ITV Cycling Podcast

So, friends, that's it for another Tour de France - and what a memorable one it's been. Wout van Aert joined a super-exclusive club of riders to have won a mountain stage, a time trial and a sprint with victory on the Champs, Mark Cavendish did a Lazarus to claim four stages and the green jersey, and Tadeg Pogacar confirmed what we all were starting to suspect - that he's on course to become a proper legend of this race, remembered for centuries to come. Ned, Matt, David, Pete and Chris reflect with takeaway pizza and super-strength home brew.

Age: 22; starts: 2; wins: 2. It seems that 2 is indeed the magic number for Tadeg Pogacar, who is set to retain his Tour de France crown having finished seventh in the penultimate stage time trial. For the record, the prodigiously talented Wout van Aert took the spoils. Pogacar will officially win the yellow jersey after Sunday's final stage to Paris, when, by tradition, the leader is not challenged. Ned, Matt, David, Pete and Chris wonder whether he will be - or at least if we'll see anyone make an uncharacteristically audacious bid to claim a final win in what has been a vintage edition of the race ...

It was an emotional outing for stage winner Matej Mohoric, who made his feelings known about the well-documented police raid on the Bahrain-Victorious team hotel on finishing first in Libourne. His zipping-of-the-mouth gesture as he crossed the line recalled that of the disgraced Lance Armstrong back in 2004, and has thus divided opinion in the court of public opinion. But the likeable Slovenian receives broad support from Ned, Matt, David, Pete and Chris, who explain why in the latest episode of the pod. We also hear from the man himself, as well as Tadeg Pogacar and an unusually chipper and positive Mark Cavendish.

On a day that Tadeg Pogacar once again showed everyone who’s boss, Ned, Chris, Matt, David and Pete discuss the vagaries of the King Of The Mountains competition, which Pogacar also claimed with his victory in Luz Ardiden, such is the weighting of points towards the big climbs. The Slovenian is now likely to arrive in Paris on Sunday's processional final stage as the owner of three of the four race jerseys - the yellow, the polka dot and white garments - for the second consecutive year. Suffice to say, there’s a fair bit of disagreement among the troops as to whether or not this is fair - initially, at least ...

A largely uneventful day's racing culminated in fine style, as new best friends Tadeg Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard combined forces to see off a sneaky Richard Carapaz on the brutal final climb on the Col du Portet. Carapaz slipstreamed his rivals all the way up the mountain, then made a dashing thrust for victory a few hundred metres from the line. But the move was covered by two of the most precocious riders the Tour has seen in recent years, with Pogacar coming out on top. A thrilling day, in the end, as discussed by Ned, Matt, Pete, Chris and David....

... by which we mean, Austria's Patrick Konrad, who won a thrilling victory in Saint-Gaudens. Hence, Paddy's Day. And, appropriately enough, Ned, Pete, David and Matt spend a fair bit of the pod discussing the race for Green, with the latter in particular having a wonderfully speculative hypothesis as to how Cav could lose it. The lads also doff their chapeaux to Lachlan Morton, the Aussie cyclist who today completed his charity endurance ride of the Tour route in just 18 days, riding solo and unsupported and often sleeping wild and sourcing his own food - raising nigh on £400,000 for World Bicycle Relief in the process. Bravo, sir!

At least, that's how Ned, Matt, Chris and Pete view their second crack at a rest day pod. Among the subjects up for discussion - in the absence of interviews - the chances of anyone upsetting Tadeg Pogacar in the remaining days of the Tour, and the intriguing battle to claim to Polka Dot jersey.

... well, actually Sepp Kuss didn't chase it down, but rather broke away on the final climb in the Pyrenees to become the first American to win a stage of the Tour since Tyler Farrar in 2011. Fittingly, Andorra is the country in which he resides, too. Ned Boulting, David Millar, Chris Boardman, Matt Rendell and Pete Kennaugh reflect - and also lament the pitfalls of betting on cycling. Don't do it, kids.

On the day that Bauke Mollema claimed a fine solo victory in Quillan, Ned, David, Pete, Matt and Chris spend much of the podcast coming up with bizarre alter egos, and reflecting upon some of the less imaginative nicknames for riders on the Tour. The also ask whether anyone can pose a late challenge to Tadeg Pogacar as the race moves towards its final week.

Well, he's only gone and done it. In defiance of all expectations prior to the 2021 Tour, Mark Cavendish equalled Eddic Merckx's stage victory record with a typically gutsy and audacious ride on between Nimes and Carcassonne. It's worth listening to this pod for his interview alone, not to mention the musings about mythology and legend from Ned, Matt, David, Pete and Chris. Chapeau, Mark, as monsieur Millar might say ...

In a largely quiet day's racing, German Nils Politt cruised to victory in Nimes having launched a superb late attack from strong group of riders containing current world champion Julian Alaphilippe, and Imanol Erviti and Harry Sweeny - who finished second and third respectively. The force of nature that is Tadej Pogcacar retained yellow. Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, David Millar, Chris Boardman and Pete Kennaugh chew the fat, and also bring you an extract from an interview with Alexi Sayle.

‘That’s not the most famous mountain in world cycling, it’s a reasonably sized hill!’ At least, that’s how it looked the way Wout Van Aert rode Ventoux, crushing a high-class field with a breathtaking solo breakaway that seemingly lasted forever. It provided some well-needed cheer for the Jumbo-Visma team, who lost Tony Martin to a crash earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Tadeg Pogacar retained the Yellow Jersey - having finished 90-odd seconds behind the Belgian upstart - but he also showed his first glimpses of vulnerability in this renewal of the Tour. Ned Boulting, David Millar, Pete Kennaugh and Matt Rendell reflect.

If ever a stage has been taken in more convincing fashion by less than a quarter of a wheel, we'd like to see it. Mark Cavendish was quick to praise his teammates following his win. Especial thanks went lead-out man Michael Morkov, who made way a mere 100m from the line for the Manx sprinter to finish the job comfortably - despite the narrow margins between himself and the riders in second and third. It was a consummate display by Deceuninck-Quick-Step - and Cav is now just one off Eddie Eddy Merckx's all-time stage victory record. Ned Boulting, Pete Kennaugh, Matt Rendell, David Millar and Chris Boardmen reflect upon the action.

... the wicked being Ned, Chris, Pete, David & Matt, who compensate for the lack of action with some highly whimsical conversational meanderings. The lads return on Tuesday, when they are anticipating crosswinds on the 190km stage in the Valley of the Rhone between Albertville and Valence.

In addition to the important matters of the day, this episode is all about words you can’t pronounce and have never used, because you’re too frightened about mispronouncing or misunderstanding them. Think about the big words that fit that particular bill for you, then find out what David Millar’s are. We’ll give you a clue: he has three. Australian Ben O’Connor took out stage 9 of between Cluses and Tignes, with Tadej Pogacar extending his overall Yellow Jersey lead. The Slovenian is starting to look indomitable, as David would struggle to say. Ned Boulting, Pete Kennaugh, Matt Rendell and Chris Boardman also use a few long words of their own to describe the latest action.

Is this the moment we found our winner? Still a long way to go, of course, but day eight saw reigning champion Tadej Pogacar rip the yellow jersey off the back of young pretender Mathieu van der Poel, who was, as predicted, found somewhat wanting on the first Alpine stage. The honours went to Belgium's Dylan Teuns, but the sly, strong, stunning Slovenian did exactly what he needed to do to stamp his authority on the 2021 Tour, with potential threats and rivals spreadeagled far behind him on the slopes. Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, Pete Kennaugh, Chris Boardman and David Millar are in situ to digest the action.

What to say about today, aside from the fact that Slovenian powerhouse Matej Mohoric joined a relatively elite club of riders to have won a stage at all three of the Grand Tours, with a supremely accomplished ride as he 'cantered' to victory in Le Creusot? Well done, Matej! That's what we'll say. Mathieu van der Poel retained the Yellow Jersey, but has never climbed a mountain in earnest during a race, according to the lads, so best of luck to him as the Alps present themselves like a set of gnarly teeth (if that's incorrect, Ned says he's willing to get up really, really early to stand corrected, so please do bombard him on all of his social channels if it is indeed an inaccuracy, and our Mathieu does, in fact, love steep hills). The aforementioned Boulting, David Millar and Matt Rendell are joined by Chris Boardman to reflect. Meanwhile, we're back on ITV4 for Stage 8!

You can be sure the old Mark Cavendish is back when he wins a sprint in fine style, yet still finds time to complain about the efforts of rivals beaten, and the fact the finish line isn’t quite where it’s been in years gone by. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. We missed you, bolshy pants! Ned Boulting, David Millar, Pete Kennaugh and Matt Rendell reflect upon another imperious display by the resurgent Manxman, and do their very best NOT to mention Cav’s (until recently) unlikely assault on the 46-year-old Tour de France stage victory record held by the legend that is Eddi … oh, shoot! And if you can be bothered to listen until the end of the pod, you'll even get to hear our grumpy hero air his gripes - with an audible, knowing smile stretched across his face, of course.

‘Now, lads, I know you’re the best cyclists in the world - and some of the fittest, strongest, most athletic and durable specimens humankind has ever produced - but I thought I might just nick 19 seconds from the lot of you over 39km on the time trial today, if you don’t have any issues with that?!’ Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, David Millar and Pete Kennaugh reflect upon a stunning display by defending champ Tadej Pogacar during stage 5 of the 2021 Tour - alongside several other fine performances from those in his wake. The relief is also palpable that the gang don’t have to describe any carnage on the road, on a day that Mathieu van der Poel put in a great shift to narrowly retain his yellow jersey. Sadly for him, mountains loom! We hear from him, Pogacar and a downbeat Geraint Thomas to boot.

Hey, Cav, nice to see you, what have you been up to for the last 5 years? Oh, not much, hanging out, keeping busy, minding my own business, been a bit under the weather, to be honest. What you doing today, then? Hm, dunno, thought maybe I might take out stage 4 of the Tour de France. Really? You’re, like, 36. Well, you never know, stranger things have happened. Good luck with that, mate. Beer later? And chips! Yeah, why not, it’s a date - I know a great little moules-frites joint in Fougeres. Ned Boulting, Matt Rendell, Pete Kennaugh and David Millar discuss yet another remarkable day in what’s turning out to be a vintage renewal of the greatest bike race on earth. We also hear from Mark Cavendish himself, who was understandably emotional after his win, given his well-documented battles with the Epstein-Barr virus, a succession of injuries and clinical depression. It really is great to have him back where he belongs.