This week everyone was in a festive mood as we released our 147th and 148th episodes of the year, both looking back at the 2023 road racing season.
In The XL Xmas Special Daniel was joined by Père Nöel François Thomazeau, Rob Hatch, Ian Boswell, Mitch Docker, Larry Warbasse and Richard Abraham (who somehow escaped being included in the picture) to debate the ride, person and beef of 2023. Beef of the year but no turkey of the year? There’s the starting point for a Christmas debate if ever there was one. There was also a cameo appearance from Ciro to wish everyone a Buon Natale.
Before that, The Cycling Podcast Féminin team released their characteristically riotous end-of-year quiz episode, Quizmas Greetings, with Orla Chennaoui joining Rose Manley and Denny Gray to look back at the highlights of the women’s road racing campaign.
And so, that more or less wraps up The Cycling Podcast’s tenth full season. It really was a Jumbo-sized year. With almost nine million listens across 148 episodes it’s been another incredible season as we continue to evolve while remaining faithful to our roots.
There’s one more episode to go – a greatest hits of the 2023 grand tours show, which is being knocked into shape by our team of podcasting elves right now and will be released between Christmas and New Year.
Thank you everyone
We’d like to thank everyone who has made our coverage possible this year, starting with the expanded team of brilliant hosts and guests from around the world who bring their experience, insight and enthusiasm to the mic.
Our production team of Jon Moonie, Tom Whalley, Adam Bowie, Will Jones and Huw Owen have again worked miracles to get the show on the air, especially during the grand tours when deadlines are so tight.
Our sponsors and partners – especially Science In Sport, MAAP, Audioboom and Supersapiens, who were our title sponsors until the end of our two-year contract in May – played a huge part in enabling us to cover the races on the ground so we can capture the essence and flavour of the grand tours.
David Luxton and everyone at DLA, Seb Piquet, Simon Gill, Greg and the team at Dvine Cellars, Amaraterra, Stacy Snyder and many others have made vital contributions too.
But most importantly, a huge thank you to all of you – our listeners – and especially our Friends of the Podcast, who play just as big a role in keeping the podcast going as our sponsors and advertisers. Thank you for tuning in, joining us on our travels and being part of our huge community of listeners.
Once we’ve worked off the Christmas pudding, The Cycling Podcast will be back to start the build-up to the 2024 season. Our coverage will once again revolve around daily episodes from the grand tours, with weekly episodes throughout the year, and Arrivée will return for the spring Classics. We’ll also reveal our plans for Friends of the Podcast subscribers.
In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
From everyone at The Cycling Podcast
Simon Gill’s photo of the year
There’s no doubting the outstanding image of the year – Simon’s shot of Mathieu van der Poel on the descent of the Poggio, as he sped to victory in Milan-Sanremo.
It was a shot captured out of necessity, partly because we committed to spending most of the day at the top of the Poggio soaking up the atmosphere while we waited for the race to arrive in the late afternoon.
Simon set off to walk down the climb knowing that he had just one opportunity to try to tell the story of a six-and-a-half hour race. Like the best photographs, it combines innovation with storytelling. Van der Poel is alone at the head of the race – it would not have had the same impact had another rider cluttered the frame. Despite the blur effect it is somehow still unmistakably the Poggio. And Van der Poel’s position – head down, flat back, left leg pushing through pedals, is perfect.
If you’d like a print to adorn your living room, office or pain cave, you can order one from Simon for delivery early in the New Year by clicking on the button below.
Talking of the Poggio, Friend of the Podcast Alessio Punzi writes to say that the most famous phone booth in cycling is no more. What’s ‘Sacre Bleu!’ in Italian? Until recently it stood on the corner at the top of the climb where the peloton turns left to begin the plummet down to the coast. Back in March, Simon and Lionel were there to make a mini series about the majesty of Milan-Sanremo for Friends of the Podcast. That series will be released in the spring as part of our build-up to the first Monument of the 2024 season.
The 12 Hills of Christmas
Friend of the Podcast Laurent Audibert (nearest the camera in The Cycling Podcast casquette) issued an invitation to listeners to join him for The 12 Hills of Christmas ride in memory of Richard Moore last weekend.
Fittingly, Laurent – who rides for Watford Velo Sport (as opposed to Not Watford Velo Sport) – was joined at The Hub cafe in Redbourn, Hertfordshire, by 11 other riders to make it a dozen cyclists tackling the dozen hills.
Judging by the number of personal records on Laurent’s Strava file they weren’t hanging around at times either.
If you would like to donate to the British Heart Foundation, Laurent has shared the details.
If you’d like to listen to the original 12 Hills of Christmas episode, recorded in December 2021, it’s here. And if you’re ever in the area and want to ride the route, which was devised by my friend Andrew Brown, you can download the GPX file here.
Thank you to everyone who puts together the podcasts. Like others have said more eloquently than i can, The Cycling Podcast feels like a bunch of friends talking about our favourite sport over a beer and that is something really special.
Thank you for being with me during TrainerRoad turbo sessions (I joined TR because of The Cycling Podcast) l, walking the dog and travelling on the train.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and here’s to a vintage 2024 !