This episode is brought to you by Laka Bike Insurance, the specialist bike insurers

This week, Robyn and Will are joined by Ned Boulting. Having started out covering football on Sky Sports, Ned joined the ITV Sports team in 2001 and soon became a reporter for their Tour de France coverage, albeit that hasn't stopped him popping up on Olympics coverage, and one of his favourite unsung sports, darts. Today, alongside co-host David Millar, Ned is the voice of the Tour for countless millions of viewers, although sadly this season will be his last (which we chat about later).

Ned has written and performed stage shows Bikeology, Tour de Ned and Marginal Mystery Tour, he ventures into the podcast world with the successful Never Strays Far with Pete Kennaugh and David Millar, and he has also written myriad books.

Ned's latest book, The Accidental Tour-ist: (Final) Dispatches from the Road (Bloomsbury) has just been released. Described as ‘a lap of honour’, the book recalls chaotic stories and memorable moments from years reporting on Le Tour, the Giro d’Italia, the Flemish Classics and more.

With the curtain set to fall on ITV4's free-to-air Tour de France coverage this summer, Ned talks to us about finding out about the news from a friend, and his personal highlights throughout the years as commentator, reporter and presenter.

Ned also talks about the seismic - and about time too - shift in women’s cycling; the riders to watch at this year's Tour de France 2025; the Tour stages that viewers cannot afford to miss; and his emotions as he contemplates putting down the mic for the last time on the Champs-Élysées.

Interview begins at 4.25

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This episode is brought to you by Laka Bike Insurance, the specialist bike insurers. Laka's collective model means you only pay a share of what it pays out each month (up to a capped amount), and Laka only makes money once claims have been settled. There's no excess, no depreciation and cover is a flexible as you want it to be - you can pause, cancel or upgrade at any time.

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Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine?

Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door.

And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

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This episode is brought to you by the Insta360 GO 3S action camera

This week, James and Will are joined by ex-pro Levi Leipheimer. Levi turned pro in 1997 and in 2000 hit the big time with US Postal, riding as a teammate of Lance Armstrong. Stints at Rabobank, Astana and Radioshack followed, during which time he won the Tour de Suisse, three Tours of California, the Dauphine and two stages of the Vuelta a España, finishing second in Spain in 2008. His last contract at QuickStep in 2012 was cut short after Levi admitted to doping during his career, his admittance of guilt and subsequent testimony playing a role in the take down of Lance Armstrong. Today Levi is open about this part of his past, and here he speaks candidly about doping, both his feelings at the time and his feelings on the subject now, both in the context of US Postal and the early 2000s and the cycling now.

Today, Levi heads up the event he founded some 16 years ago, Levi's Gran Fondo amateur race and its pro-race sibling, The Growler. As the US calendar shrinks, the 220km Growler is said to be 'the hardest one-day race in North America', and the only race broadcast live in the States, this year via YouTube. Levi talks us through the importance of the Growler to the US domestic scene, from the $156,000 prize purse that helps fund poorly paid pros, to the platform it offers young talent.

Interview begins at 8:13

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This episode is brought to you by Insta360, the 360-degree filming action camera specialists. Insta360 has now launched two GO 3S cycling bundles: a Cycling Multiview bundle that captures all angles plus a Cycling POV bundle for a great point of view. Check out the all-new, road-cycling-perfect Insta360 GO 3S here and don't forget to use the code Cyclist at the checkout for a free Insta360 GO 3S carry case, plus for a limited time there's also 15% off.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is brought to you by the Insta360 GO 3S action camera

This week, James and Will are joined by the superest of super domestiques, Welshman Luke Rowe. As road captain at Ineos Grenediers (nee Team Sky), Rowe helped win countless Grand Tours over more than a decade at the British team. However complications from a crash forced Rowe to retire last season, and here he talks about how that decision played out, and about reconstructing his life after pro-riding.

In this episode, Luke also talks about the impact of team DS, Nico Portal's, untimely death at Sky; putting others' success ahead of his own; the dangers of cycling and crashing; getting stuck into his new role as directeur sportif at AG2R-La Mondiale; and writing his first book, Road Captain: My Life at the Heart of the Peloton, published by Penguin.

Interview begins at 7.25

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This episode is brought to you by Insta360, the 360-degree filming action camera specialists. Check out its latest the all-new, road-cycling-perfect Insta360 GO 3S here. And don't forget to use the code Cyclist at the checkout for a free Insta360 GO 3S carry case, plus for a limited time there's also 15% off.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.