The Cycling Podcast – daily insight and analysis of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a España and Classics. Join journalists Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie – and a few special guests along the way – as they podcast about the latest cycling news and the world of professional cycling. Expect a mix of insight and analysis as our three experienced journalists cover not just the big talking points but take you behind the scenes of professional cycling. The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie To support The Cycling Podcast, subscribe as a Friend of the Podcast and listen to more than 50 episodes. Subscribe at thecyclingpodcast.com (https://thecyclingpodcast.supportingcast.fm/)
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episode 182: Meet Flavio Zappi
In this week’s episode of The Cycling Podcast, Lionel Birnie travels to Bicester Village retail outlet, not to do his Christmas shopping but to meet former Italian pro rider Flavio Zappi.
After a calamitously clumsy introduction at the Rapha cafe (sorry again, chaps!), Lionel talks to Flavio about his career as a rider in the early 1980s when he finished second in the king of the mountains competition at the 1984 Giro d’Italia - a race he acknowledges as one of the flattest grand tours in modern history.
In the second half the conversation turns to why he moved to Oxfordshire 25 years ago, rediscovered his love of cycling to help kick a smoking habit and how he established a development team to set young riders on the path to the World Tour.
The best known graduate from Zappi’s team so far is James Knox who went via Team Wiggins to Quick Step and had a stunning breakthrough performance at the Vuelta a España this year.
We are also joined by Paul Quarterman, who is heavily involved in Zappi’s team and whose son Charlie will ride for Trek-Segafredo with Vincenzo Nibali and new world champion Mads Pedersen next year.
The YouTube clip of the 1984 Milan-Sanremo Flavio referenced can be viewed here (Italian commentary).
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