The Cycling Podcast

This episode is the first in a three-part series examining the lasting importance of the 1986 Tour de France, 40 years on.

It's available here for a limited time, as well as ad-free for our Friends of the Podcast subscribers. Sign up at thecyclingpodcast.com

Join Lionel Birnie, Graham Willgoss and special guest Edward Pickering as they discuss the 1986 Tour de France, which signalled the end of the road for Bernard Hinault and, in a way, the French dominance of their national sporting event. The Tour de France was embracing the world rapidly – and the world was falling in love with the Tour.
We discuss the inter-team battle between America's blue-eyed boy, Greg LeMond, and his legendary teammate-slash-rival Hinault.
For Lionel and Ed, it was also a first opportunity to follow the Tour daily on television and so it left indelible memories that shaped how they have experienced the Tour ever since.
So why was the 1986 Tour one of the most important, watershed events in modern cycling history?
This episode was produced by Jon Moonie. Artwork by Lionel Birnie, featuring a photograph by Graham Watson.

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss for a three-week adventure taking them from Barcelona to Paris, following the 2026 Tour de France.
The Cycling Podcast has covered the Tour with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes recap the stage action with analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.
To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app. 
Introducing our sponsors, MyWhoosh
Our Tour de France Grand Départ coverage is sponsored by MyWhoosh.
MyWhoosh is a serious indoor training and racing platform, built for riders who love cycling, and it’s free. It’s built for anyone who wants to ride indoors with purpose, whether that’s staying fit, following a training plan, joining a community ride, racing hard, or exploring virtual roads and it’s free to ride, just like outdoors.
Episode sponsors
NordVPN
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Bikmo
The Cycling Podcast is supported by Bikmo, cycle insurance built for cyclists who actually ride.
Whether it's a crash, a stolen bike, or your pride and joy arriving at baggage reclaim in three separate pieces – it's covered. Flexible policies you can cancel anytime, 50 per cent off extra household bikes, plus protection for your kit, race entries and travel.
Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast
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 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.

This episode is available ad-free on our Friends of the Podcast feed. Subscribe at thecyclingpodcast.com
Paul Seixas's first Tour de France has been the subject of feverish expectation, and the wait was finally over when the 19-year-old phenom rolled down the start ramp in Barcelona on Saturday.
In part two of our Tour-long series — not just following Seixas but also exploring the reasons for France's 41-year drought in cycling's crown-jewel event — Daniel Friebe chronicles what turned into a baptism of fire, with mechanical mishaps, teammates crashing and, of course, those furnace-like temperatures.
The good news for Seixas, as the Tourmalet loomed, was that nothing he'd done so far had dampened the hype. In fact, quite the opposite...

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss for a three-week adventure taking them from Barcelona to Paris, following the 2026 Tour de France.
The Cycling Podcast has covered the Tour with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes recap the stage action with analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.
To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app. 
Introducing our sponsors, MyWhoosh

Our Tour de France Grand Départ coverage is sponsored by MyWhoosh.
MyWhoosh is a serious indoor training and racing platform, built for riders who love cycling, and it’s free. It’s built for anyone who wants to ride indoors with purpose, whether that’s staying fit, following a training plan, joining a community ride, racing hard, or exploring virtual roads and it’s free to ride, just like outdoors.
Bikmo
The Cycling Podcast is supported by Bikmo, cycle insurance built for cyclists who actually ride.
Whether it's a crash, a stolen bike, or your pride and joy arriving at baggage reclaim in three separate pieces – it's covered. Flexible policies you can cancel anytime, 50 per cent off extra household bikes, plus protection for your kit, race entries and travel.
Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast
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 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.

Join Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss for a three-week adventure taking them from Barcelona to Paris, following the 2026 Tour de France.
The Cycling Podcast has covered the Tour with daily episodes recorded at the heart of the world’s biggest race. Our nightly episodes recap the stage action with analysis, interviews and plenty of French flavour.
To listen to the episodes as soon as they are released, follow The Cycling Podcast in your favourite podcast app. 
Introducing our sponsors, MyWhoosh
Our Tour de France Grand Départ coverage is sponsored by MyWhoosh.
MyWhoosh is a serious indoor training and racing platform, built for riders who love cycling, and it’s free. It’s built for anyone who wants to ride indoors with purpose, whether that’s staying fit, following a training plan, joining a community ride, racing hard, or exploring virtual roads and it’s free to ride, just like outdoors.
Babbel
Learn a language the fun, easy way with intuitive 15-minute lessons you can do when you want. Choose from 14 languages including Spanish, French, Italian and German. Listeners can get up to 60% off for a limited time only at www.babbel.com/cycle
Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast
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 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.