Double trouble and bucket breaks | Episode 5

February 9 | As the 2017 season continues to move through the gears, Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and Daniel Friebe return to review and debate the latest results and news from the professional peloton’s front line.

Nairo Quintana’s victory in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana bodes well for his chances of pulling off a Giro-Tour double last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998. At least that’s what Lionel, Richard and Daniel agree, not, naturally, without a few reservations and points of discord.

Another topic on this week’s agenda is the UCI’s Extreme Weather Protocol. A shortened stage in Valencia and a cancelled one in Dubai have once again raised the question of whether professional cycling is turning too soft. Our team weigh up whether that’s a fair charge, and report on prevailing views from within the peloton.

We also have a on-the-ground Dubai dispatch from Hannah Troop, a focus on Ireland’s newly founded Aqua Blue team, and a tribute to the 1956 Tour de France winner, Roger Walkowiak, who died this week.

The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science in Sport.