The Beginner's Guide to Pro Cycling

Cycling is a beautiful sport. It's also a nightmare for new fans to get into – a mess of jargon, history, and tactics, spread across a long and confusing calendar. We are here to help. Journalism professor (and new cycling fan) Holly Johnson has questions, and Iain Treloar has answers (sometimes). Join us for the beginners' guide to pro cycling, as we break down what you need to know about the sport, and why. Escape Collective is member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/

Newbie newbie new: Or, how do you know if you're a cycling fandom beginner?

How can cycling be more welcoming to newcomers? How do you know if you are one? Does it matter? Holly takes the reins as she and Iain assess the landscape for fresh fans of the sport, figure out the best way to open the tent for everyone, and come up with a handy tool to Find Your Own Pro Cyclist Name. 

10-25
29:46

What WorldTour races are actually worth your time?

So you've watched the Tour de France – what next? With a continent-hopping WorldTour calendar, running from January to October, there's a whole lot to wrap your head around. Holly and Iain run through the races that are worth getting up early (or staying up late) for, the ones that help shape the season's narrative, and the ones that are worth skipping.

09-22
50:20

The Tour de France edition

Ever have a question about the Tour de France? We've got you covered. 

09-15
24:55

The beginner's guide to pro cycling

Cycling's a beautiful sport. It's also a nightmare for new fans to get into – a mess of jargon, history, and tactics. Journalism professor (and new cycling fan) Holly Johnson has questions, and together with Iain Treloar, is on a mission to decipher pro cycling. In the first episode of this Rabbit Holes podcast offshoot: a chat with EF Education-Easypost CEO Jonathan Vaughters about how teams work.

09-15
54:02

S3E8: Take a Bow

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson discuss the final episode of Unchained, focusing on the finale of the 2024 Tour de France.

07-02
01:00:47

S3E7: King of the Mountain

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Dane Cash, and Intern Nick tackle the penultimate episode of Tour de France: Unchained, centering on the hopes of Richard Carapaz and other stagehunters trying to break free of the firm grip that UAE has on the race.

07-02
36:45

S3E6: History Makers

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Dane Cash, and Intern Nick talk Unchained S3E6, which focuses on the history-making achievements of Biniam Girmay and Mark Cavendish.

07-02
45:18

S3E5: The Comeback

Caley Fretz, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash dive into the fifth episode of season three, which takes a closer look at Jonas Vingegaard's journey back to racing after the crash that derailed the first half of his season.

07-02
46:01

S3E4: Road to Hell

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson talk Unchained S3E4, which centers on the gravel stage of the 2024 Tour and the twin battles for stage honors and for GC position.

07-02
50:09

S3E3 Adapt or Die

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Chris Marshall-Bell break down the third episode of the third season of Unchained, covering Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's evolution and the challenges the team faces trying to get a return on sponsor investment

07-02
47:34

S3E2: Disruptors

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson talk season three, episode two of Unchained, honing in on the four-rider GC battle at the 2024 Tour de France.

07-02
53:10

S3E1: David v Goliath

Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson discuss the opening episode of Tour de France: Unchained season three, which focuses on the build-up to the race and the dynamic of smaller teams taking on big-budget powerhouses.

07-02
45:34

S2E8: The Last Dance

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses the final episode of season two, the last Tour days of Thibaut Pinot.

06-28
52:07

S2E7: Kamikazi Mission

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses season two, episode seven of the show, which focuses on Soudal-Quick Steps quest to win a Tour stage. 

06-28
39:23

S2E6: Domination

The Unchained Binge podcast discusses season two, episode six of the show, which offers an inside look in the Jonas Vingegaard's ascent to the top of the Tour standings.

06-26
51:54

S2E5: The enemy within

The crew discusses season two, episode five of Unchained, which focuses on the Ineos Grenadiers and Tom Pidcock.

06-25
50:14

S2E4: For Gino

The podcast discusses the fourth episode of Unchained season two, which focuses on the Bahrain team in the aftermath of Gino Mäder's tragic death.

06-20
53:03

S2E3: No Mercy

Dane Cash, Kit Nicholson, and Caley Fretz discuss the third episode of Unchained, where Jasper Philipsen and Alpecin-Deceuninck take center stage.

06-17
45:51

S2E2: The Third Man

Kit Nicholson, Dane Cash, and Caley Fretz discuss the second episode of the second season of Unchained, which focuses on Australian GC hopefuls Ben O'Connor and Jai Hindley.

06-14
40:56

S2E1: No Risk, No Reward

With the release of season 2 of Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained, the Unchained Binge podcast is back. In this first episode of the year, Kit Nicholson, Jonny Long, and Caley Fretz dive into the first episode, which sets the scene for another season of drama behind the scenes at the Tour.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

06-12
46:33

Recommend Channels