The official podcast of road.cc sponsored by Hammerhead, dedicated to looking at the things that impact real cyclists. Brought to you by road.cc, the UK's number one website for independent reviews, buying advice and cycling news. Covering road cycling, gravel riding, cycle commuting, leisure riding, sportives and more!
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Welcome to the Virtual Velo Podcast powered by The Zommunique'. Step into the rapidly evolving world of cycling esports with your hosts, Chris Schwenker and Emma Martin. Chris, a respected freelance cycling journalist with features in Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, and road.cc, joins forces with Emma, the charismatic multi-discipline cycling commentator. Together, they bring you the most comprehensive in-depth reporting, expert interviews, and balanced coverage of the emerging discipline of v ...
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“It would be a tragedy if we abandoned time trialling in Britain because of bad drivers”: Lawyers discuss duty of cycling clubs after rider seriously injured by motorist during time trial – and why cyclists ...
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58:59Send us a text On the evening of Tuesday 23 May 2019, Ben Hetherington’s life changed forever. Ben, then 23-years-old and one of the most exciting young prospects in British cycling, was racing a local 10-mile time trial when he was struck by a motorist who turned right across the carriageway’s eastbound lanes after failing to give way. Ben suffere…
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Ep. 79: Cycling Canada National Esports Champion Tiffany Penner
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32:35Power, process, and the pursuit of a World Title. In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, Cycling Canada National Esports Champion Tiffany Penner joins co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker for a wide-ranging conversation about her journey in cycling esports—from her early days in sport to lining up in Abu Dhabi for the 2024 UCI World Champ…
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Ep. 78: Virtually a Niche Within a Niche with Biketerra founder Matt Gibbs
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43:47In a landscape dominated by virtual cycling giants like Zwift, MyWhoosh, and Rouvy, why would anyone launch a grassroots platform from scratch? In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, we sit down with Matt Gibbs, the quietly determined founder of Biketerra—a browser-based, community-powered alternative that’s carving out space in a sport alrea…
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How to build a Tour de France team from scratch: Tudor Pro Cycling’s CEO on reaching the biggest race in the world within three years and creating a squad that’s “here to stay” + Inside the mechanics ...
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1:20:05Send us a text How do you go about building a Tour de France team effectively from scratch? That’s the question I asked when I popped around to the rest day hotel of Julian Alaphilippe’s Tudor Pro Cycling squad, who are making their debuts at this year’s Tour. The Swiss team are relative newbies to the sport, only launching under the Tudor name in …
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Is Tadej Pogačar too good? We discuss the Tour de France leader’s Pyrenean dominance + Ben Healy on returning to “doing what I like” after two days in the yellow jersey
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43:20Send us a text Tadej Pogačar, already four stage wins to the good this year and chasing his fourth Tour de France title at the age of just 26, is busy cementing his status as one of cycling’s greatest ever riders, with yet another dominant, cannibal-esque performance at the sport’s biggest race. But is Pogačar’s relentless dominance hurting the rac…
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Ep. 77: Matt Smithson talks $1 Million MyWhoosh Championship and UCI Worlds
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1:00:58In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, Matt Smithson, Director of Esports and Game Operations at MyWhoosh, joins co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker for a wide-ranging conversation on the $1 million MyWhoosh Championship and the 2025 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. We delve into the vision behind the platform’s flagship events, …
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“When I quit, I was done with all the pressure and suffering. But I like cycling again”: Anna van der Breggen on her comeback and “feeling stupid” in the peloton + Pink jersey Anna Henderson, Pfeiffer ...
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34:24Send us a text It’s July, it’s hot, the men’s and women’s pelotons are both deep into grand tour season – and the road.cc Podcast is hitting the road and embracing all the stage racing madness, as part of a new mini-series we’re calling… errr, ‘road.cc on the road’. And kicking off this tentatively titled podcast series, I headed to northern Italy …
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Ep. 76: The Anatomy of a Record-Setting 24-Hour Zwift Ride
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1:11:10In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker welcome Matthew Lefthand—the newly crowned world-record holder for the greatest virtual cycling distance in 24 hours—and Larry Oslund, Records Chair of the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA). Lefthand’s transformation from 280 pounds to elite ultra-cyclist is …
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Chris Boardman talks e-bikes, road safety, and why Reform UK has made cyclists “nervous” + Is Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard the greatest Tour de France rivalry in history? Bumper TDF preview
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53:17Send us a text Coppi versus Bartali. Anquetil versus Poulidor. LeMond versus Hinault. Armstrong versus Ullrich. Contador versus Schleck. Does Tadej Pogačar’s epic rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France beat them all? That’s the question we try our best to answer during this week’s Tour de France-focused episode of the road.cc Podcast, …
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“Get that bike back in the van!” Tour de France tech tales from the Dauphiné, Factor’s radical bike, and the backlash to new UCI rules + Does Cycle to Work still… work?
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1:14:18Send us a text For most of the pro cycling world, June is all about altitude camps, warm-up races, and fine-tuning that all-important preparation ahead of the big one: the Tour de France. But here at road.cc, it really means only one thing: our annual tech-spotting pilgrimage to the Critérium du Dauphiné! (Or whatever it’s going to be called next y…
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Ep. 75: CEO Petr Samek on Rouvy’s Rise Up the Virtual Cycling Ranks to #2
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58:52In a space dominated by gamified worlds and high-profile competition, one platform has quietly carved out its own lane—grounded in realism, driven by innovation, and growing on its own terms. In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker sit down with Rouvy CEO Petr Samek for a rare, wide-ranging, unfiltered …
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Should brands stop claiming gravel bikes “can go anywhere”? Lawyer discusses £4.5m Planet X fork failure case, its implications for the cycling industry, and the need for transparent marketing + Is Simon ...
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1:14:38Send us a text On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Julian Chamberlayne, a partner at Stewart’s, the UK law firm who last month secured a £4.5m settlement case against Planet X’s insurers, after cyclist Dr Daniel Gordon was left paralysed in a crash caused by his gravel bike's carbon fork shearing in two on a grass slope. We discuss what went wr…
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Ep. 74: Breaking barriers, transforming lives, and building future champions: How cycling esports drives Masaka’s mission in Uganda
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54:45In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, guest co-host award-winning cycling journalist Aaron Borrill and Chris Schwenker sit down with Ross Burrage, co-founder of Uganda’s Masaka Cycling Club Foundation. Ross shares how a grassroots cycling initiative in rural East Africa is transforming lives — breaking generational poverty, challenging gende…
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Why do we keep trying to turn cycling into other sports? Formula Fixed founder on reinventing bike racing for the TikTok generation, “trampling on tradition”, and why “big swings” are better than marginal ...
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1:06:30Send us a text This week, Ryan chats with the co-founder of the latest big idea hoping to shake up the conservative world of cycling: Formula Fixed, a new US-based indoor racing series featuring bikes with no brakes on tight, twisting, go-kart style circuits in a ticketed arena setting. With this new brand of cycling set to launch this year, Formul…
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Ep. 73: Is elite cyclist Illi Gardner the best pure climber of her generation?
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48:56In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker sit down with grimpeur extraordinaire Illi Gardner—multi-time British and European Hill Climb Champion, two-time Everesting world record holder, and the 2024 Zwift Games Climb Champion. With over 10,000 climbing QOMs to her name, including iconic climbs like Vento…
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“TNT price hike is two fingers to cycling fans”: Ex-WorldTour pros Harry Tanfield and Sophie Wright on going gravel, the future of British bike racing, and why Manchester’s cycle lanes are rubbish + John ...
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1:11:58Send us a text This week, former WorldTour pros Harry Tanfield and Sophie Wright kindly interrupted their packing for Sea Otter to hop on the podcast and discuss how they’ve adapted to life as rookie gravel racers with Britain’s newest professional cycling team, the Ribble Outliers – including getting used to wider tyres and lower pressures (and wh…
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Ep. 72: Aussie Cycling Esports National Champs Kate Trdin and Josh Harris
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44:43In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker welcome Australian Cycling Esports National Champions Kate Trdin and Josh Harris to discuss their standout seasons and dive into the highs and lows of the 2025 AUS Cycling Esports National Championships. Kate and Josh share candid reactions to the move to MyWhoosh…
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“Driving a car is just too easy”: Bikehangar inventor on theft, the need for safe cycle storage, and why “there are too many cars on our streets”
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37:52Send us a text To mark Security and Storage Week on road.cc, this week’s episode focuses on one of the most useful and controversial – if you’re a grumpy SUV driver, anyway – urban cycling innovations of the past 15 years: the cycle hangar. Invented by Cyclehoop founder Anthony Lau, and spawning a host of imitators, Bikehangars provide secure shelt…
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What do Donald Trump’s tariffs mean for cycling? We chat to an industry insider about price rises, staying positive, and why the tariffs present an opportunity for UK brands
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43:09Send us a text With the cycling industry gripped by yet another period of uncertainty, this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast focuses on the story that’s dominated the front pages all month – Donald Trump’s chaos-creating global tariffs. And why, at least according to one industry insider, they aren’t going to, as feared by many, “sink the ship…
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Ep. 71: Zwift Games 25 Men’s Champion Neal Fryett—Under the Radar, First Over the Line
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45:50In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker welcome Neal Fryett—one of the fastest finishers in elite cycling esports and a rider who’s quietly built one of the sport’s most impressive palmarès. A standout for Team USA, Neal has paired raw sprint power with sharp tactical instincts to claim the Sprint Stage…
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“We’ve made huge strides, but there’s still a long way to go”: Double Olympic champ Kristen Faulkner on Paris, being an outsider, and the growth of women’s cycling + Rainbows, frites, and sunburn at the ...
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55:21Send us a text We’re deep into classics season, with Paris-Roubaix looming on the horizon, so this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast pays homage to cycling’s biggest one-day events. In part two, double Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner joins us from her altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, as she prepares for the upcoming Ardennes classics …
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Ep. 70: Conny Björnehall—Making Cycling Esports a Household Name
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42:03Sweden is setting the bar for national federations in cycling esports—and at the center of it all is Conny Björnehall, Chairman of Ecycling for the Swedish Cycling Federation. In this episode of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Conny shares how Sweden has quickly become a global force in the discipline, from sending eight riders to the 2024 UCI Cycling Es…
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“I’m impartial on everything – except my own safety”: Jeremy Vine on his cycling “radicalisation”, Twitter trolls, the “gaslighting of cyclists”, and why bad streets and bad drivers cause road danger
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1:12:47Send us a text It’s the road.cc Podcast’s 100th episode! And to celebrate our century, we’re joined this week by a staple of our news and live blog coverage: broadcaster, cyclist, road safety advocate, and self-confessed road.cc fanatic Jeremy Vine. During a brilliantly entertaining chat, Jeremy talks us through his conversion to cycling in his 40s…
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Ep. 69: Michael Vink—Full Circle From MyWhoosh to UAE Team Emirates and Back to Cycling Esports
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53:31In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker welcome Michael Vink, a rider who’s made his mark on the WorldTour and the virtual world of cycling esports. After a successful stint with UAE Team Emirates, Michael’s journey to the pro ranks was anything but conventional—he broke into the pros racing on MyWhoosh…
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Is this the UK’s worst city for cycling? Riding around Belfast’s abysmal bike network (and why drivers should be cycling campaigners’ best friends) + Do cycling culture war stories harm the bike industry ...
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1:02:15Send us a text What is the worst, least hospitable city for cycling in the UK? While we’re sure you all have your own ‘favourite’ contenders for that particular accolade, in this week’s podcast episode – our 99th, if you haven’t noticed already – Ryan decides to settle the debate once and for all, by jumping on his bike (and pushing and walking it)…
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Ep. 68: Nutrition Coach and Influencer Kate MacLeod-Cycling Esports Performance Insights
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51:13In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, co-hosts Emma Martin and Chris Schwenker welcome cyclist, nutrition coach, and influencer Kate MacLeod. With her diverse athletic background, spanning road cycling, gravel, and esports, Kate brings invaluable insights into the evolving world of cycling esports. Tune in as Kate shares her expertise on per…
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Ep. 67: Dean Cunningham-Championing Change in Cycling Esports
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58:38In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, we sit down with Dean Cunningham, an elite cycling esports racer for Restart pb Alex Coh Coaching, event organizer, and outspoken leader in the community. Known for his no-nonsense approach and deep passion for the sport, Dean isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. We dive into his cycling esports jou…
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“I was more stressed about Tom’s contract than my own!”: Tom Pidcock’s new teammate Rory Townsend on how “maverick” Olympic champ has lifted Q36.5 (and why you shouldn’t drink too much pickle juice)
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1:02:37Send us a text One of the cycling transfer stories of the winter – and possibly the decade – was Tom Pidcock’s decision to break his contract with the Ineos Grenadiers three years early to join Swiss second-tier ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling. And, despite the messy, protracted saga that preceded the transfer, it’s fair to say the move has worked out pr…
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Ep. 66: Inside Cycling Canada’s Esports Strategy with Josh Peacock
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37:17Cycling esports is evolving fast, and national federations are working to define their role in the sport. In this episode of The Virtual Velo Podcast, we sit down with Josh Peacock, Cycling Canada’s Director of Marketing and Events, to explore how the federation navigates this dynamic space. We discuss Cycling Canada’s philosophy on virtual racing,…
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“A bike race is complete madness”: David Millar on why cycling is “inherently dangerous”, the demise of CHPT3, and his new Factor role + Is TNT set to destroy cycling in the UK?
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54:09Send us a text Since it was announced early last week, Warner Bros. Discovery’s controversial decision to ditch Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, after over three decades of quirky, wonderful broadcasting, and move all of its cycling coverage to the all-encompassing, £31-a-month TNT Sports (hiking the price up by 443 per cent in the process), has be…
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“Lance Armstrong didn’t invent doping. We all did the best we could”: Levi Leipheimer on coming to terms with cycling’s “grey” past, “making amends”, and why road racing in the US has to “adapt or die ...
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1:03:38Send us a text On this week’s episode we’re delving into the past, present, and future of American cycling, with none other than former Tour de France podium finisher and current gran fondo organiser, Levi Leipheimer. A former teammate of Lance Armstrong’s at US Postal, Astana, and RadioShack, Leipheimer was one of the leading American pros during …
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Ep. 65: The Team Behind the Success of Women’s Team—AEONIAN
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41:09How does a women’s cycling esports team grow from just five members to dominating at both the elite and community levels in a few short years while remaining true to the inclusive motto: We are stronger together? In episode 65 of The Virtual Velo Podcast, hosts Chris and Emma sit down with Karla Williams, co-founder of Aeonian Race Team, along with…
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Ep. 64: Bike Racer, Heart Surgery Survivor, and Advocate, Cody McKay
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42:20In Episode 64, a special episode of the Virtual Velo Podcast, we’re bringing you an inspiring conversation with Cody McKay, founder of Project Heart, and our very own Chris. Both are passionate cyclists with a unique perspective—overcoming life-altering cardiac challenges to return to and thrive in the endurance sport they love. Cody, a 33-year-old…
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Is the cycling industry storm finally over? Why there may be fewer “disaster stories” in 2025 + Where did Adrian Chiles’ e-bike doc go wrong?
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1:10:11Send us a text It’s time for the first road.cc Podcast episode of 2025, and we decided to kick off the new year by mixing things up and delving into unexplored territory for the podcast – by analysing the ongoing struggles facing the cycling industry and assessing where the BBC went wrong in their latest controversial active travel take. Oh wait… W…
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Ep. 63: CVR Cup and Smash Your Fitness Founder Frank Garcia
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42:53In Episode 63 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, a true pioneer in the cycling and tech worlds, Frank Garcia joins Emma and Chris. As the founder of Improvement Interactive, Frank has built custom business software for industry giants, but his influence extends far beyond that. In the world of virtual cycling, he’s a visionary—having competed in one of t…
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Ep. 62: Cycling Esports Superstar Gabi Guerra
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1:05:19In Episode 62 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Emma and Chris sit down with elite cycling esports superstar Gabi Guerra to uncover her journey from a humble upbringing in Brazil to competing on the global stage. Gabi shares how skateboarding first sparked her passion for elite sports and paved the way for her to champion women’s representation. We expl…
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“If you don’t want cycling on footpaths, support bike lanes and 20mph zones”: Town centre cycling bans and the fight against “cowboy” wardens + the year in cycling reviewed
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1:20:46Send us a text It’s the most wonderful time of the year… that’s right, it’s our annual podcast episode looking back over the biggest and most bizarre bike-related stories of 2024! Plus some less cheery but nonetheless important town centre cycling ban chat for good measure. In part one, Ryan, Jack, and Emily, paper party helmets firmly attached, di…
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Ep. 61: NeXT eSports pb Enshored Cycling Team President Greg Abbott
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50:33In Episode 61 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Emma and Chris welcome NeXT eSports pb Enshored cycling team president Greg Abbott. The results for Abbott and his team of elite global talent are undeniable—multiple Zwift elite team titles, several national esports champions, and numerous UCI Cycling Esports World Championship finalists with top-ten plac…
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“You need a billionaire to say ‘I’ll save the sport’. But that won’t happen”: Matt Holmes on why British cycling needs a reset and his journey from WorldTour pro to the “world’s most reluctant YouTuber ...
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1:11:04Send us a text With British cycling in turmoil this winter, following the closure of the country’s two remaining UCI Continental teams, this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast features one rider who’s forging an alternative path through the struggling domestic scene – former Lotto-Soudal pro Matt Holmes. After hanging up his wheels at the end of…
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Ep. 60: Zwift Pauses Elite Racing—Community Weighs In On Smart Trainer Issues
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1:03:05In Episode 60 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris welcomes cycling journalist Aaron Borrill, an elite racer who has competed in multiple UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. Aaron discusses his role as Captain of the South African Esports National Team, the innovative ways Cycling South Africa supports cycling esports, and how their approach cou…
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“A lot of it was caused by greed”: Factor’s CEO on navigating bike industry chaos, Chris Froome’s set-up complaints, trickle-down track tech, and why rim brakes are never coming back + Scott unveil new ...
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1:07:17Send us a text We’ve got a cycling industry and bike tech special for you this week on the podcast, as Factor CEO Rob Gitelis joins us to discuss the brand’s history and the latest cutting-edge tech, before we take a closer (audio) inspection of the brand-new Scott Addict RC. In part one, Rob joins us from sunny Girona to chat about his journey fro…
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“The idea is to create a positive out of a negative”: Cancer My Arse’s Kev Griffiths on living with stage four cancer, Sir Chris Hoy, and why he’s encouraging everyone to ride out of the saddle for charity ...
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1:11:37Send us a text Like Sir Chris Hoy, who last month revealed that he has terminal prostate cancer, Kevin Griffiths is determined to turn his own experience of living with stage four cancer into a positive. The Stoke-based cyclist, who hails from two of Britain’s most revered cycling families, launched the Cancer My Arse initiative this year after dis…
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Ep. 59: Eric Hill Announces 2024/25 Echelon Racing League & USA Cycling Esports Nationals
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29:53In Episode 59 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Eric Hill, founder of Project Echelon Racing and Echelon Racing Promotions. Eric has been a visionary in blending traditional cycling with virtual racing, supporting the sport and the veteran community through his groundbreaking initiatives. In this episode, we’ll dive into Project E…
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Ep. 58: Training Peaks’ Dirk Friel and indieVelo’s Dr. George Gilbert on Formation of Training Peaks Virtual
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47:31In Episode 58 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma welcome Dirk Friel, co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Training Peaks, and Dr. George Gilbert, the creator of indieVelo, to discuss their newly formed partnership and the launch of Training Peaks Virtual. The collaboration combines indieVelo’s innovative approach to virtual cycling and espor…
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Ep. 57: 2024 Women's UCI Cycling Esports World Champion, New Zealand's Kate McCarthy
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44:18In Episode 57 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma sit down with cycling esports’ new women’s World Champion, New Zealand's Kate McCarthy, for her first interview since her thrilling victory in the live finals in Abu Dhabi. McCarthy, the only community racer to conquer the elite esports stage, opens up about the emotional rollercoaster leadi…
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“The Tour is the only race that matters. And that’s gone now”: Ned Boulting on the end of free-to-air Tour de France coverage in the UK and why his new show is a piece of theatre
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46:14Send us a text From 2026, the familiar sights of the Tour de France – the epic mountain ranges, fields of sunflowers, Tadej Pogačar riding off into the distance – will remain the same. But for many cycling fans in the UK, the sounds will be very different. Next year’s Tour, the 25th edition of the race to be shown live on ITV, will also be the fina…
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Ep. 56: On the Eve of the Cycling Esports World Championships with UCI’s Jacob Fraser and MyWhoosh’s Matt Smithson
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43:10In episode 56 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, host Chris catches up with Jacob Fraser from the UCI and Matt Smithson from MyWhoosh in Abu Dhabi as they gear up for the groundbreaking 2024 UCI Cycling Esports live event final. Set against the stunning backdrop of Abu Dhabi, this episode is essential listening for any cycling esports fan or enthusiast a…
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Are the cycling culture wars back? And did they ever go away? Plus: What’s next for Tom Pidcock after dramatic Ineos Grenadiers fallout?
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1:02:51Send us a text When it comes to culture war discourse around cycling, things had become a bit quiet lately. Too quiet. After a brief period of respite following a general election campaign which saw cycling and active travel largely sacrificed on the so-called ‘War on the Motorist’ altar, the political and ideological conflict surrounding riding a …
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Ep. 55: Cycling Esports’ First Men’s World Champion Jason Osborne
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33:41In Episode 55 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma have a candid conversation with Olympic medalist rower turned WorldTour Pro Jason Osborne. In a heartfelt conversation, Osborne reveals that he’s happier now that he stepped away from Alpecin Deceuninck, free of the burdens of being enslaved by a joyless sport that is no longer worth the ris…
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Ep. 54: UCI's Cycling Esports Coordinator Jacob Fraser
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56:25In Episode 54 of the Virtual Velo Podcast, Chris and Emma sit down with Jacob Fraser, the UCI's Cycling Esports Coordinator. Fraser's journey from early involvement in cycling esports with platforms like Zwift and MyWhoosh to his current role with the UCI showcases his impact on the sport's rapid evolution. His insights shed light on the UCI's comm…
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