When Lizzy Banks received the Pédaleur de Charme T-shirt on the final stage of the Women’s Tour in 2019, she admits she didn’t even know what The Cycling Podcast was. But the following month, she recorded a rider diary at the Giro Rosa, and by the autumn she was co-hosting the new tech show, Service Course. Matilda Price asks about her podcasting journey.

When did you first get involved with The Cycling Podcast?

Originally I think Orla interviewed me after the Burton Dassett stage [of the Women’s Tour 2019] and then at the beginning of stage six, they presented me with the Pédaleur de Charme t-shirt. I had no idea what it was, I was so fresh and so green with cycling, I was like ‘oh it’s just someone to talk to after the race’ and didn’t know they were from a podcast. I knew vaguely who Orla was, but I had no idea who Richard was. So they presented me with the T-shirt and I just thought ‘oh this is so nice, I didn’t even know I was in a competition to win something.’ Then Richard interviewed Leah [Thomas] again after the stage and I talked to them a little bit as well so I guess that’s where the relationship first started.

After that, they contacted my press officer and asked if I would like to do a Giro diary. That was for the 2019 Giro and that diary was really successful, it was a special for Friends of the Podcast. And I won a stage, so it was obviously really good luck. Then at the end of the year, they’d just started this tech podcast with Tom Whalley and they were looking for another presenter, and they thought of me because the Giro diary had done well, and then the rest is history.

Were you interested in tech before starting Service Course?

I’ve always been really interested in the technological side of things, the componentry side of things. Which teams are using what, what’s better, what’s faster? Are teams using it because they’re paid to use it, or because it’s actually better? I think it's super interesting, and there's always new companies that come along with the latest technology. With any new development, I naturally want to find out more about it. I do my own research and that was always like that before the podcast, because I want to be better. I do this sport because yes, I love cycling, but I also really want to push myself and I want to be the best. I’m interested in it for my sake, but it’s something where curiosity has always interested me as well.

The first episode you were involved with from start to finish was Episode 4: String Theory and Climbing Bikes. What was it like making that first episode?

It was really cool because hill climbing is where I started. If you haven’t listened to it, you should go and listen to that one because it’s one of the best ones we’ve done, which is pretty cool because it was the first one I was involved in making. I just loved it. Like I say, it’s a part of cycling that I’m really passionate about and I got to meet loads of really cool people.

I think the reason why I enjoy working with The Cycling Podcast so much is because it's something to do with cycling, but it's not in the cycling world. As a cyclist, you're so wrapped up, it's so selfish, you’re so wrapped in everything you're doing to be the best and to make your performance better. That’s all very well, but sometimes you forget to just take a step back and just enjoy what you're doing. I think also it's always the same, you know, it's the same people and the same environment. By doing this, I get to speak to loads of different awesome brands, and awesome people doing really cool stuff. It’s not necessarily my team sponsors or my personal sponsors, just really cool people who otherwise I would never have had the chance to speak to. It’s a great opportunity for me personally to speak to some cool people and I really enjoy speaking to people who are really passionate about the sport and their field. It’s just really fun.

What has been the biggest learning curve in making the podcast?

I think knowing how to get the best out of people. I’m not a journalist, I’m a medical student-turned-cyclist. And so, I listen to the good journalists and I try and pick up tips by listening to, for example, how the other guys on The Cycling Podcast do their interviews and things like that. It’s also about trying to work out what is going to be interesting for the listeners and how to ask provoking questions. I think I've definitely not mastered it, I’m not a master in the art journalism, or art of interviewing. But I'm definitely learning and hopefully I’m getting better.

And finally, what’s the coolest thing you’ve come across whilst making Service Course?

When Tom did the episode on graphene, it was just pretty mind blowing – how cool graphene is and what can actually be done with it, or what could probably be done with it in the future But the space elevator is definitely the coolest invention. And it's got nothing to do with cycling, but it's absolutely brilliant.

Listen to all episodes of Service Course – and find out what a space elevator is – here.