Tour 2024: The night before 'Christmas'
Graham, Richard and Mitch are in Florence and ready to go
by Lionel Birnie
Graham, Richard and Mitch are in Florence. They’ve eaten pizza, they’ve been for their pre-race run (10km for Mitch, 5k for the other two), they’ve been to the Mark Cavendish press conference. They’re ready.
To get into the swing of things, and to test the recording equipment, they sat down tonight to record this scene-setter…
The Cycling Podcast will kick-off the 2024 Tour de France coverage a couple of hours or so after Saturday’s opening stage. Join them every day from Florence to Nice.
Listen up… our Tour theme music
Every year we get messages asking about our theme music. Our Tour de France theme, chosen by BBC 6 Music presenter and our producer Tom Whalley, is Ride On by Santoré, who are two French brothers Mathieu and Antoine Gouny. The track captures the essence of France in the height of summer.
The instrumental version of Last Day of Your Life by Glass Pear introduces our KM0 episodes. You can listen to both in full here.
Ride On by Santoré | The Cycling Podcast’s Tour de France theme
Last Day Of Your Life by Glass Pear | KM0 theme
Humungous Bunting
Richard Abraham’s three-part KM0 series, Humongous Bunting, telling story of the grand départ in Yorkshire ten years ago is available now for Friends of the Podcast. It’s a brilliant, evocative series prompting a wave of modern nostalgia.
How to sign up as a Friend of The Cycling Podcast
There’s an archive of more than 300 episodes on our Friends of the Podcast feed stretching back to 2015, including the back catalogue of KM0 episodes made at the grand tours and the latest series, Humongous Bunting. New episodes are released each month and there will be KM0 episodes from the Tour de France on each of the rest day Mondays.
1. Go here
2. Sign up for a year’s subscription
3. Check your inbox. You will receive an email with instructions for how to add the Friends of the Podcast feed to your preferred podcast app in a few easy steps
4. Press play and start listening. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a subscription to The 11.01 Cappuccino on Substack give access to the Friends of the Podcast episodes?
No. They are two different platforms that can’t be combined. Our KM0 episodes are on the Friends of the Podcast feed, The 11.01 Cappuccino is an email delivered directly to your inbox.
How does signing up support The Cycling Podcast?
The financial support has always been important but it is especially so since a couple of long-term sponsorship deals expired and have not been replaced. Around 10 per cent of our regular audience is an active Friends of the Podcast subscriber. As advertising revenue only goes so far, the support of those listeners plays a huge part in ensuring we can continue to provide our weekly and daily grand tour episodes for everyone to listen to for free. So, as The Cycling Podcast prepares for its 12th Tour de France, a big thank you to everyone who has chosen to subscribe.
Do I have to become a paid subscriber to The 11.01 Cappuccino?
No. It’s totally optional (as is signing up as a Friend of the Podcast) but it might suit listeners who want to support us and keep our regular coverage going but don’t have time to listen to more podcasts or are content with our free episodes. Substack offers the option of smaller, monthly payments which can be paused too.
Toast the Tour with DVine Cellars
Greg Andrews and the team at DVine Cellars have put together a case of six wines that match the route of the Tour. I’ll be getting my order in today and will look forward to accompanying the race with some of the finest, but most affordable, wines around.
The DVine Cellars 2024 Tour case
• Domaine Dupraz En Route Pour l'Apero Jacquère, Savoie, France
or Domaine Bruno Lupin Roussette Frangy, Savoie, France
• Domaine Corsin, Macon-Villages, Burgundy, France
• Domaine du Salvard, Cheverny Rouge, Gamay & Pinot, Loire Valley, France
• Chateau Paillas 2016 Cahors, France
• Bergerie de L'Hortus Blanc Pic St Loup,  Languedoc, France
• Chateau de L'Escarelle, Les Deux Anges, Provence, France
Stacy Snyder’s Tour de France cups on sale on Sunday
Stacy Snyder’s Tour de France mugs and cappuccino cups will go on sale on from her Etsy store during stage two on Sunday, June 30. The predominantly-yellow design tells the story of the 2024 Tour, featuring the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and La Baie des Anges (or Bay of Angels) shoreline in Nice, which hosts the finish of the race for the first time.
Sunday’s on sale times:
3pm UK
4pm CET
10am US east coast
Join us for a ride in Richard’s memory
Richard Moore’s dad Brian, and Richard’s two brothers Robin and Peter, would like our listeners – and especially Friends of The Cycling Podcast – to join them at West Lothian cycle circuit in Linlithgow, Scotland, on Saturday, July 20, when Mark Beaumont will unveil a plaque, created by Stacy Snyder, in Richard’s memory.
Bring a bike and join us on a few laps of the circuit, wear your Cycling Podcast jersey or casquette, if you have one. If you can’t bring a bike but just want to say hello and have a cup of tea, refreshments will be available. Brian has even promised the sun will be shining!
Saturday, July 20
West Lothian Cycle Circuit
McGinley Way, Linlithgow EH49 6SQ
Circuit open: 10.00 to 13.00
The plaque will be unveiled at 11.00.
The Cycling Podcast is supported by MAAP
A big thank you to MAAP for supporting The Cycling Podcast. Check out the full range of clothing to make you look the part on, and off, the bike at maap.cc