The Tour de France boxset

As we built up to the 2023 Tour de France, we added three episodes from the archive to the Friends of the Podcast feed for the first time since they were originally released.

First up, The 2017 Tour de France Roadtrip, which introduced François Thomazeau as a regular host. In this two-part series, recorded as we made our way from the grand départ in Düsseldorf, there was Lionel’s birthday, an eventful return to Lure, a rubbery encounter with some andouillette and François invents a new drink, the Teappuccino. In the second part we head to the Col d’Izoard with Orla Chennaoui to watch La Course, there’s the shocking story of the Sex Shop Time Trial (which is not as sleazy as it sounds) and François takes us to his favourite restaurant near his home town, Marseille.

In the team car was recorded during the 17th stage of the 2017 Tour from La Mure to Serre Chevalier in the Alps. Richard settled into the passenger seat of the second Cannondale-Drapac support car, alongside sports director Ken Vanmarcke – brother of the team’s rider Sep. It’s one of the most evocative and immersive episodes we’ve ever made and takes the listener right to the heart of the action to witness the calm, controlled chaos of life in the team car.

Finally, The 2019 Tour de France Roadtrip tells the tale of another Tour across two parts recorded in the car and at the dinner table at various points during the race. We kick off with a live event at the Brussels Beer Project, where we’re joined by Orla, Jonathan Vaughters and Ciro Scognamiglio. Richard recalls his days in the peloton racing for Scotland alongside Festina and US Postal Service at the 1998 PruTour of Britain, and there’s a luxurious Champagne tasting at Laurent-Perrier with Friend of the Podcast David Hesketh. In the second part there’s a deep dive – and a quiz – about the 1989 Tour, carrot in the cassoulet, more andouillette and discussions of Tour de France laundry strategy.