorenzo Magni biting down on an innertube to distract him from the pain of a broken collarbone. Magni had, despite winning the Giro d’Italia three times, always lived in the shadow of his compatriots: Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. This time out, we’re on the road with Coppi himself – and his mythical long-range attack from Cuneo to Pinerolo that helped him win the 1949 Giro d’Italia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

They say 666 is the number of the beast. Not that many riders to have taken on the monstrous climb to the Basilica San Luca in northern Italy need reminding. It’s a road that has staged some stand-out moments in the history of the Giro d’Italia – from Fiorenzo Magni’s grimacing heroics in 1956 to Simon Gerrans dropping Chris Froome in 2009. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second episode of Re-Cycle, we look back at the freezing 1980 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in which Bernard Hinault braved blizzards and snow to win by almost 10 minutes from a field of just 21 finishers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How did it come to be that the official list of Paris-Roubaix winners exceeds the number of races by one? We revisit the controversy that saw Frenchman André Mahé and Italy's Serse Coppi both win – at least officially – the 47th edition of the Hell of the North. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.