The Rouleur Podcast

Riding in the rain is grim. Racing in the rain is treacherous. Matt Seaton’s essay on pedalling through precipitation from issue 6 of Rouleur magazine.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With two new foreign language editions added to the Rouleur stable, meet our Spanish and Italian editors, Olga and Emilio. Olga Àbalos is our Barcelona-based colleague with six years’ experience as co-founder of Volata magazine in Spain. A former racer herself, she tells us why she started the magazine and what the future holds with our multi-language collaborations.  Emilio Previtali, our Rouleur Italia editor, went from climbing up and skiing down mountains to training on the bike, then to racing, then to journalism. He doesn’t sit still for long, but Ian Parkinson asks Emilio how life is shaping up in these lockdown times in his hard-hit region of northern Italy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1973, Zoltan Elekes arrived in Plymouth from Romania to ride the Milk Race. It would be 22 years before he saw home again. Emma Wright reads No Direction Home by Steven Green from Rouleur 18.6. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daredevil speed merchant, track racer and German superstar from the early 20th century, Thaddeus Robl met a predictably tragic end, but not on a bicycle. The story of Germany’s first sporting hero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rouleur editor Andy McGrath joins Ian Parkinson as issue 100 starts landing with subscribers this week. It features a major re-design, new matt paper stock and the usual mix of fascinating features and top-notch photography, including a unique, truly 'inside the peloton' take on the 2020 Tour de France by the riders and staff of four WorldTour teams. Controversial young American star Chloé Dygert also makes an appearance in this issue. Andy explains the process behind profiling this complex individual with some unpopular world views and a bagful of talent.Plus news of the groundbreaking issue 101 we have in the pipeline, a year in planning and months in the making. Regular columnist Orla Chennaoui has taken over the editorial reins for this all-female take on the wonderful world of cycling. What can we expect to read in the New Year? Orla gives us the lowdown on her fine content and guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2020 Road Book, edited by Ned Boulting, is now in stock at the Rouleur store. Ned joins us to run through this most peculiar season of Covid-19 affected bike racing, starting with the UAE Tour back in February, all the way through to the Vuelta in November. This mighty tome reflects on what Ned describes as a “scintillating season, from start to finish, providing us with a fabulous diversion from the pandemic for just a few months.” Hear hear. Did you know Rouleur was backed and owned by Rapha back in 2006? Simon Mottram, Rapha’s founder, tells us how frequent meetings and copious cups of coffee with Guy Andrews resulted in a wafer-thin issue 1, costing £9, and how Rouleur spread its wings and grew from there. It’s quite a story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Concussion protocol has improved within pro bike racing in recent years, but is still not mandatory. The debilitating and potentially lifetime consequences of head injuries are still not widely understood within the sport.With testimony from three racers with very different experiences: Toms Skujins (Trek-Segafredo), Brent Bookwalter (Mitchelton-Scott) and Matt Brammeier (now a British Cycling coach).The Rouleur Longreads Podcast brings you selected long form articles from the magazine, especially recorded for Rouleur. Don’t stop what you’re doing – do it while listening to the world’s best cycling writing.The latest in this series is Concussion Repercussion, by Ian Cleverly, read by Emma Wright, from issue 18.3 of Rouleur magazine.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future of NTT, formerly MTN-Qhubeka, looked to be in doubt until team principal Doug Ryder announced Assos have stepped up their involvement to keep the team at the races in 2021. Ryder tells Ian Parkinson how Africa’s Team will keep working on getting homegrown riders from the continent into the top tier of the sport, and the big change in personnel for next season. Qhubeka means “move forward” – an apt slogan in these challenging times. Derek Bouchard-Hall, CEO of Assos, joins us to explain the renowned Swiss clothing company’s decision to stick with Ryder and the team and put the Qhubeka name front and centre of the project. Our big birthday issue 100 has just gone to the printers and it’s fair to say we are overjoyed with the result. Miles Baker-Clarke takes you through what’s hot in the Rouleur shop in the run up to Christmas, while Ian Cleverly points out a few highlights from this special issue. Plus news of upcoming competition prizes related to our 100 Memorable Moments feature. Get involved with the hashtag #rouleur100 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tucked away in a warren of testing cub­icles and curious contraptions, we find Franco Rigolon hard at work. His job involves making just one thing, and it’s not something he can make very quickly. Franco is a wheel-builder, the sole person in charge — the only one with the know-how — of one of the company’s most enduring products: the Ghibli wheel.After Valentino Campagnolo took over following the death of his father in 1983, the Ghibli was one of his first great successes. In a time where almost every wheel was made the same way it had been since before the company’s beginning, Campagnolo put a team of engineers to work on coming up with some new ideas.From there came the concept of using fibres rather than spokes to create the tension and maintain structure. This was lighter, stronger, resistant to temperature changes and allowed more aerodynamic shapes.It was, to use an old cliché, a game changer.From Miguel Indurain’s hour record to Alex Zanardi’s Paralympic gold, the Campagnolo Ghibli has been a winning set of wheels. Meet the man who makes these labour intensive works of art.The Rouleur Longreads Podcast brings you selected long form articles from the magazine, especially recorded for Rouleur. Don’t stop what you’re doing – do it while listening to the world’s best cycling writing.The latest in this series is ‘Mister Ghibli’ by Colin O'Brien, from Rouleur 50, read by George Oliver. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Racing drivers are partial to a bit of bike riding to keep them fit, but 2009 Formula One world champion Jenson Button has taken it a step further following years of high speed success behind the wheel, launching his own clothing range, Léger. Jenson talks to Ian Parkinson from his home in LA on being fit at 40 and designing kit that won't make Mrs B laugh... Rheumatoid arthritis has put a premature end to the fine career of Ian Stannard. The former British champion has been a highly respected and fondly regarded Classics mainstay of Team Sky since its inception. A Paris-Roubaix podium finish in 2016 and consecutive victories at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad are amongst Stannard's highlights - the second an unforgettable moment in hardman finishing after seeing off the combined efforts of three of the best Quick Steps, including Tom Boonen. Peter Stuart talks to the retiring Mr Stannard at home in Cheshire.And hill climber Becky Hair tells Ian Parkinson about her campaign for equal treatment of women from the bottom to the top of the sport. The hashtag #climbinghighertogether is going places. Hup, hup, listen up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.