What it was like to watch Wout win: CW's team take you back to the Roubaix velodrome for reflections on a magical weekend
Catch up with the latest stories in cycling with our weekly Off the Back podcast.
Simon Richardson
Was this year's Paris Roubaix the best race for years? Our reporter Tom Davidson believes it was, not just because of the drama in the men's race thanks to all the punctures, but the fact that for both the men's and women's races no one knew who was going to win until the lead riders came round the final bend in the Roubaix velodrome.
In this week's Off the Back podcast Adam Becket and Tom Davidson talk us through the experience of being in the velodrome for the culmination of the two biggest one-day races of the year. They also discuss what the win means for Wout van Aert and why running both the men's and women's races on the same day was a disaster for the latter.
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If you’ve followed Cycling Weekly for a while, you’ll know that we’ve never stood still for long.
Since launching as a print magazine back in 1891, our mission has always been simple: to serve cycling fans with the best journalism, insight and advice we can. But how we do that has changed a lot over the years.
We launched our website in 2006, our YouTube channel in 2008, expanded our global race coverage, and brought full-time North American staff on board in 2022. More recently, we’ve doubled down on social media, passing a hundred thousand followers on Instagram and closing in on half a million on Facebook.
In short, we’re always looking for new ways to meet you where you are.
Which brings me to podcasts.
The way people consume media is shifting fast. More and more of us are listening while commuting, cooking meals, hitting the gym, walking the dog, or, of course, riding our bikes. We want Cycling Weekly to be part of those moments, too. So, while we’re admittedly a little late to the podcast game, we’re excited to say we’re now four episodes into a brand-new weekly show: Off The Back.
The idea behind the podcast is straightforward. We get you up to speed with everything happening in the world of cycling. Each week, our team of expert journalists break down the biggest races and analyse the latest news across the sport and the industry around it. Grand Tours, Classics, gravel, tech, protagonists — it’s all there.
Think of this podcast as your domestique, helping you bridge back on. Listen to Off The Back to make sure you’re never off the back when it comes to cycling news.
What we’re really aiming for is something that feels a bit more behind-the-scenes. Fast reactions. Insider insight. Honest conversations from journalists who live and breathe the sport. The stories beyond the headlines, in a way we hope feels conversational and open. And, as the cycling season gets underway, we’ll be recording from wherever we are. That means in the press centres and on the sidelines of the sport’s biggest events. We hope you tune in, and we welcome any and all questions and feedback as we get this thing off the ground.
This isn’t our first or only foray into audio. Over the years, we’ve hosted several podcasts, and we’re continuing that momentum alongside Going Long with Cycling Weekly, our show dedicated to ultra-endurance cycling and bikepacking.
Meanwhile, the rest of Cycling Weekly continues to grow. The magazine remains the UK’s best-selling cycling publication, and our website reaches millions of riders worldwide every month. Launching Off The Back is simply the next step in that journey; another way for us to serve cycling fans, wherever and however you choose to tune in.
You can find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts.
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