Cycling fans will get daily Giro d’Italia and Tour de France coverage through a new podcast from Crowd Network and broadcaster Ned Boulting.
For The Love Of Cycling launches today, 8 May, with daily episodes throughout the Giro d’Italia, before continuing with coverage of the Tour de France in July.
The show will be hosted by Ned Boulting from Italy and France, featuring race analysis, cultural stories and reactions from across both events.
Social media clips and YouTube content will also form part of the coverage, alongside reporting from the Tour de France Femmes.
As co-owner of the podcast, Ned will bring listeners from his existing Never Strays Far show, while former ITV cycling colleagues Lizzie Deignan, Pete Kennaugh and David Miller will appear as guests.
The launch follows confirmation earlier this year that ITV will no longer broadcast the Tour de France after covering the race since 2001. UK television viewers will instead need access to TNT Sports or Max to watch live coverage.
Having commentated on the Tour de France for ITV for 23 years, Ned said the new podcast would give fans another way to follow the sport.
He said: “This year marks a significant moment for professional cycling, and a turning point in how fans access and engage with the sport.
“We’re committed to provide the cycling fanbase with accessible opportunities to follow and interact with all the upcoming Grand Tours.”
Crowd Network says the programme will become part of its growing “For The Love Of” range of sports shows, following the launch of For The Love Of Running in January this year.
Mike Carr, chief executive of Crowd, said: “As the leading voice of road cycling and Grand Tours, it’s a privilege to be partnering with Ned on our new cycling show and providing both new and legacy fans with a place where they can access engaging content.”
The company says its existing shows For The Love Of Rugby and For The Love Of Cricket generated 45.7 million and 53.5 million social media views over the last three months.
