With the racing hotting up all over the pro cycling world, we return with the same Friebe-Birnie-Hatch trio as last week to review the latest action and talking points.

The biggest news story of the week was ASO’s decision to hand Spanish outfit Caja Rural a Tour de France wild card at the expense of the Unibet Rose Rockets. We discuss to what extent Caja’s place on the startline in Barcelona is justified and the case for the opposition i.e. the Rockets.

One man who’ll certainly be heading to the Tour, barring accident, is Remco Evenepoel. His three wins in his first three outings for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in Mallora augur well for the rest of season. Daniel’s question is: could Remco even be the man to ruin Tadej Pogačar’s Sanremo dream?

Another candidate for that role, of course, is Mathieu van der Poel. He won his eighth world cyclocross title at the weekend, which has us wondering about the Winter Olympics extending his career in the discipline.

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With the first WorldTour race of the season, The Tour Down Under, already done and dusted, we review the action in Australia plus other early-season racing and talking points from the week in professional cycling.

Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie are joined by Rob Hatch, who was on the ground to see Jay Vine take his second TDU overall victory. After his masterclass with Vine on the Corkscrew climb early in the week, Jhonatan Narváez’s crash threatened to derail UAE’s race. Happily for them, Vine couldn’t be shaken – not even by bushfires or a kangaroo running amok in the peloton.

The other hot topic of the week was Jonas Vingegaard’s crash on a training ride near Málaga, amid suggestions that he was trying to shake off an amateur who wanted to tag along. We ask whether cycling fans have a “stalking” problem – or whether it’s the riders who need to change their attitude.

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This episode of The Cycling Podcast is brought to you by Bikmo cycle insurance – because let's face it, things happen. Whether it's a crash landing, the heartbreak of a stolen bike, or the ultimate facepalm moment of reversing over your prized aero wheel, Bikmo has you covered. Flexible policies that you can cancel anytime, 50% off extra bikes in your household, protection for your kit, race entries, and even damage while travelling to your next epic ride – they've thought of it all. Protect your ride before it's too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.

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Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

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The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

WorldTour racing is back with the Tour Down Under underway in Australia. The Cycling Podcast returns to recap the action from the first three stages and the latest news from the pro peloton.

Daniel Friebe, Lionel Birnie, and our very own in-house professional cyclist Larry Warbasse discuss UAE Team Emirates’ rip-roaring start to the year, as well as the predictions we didn't get from Larry last week. There is a detailed meditation on Larry’s 14-year search for the perfect training formula—and the peloton’s broader search for equilibrium in a sport that is increasingly data-obsessed, sometimes at the expense of mental and physical wellbeing.

Derek Gee-West certainly experienced his share of emotional turmoil while attempting to change teams last autumn. We hear from Lidl-Trek’s newest recruit on that saga and how close he thinks he can get to the likes of Pogačar and Vingegaard.

Artwork photograph: UAE Team Emirates XRG / ph. SPRINT

EPISODE SPONSORS
Indeed
If you are looking to hire someone for your company, maybe the best way isn’t to search for a candidate but to match with Indeed. Go to indeed.com/cycle now to get a £100 sponsored job credit and get matched with the perfect candidate fast.

Bikmo
This episode of The Cycling Podcast is brought to you by Bikmo cycle insurance – because let's face it, things happen. Whether it's a crash landing, the heartbreak of a stolen bike, or the ultimate facepalm moment of reversing over your prized aero wheel, Bikmo has you covered. Flexible policies that you can cancel anytime, 50% off extra bikes in your household, protection for your kit, race entries, and even damage while travelling to your next epic ride – they've thought of it all. Protect your ride before it's too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.

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Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.