7. Cometh the cobbles

March 3 | In the latest Telegraph Cycling Podcast the team discuss the opening weekend of the fabled cobbled classics, with Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne whetting the appetite for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix next month.

Lionel Birnie brings us some on-the-ground reaction from the Belgian semi-classics and he is joined back in London by Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe. They reflect on a men’s Het Nieuwsblad won by Greg Van Avermaet and a women’s race won by world champion Lizzie Armitstead, as well as the surprise solo victory by Jasper Stuyven in Kuurne on Sunday.

One of the strongest performers over the weekend was Tiesj Benoot, who is arguably Belgium’s most exciting young talent. At 21, he somehow combines his professional career – with 5th in last year’s Tour of Flanders the highlight – with studying for an economics degree at the University of Ghent. This great prospect tells the podcast about his career so far and his future plans, and we also hear from his manager at Lotto-Soudal, Marc Sergeant.

We name our Trainer Road competition winners and there’s also a return of the heated debate – the subject up for discussion one that is gripping the world of cycling: should Peter Sagan shave his legs?

The Telegraph Cycling Podcast is supported by Trainer Road and Eurosport.