The Rouleur Podcast

Slovenia is a cycling superpower - with two out of the three Grand Tour winners this year and an Olympic time trial gold for Primož Roglič. A new book by Roglič's partner Lora Klinc was designed to explain the mysteries of the international peloton to Slovenia's legion of new cycling followers, and the English-language version is surprisingly informative for even the most knowledgeable fan. Also on this episode, Daniel Stewart's examination of xenophobia in bike racing from Rouleur Issue 106. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Supersapiens hit the headlines recently when the UCI banned use of the glucose monitoring system in races. Company founder and CEO Phil Southerland, who also founded Team Novo Nordisk with a roster comprised entirely of type 1 diabetics, declared it a backward step from the governing body, citing improved rider health and welfare possibilities with the new technology.Supersapiens co-founder and CTO Gagan Chaudhari joins us to explain how the system works, what the benefits are, how to monitor fuel intake and what the future holds. It’s food for thought, literally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we make cycling - as a sport and a way of life - as diverse as possible? That’s the central question in Rouleur edition 106 - The Empowerment Issue. And it’s the theme of this podcast. We hear from cycling coach Thea Smith on how her club is trying to attract more women, non-binary and trans people through the gates of the venerable velodrome in London’s Herne Hill. And from Will Butler-Adams of Brompton on how the bike industry has a vital role to play in rebuilding society after the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Swiss brand BMC are leaders in technological developments in the bike world. From their base in Grenchen, BMC’s team of engineers at the Impec lab develop new ideas and push the boundaries of what can be achieved in bicycle design for any terrain. Stefan Christ, head of R&D at BMC, joins host Dan Cavallari to explain what they get up to in their mysterious lab, and what we can expect to see coming out of the brain factory in the future. Both Dan and Rouleur’s digital editor Peter Stuart have visited the BMC HQ on several occasions, and a whole lot more besides. Peter chips in with his take on who is really putting in the hard yards on R&D. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Pooley is more likely to be found running up hills these days than cycling up them, but the competitive spirit that led her to Olympic medals, world championships and multiple stage and race wins is still strong.  She joins presenter Ian Parkinson from her home near Zurich to talk about retirement, the current state of the women’s pro scene and why she’s about to run 100km through the mountains. She also delivers a personal warning about the dangers of too much sun and not enough sunscreen. Tan-line cultivators listen closely.And what can cyclists learn from the great philosophers? Author James Hibbard argues that - from Plato’s search for the ideal to Nietzsche’s struggles in the Alps - there are lessons there for anyone who rides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ultra-Endurance rider Lael Wilcox was the fastest woman at Unbound 2021. She sits down with host Dan Cavallari to discuss going fast over 350 miles of gravel. While it's all about the legs and the heart, bike tech plays a vital role in multi-day races in the wilderness. From making the right choice of aero bar or flat bar, choosing the best power banks and bringing a reliable head-torch for those nighttime mechanicals, Lael doesn't leave a single element of her gear to chance. Evidently as averse to an idle mind as an idle body, Lael also explains how she rode across Alaska while listening to East of Eden on audiobook, and in one race stayed awake by scaring herself stiff listening to Stephen King's It.We promise this podcast will be a little less jarring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This edition is dedicated to La Vuelta, too often the poor relation of its French and Italian equivalents. Olga Ábalos, editor of Rouleur's Spanish sister magazine Volata, admits the race has an identity crisis but praises the organisers' willingness to experiment and try new things. Like the Gamoniteiro, this year's novelty climb, which will subject the world's best riders to a series of near vertical cattle grids.  Tim Moore, who chronicled his attempts at riding the Tour and the Giro in his books French Revolutions and Gironimo, has finally tackled La Vuelta. Never one for the easy option, he retraced the route of the 1941 edition, 4500 kilometres in the middle of a heatwave and a pandemic. He joins presenter Ian Parkinson to share the story of Spanish cycling's forgotten anti-hero Julián Berrendero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graeme Raeburn, lead designer at UK-based Albion clothing, joins host Dan Cavallari to discuss current trends, future technologies and the hot potato subject of hi-vis fabrics and their effectiveness. Graeme was with Rapha from its early days, playing a major part in the aesthetic revolution we have witnessed since the company’s formation in 2004. What next in the design world, plus the crucial areas of environmental impact, recycling and packaging?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author, broadcaster and Rouleur contributor Matt Rendell joins us during his tour promoting Colombia es Pasion!: The Generation of Racing Cyclists Who Changed Their Nation and the Tour de France.His feature in our latest issue profiles Sergio Higuita at home in Colombia and his rise from the streets of Medellín to the WorldTour with EF Education-Nippo. It’s quite a story. And another of Matt’s excellent interviewees for Rouleur, Richard Carapaz, is now an Olympic gold medallist. What would the reaction be back home in Ecuador? It’s a complex answer from a fascinating nation.And Phil Wright reads an extract on Higuita from Straight Outta Medellín, from issue 105, out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With all men’s WorldTour teams bar Ineos Grenadiers now on disc brake-equipped bikes, can we finally cease arguing about stopping and which is better?Yes, and no. Samuel Johnson, US Market Manager at Hunt, wheel suppliers to Qhubeka-Assos, joins host Dan Cavallari to explain the advantages behind discs and the ability to design using wider rims, wider tyres – it’s all good. But are they heavier? And are they faster? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.