The Cycling Podcast
The Cycling Podcast is an independent sports audio production created by Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie, and Daniel Friebe. Launched in 2013, weekly, hour-long episodes provide insight, analysis and often irreverent take on professional road cycling. Each episode features interviews with different professional cyclists, team staff and other actors from across the sport. Increased coverage is provided at the Grand Tours where daily episodes are recorded at the end of each stage. Since launch, the podcast has launched several spin-offs and mini-series – such as The Cycling Podcast Féminin, a monthly edition launched in 2016 which focuses on professional women's cycling. From its launch until 2020, the podcast was also published by the UK broadsheet newspaper, The Telegraph.
Hosts and Contributors
Originally co-hosted by Friebe, Moore and Birnie, the podcast has added several contributors and co-presenters as it has grown, and particularly since Moore's death in 2022. Episodes are typically hosted by one or both of Friebe and Bernie, with one or two other co-hosts. During men's Grand Tours, the podcast has daily episodes which are sometimes hosted entirely by guest contributiors.Episodes of the Cycling Podcast Féminin are typically presented by Rose Manley, with other regular contributors.
As of 2025, current and past regular contributors include François Thomazeau, Ciro Scognamiglio, Fran Reyes, Brian Nygaard, Rob Hatch, Tom Whalley, Lizzy Banks, Ned Boulting, Ian Boswell, Rebecca Charlton, the team at then now-closed VeloNews, Orla Chennaoui, Michele Pelacci, Denny Gray, Mitch Docker, Larry Warbasse, Richard Abrahams, Kate Wagner and Seb Piquet.
The Cycling Podcast Series
- Kilometre 0 by The Cycling Podcast is a recurring series produced at each of the three Grand Tours. The series takes listeners behind the scenes, bringing them the stories from beyond the racing. The title, Kilometre 0, is the official start of a bike race which arrives after the "départ fictif" or neutralized start. The Kilometre 0 title now also includes what were previously Friends of the Podcast Specials, occasional extended features produced exclusively for the show's subscribers
- The Cycling Podcast Féminin is a monthly magazine show covering women's professional road cycling and the UCI Women's World Tour. It is presented by Rose Manley and Denny Gray, with occasional contributions from Orla Chennaoui, Rebecca Charlton and others, and well as previously Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie.
- Explore by The Cycling Podcast a six part series that premiered in 2018 and returned in 2021. It examines the emerging trends of bikepacking, endurance and ultra-endurance cycling. It was led by Lionel Birnie with Hannah Troop and Tom Whalley.
- Adam Blythe Interviews... by The Cycling Podcast was a six-part series, launched in spring 2019. In each episode, Lotto-Soudal rider Adam Blythe interviews a significant figure from the world of professional cycling.
- Service Course by The Cycling Podcast, published from 2019-2023, is Tom Whalley and Lizzy Banks' show looking at the world of bikes, technology and equipment.
- Life in the Peloton An existing popular podcast that was hosted under the umbrella of The Cycling Podcast for 1 season, presenting by the EF Education First pro cyclist Mitch Docker. Mitch typically interviews unique and interesting characters in the world of professional cycling.
History
The Cycling Podcast began as short audio dispatches from the 2013 Tour de France supported by sponsorship from Sharp.Listener numbers hit 9,000 halfway into the race which helped secure funding from Jaguar for the following year. In 2015, audience numbers grew to 30,000 and partnerships were developed with The Telegraph and Eurosport. Support from sports nutrition brand Science in Sport saw The Cycling Podcast cover their first Giro d'Italia in 2016 and title sponsorship from cycling lifestyle brand Rapha, secured the future of the podcast for the following two years. Notably, The Cycling Podcast was referenced in the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report into Combatting doping in sport.
The Cycling Podcast was the first podcast ever to be accredited to the Tour de France.
The Cycling Podcast has been nominated for several awards since 2016. The podcast was given best podcast at the 2016 Cycling Media Awards. In 2018, The Cycling Podcast was a Bronze medalist in sports podcast category at the British Podcast Awards. It has been renominated in the Sports category in 2019. The Grand Tour Diaries, the second book by the team behind The Cycling Podcast was released in November 2019.
Beginning in 2018, Daniel Friebe became a member of ITV's cycling coverage team for the Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Cirterium du Dauphine, and started appearing on the podcast less frequently during those races. This led to the podcast increasing its use of guest presenters and hosts.
In March 2022, lead presenter Richard Moore died suddenly. In his absence, Birnie and Friebe continued with coverage of cycling's Monuments and Grand Tours, with increased use of guest cohosts, with regular episodes returning in Autumn 2022. During 2024 Birnie stepped away from regular episodes to focus more on the business side of the podcast, but returned to presenting in 2025.