A team apart

The 2021 Friends of the Podcast series

A team apart is the latest friends special from The Cycling Podcast and it is an in-depth look at a team that Richard called 2020's team of the year, formerly Sunweb, now Team DSM.

We hear about the team's strict code of conduct and rules, including setting the riders homework. Belgian journalist Bram Vandecapelle, of Het Nieuwsblad, tells us about Michael Matthews' exclusion from Opening Weekend last year for neglecting his homework.

Matthews is one of several stars who has left the team early – Marcel Kittel and Tom Dumoulin are others, with Marc Hirschi the most recent. Why is that? We ask the man in charge, Iwan Spekenbrink, who also talks about the team's anti-doping policy, and their decision to ban ketones. There are interviews with riders Chad Haga, Nikias Arndt and Nicolas Roche, and the coach, Matt Winston, who was central to the team's performances at the Tour de France, where they won three stages, and the Giro d'Italia, where they placed two riders on the final podium.

Run time: 1hr 24mins