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.
66episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What It Takes To Win Ireland’s Hardest Bike Race
Jun 201:07:05Tap 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
May 2901:21:17Tap 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.
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The Reality of Racing Ireland’s Hardest Stage Race
May 2700:21:26Tap 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/aboutAnthony is back from a huge week racing at the Tour of Ireland / Rás Tailteann, he shares the highs, lows, and lessons from one of the toughest events on the Irish cycling calendar. From brutal stages and changing weather to team tactics, recovery, and life inside the bunch, this episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to compete in a demanding stage race. Whether you follow the Rás closely or just love hearing real stories from the road, this is an honest reflection on a memorable week in cycling.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.
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The Festina Affair: The Doping Scandal That Changed Sport Forever
May 2500:19:29Tap 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 July 1998, a routine customs stop on a quiet road between Belgium and France cracked open the biggest scandal cycling had ever seen. Inside a team car heading to the Tour de France was enough EPO, testosterone, and syringes to expose a secret the sport had spent years hiding. But the drugs were only the beginning. What followed was chaos: police raids, rider strikes, shattered heroes, and a Tour de France collapsing in real time. The Festina Affair didn’t just expose one team — it revealed an entire system. And the deeper you look, the stranger the story becomes.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.
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Ride Faster With Less Effort By Fixing These Simple Mistakes
May 2100:12:48Tap 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/about2 riders do the same 5 hour ride, the exact same power. But theres a difference, one rider gets home, has dinner with his family lays out his kit that night and rides again the next morning. The other rider can barely make it up the starirs, he's doom scrolling in instagram all evening and he's absent minded. There's a single number in their training files that explains why, and almost no amateur cyclist that I talk to has ever even been told to pay attention to this number. Today Anthony explains what that number is, what it's actually telling you about your engine and the exact 3 part fix to move it in a meaningful way. 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.
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Giro d'Italia Rest Day Confessions with Team Pinarello–Q36.5 Rider - Chris Harper
May 1900:38:16Tap 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 on the Roadman Cycling Podcast, Anthony sits down with Chris Harper of Team Q36.5, speaking directly from the Giro d’Italia rest day for a rare behind-the-scenes look at life inside a Grand Tour. Chris opens up about the staggering nutritional demands of racing three weeks at the highest level, the emotional and psychological toll the Giro takes on riders, and the constant battle to manage fatigue while staying sharp in the bunch. From recovery routines to peloton politics, this is an honest and fascinating insight into what it really takes to survive and compete in one of cycling’s toughest races.Go check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutOne 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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Ben Wiggins Isn’t Trying to Be Bradley Wiggins — Here’s Why
May 1800:43:50Tap 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/aboutBradley Wiggins’ son. That’s the easy headline. But after an hour with Ben Wiggins, it’s obvious he’s building something far more interesting than just inheriting a famous surname.In this conversation, Ben opens up about the pressure of carrying one of cycling’s most iconic names into the peloton, the discipline he absorbed growing up around elite sport, and the lessons he’s learned watching both the highs and lows of his father’s career. From seven-hour fasted birthday rides to the realities of burnout, nutrition obsession, Girona culture, and finding balance as a young pro, this is a refreshingly honest look at what modern cycling really demands.We also dive into track racing, Olympic ambitions, the evolution of development pathways, and why consistency , not hacks might still be the real secret in cycling.A thoughtful, self-aware chat with one of the sport’s most promising young riders.Go check out our FREE Skool community, it's got amazing tools in there and a thriving community of cyclists - https://www.skool.com/roadman/aboutOne 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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How Shimano and SRAM Killed Campagnolo
May 1500:17:58Tap 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 November 1927, a young Italian racer named Tullio Campagnolo stood freezing on a mountain pass in the Dolomites, unable to change gear because his hands were too cold to loosen his wheel nuts. That moment changed cycling forever. Campagnolo would go on to invent the quick-release skewer, pioneer the modern derailleur, and build the components that carried legends like Coppi, Merckx, Hinault, Pantani, and Pogačar to victory. For decades, Campagnolo was cycling. So how did the company that defined the sport end up with zero teams in the 2026 WorldTour? This is the story of Campagnolo — and how greatness slowly lost the race.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.
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The Threshold Training Mistake Killing Your FTP Gains
May 1200:12:51Tap 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/aboutMost cyclists think they’re doing threshold training — but most are actually riding too easy to drive real FTP gains. In this episode, we break down what true threshold work actually is, why your FTP may have plateaued for years, and how elite coaches structure intensity for maximum adaptation. Drawing on insights from Stephen Seiler, Dan Lorang, and WorldTour training models, we explain the difference between sweet spot and threshold, how much threshold work amateurs actually need, and the biggest mistakes riders make with interval pacing. Plus, we give you three proven threshold sessions you can start using this week to finally move your FTP 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.
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Why Marco Pantani’s Story Still Haunts Cycling
May 800:22:25Tap 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/aboutMarco Pantani was untouchable. On June 5th, 1999, the Pirate stood on the brink of cycling immortality — leading the Giro d’Italia by over five minutes, dominating the mountains, and leaving the sport’s biggest names behind. Then, in a hotel room in the Italian Alps, three doctors took his blood. Five hours later, his race was over. His career would never recover. Five years later, Pantani was found dead alone in a hotel room in Rimini.This is the story of cycling’s most tragic icon: the rise, the scandal, the conspiracy, and the devastating fall of the man who made millions believe in impossible attacks and pure climbing genius.Parlee 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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