With this year's Gallic cycling circus starting the day after tomorrow, the excitement continues to build, here at There are loads of things I love about this race. Many are essential ingredients and the ITV Tour de France Podcast has, over the last 4-5 years, become essential listening.
I love podcasts and, thanks to my daily commute, have the chance to listen to plenty.
If you don't do podcasts and love your cycling (you must love cycling to be reading this, right?) I would highly recommend subscribing (for free) to this one for the next 3 weeks.
Of course this is only a preview as the race and this year's 'casts are yet to start, but based on previous years, its well worth a punt.
Acclaimed author, journalist, podcast veteran and ITV TdF general dogsbody Matt Rendell anchors the show, while former world record holder, bike builder and technical guru Chris Boardman provides the punditry and analysis. Matt's Real Peloton podcast partner and ITV reporter Ned Boulting provides on the spot post-race interviews and his interpretation of events.
Being ITV, this is the day job for Rendell and Boulting (not Boardman - he's mostly building and marketing bikes) and their professional quality shines through. To listeners of their freeform and wonderfully erratic Real Peloton podcast, the ITV TdF Podcast may seem restrained, almost corporate, but the quality of the reporting and analysis is superb while they are still able to inject some of their trademark humour and boundless enthusiasm for the sport.
At between 10-20 minutes, this podcast packs in an easily digestible, concise summary of that day's action and the key events surrounding the Tour. The podcast is normally available following the UK
The ITV TdF Podcast is often criticised by US listeners as being too British. Well, yep... guilty. But then ITV are the UK national broadcaster with TdF rights, and it's right for them to cater for their primary audience… if I can subscribe to and enjoy The Two Johns Podcast, I am sure our colonial cousins are capable of listening to this and quite enjoying it.
To remind myself of some of the early ‘casts I listened to their 2007 Prologue episode. This exchange between Matt and Chris made me smile:
MR - I am looking at the guy who's 15th in GC, who's a little Spaniard riding for Discovery Channel, Alberto Contador. I don't know how much you know about him. He's the man who's got the most explosive acceleration going uphill.
CB - He can climb hills, yeah? So that might be a name that we're going to see in the coming days.
So, some of Chris Boardman’s predictions can be quite accurate.
Available through iTunes at:
You can also find these guys on Twitter
@itvcycling
@mrendell
@nedboulting
@chris_boardman
Oh, I am on there too @riderific
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