Podcast
The Roadman Cycling Podcast
Hosted by Anthony Walsh · EN
We share tips, strategies & insights on how you can use cycling as a tool for health, for happiness & longevity. World Tour riders, authors & academics - every weekday.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Scandal That Invented the Tour de France
5d ago00:10:53Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutThe Tour de France wasn’t born from pure sporting ambition. It began with a political scandal, a newspaper war, and a desperate attempt to sell more papers. In 1890s France, the Dreyfus Affair split the country in two, dragging even the cycling press into the fight. When powerful industrialists turned against pro-Dreyfus editor Pierre Giffard and his paper Le Vélo, they funded a rival: L’Auto. Struggling to survive, L’Auto launched a brutal race around France in 1903. That publicity stunt became the Tour de France — and even gave cycling its famous yellow jersey.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered. POC POC’s new Amidal brings aero performance, cooling, and safety together, with Mips protection, deep ventilation, and a cleanly integrated rear Knog light.Head to poc.com to check out the Amidal and see why it could become your go-to helmet for every ride.VITTORIA TYRESMake choosing your next gravel tyre simple with Vittoria’s terrain-based range, from fast-rolling options to grippier tyres for rougher rides.Head to Vittoria.com to find the tyre that matches the terrain you actually ride.
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Should The Average Cyclist Worry About Aerodynamics
1w ago00:28:44Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutIs aerodynamics only for pros, time triallists, and triathletes — or should everyday cyclists care too? In this episode, we cut through the hype and ask whether aero is genuinely “free speed” or just expensive cycling nonsense. We explain why the rider creates most of the drag, why body position and clothing often matter more than pricey upgrades, and when aero does — and does not — make a real difference. From £0 changes like zipping up your jersey and tucking your elbows, to smarter kit choices, this episode helps average cyclists save energy, ride faster, and avoid wasting money.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered. POC POC’s new Amidal brings aero performance, cooling, and safety together, with Mips protection, deep ventilation, and a cleanly integrated rear Knog light.Head to poc.com to check out the Amidal and see why it could become your go-to helmet for every ride.VITTORIA TYRESMake choosing your next gravel tyre simple with Vittoria’s terrain-based range, from fast-rolling options to grippier tyres for rougher rides.Head to Vittoria.com to find the tyre that matches the terrain you actually ride.
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Cycling - The Sport We’re Turning Into a Fashion Show
1w ago00:11:20Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutCycling was never meant to be about looking expensive. The real entry ticket was willingness: to learn, to listen, to hold a wheel without panic, to respect the rhythm of the group. Somewhere along the way, the gate shifted. Skill started getting confused with image. Kit became a costume. Beginners began feeling like they had to buy belonging before they’d earned confidence on the road. But the magic of cycling has always lived somewhere else: in trust, timing, craft, and the quiet romance of a bunch rolling out together. The question is, are we protecting that—or pricing people out of it?One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered. POC POC’s new Amidal brings aero performance, cooling, and safety together, with Mips protection, deep ventilation, and a cleanly integrated rear Knog light.Head to poc.com to check out the Amidal and see why it could become your go-to helmet for every ride.VITTORIA TYRESMake choosing your next gravel tyre simple with Vittoria’s terrain-based range, from fast-rolling options to grippier tyres for rougher rides.Head to Vittoria.com to find the tyre that matches the terrain you actually ride.
Transcribe →
The Cyclist Who Outran The Nazis - Why Italy's Greatest Cyclist Never Told His Greatest Story
2w ago00:15:55Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutDuring Nazi-occupied Italy, cycling legend Gino Bartali used the one thing that made him untouchable—his fame—to help save Jewish lives. Disguised as training rides, his journeys carried forged identity papers hidden inside his bicycle frame, past checkpoints where soldiers asked for autographs instead of searches. This episode uncovers how Bartali, already a Tour de France champion, risked prison, torture, and execution as part of a secret rescue network spanning Florence and Assisi. Yet for decades, he told almost no one. A story of courage, faith, silence, and the extraordinary power of doing good without needing to be seen.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered. POC POC’s new Amidal brings aero performance, cooling, and safety together, with Mips protection, deep ventilation, and a cleanly integrated rear Knog light.Head to poc.com to check out the Amidal and see why it could become your go-to helmet for every ride.VITTORIA TYRESMake choosing your next gravel tyre simple with Vittoria’s terrain-based range, from fast-rolling options to grippier tyres for rougher rides.Head to Vittoria.com to find the tyre that matches the terrain you actually ride.
Transcribe →
How I Won The Hardest Unbound In Years - Mads Würtz Schmidt
2w ago00:53:26Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutMads Würtz Schmidt joins us after winning one of the hardest editions of Unbound Gravel in years. In a race defined by mud, storms, brutal headwinds, and a dramatic late mechanical, Mads breaks down exactly how he survived the chaos and rode solo to victory. We also get the full story behind Keegan Swenson’s incredible decision to give Mads his wheel, the pressure that created, and what it took mentally and physically to finish the job. From pacing and tyre choice to the final emotional ride into Emporia, this is the inside story of a legendary Unbound win.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
Transcribe →
Pogacar & Vingegaard's Form, Fitness, Fatigue - How You Can Do The Perfect Taper Like World Tour Riders
2w ago00:10:35Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutTapering for the Tour de France is not about reacting to tiredness; it is about knowing when extra training is adding more fatigue than fitness. This video explains how coaches can use the TrainingPeaks Performance Management Chart to balance fitness, fatigue, and form, while still reading the rider behind the numbers. The goal is to reduce volume, maintain enough intensity to stay sharp, and let fatigue fall without losing hard-earned adaptation. For a three-week race like the Tour, the best taper is individual, controlled, and timed so the rider arrives not just fit on paper, but genuinely ready to race.The Training Management Chart is just one of the amazing tools you will find in Training Peaks, If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
Transcribe →
Armstrong Was Erased. So Why Wasn’t Ullrich?
3w ago00:15:01Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutLance Armstrong lost all seven of his Tour de France titles. Jan Ullrich, a rider from the same era who later admitted he doped too, still officially holds his 1997 Tour win.So why did one man get erased from cycling history while the other kept the biggest victory of his life?In this episode, we dig into the strange legal and sporting gap between guilt, evidence, and punishment. From Operation Puerto and Ullrich’s 2006 downfall to USADA’s case against Armstrong, this is the story of how two doped riders from the same poisoned era were judged in completely different ways.It’s not a story about innocence. It’s a story about evidence, timing, power, myth-making, and why no one ever came to take Ullrich’s yellow jersey.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
Transcribe →
Inside Cycling Ireland: Crisis, Reform and the Road Ahead With CEO James Quilligan
3w ago01:38:22Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutToday Anthony is joined by Cycling Ireland CEO James Quilligan for a no-holds-barred conversation about the state and future of Irish cycling. James came into the role at a difficult time, with questions around falling membership, financial pressure, staff morale and trust between Cycling Ireland, clubs, provinces and riders. In this interview, Anthony asks him directly about the decline in members, the reduced number of road races, the new categorisation system, and whether domestic road racing can be rebuilt.They also get into the positive stories: the rise of women’s elite racing, Irish riders making history at the Tour de France Femmes, the growth of gravel and the Coillte access issue, youth development, community bike rides, and what Cycling Ireland is doing to make the sport more inclusive, sustainable and attractive for the next generation.It’s an honest conversation about what has gone wrong — and what might finally be moving in the right direction.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
Transcribe →
What It Takes To Win Ireland’s Hardest Bike Race
4w ago01:07:05Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutConn McDunphy has just won the 2026 Rás Tailteann, Ireland’s toughest and most iconic bike race. In this episode, we sit down with Conn to unpack what it really takes to win the Tour of Ireland: the preparation, the pressure, the team tactics, the chaos of five-man squads, and the emotional weight of bringing home yellow on Irish roads. Conn opens up about past crashes, near-misses, maturity, racing on instinct rather than power, and the people who shaped his career. A raw, honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, Irish cycling culture, and winning the race that means everythingOne of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
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Gravel, Grit and the Economics of Modern Cycling With Joe Laverick
4w ago01:21:17Tap to summarizeGo check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutIn this episode, Anthony sits down with Joe Laverick to unpack the modern cycling world — Joe opens up about life as a privateer, the economics of gravel racing, race safety, sponsorship, and why storytelling may now matter more than podiums.One of the tools you will have heard Anthony chat about in this podcast is Training Peaks. Without this platform we can't get into the detail required to pricesly train within zones. If you want to go and check out this incredible training tool go to https://bit.ly/4qWyEKK and use ROADMAN – 20% off an annual TrainingPeaks Premium subscriptionParlee Cycles "Whether it's a tough day, a gruelling training session, an epic road trip or sitting on the side of the road, exhausted and wondering how you'll get to the top... The answer is regularly to just get back in the saddle and ride. Ride The F...ing Bike. RTFB!"Go check out their amazing bikes at https://www.parleecycles.com/4Endurance Pro level fuel, made accessible. Myself and Sarah trust 4Endurance for all our fuelling needs. Their reange is HUGE and won't break the bank. Go check them out here https://4endurance.com/BIKMOBikmo protects you and your bike fromtheft, accidental damage, race-day disasters, and even baggage claim shenanigans. Yourhelmet, GPS, and other kit are covered too. Got more than one bike? Of course you do – you get 50% off each extra bike on the same policy.Protect your ride before it’s too late – head to Bikmo.com to get covered.
Transcribe →