Riders Digest Powered by BMC

Unconditionally Fast. Speedmachine is a wind-cheating bike that has set a new standard in the world of triathlon and time trials. In this episode we're inside the Impec Lab to track the history of the brand-new Speedmachine, how the project came about and also chat to Red Bull Advanced Technologies—yep, of Formula 1 fame—to find out what their role in the 5-year development of this bike was. An exclusive chat with the actual people behind the creation of this all-new weapon! Find out more about the Speedmachine here. Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Six riders, two seasons of gravel, and countless stories of hard-working amateurs that live a life beyond the tapes. For this episode, we meet the No Borders Gravel Team, a collective of riders that declare an equal love for gravel as they do for the daily grind. Doctors, translators, computer whizzes, former track cycling Olympians, world record-holding rowers, podcasters, marketing maestros, it'd be unfair to call them weekend warriors but that's exactly what they do. This is not your ordinary team, and here is the inside scoop into what makes them tick. Hit the team up @no_border_gravel on Instagram and be sure to check out Daniel's podcast https://cykelwebben.se/ Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

If you thought that getting access to the secretive Impec Lab was difficult, then think about the effort we had to go to in order to enter its hidden storeroom. In this episode, Jonty works his magic to get a guided tour of this highly classified location, tucked away in the dark corners of the Impec Lab, where some of the most groundbreaking, and victory-making BMC bikes are held. We can't think of a better way to wrap up this series of the Riders Digest podcast from inside the Impec Lab. If you enjoyed a glimpse behind the curtains of the BMC HQ, then head over to our social media channels and let us know, there are so many more stories we could share! Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

An interview with two legends: It may be cliché to say it, but all good things come to an end.  After almost two decades in the pro peloton, AG2R Citroën team riders Michi Schär and 2016 Olympic Champion Greg van Avermaet are calling an end to their incredible careers. As close friends and long-term riders of BMC, we tag along with the pair in this episode of the Riders Digest podcast as they chat through their imminent retirement. The conversation goes from Tour de France victories and Monument wins through to tough times and the tale of how their friendship grew. Sit down, make a drink, and join in with this discussion between friends, full of untold stories and old memories. Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Producing a masterpiece is about much more than just creating a product; it's a mindset. In this episode of the Riders Digest podcast, Jonty Camp and Phil Gale head back inside BMC's renowned Impec Lab to get familiar with the brand's Masterpiece or Mpc series, a set of bikes created with perfection in mind.  Super exclusive, the rare Mpc. bikes are an exercise in next-level carbon layups following the mindset of what can be achieved when boundaries are not set, and they come with some very special extras to boot. Why Masterpiece you ask, because we can. Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Ever wondered how hard a Grand Tour actually is? This is an episode about the physical and emotional rollercoaster that you go on when you ride 21 stages over three weeks. What effect does it have on riders? How can you get the most out of your team?  For this episode of the Riders Digest Podcast powered by BMC, we chat with Stephen Barrett, Sport Scientist from AG2R Citroën Team about the ultimate test in professional cycling. From altitude and preparation through to guiding riders through the race while tracking vital data, Stephen gives us the inside line on how tough Grand Tours really are. Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

After our previous episode at Unbound and FNLD GRVL, it's time to formally introduce the bike at the centre of the action, the BMC Kaius 01 ONE – a rig that is setting new performance standards. Jonty and Phil are back in the Impec lab and digging up all the dirt you need to know about BMC's most race-focused gravel bike, Kaius. Redefining what performance gravel can be, we chat to the engineering minds behind this newly launched and competitively-minded bike. From geometry to weight, aerodynamic gains to tire width, we've got the inside lowdown on a machine that has proven its concept with two rainbow jerseys already! Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Jonty heads stateside to Emporia, Kansas, with a group of elite BMC riders to test the mettle of the Kaius at Unbound Gravel, the unofficial gravel world championships. From pre-race tension through to insane thunderstorms and finish line stories, he gives us a front-row feel for just how hard this race is, and what it means to make the trip over there. ¨ One week later, Phil headed to the Nordics for the inaugural edition of FNLD GRVL, a hybrid event where part-American organisation meets the superlative gravel roads of central Finland. He's at the race with half of the No Borders Gravel Team, who give us their insight too. As ever, we have our Rider's Diary with Emmie and Michi Schar, where Michi gives us the lowdown on how selection works for the Tour de France. Strap in, sit back and enjoy the ride, this episode is fast paced and full of gravel. Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

A dropper post that drops itself? Wait what? How? Why? Over a number of years the geniuses within the Impec Lab developed a technology that perfectly sums up the power they provide. Namely, Autodrop. A dropper post that doesn't require a rider's weight to drop, saving power lap after lap. Yet still weighs no more than an energy bar.  Quite frankly the best way of describing the Autodrop technology is dark magic, but we set out to speak to the wizards that created this magic to find out exactly how it works. And easily describe exactly the benefit...

A factory team? Say, what? You've most likely heard the term before but what does it actually mean? How is a factory team different from any other sponsored team, and what is the benefit of having full factory support? Given the creation of Team BMC at the start of the 2023 season, we decided to head over to the first round of the UCI MTB XC World Cup to find out. Whilst there, we spoke to riders like Jordan Sarrou and Titoaun Carod, as well as the many staff that are integral to keeping the machine moving. Does this F1 approach work within the world of bikes, or is a factory team just like all the rest? Spoiler alert: Not the same at all! Follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as exclusive content from behind the scenes with our teams and athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Inside a nondescript building in the sleepy town of Grenchen, Switzerland, is BMC's research and development centre, known as the Impec Lab. In this episode – the first  in a new micro-series for the Riders Digest powered by BMC – , we take a deep dive into the creativity and chaos that is housed within the walls of this top-secret facility.  Secretive and state of the art, here's where engineering concepts are thought up and sketched out, 3D designed, refined, prototyped and tested. This episode goes behind the scenes of the Impec Lab to find out what we'll be riding in the future. Join us as we meet and greet the brilliant minds behind BMC bikes. Running alongside the regular Riders Digest podcast powered by BMC, this micro series will be your fortnightly deep dive into some of the most pioneering tech the bike industry has seen, from autodrop through to the perfect carbon layup, follow us to stay up-to-date with the latest episodes. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from behind the scenes with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

With every race season the age of the professional rider entering the WorldTour peloton is getting younger and younger but at the same time, the demands are getting higher with a packed racing schedule as well as the level of professionalism ever increasing. So, we caught up with two legends of the peloton, Fabian Cancellara & Axel Merckx to discuss this in more detail and how their two teams fit into this landscape, namely Tudor Procycling and the renowned Axeon Hermans Berman.  To do this, presenters Jonty Camp and Phil Gale are joined by Axel Merckx, owner of Axeon Hagens Berman cycling team, as well as two of his riders, Darren Rafferty & Michael Garrison, to tell us what it's like to be part of one of the most illustrious feeder teams on the circuit.  We then head off to the start of Milan San Remo where we speak with Fabian Cancellara about his Tudor Pro Cycling project and their plans for the future. Whilst there we pose questions to team CEO Raphael Meyer, about what makes a WorldTour team, the logistics and nurturing of the talent. We then speak to Tom Bohli who is a star rider on the Tudor Pro Cycling team about his journey through the WorldTour peloton.  New for this season is our Riders Diary feature, in the first episode, we have Michael Schär from AG2R CITROËN TEAM. He sends us an audio diary of the days leading up to and after Paris-Roubaix sharing details about his prep, how to attack the cobbles  as well as some stories from inside the heart of the Queen of the Classics.    Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from behind the scenes with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

From the cobbles of Northern France to the Dolomites of Northern Italy, time trials to timed trails… The Riders Digest podcast, powered by BMC, is back for season two! Jonty Camp from the team at BMC and Phil Gale, journalist and photographer, will be giving listeners an unparalleled view of the 2023 racing season by being on the ground at events, talking to the people who matter, and sharing the insider intel from within the world of BMC.  Over the season we'll be talking about how the future of cycling looks bright, how much goes into creating speed as well as deep dives into the bike and body over a grand tour. You will get behind the scenes access to the Unbound Gravel Race and all access pass to the UCI MTB Would Cup in Nove Mesto, where we will be speaking to riders and teams about the challenges they face. New for this season is the Riders Diary, where we periodically check in with a pro-rider in order to find out what happens in the life of a seasoned WorldTour professional. You'll hear how they plan, more about the tactics and funny stories along the way. In episode one, Michi Schär from AG2R Citron Team gives us his view running up to Paris Roubaix, telling us more about how he combats the cobblestones and the toll it takes on his body. In every other episode, we'll be opening the doors to BMC's legendary Impec Lab, where BMC bikes are designed and built. You'll hear directly from the engineers whose job it is to create speed for WorldTour pro riders to rides like you and us, how long it takes to design a bike as well as the multiple stages each piece of technology has to pass through. Be sure to follow the Riders Digest podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Gravel is a funny thing to get a grasp on. Equal parts drama. Equal parts debate. The inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships were always going to create a buzz. From route design to scheduling, and surfaces to semi self-supported feed stations, the question of whether gravel even needs a World Championships took a backseat in the furore over what was happening on the ground. Join us as we bring you the action from on the ground in Vicenza! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from behind the scenes with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

A race across continental Europe, with no support, no set route and where the clock doesn't stop? That is exactly what the Transcontinental Race is all about. 4 326KM with 42 000m of elevation, completed in 10 days 1 hour and 51 minutes, where do you even begin to comprehend this? We sat down with ultra distance cycling legend, and BMC Ride Crew member, Ulrich Bartholmoes, or Uba, to discuss what went down at this year's Transcontinental Race as well as try to understand the mindset of these ultra distance athletes. Sit back and listen to Uba relive the monumental experience of racing across Europe! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from behind the scenes with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

MTB World Cup weekends require absolute focus and perfection. Now, imagine how much the stakes are raised when you throw in a track that sits at close to 2,000 meters of altitude, with 25% less oxygen and high temperatures?  We embed with the BMC MTB Racing Team during the World Cup in Andorra to find out what it takes to beat the best at one of the hardest tracks on the circuit. Discover more on the weekend here. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from behind the scenes with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

That's it! Another incredible Tour de France in the books, a race that had action on each and every stage. We sit down and wrap up this year's race with our in-house Tour winner, Cadel Evans, as well as get hear from our man on the ground Brent Bookwalter. We discuss our stand out moments, riders of the race, and of course hear a few on the road stories! Sit back and fill that Tour de France hole with our latest episode. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Pogacar cracks, but Jumbo Visma lose two key riders! What an incredible week of racing. Just like that we're at the second traditional rest day of the Tour de France. After an phenomenally eventful week in the race, this episode features a live dispatch from the slopes of Alpe d'Huez, bringing you a taste of the chaos, as well as insights from on the ground delivered by BMC legend, Brent Bookwalter, who may have just found his second calling! Even with Cadel Evans out on the road travelling, race analysis is still delivered, but this time by two riders who haven't actually ever been in a World Tour race, never mind having won the biggest of all of them. So before we get stuck into the third and final week of Tour action, be sure to catch up on the race breakdown and insights from last week NOW! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Together with two BMC legends, Tour winner Cadel Evans and his fellow teammate Brent Bookwalter, we break down the first week of this year's Tour de France as well as look ahead to next week. Can Pogačar be beaten? Will Van Aert crack? What would Cadel do and more. Brent Bookwalter then comes to us live from France to discuss the news on the ground as well as share 2010 Tour de France story with us from the last time he was in Morzine for a rest day. As we wait for the Tour to get rolling, catch up on the race with us and Cadel now! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

It's been a year since we started this podcast, which means it's Tour de France time again! That called for one thing! A 2022 Tour de France Preview with our in-house Tour winner, Cadel Evans. We discuss this year's route, the possible stand-out moments, the hidden traps along the way, and how Ben O'Connor of AG2R Citroen Team should tackle this year's race after his incredible 4th place last year as well as his recent podium at the Criterium du Dauphine. Sit back and let Cadel unleash his tactical nous on you as we count down the days to this year's Grand Depart. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

What if you could sit down for a meal with two Paris Roubaix legends and ask them all the questions you've been dying to ask. We had the chance to talk to AG2R Citroën teammates, Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Schär, to ask them about all those Roubaix war stories you don't get to see on TV. We've heard all the Roubaix previews before, so let Greg and Michi enthrall us with all that we don't get to see on TV. This is certainly a podcast you don't want to miss, Greg and Michi have some tales to tell! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

It is said that Milan San Remo is the easiest monument to finish, but the hardest one to win.  So we caught up with two Milan San Remo legends, Fabian Cancellara and Alessandro Ballan to break down what it takes to actually win the race, more than just your regular race preview. A recipe for victory you could say. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as behind the scenes content from inside the sport with our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Can changing handlebar height by 10 mm put you closer to the yellow jersey? How much faster will a couple of degrees more mobility in your hips make you? How many watts do you gain, by tucking in your shoulders to get into your most aggressive position? Once you've found the best CDA for a bike and its rider, is there a secret to making it last for the entirety of a time trial at the end of a three-week tour? We go behind the scenes of the AG2R CITROËN pre-season testing to answer all this and more, with experts from within the team, BMC, Gebiomized and riders such as Ben O Connor. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

A couple of weeks ago, the world joined Chris Tonge on his emotional journey during the Badlands ultra-distance gravel race. Now that the dust has settled, we sat down with Chris to talk about everything from baking bread to his plans for 2023. Go behind the scenes and get the full Badlands story in Episode 7 of the Rider's Digest Podcast. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

One proven talent within demanding discipline of MTB XCO is 23-year-old Swiss National, Filippo Colombo. He's a 2nd year elite and he's had a massive year. The Olympics, the Worlds, the Europeans, a broken pelvis, and Covid. Certainly not an easy one. This podcast is an episode of two halves - pre and post Tokyo. We put in the legwork to check in with Filippo just days before he left for possibly the strangest-ever Olympics. Then caught up with him again before he jetted off to Snowshoe for the final World Cup round, to hear his war stories! This episode has been launched in conjunction with the final part of our Absolute Insider series, so if you haven't seen it, watch it here. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

It's been a month since the Tour de France rolled into Paris. On that summer evening, with the sun setting over the Champs-Élysées Australian, Ben O'Connor ended up 4th overall, and had a Tour de France stage win to his name. Now that the dust has settled, we caught up with 25-year-old Ben for Episode 5 of the Rider's Digest Podcast, not only an incredibly talented athlete but a captivating story teller too. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

Another memorable edition of the Tour de France is in the books. AG2R Citroën Team rider Ben O'Connor finishing fourth in Paris is the perfect end to an action-packed Tour that has given us incredible performances across the board! In our latest episode of the Riders' Digest, we wrap up this year's race with the legend Cadel Evans, and Qhubeka NextHash's Performance Coach, Mattia Michelusi gives us insight into just how hard a grand tour is. To celebrate Cadel's anniversary, Adicta Lab has produced two limited edition jerseys: one for the legend himself and one as an exclusive signed giveaway.  Head over to their Instagram to stand a chance of winning the jersey signed by Cadel and his 2011 teammates. More here. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

As if the Tour is only just finished it's second week, but what is it like for the riders not at the race? We caught up with Larry Warbasse as he was up at an altitude camp in Livigno, Italy. He lets us know what him, and many other riders have been up to, and how they're all preparing for the remainder of the season. Then of course we have our weekly catch up from Yellow Jersey legend, Cadel Evans, someone who just sees the race in a very different way to the rest of us, that can only come from having won it! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland

What a week of racing! The first nine stages of this year's Tour have been truly intense. For Episode 2 we caught up with AG2R Citröen Team rider, Michael Schär and Nic Dlamini of Qhubeka NextHash, to get their take on the racing so far and their view from within the peloton. And of course, what would our Tour de France podcast series be without a check-in with Tour winner Cadel Evans. Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland When aero is everything, Timemachine Road stakes ownership of the category. Aerodynamically perfected shapes, class-leading integration and the Aero module herald a different era of speed. Discover More

With Tour de France 2021 upon us, there is no better time to launch our all-new podcast series. Join us over the next month, as we preview each week of this year's Tour with Yellow Jersey winner, Cadel Evans. We look back to celebrate the legendary rider's historic win and get a behind the scenes look at La Grande Boucle from our teams and athletes within the race.  The Tour de France is not only the entry point for many into the sport of road racing, but it is the star event of each year. Seeing the best riders and strongest teams race at their peak fitness always brings drama. On paper the 2021 edition is set to be one not to miss. So to kick off our first episode of the all new Riders' Digest powered by BMC, we're going to take a deep dive into the first week of the race, with none other than the legend and former Yellow Jersey winner, Cadel Evans! Be sure to follow our different social media channels to stay up to date with everything happening here at BMC, as well as catch content from inside the Tour from our different Teams and Athletes. Facebook: @bmcswitzerland Instagram: @ride_bmc YouTube: BMC Switzerland 10 years ago, we launched a bike that kickstarted a revolution in the design and construction of the performance road bike. The Teammachine SLR, has won every major title that a bike can win including; Monuments, World Championships, Olympic Games and the Tour de France. Using the combined knowledge from the past decade, we've changed the game again to deliver an all-new, class-leading frameset ready to lead for another 10 years. Discover more.