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5 Best Tour De France Podcasts

• Cycling Central Podcast
• The Tour | Three Weeks in July
• UnClipped at the Tour | 2020
• The Bike Show
• EAT.RACE.SHOWER.REPEAT.

Tour De France Podcasters

• Tour De France Podcasts Newsletter

Tour De France Podcasts

Here are 5 Best Tour De France Podcasts worth listening to in 2024

1. Cycling Central Podcast

2. The Tour | Three Weeks in July

3. UnClipped at the Tour | 2020

4. The Bike Show

5. EAT.RACE.SHOWER.REPEAT.

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Tour de France podcasts from Cycling Weekly

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The Cycling Weekly team of writers will be recording podcasts through the 2013 Tour de France. They are all available free on both SoundCloud and iTunes.

Covering the Tour is a unique experience, presenting lots of challenges for the thousands of media personnel on the race. Luckily spending hours in a car driving to and from stage starts and finishes is perfect for recording podcasts.

We aim to give listeners an insight in to the race itself and what goes on behind the scenes as well as talking about the hotels (good and more often bad) we stay in and the food we eat.

All the podcasts can be listened to here, or you can download them to your mp3 player from iTunes . To download them on iTunes simply search Cycling Weekly and then subscribe to the feed. On an iPhone, download the podcast app and do the same. If you like them, please rate them!

Cavendish gets beaten in a straight up sprint: Stage 12 podcast

Froome crushes his rivals: Stage 11 podcast

Cavendish ruled not at fault: Stage ten podcast

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Sky under attack: Stage nine podcast

Froome on the rampage: Stage eight podcast

Sagan in control: Stage seven podcast

Greipel beats Cavendish: Stage six podcast

Cavendish gets his stage: Stage five podcast

Nice team time trial: Stage four podcast

Corsica chaos: Stage one podcast

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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.

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Tour de France Analysis From Its Most Infamous Rider: Lance Armstrong

By Juliet Macur

• July 18, 2017

If NBC’s broadcast of the Tour de France isn’t making the three-week race must-see TV for you, there’s an online recap show that might be a perfect alternative.

It’s a podcast called “Stages,” and its host is a former Tour rider with years of experience in the race — and an intimate, insider’s knowledge of what unfolds behind the Tour’s closed doors. His analysis is informed and honest and sometimes witty. Often, it is self-deprecating, which might come as a surprise.

The host is Lance Armstrong.

That’s right, the best commentator about the Tour this year might be Armstrong, a hero turned pariah who, for years, denied doping and targeted anyone who accused him of it . But he’s not on the defensive anymore, at least during his audio and video podcasts. He has, at least in cycling terms, absolutely nothing to lose.

In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour titles for doping and was barred for life from competing in Olympic sports. He admitted doping and lost his sponsors and his livelihood. But this summer, at 45, he took a giant step back into the public eye — and into his sport — by starting a podcast about this year’s Tour and agreeing to write an accompanying blog for Outside magazine.

In some ways, though, it’s the same old Armstrong: He has not arrived on his knees, begging for acceptance or forgiveness from a sport he sent into turmoil, especially here in the United States, where he brought cycling into the mainstream. He curses and criticizes and challenges old enemies, like the longtime Tour director Christian Prudhomme, and he isn’t afraid to say things that other commentators might be too timid to say.

While it can make for interesting listening, not everyone is celebrating his return.

As soon as the podcast appeared online, I received a text from one of his former teammates with a link to “Stages,” with the words: “Less of this.” Some people in cycling just don’t want to talk about Armstrong, or even to see his face anymore. And I agree that it is too soon for Armstrong to march back into the sport as if he and his lies didn’t nearly strangle it.

It’s hard to say, though, what the majority of cycling fans think about Armstrong’s podcast and blog. Commenters on Outside’s Facebook page are overwhelmingly anti-Armstrong, saying they are disappointed that the magazine gave Armstrong a platform. More than a few people said they were canceling their subscriptions. Still, lots of people gave the podcast post a Facebook thumbs-up.

Christopher Keyes, vice president and editor of Outside , told me last week that he and his fellow editors expected their choice to be controversial, but he said they partnered with Armstrong anyway after hearing his weekly podcast, “ The Forward ,” in which Armstrong interviews guests about music, politics and other subjects unrelated to cycling. Outside is not paying Armstrong for his blogging, Keyes said.

“To be honest with you, we just fundamentally believed that he would have some really great insights about the Tour just based on his own experiences,” Keyes said, explaining that this wasn’t the first time a disgraced figure returned to the spotlight to speak publicly about an area of expertise.

“Even Nixon became a valuable talking head on NBC talking about foreign policy,” Keyes said.

In sports, though, forgiveness seems to come especially easy these days. Fallen heroes like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire are back in the embrace of the major leagues. The luckiest of the bunch, inexplicably, are rewarded for their insolence with high-profile TV jobs.

Alex Rodriguez, a player who sullied baseball by lying about his performance-enhancing drug use, is now a network analyst. During the playoffs last year, he had a role alongside Pete Rose. And it turns out, no matter their baggage, both are pretty great at chatting about baseball.

So Armstrong fits right in. And some people love that.

Over the past few weeks, a lot of people have listened to “Stages,” so many that the podcast made its debut this month on the United States iTunes charts at No. 10. Keyes said that Armstrong’s blog had been good enough and that he would consider inviting him back for next year’s Tour.

By then, though, Armstrong may need to ask for a paycheck.

Armstrong, who didn’t respond to several interview requests over the past week, is scheduled to go to court in November in a federal whistle-blower lawsuit that could cost him as much as $100 million. The government contends Armstrong and his team defrauded the government in signing a sponsorship contract with the United States Postal Service that included an antidoping clause when they knew the team was doping.

Armstrong doesn’t appear too worried about the case or the trial. In an Instagram post in March, he joked about a photo of a package that arrived at his doorstep with $1.09 postage due: “That moment you realize @uspostalservice wants 100 mil plus a dollar and 9 cents from you.”

Now this is a different Armstrong. He was once so visibly angry that his eyes seemed to sear right through you at even the suggestion that he might be doping. These days, it appears that he can laugh at himself, and that’s hard to believe. In one podcast, he showed one of his Tour de France trophies and said: “Nobody’s come to pick it up yet. It’s really weird.”

What’s even weirder is that he’s inviting you to laugh, too. He has a funny cameo as a not-so-anonymous source in a new HBO mockumentary, “ Tour de Pharmacy ,” which skewers the history of doping in the race, calling cycling a sport “with literally hundreds of dollars on the line and dozens of fans.”

If nothing else, Armstrong seems to be trying very hard to reconnect with the public. It could be an effort to redefine himself, if he has finally figured out that it’s necessary, or at least to humanize himself before his trial.

Or maybe he does just want to leave the past behind, for himself and for his family. He’s a father of five, and in May he proposed to the mother of his two youngest children. If he promotes this new Armstrong, maybe someday people will stop commenting on the Instagram photos he posts of his children’s athletic successes with “They’re probably doping.”

In an interview with Bicycling magazine this month, Armstrong acknowledged that some people would always think that he has no right to insert himself back into cycling.

“I don’t fight that,” he said. “For me to move forward, I have to say, ‘I’m sorry, I understand, but I’m moving on.’”

But the sport has moved on, too, no more weighed down by his negativity and rancor that overshadowed the peloton’s amazing athletic performances. In that way, at least, cycling has been better without him.

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Fast Talk podcast, ep. 78: The demands of the Tour de France

In episode 78, we discuss the incredible demands placed on every rider in the tour de france — both physiological and psychological — with ciaran o'grady, a coach with dimension data..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

The  VeloNews  Fast Talk podcast  is your source for the best training advice and most compelling insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as  VeloNews  managing editor  Chris Case  and our resident physiologist and coach, Trevor Connor, discuss a range of topics, including sport science, training, physiology, technology, nutrition, and more.

Right now, the 2019 Tour de France is in full swing. Yesterday we saw the riders crawl up the steep finishing raps of La Planche des Belles Filles , and today, as we speak, they’re churning through all 230 kilometers of this year’s longest stage .

If you’re like us, every day, for most of July, you’re pretending to work while you surreptitiously watch the biggest race of them all, cleverly tucking the livestream behind some important looking Word document.

For three weeks we watch the best bike racers in the world tear themselves apart for four-plus hours per day and wonder if we ever could have done something like that. What exactly does it take to race the Tour — physiologically, mentally, spiritually. Each day these phenomenal athletes race an event that would shatter most of us in just one day. But then they also have to contend with answering reporters questions, pleasing sponsors, transferring between hotels, trying to eat enough food to cover the day’s expenditures, and, finally and perhaps most importantly, trying to get quality sleep.

It’s a feat that’s hard to comprehend, so today we’ll try to give a sense of what it takes to race the Tour. We’ll cover:

• First, an overview of the Tour from a numbers perspective, and why the numbers really don’t tell the tale.
• Our guest, Ciaran O’Grady will explain his role as a Tour team physiologist and coach.
• The many challenges of the Tour outside of racing, including not only what I mentioned above, but also not missing the bus, handling the food, and what happens when you get sick.
• Why getting dropped by the peloton doesn’t make for as easy a day as you might think.
• What happens to the riders physiologically over the three weeks and why, in essence, it’s just a controlled burnout.
• How riders try to recover day-to-day, especially when they’re dealing with injuries.
• How riders train for the Tour and why having incredible endurance comes first. Then we’ll take a deeper dive into how the different types of riders prepare, from GC contenders to stage hunters and domestiques.

Finally, we’ll try to pull all this together and talk about what mere mortals should and shouldn’t take from Tour riders, whether we’re preparing for a weekend race or a three-day stage race.

Our primary guest today is Ciaran O’Grady, one of the team physiologists for the Dimension Data WorldTour team.

Along with Ciaran, we catch up with one of our favorite guests, Brent Bookwalter of Mitchelton-Scott. Brent has now completed nine grand tours, so he had a lot to say about what it’s like getting through 23 grueling days.

We also talked with Houshang Amiri, a former Canadian National and Olympic coach who runs the Pacific Cycling Centre. He’s coached Tour athletes and had a few thoughts to share on getting athletes ready for a grand tour.

So, get your bidons and your musettes and your baguettes and your crepes, let’s make you fast!

Fast Talk is available on all your favorite podcast services, including iTunes ,  Stitcher ,  Google Play , and  Soundcloud . If you enjoy the podcast, please take a moment to rate and comment on iTunes after listening.

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canceled for 2024, future uncertain\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"sea otter randoms: riser handlebars, nifty racks, and tubes aren\u2019t dead","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/sea-otter-randoms-riser-handlebars-nifty-racks-and-tubes-arent-dead\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/sea-otter-randoms-riser-handlebars-nifty-racks-and-tubes-arent-dead\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"sea otter randoms: riser handlebars, nifty racks, and tubes aren\u2019t dead\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/sea-otter-randoms-riser-handlebars-nifty-racks-and-tubes-arent-dead\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"sea otter randoms: riser handlebars, nifty racks, and tubes aren\u2019t dead\"}}\u0027>\n sea otter randoms: riser handlebars, nifty racks, and tubes aren\u2019t dead\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"tadej poga\u010dar seizes li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge with dominant solo display","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tadej-pogacar-seizes-liege-bastogne-liege-with-dominant-solo-display\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tadej-pogacar-seizes-liege-bastogne-liege-with-dominant-solo-display\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tadej poga\u010dar seizes li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge with dominant solo display\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tadej-pogacar-seizes-liege-bastogne-liege-with-dominant-solo-display\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tadej poga\u010dar seizes li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge with dominant solo display\"}}\u0027>\n tadej poga\u010dar seizes li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge with dominant solo display\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"trek launches carback radar rear bike light with 2 km daytime visibility","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/trek-carback-radar-rear-bike-light-challenges-garmin\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/trek-carback-radar-rear-bike-light-challenges-garmin\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"trek launches carback radar rear bike light with 2 km daytime visibility\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/trek-carback-radar-rear-bike-light-challenges-garmin\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"trek launches carback radar rear bike light with 2 km daytime visibility\"}}\u0027>\n trek launches carback radar rear bike light with 2 km daytime visibility\n \n \n \n \n \n\n 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\"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"key takeaways: li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge 2024\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/key-takeaways-liege-bastogne-liege-2024\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"key takeaways: li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge 2024\"}}\u0027>\n key takeaways: li\u00e8ge-bastogne-li\u00e8ge 2024\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"kona bikes bails on sea otter classic with no explanation","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/kona-bikes-bails-on-sea-otter-classic-with-no-explanation\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/kona-bikes-bails-on-sea-otter-classic-with-no-explanation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"kona bikes bails on sea otter classic with no explanation\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/kona-bikes-bails-on-sea-otter-classic-with-no-explanation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"kona bikes bails on sea otter classic with no explanation\"}}\u0027>\n kona bikes bails on sea otter classic with no explanation\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"sea otter randoms: limited edition saddle, updated ritte, salsa e-bike and more","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/sea-otter-randoms-limited-edition-saddle-updated-ritte-salsa-e-bike-and-more\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/sea-otter-randoms-limited-edition-saddle-updated-ritte-salsa-e-bike-and-more\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"sea otter randoms: limited edition saddle, updated ritte, salsa e-bike and more\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/sea-otter-randoms-limited-edition-saddle-updated-ritte-salsa-e-bike-and-more\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"sea otter randoms: limited edition saddle, updated ritte, salsa e-bike and more\"}}\u0027>\n sea otter randoms: limited edition saddle, updated ritte, salsa e-bike and more\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

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Episode 73: Traditions iconiques - The Tour de France

Le Tour de France is a legendary bicycle race in France. But to cycling enthusiast Claire Floret, there’s something terribly wrong with it: Women aren’t allowed to compete. So in order to make things right, she created a brand new cycling challenge.

How to Listen

Listen free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ngofeen: It’s 2014, and Claire Floret, a 29-year-old sports teacher and an avid cyclist, is at home with her boyfriend. It’s early evening and they are watching a documentary about le Tour de France – the legendary bicycle race that takes place in France every July.

Claire: Mon copain et moi, on est tous les deux passionnés de vélo. Ce soir-là, on regardait un documentaire sur le Tour de France, et ça m’a vraiment intéressée.

Ngofeen: Every summer, French people eagerly follow le Tour de France and live by the rhythm of the race. In cafés, the TV is on, broadcasting the day’s events. Whole villages close down, streets are blocked and trains are delayed to let the race pass through.

Claire: Depuis sa création au début du 20e siècle, le Tour de France, c’est une grande fête populaire. Tout le monde le suit. Les gens regardent la course en famille à la télé. Les plus grands passionnés campent près des routes pour voir les cyclistes passer.

Ngofeen: But watching the documentary, Claire discovers that the day before the race, a diverse group of amateur cyclists run their own version of the race. And this gives her an idea. Something has always bothered her about le Tour de France. The cyclists are all men. Women aren’t allowed to compete. It’s been a longstanding rule, and there’s no equivalent competition for women.

Claire: Je me suis dit : « À la télé, on ne voit que des hommes faire du vélo, jamais de femmes. Moi aussi, je pourrais faire le Tour de France ! ». Je ne suis pas une professionnelle, mais à cet instant-là, je veux montrer que c’est possible pour une femme de réaliser ce défi. Et que nous aussi, on devrait avoir notre Tour de France !

Ngofeen: Bienvenue and welcome to the Duolingo French Podcast — I’m Ngofeen Mputubwele. This season, to help you improve your listening skills and gain a deeper understanding of France, we’re exploring some of the iconic French traditions, les traditions iconiques Française . Together, we’ll take a close look at the rituals, celebrations, and savoir-faire that define the French way of life. The storyteller will be using intermediate French and I’ll be chiming in for context in English. If you miss something, you can always skip back and listen again – we also offer full transcripts at podcast.duolingo.com . In today’s episode, we’re hopping on our bikes, to learn everything about le Tour de France .

Ngofeen: In France, every year, the first three weeks of July are dedicated to the Tour de France: a yearly cycling race where around 180 cyclists assemble in teams and compete for a cash prize and prestigious title.

Claire: Le Tour de France, c’est une course légendaire. Il y a environ 180 cyclistes au départ de la course, et ils roulent pendant 3 semaines à travers les régions de France. Ça représente plus de 3 500 kilomètres !

Ngofeen: Le Tour , as French people call it, starts in a different city every year, and every year it follows a slightly different route. Each day is called “ une étape ”, a stage. And at the end of each étape , the rider with the best time in the overall ranking, le classement général , gets to ride the next day wearing a yellow jersey, un maillot jaune .

Claire: Chaque jour, le coureur le plus rapide au classement général reçoit un maillot jaune. Certaines étapes sont vraiment difficiles, surtout en montagne, dans les Alpes ou les Pyrénées. Il faut aussi beaucoup d’endurance : il y a 21 étapes, et le Tour dure 23 jours. Donc les cyclistes ne prennent que deux jours de repos. C’est intense.

Ngofeen: Le Tour has a peculiar history. The race was created in 1903 by a sports newspaper, un journal sportif . The newspaper had a problem: In the summer, there weren’t enough sports competitions, and sales were going down.

Claire: Alors le journal a eu une idée : ils ont décidé d’organiser une course de vélo. Cette course traverserait la France, au mois de juillet. Comme ça, il y aurait un événement sportif tous les ans, et les gens pourraient acheter le journal pour suivre la course. Ça a été un succès !

Ngofeen: Le Tour immediately caught on. To the public, the cyclists seemed superhuman. Some of them have made history, like Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Lance Armstrong, or Miguel Induráin. People became passionate about these men who would bike day after day for hundreds of kilometers! It’s like biking from LA to San Diego every day for three weeks!

Claire: Le Tour de France, c’est devenu l’événement sportif ultime. Pour le public, c’est spectaculaire. Il faut beaucoup d’endurance et de force. Les cyclistes sont considérés comme des héros. Ils deviennent de vraies légendes.

Ngofeen: With the expansion of radio and TV, le Tour became an adventure people followed eagerly. Even for those who weren’t particularly into sports, it was an occasion to vicariously visit the rest of the country and see beautiful landscapes. And if you were lucky enough, your own region or village was featured on TV.

Claire: Après l’invention de la télévision, le public a pu visiter la France grâce au Tour, et voir de nouveaux paysages. Les gens étaient très fiers de voir leur région ou leur ville à la télé ! Aux infos, il y avait aussi des reportages qui montraient les traditions et les spécialités de chaque région. C’était presque patriotique, on pouvait dire : « Nos régions ont du talent ! ».

Ngofeen: There are always a few étapes that remain the same every year, like biking steep mountain roads in the Alps or the final stretch going up the Champs-Élysées, a famous avenue in Paris… But every year, towns of all sizes around France lobby to have le Tour pass through. It is such a point of pride that they pay a large fee to be included in the itinerary, which serves as a source of funding for the race.

Claire: Les villes et les villages payent pour participer à la course. Ça leur permet d’attirer des touristes et de montrer la région. Si la ville est grande et que l'étape est importante, ça peut coûter très cher !

Ngofeen: But for the towns and cities chosen to participate in le Tour , the cost is worth it. It brings publicity and a big party. Le Tour is also sponsored by big corporations, and a parade of corporate-sponsored vehicles usually drives ahead of the cyclists and throws goodies to spectators who wait on the sides of the road. And each stage becomes a huge celebration, greeting what French people call la caravane du Tour de France .

Claire: Aujourd’hui, la caravane du Tour de France est très longue ! C’est plusieurs dizaines de voitures. Les marques qui financent le Tour donnent des petits cadeaux aux gens sur le bord de la route, comme une casquette, des bonbons, ou un T-shirt. Les gens courent pour attraper les cadeaux, c’est fou ! Ça fait vraiment partie du spectacle.

Ngofeen: In 2014, Claire was a 29-year-old sports teacher and an amateur cyclist. She was shocked by how little support women’s cycling was getting, from local clubs, but also from sponsors or the media. After watching the documentary about le Tour with her boyfriend, Claire realized she had never seen women’s cycling on TV.

Claire: Le Tour de France, c’est LE moment de l’année où on parle de cyclisme dans les médias. C’est une excellente publicité pour notre sport. Mais les femmes cyclistes n’ont pas de Tour de France pour elles… Je me suis dit qu’il fallait attirer l’attention sur cette injustice. Alors j’ai eu une idée : et si je faisais, moi, le Tour de France ?

Ngofeen: Claire planned to follow le Tour's itinerary a day ahead of the race and complete each stage exactly as the men did. She hoped that by completing the same itinerary, she would prove that women had their rightful place in the cycling world. And she also wanted to launch a social media campaign around her adventure to raise awareness about the lack of funding and attention given to women’s cycling.

Claire: Mon but, c’était de faire du bruit. Je voulais qu’on parle de mon aventure sur les réseaux sociaux et dans les médias, pour que les gens réalisent que c’était une injustice : les femmes étaient exclues du Tour de France, et elles n’avaient pas accès aux mêmes financements ni à la même publicité que les hommes. Alors il y avait moins de femmes qui faisaient du vélo. Ce Tour, pour moi, servait à défendre la cause des femmes cyclistes, et à promouvoir le sport.

Ngofeen: As a teacher, Claire had the summer months free. It was the perfect occasion to put her plan into action. So at the beginning of July 2015, Claire, her partner and her sister-in-law started their three-week-long journey across France, a day ahead of the official race.

Claire: C’était difficile mais motivant. Je n’avais jamais fait de vélo pendant aussi longtemps, sur des distances aussi longues. Alors je n’étais vraiment pas sûre d’arriver à la fin de cette aventure… C’était un peu fou, mais je voulais montrer que c’était possible.

Ngofeen: Sometimes some stages of le Tour pass through foreign countries, so the trio started in the Netherlands, then they headed to the north of France, biked west through Le Havre and Rennes, and then they rode to the southwest and reached the Pyrenees Mountains. When she wasn’t riding, Claire and her team spent their time on social media broadcasting their adventure.

Claire: On mangeait des sandwichs sur le bord de la route. On dormait à l’hôtel ou chez des gens qui avaient accepté de nous accueillir. On lavait nos vêtements dans des lavabos le soir pour les remettre le lendemain… On n’avait pas beaucoup d’argent, donc c’était vraiment improvisé. Mais de plus en plus de gens suivaient notre aventure et nous encourageaient sur les réseaux sociaux !

Ngofeen: At the fifth stage, they met a young woman who was doing her own solo race. Together, Claire, her boyfriend, her sister-in-law, and their new teammate finally reached the hardest leg of the itinerary, the high mountain passes, les cols , in the Alps… It became very hard to pedal, pédaler .

Claire: Pour passer les cols dans les Alpes, ça montait beaucoup, c’était vraiment difficile. Plusieurs fois, j’ai cru qu’on n’y arriverait pas. Parfois, on finissait de pédaler tard le soir, à 21 heures ou 22 heures… Donc les nuits étaient courtes et on ne dormait pas beaucoup. Mais finalement, on a fini toutes les étapes, même les plus difficiles !

Ngofeen: Claire and her three cycling partners completed their tour of France, completing 21 étapes over 23 days. And now they biked down the Champs-Elysées towards the Arc de Triomphe, the very final stretch.

Claire: Les Champs-Élysées n’étaient pas encore fermés pour l’arrivée du vrai Tour de France le lendemain, alors on a pédalé entre les voitures. On se sentait tout petits ! Arriver sur cette grande avenue, où des générations de cyclistes sont arrivés avant nous, c’était incroyable ! J’étais très fière de nous et de ce qu’on avait fait et très satisfaite !

Ngofeen: Claire’s renegade tour had been a success. Not only had she been able to ride the same route as the professional bikers and finish ahead of the race, but throughout, she had generated a lot of attention on social media. Some local newspapers had even written about gender equality, l’égalité , in sports!

Claire: Mes amies cyclistes et moi, nous avons fait notre tour à une période où la question de l’égalité dans le sport était très importante. Très vite, les marques, les villes et les ministères se sont intéressés à nous. Et sur les réseaux sociaux, les gens étaient vraiment enthousiastes ! Notre aventure était un succès sportif ET de communication. Le projet avait tellement bien marché qu’on a décidé de recommencer l’année suivante.

Ngofeen: For the next two years, every summer vacation, Claire rode one day ahead of the Tour. She had named her adventure “ Donnons des elles au vélo .” It was a pun: “ ailes ,” the word for wings, sounds the same as “ elles ,” the feminine pronoun. So the sentence meant both “let’s give cycling wings” and “let’s give cycling… more women.”

Claire: Tous les ans, de nouvelles femmes entrent dans l'équipe. En 2016, nous étions sept, et l’année d’après, dix ! Pendant notre Tour, beaucoup de gens qui soutenaient notre cause nous suivaient à vélo pour une étape ou deux. Il y avait aussi des hommes. J’étais très impressionnée et heureuse de notre succès !

Ngofeen: Then, in 2017, something big happened: France Télévision, French public TV, decided to feature Claire and her pack of riders during the newscast about the official Tour de France… So every day, TV commentators interrupted the broadcast to catch up on their progress.

Claire: On parlait de nous à la télé, c’était vraiment une bonne surprise ! À partir de ce moment-là, les gens nous attendaient et nous encourageaient sur le bord de la route. C’était incroyable de voir que notre petit projet était connu et soutenu par tant de monde. C’était une super publicité pour le cyclisme féminin !

Ngofeen: Their story got picked up in news outlets around the world… And soon, reporters from across the globe were pestering the director of the Tour de France with one question: Why wasn’t there a Tour for women? One day, Claire spotted him on the road and she and her fellow riders thought they could use the opportunity to ask him themselves.

Claire: Il n’avait pas du tout l’air content de nous voir. On était avec le caméraman qui filmait pour France Télévision, et le directeur nous a demandé de ne pas filmer. Il était froid avec nous. On lui a demandé pourquoi il n’y avait pas de tour de France féminin, et il nous a seulement répondu : « Le Tour de France est un très gros événement, on ne peut pas le faire deux fois dans la même journée. Ce n’est pas possible. » Et la conversation s’est terminée comme ça. J’étais déçue.

Ngofeen: Even if Claire was disappointed by the director’s answer, she was thrilled about the attention their cause and project were getting. But a few weeks after she completed her Tour, Claire received an ominous letter. It came from le Tour ’s legal department… It accused her of using le Tour de France ’s brand to build her own event and threatened to sue, porter plainte .

Claire: Dans la lettre, ils disaient qu’ils voulaient porter plainte contre nous. J'étais très inquiète. Je me suis dit que je n’étais pas assez forte pour me battre contre une grosse organisation comme celle-là. Nous, on était une petite association. Je me suis dit qu’on allait arrêter. On n’avait pas d’autre choix.

Ngofeen: After mulling it over with her boyfriend and her lawyer, Claire came up with a solution. They would rebrand their adventure and erase all mentions of le Tour .

Claire: Après avoir reçu la lettre, on a décidé de faire moins de bruit et d’enlever les références au Tour de France dans notre projet. On ne parlait plus d’« étape » mais de « jour »… Puis, en 2020, il y a eu l’épidémie de Covid-19. Et cette année-là, le Tour a été reporté.

Ngofeen: Because of Covid, the 2020 edition was moved to September. But Claire couldn’t ride in September. She was still working as a sports teacher and could only take a vacation during the summer months! So Claire and her teammates moved their adventure to the beginning of August… And at each station, they advocated for the creation of a women's Tour de France .

Claire: D'habitude, pendant le Tour, les villes ont beaucoup de choses à organiser parce que c’est un gros événement. Là, c’était beaucoup plus calme. Nous sommes donc allées voir les maires et les habitants pour leur parler de notre projet : créer un Tour de France féminin. Tout le monde était très enthousiaste ! Alors on leur a dit : « Dites aux organisateurs du Tour de France que vous voulez un Tour de France féminin ! ».

Ngofeen: Claire hoped that if the media heard that mayors from around the country were willing to fund a women’s Tour , the Tour de France ’s director would warm up to the idea. Then, one August morning in the town of Clermont-Ferrand, where Claire and 70 other cyclists had come to complete the day’s stage, Claire received a text message: The director from le Tour had come to speak to them…

Claire: Les cyclistes et moi, on était à Clermont-Ferrand, une ville dans le centre de la France. Là, au départ de notre étape, le directeur du Tour nous attendait. J’étais stressée, parce que nos rapports avaient toujours été froids, surtout depuis la lettre… Mais cette fois-là, le directeur a été très sympa et il nous a dit : « Votre projet, ce n’est plus juste un projet, c’est une réussite ! ».

Ngofeen: Claire couldn’t believe her ears… The director had told them their dream – having a women’s edition of le Tour – was no longer just a dream, it was going to happen! Le Tour de France was going to organize a women’s Tour de France !

Claire: Je n’en croyais pas mes oreilles, j’étais tellement heureuse ! La création d’un Tour de France féminin ! Et en plus, le directeur était venu nous l’annoncer en personne ! Ça voulait dire que notre cause et notre travail étaient enfin reconnus. Une nouvelle génération pourrait enfin voir des femmes cyclistes à la télé, découvrir le sport et imaginer de nouveaux exploits.

Ngofeen: The summer of 2022 marks the first women’s edition of Le Tour de France . Claire Floret is a cyclist and sports teacher and lives in Evry, in the suburb of Paris. Every year, she organizes an amateur women’s Tour a day ahead of the Tour de France . With the Donnons des elles au vélo Club, she strives to promote women’s cycling. This story was produced by Adélie Pojzman-Pontay. We'd love to know what you thought of this episode! You can write us an email at [email protected] and call and leave us a voicemail or audio message on WhatsApp, at +1-703-953-93-69. Don’t forget to say your name and where you are from! Here’s a message we recently got from Rehmat in India:

Rehmat: Hello team Duolingo! My name is Rehmat and I'm from Mumbai, India. The first podcast that I heard is the Rebel Thief. I'm still on the first level of learning, but to be honest, I absolutely loved it. I love the app as well, and I don't think any school or class can teach you the way Duolingo teaches, and I absolutely love the appreciation that we get after completing each lesson. It's a wonderful, wonderful initiative. Thank you so much. Good luck and godspeed to the entire team of Duolingo, à bientôt .

Ngofeen: Well, Rehmat, you are right… It was a big gamble making The Rebel Thief … And a lot of work went into it. I for one really had fun finding my voice for this story… So thanks for the kind words.

If you liked this story, please share it! You can find the audio and a transcript of each episode at podcast.duolingo.com . You can also follow us on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite listening app, so you never miss an episode. With over 500 million users, Duolingo is the world's leading language learning platform, and the most downloaded education app in the world. Duolingo believes in making education free, fun and available to everyone. Download the app today, or find out more at duolingo.com . The Duolingo French Podcast is produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media. Our managing editor is Natacha Ruck. Our editors are Samia Bouzid and Martine Chaussard. Our producers are Adélie Pojzman-Pontay, Martine Chaussard, Estelle Ndjandjo, and Justine Hagard, who also is our production assistant. Our Audio Editors & Sound Designers are Samia Bouzid and David De Luca. Our production manager is Román Frontini, our production coordinator is Nicolás Sosa. Our Supervising Sound Designer, Mixing & Mastering is Laurent Apffel. Our executive producer is Martina Castro. And I’m your host, Ngofeen Mputubwele, à la prochaine !

This episode was produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media .

Tour de France

• Jun 22 2023
• Length: 58 mins

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149 episodes

Join Sir Brad and special guests for unrivalled insight into the biggest races, plus hot topics from the world of cycling.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bradley Wiggins Show by Eurosport Eurosport

• 4.6 • 708 Ratings
• 14 JUL 2022

‘Superhuman’ Pidcock can win Tour one day | Froome still world class

Bradley Wiggins and Matt Stephens return to discuss Stage 12 of the Tour de France on the latest episode of the Bradley Wiggins Show. There’s praise for Tom Pidcock whose “almost superhuman” performance left Matt on the verge of tears after he became the youngest ever winner on Alpe d’Huez.  The 22-year-old became the second British winner – after Geraint Thomas - on the iconic col and Wiggins has tipped the Yorkshireman as a winner of the Tour de France in the future. The 2012 winner thinks that the Tour de France suits him best of all the Grand Tours.  There is also praise for the new environment on show at his team Ineos under the guidance of Steve Cummings and Rod Ellingworth.   Arguably, though, the story of the day was Chris Froome’s return to form with a third-placed finish. Wiggins says it is testament to his resilience and perseverance to return to world-class form following three years of rehabilitation. The Bradley Wiggins Show is edited by Chris Watts. Produced by Pete Burton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• 13 JUL 2022

The moment the Tour completely changed | In praise of Jumbo's masterplan

In the latest episode of the Tour de France Bradley Wiggins and Matt Stephens look back on a chaotic day at the Tour de France, was this the stage where the Tour completely changed? There's praise for Jumbo-Visma, who executed "one of the best tactical plans" we've seen at the Tour in recent years. Can Jonas Vingegaard hold on to yellow or will we maybe see a response from the two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar? Stay tuned throughout the show to hear from a couple of special podcast guests, as they drop in and give us their thoughts on the day's racing. Plus why Wout van Aert reminds us of our colleague Sean Kelly, and do we need to have a "Oldest Rider of the Tour" jersey? The Bradley Wiggins Show is edited by Chris Watts. Produced by Pete Burton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protests and Covid hit Tour | What does future hold for Cav?

After a less-than-impressive McDonalds in Albertville, Brad and Matt sit down at a hotel to discuss an eventful Stage 10, just metres away from a flip-flop wearing Wout van Aert. It was Magnus Cort Nielsen who secured a very richly-deserved victory, but did Tadej Pogacar try, and fail, to lose the yellow jersey? It was also a day of non-sporting headlines. First, as Covid returned to haunt the peloton with Pogacar losing key team-mate George Bennett. And second, as climate change protesters forced a halt to the race. Brad was on the scene on the bike and reflects on what he saw. Finally, we look ahead to a “big, big day” on Wednesday with the Galibier awaiting the riders, and Brad and Matt discuss what Mark Cavendish’s options could be after Patrick Lefevere let slip he will be leaving at the end of the season…. The Bradley Wiggins Show is edited by Chris Watts. Produced by Pete Burton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• 11 JUL 2022

Pogacar 'doesn't use strength of yellow jersey' | Why second week suits G

It's a rest day at the Tour de France and Brad is joined by Matt and Bernie ahead of Stage 10 on Monday. The gang review the first full week of the Tour, and the first topic of discussion is race leader Tadej Pogacar - who, despite being a two-time winner, Brad believes doesn't fully use the strength and power that having the yellow jersey confers. Brad says the young Slovenian "doesn't realise his status in the sport" and reflects on his own experiences when leading the greatest race in the world in 2012, and the power attached to the famous jersey in terms of dictating the terms of the race. Brad also says Pogacar arguably lacks the road captains to make the difference, recalling the time that Michael Rogers took a decision on his behalf in 2012 to ensure Team Sky abandoned a chase of a breakaway in order to focus on GC, a decision which did not amuse Mark Cavendish... Geraint Thomas is still nicely placed in GC and Bernie says the projected hot temperatures over the next week could favour G, having kept his powder dry thus far. Brad says he's never seen his former team-mate so relaxed. There's discussions on Tom Pidcock, Primoz Roglic and predictions on what is still to come. And the three discuss the moments watching the Tour as a child which made them want to be a professional cyclist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

van Aert has won the Green Jersey | Ineos a sure podium bet

Just another great pod from Brad and Matt, covering the 'Great Car park pistachio Battle of 2022' We also hear from 'Podcast Pete' for the first time. The Bradley Wiggins Show is edited by Chris Watts. Produced by Pete Burton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Pogacar fears him’ - Jonas Vingegaard earns respect of Tour leader on Super Planche

Tadej Pogacar may have ripped to a second straight win at the Tour de France on Stage 7, but the late burst from Jonas Vingegaard means we could yet have a GC battle after all. Brad and Matt dissect a thrilling finale and wonder whether the Slovenian sensation is afraid of the altitude-loving Dane. Oh, and in an ode to their favourite yogurt, Brad and Matt also coin the first draft of their Yop Song… The Bradley Wiggins Show is edited by Chris Watts. Produced by Pete Burton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• © Eurosport

Customer Reviews

708 Ratings

Brad processes rare qualities that include cogent and perspicacious narrative to entertain and inform the listener

Best Cycling Podcast

This podcast is superb. Brad & Matt’s cycling knowledge cannot be bettered. And their banter is top drawer. Keep us laughing & keep up the insightful commentary!

Fantastic show

Brilliant podcast, this is definitely one of the best podcasts out there. Bradley is so honest, respectful and insightful. A superb listen. Thanks we should have to pay for it!!

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Au musée des impressionnismes à Giverny, la mer dans tous ses états

Dans ce nouvel épisode, marie sorbier nous fait visiter "l'impressionnisme et la mer", la nouvelle exposition du musée des impressionnismes à giverny (eure) qui offre aux visiteurs un voyage poétique autour de 80 oeuvres du xixe siècle..

Après nous avoir fait découvrir  l'Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Rire  qui ouvrira ses portes à la rentrée prochaine, Marie Sorbier continue son Grand Tour en nous emmenant visiter  "Les Impressionnismes et la mer", la nouvelle exposition du musée des impressionnismes à Giverny  dans l'Eure. Cette dernière permet d'admirer près de 80 peintures sur le thème de la mer, parmi lesquelles on retrouve seize oeuvres prêtées par le musée d'Orsay dans le cadre des 150 ans du mouvement impressionniste.

L'exposition s'ouvre par une citation de Charles Baudelaire tirée de ses journaux intimes et qui accueille le visiteur en l'invitant à voyager aux travers des oeuvres présentées : "Ces beaux et grands navires, imperceptiblement balancés (dandinés) sur les eaux tranquilles, ces robustes navires, à l’air désœuvré et nostalgique, ne nous disent-ils pas dans une langue muette : Quand partons-nous pour le bonheur ?" Et comme le rappelle Cyrille Sciama, le directeur du musée, ce thème de la mer qui est certes banale, n'a été que très rarement choisi comme fil rouge d'une exposition sur l'impressionnisme, ce qui semble presque paradoxal quand on sait que le mouvement est né autour de la célèbre toile de Claude Monet Impression, soleil levant , une marine peinte au Havre.

"L'impressionnisme et la mer", visible jusqu'au 30 juin prochain, est l'occasion de découvrir à la fois des chefs-d'oeuvre de grands peintres, mais aussi des oeuvres d'artistes moins connus, ainsi que des toiles très originales dans leur traitement de la mer, comme par exemple deux peintures de Gustave Courbet représentant des vagues lors d'une tempête : "Celle du centre est une vague crépusculaire, mousseuse, peinte sur un petit format au couteau. Un tableau qui est très impressionnant, qui dégage quelque chose avec une force incroyable. C'est presque un autoportrait (...) on peut le voir aussi comme un portrait de lui même assez angoissé, avec cette vague énorme qui s'abat vers le spectateur dans un déferlement d'écume" détaille le directeur du musée.

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• Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune et Clair de lune  de Claude Debussy
• Alexandre Fougeron Réalisation
• Marceau Vassy Collaboration
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