I love cycling because of the rich storytelling this sport offers. Of course, we all want to hear about Tour de France winners, or Olympic and world champions, but if you join us at Rouleur in opening your mind and digging a little deeper, you’ll find there’s so much more to delve into. Like many of us, I’ll be front row at Rouleur Live this year listening to Greg Lemond’s famous, legendary stories and I can’t wait to interview Pauline Ferrand-Prévot myself about her historic yellow jersey success this season, but it’s not just these headliners who will are unmissable at the Truman Brewery this year.
Africa's moment
The World Championships in Rwanda served as a seismic moment for professional bike racing – it was the first time the competition was held on the African continent and felt like a turning point for our sport. Like everyone, I watched it on television and pored over the pictures afterwards, wishing I could have been there myself. One person who was, though – and who can explain better than anyone the gravity of the event – is Xaverine Nirere. Representing the Championships’ home nation, Xaverine will be at Rouleur Live to tell us about what the event meant for Rwanda, and about her plans for the future alongside Team Amani. I’ve also heard rumours of a special, exciting announcement alongside current professional rider Asheligh Moolman-Pasio, who will also be on stage on Thursday.
Safety, tech and tactics: how is pro racing changing?
I’m a bike racing fanatic who follows developments at the top level of this sport with interest. Professional cycling never stops evolving – I feel like every time I open social media I see a new aero invention, or fuelling technique, or development in the UCI rules. Predicting what will happen next is a tough job, but Adam Blythe, Dan Bigham and Niamh Fisher-Black are in the know, and will be sharing their thoughts about the future of racing on Thursday. Blythe has an inside ear in the professional peloton, while Bigham works on the latest technology for pioneering WorldTour team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Fisher-Black is one of the most exciting talents in the women’s peloton and she’s seen her sport grow first-hand over the last few years – this is a talk which will help you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest developments at cycling’s top table.
Balancing business and passion
Canyon and Zwift are two of the biggest companies in cycling and they were both founded out of a pure, simple passion for sport. Roman Arnold grew Canyon bikes from the ground up into a giant of bike brands, while Eric Min blazed a trail with Zwift and indoor cycling. Friday night at Rouleur Live is a chance to hear from two of the most successful men in the industry, learning about the challenges and obstacles they had to overcome to get to where they are, as well as what the future holds. I’ll have my notepad and pen at the ready…
Pride of the isles: British and Irish champions
For many cyclists, there is perhaps no better feeling than representing your country as the national champion in bike races all over the world. Most of us will never get to experience it, so the second best option has to be hearing the stories of those who have. Sam Watson became British champion earlier this year with an extraordinary ride in Aberystwyth, winning by over half a minute, while Rory Townsend took the spoils in Ireland as part of a reduced bunch sprint. Both of these riders have interesting and unique stories to tell about their journeys into the sport, and what it feels like to wear the national stripes in Europe all year round.
Epic rides: What drives us to the extraordinary?
Professional road racing is just one part of what Rouleur Live is about: we also will be celebrating the freedom that cycling gives to explore the world around us. Lael Wilcox, Duncan Covey, Amy Hudson and Victor Bouscavet have all completed extraordinary feats on two wheels and I can’t wait to hear them talk about the trials and tribulations they faced along the way. How do you prepare for an ultra-distance ride? What goes through your mind when the night is closing in and you still have hundreds of kilometres to cover? Is there ever a moment when you think you might have to give up? And what does it feel like when the achievement is finally ticked off? I’ll be asking the big questions to four of the most intrepid explorers in the sport.
Get your tickets here: Rouleur Live
