..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
unschooled
after yesterday morning's bike ride, my accomplice and i stopped at debbie's for our usual sunday lunchtime repast where we were eventually joined by the mighty dave-t, who had cycled north from port wemyss as far as bridgend village prior to turning and making his way home. since debbie's is ideally placed to punctuate any islay bike ride, he stopped to join us as we dined al fresco in highly unusual sun and warmth. always a man with a myriad of stories to tell, particularly since we see each other so infrequently these days, he mentioned that, on the ride from port wemyss to port charlotte, two elderly cyclists, astride a pair of e-bikes, had pulled out from a side road just as he approached, and whom he had to avoid last minute.
according to the mighty dave, had he been in a car, they'd have ended their visit right there and then.
they were, i believe, full of apologies, but according to the mighty dave, the woman had her bike in the big ring and smallest sprocket at the rear, a not uncommon happenstance for folks riding e-bikes, who are guilty of simply allowing their electric motors to take the strain. purely from personal observation, a large proportion of leisure e-bike riders tend to do likewise, simply popping the bike into any gear and leaving it there for the duration. i have often wondered if they do likewise with their cars, but then, on second thoughts, they probably all drive automatics or electric vehicles anyway. you can but imagine how well the average motor car would fare were someone to attempt to move away in fourth or fifth gear.
more and more, the online cycle industry press, which i tend to consult on a regular basis, has been found to reference the e-bike market, both the cycle manufacturers and those responsible for the motive power of same. though this particular corner of the cycling media tends not to concern itself with the sporting side of the industry, it does seem overly concerned with just how the electric side of the market is faring, almost to the exception of all else. this is perhaps not quite as unseemly as it appears, given that the e-bike is still being credited as the saviour of the cycle industry, but i can't help equating what is happening with the e-bike, with that of the boating world, for example.
though i live surrounded by the sea, my principal interaction with all that water, if it can be referred to in that manner, is the occasional journey aboard a calmac ferry. i know nothing about sea navigation, or how to understand the data presented by the onboard telemetry of even a small boat. when i have been sailing with friends who own powerful, rigid inflatables, there are actions they have taken which i would never have thought of in a month of sundays, yet there is no barrier other than finance, that can stop me purchasing and subsequently sailing a boat, as admittedly ignorant as i am of seagoing matters. perhaps it's an oversimplification, but i fear similar circumstances could be applied to the new e-biker.
i am not the only individual to have bemoaned the fact that the cycling proficiency scheme as was, has no teeth. in other words, not only is there no compulsion to undertake the the training, even if you do, and fail the final assessment, it's still possible to ride a bike on the national highways, plied as they are by speeding drivers, heavy goods vehicles and inexperienced drivers.
the e-bike is, to a certain extent, the great leveller. no matter how fit you plainly aren't, it's still possible to commute, go for a leisure ride, or hire while on holiday, with no checks on experience of traffic conditions, cycling knowledge, or the ability to look after yourself while in charge of a bicycle that can easily reach 25kph (or faster, if it's an unapproved s-pedelec). the latter are reportedly proliferating across the channel in the netherlands, where elderly people without the required abilities, have been guilty of causing accidents on the nation's cycleways. i'm led to believe that's admittedly far less of a problem in the uk, but it's a problem that exists nonetheless. and while those of us who are dyed-in-the-wool cyclists, with years of experience are well able to cope with contemporary traffic conditions, even those as favourable as those on islay, it's seems that too many newbies are not.
the trouble is, and i believe we have had this discussion on a previous occasion, that there are many e-bike hire outlets all across the nation, happy to provide an electric bicycle to anyone with the money to pay, but with no checks on their ability to remain safe, or even to ride a bike. though the two hire companies on islay supply suitable helmets for hirers, i have witnessed many riders with the helmets slung round the handlebars (an accident waiting to happen, if you ask me), or placed on a rear rack, rather than worn on their heads. given that many will probably not have ridden a bicycle since the age of ten or eleven, their inexperience would tend to suggest that of all people, they are the ones who need the helmets most. those of us in the velo club have frequently observed groups of e-cyclists spread all across the road, despite one of the distillery supply, articulated trucks right behind them.
the two riders who pulled out in front of the mighty dave-t on sunday morning, may be seen as a minor aberration in the grand scheme of things. but while the e-bike might be the saviour of the industry, at the risk of overstating the problem, a large proportion of its riders might be the downfall of cycling's reputation. unfortunately, so far, neither i, nor the authorities, seem to have any tangible solutions.
monday 15 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................it's only a game
the village of bowmore is currently awash with saltire flags, which have been multiplying since the beginning of the week. they're attached to lamp posts, drainpipes, there is a garland of the little blue and white blighters around the top of the bus stop in main street, and when the ambulance went past this afternoon, there was one affixed just above the cab. i know nothing about football/soccer, and i'd like it to remain that way, so when first these flags appeared, i thought we were in for another independence campaign which, in truth, is every bit as disagreeable as football.
however, i was appraised of the situation by the co-op manager, who kindly pointed out that the flags were ostensibly in support of the national football team as they begin their campaign to be defeated in the world cup. in the 1970s, when i worked at prestwick airport during the summer holidays from art college, i recall being on duty when the scottish team left from the airport to wherever it was they were due to get beaten. the crowds along the observation terrace were manic; when the team returned several days later, having been unceremoniously, yet not unexpectedly dumped from competition, there was, as far as i recall, nobody there to witness their arrival. that said, despite inevitable pitch invasions during league and cup games, when abroad, scottish fans have a reputation of behaving considerably better than those of many other nations, partying whether they win or lose.
but no matter how deep i go in what i like to call research, i can find no logical reason why football/soccer, is so much more popular than any other sport. i can pefectly understand why cycling remains a niche sport, along with many others, but even taking into account the popularity of hobbies such as snooker, cricket, golf and tennis, in the face of a real sport like cycling, why is the hobby of football so undeniably popular, and why do some of the players earn such vast amounts of money for simply kicking a ball about for ninety minutes a week. i cringe at the hourly rate they must be paid for what apparently passes as work.
in the uk, the two main terrestrial channels, itv and bbc, both possess four channels, all of which are free to air. when the former once broadcast its annual coverage of the tour de france, it was shown on itv4, meaning that the wall-to-wall live coverage bothered no-one who had little to no interest in cycle sport. yet, for reasons which continue to escape any meaningful logic, football is inevitably shown on itv1 or bbc1, thus interrupting the viewing habits of those who enjoy soap operas such as coronation street or eastenders. shift football to one of the other channels, however, most of which tend to broadcast repeats, and almost all would be well with the world.
of course, just like any self-respecting heavy metal or status quo fan, i'm aware that i'm banging my head against a brick wall; football is popular because it's popular. a self-referencing philosophy. though i failed to gain any appropriate perspective while at primary or secondary school, i believe i may have grown up when it was still possible for kids to be individuals, without being excluded by the cool set. i have never had any interest in football whatsoever, but i was never excommunicated as a result. nowadays, however, there are a great number of children who profess interest in football because either their pals are into it, or even worse, their parents.
how many of us ride around our locales every weekend and maybe a day or two in between, without once coming across another cyclist, either heading in the same direction or passing the other way? when i was in debbie's on friday afternoon, two fully camouflaged bird watchers (even their camera lenses were encased in camouflaged material) popped in for a coffee. as it transpired, there were already two other birdwatchers in residence, only they were dressed as normal people. as soon as both couples met, they immediately began interrogating each other as to the birds they had spotted. though islay features an rspb reserve at gruinart and another on the oa, as far as i'm concerned, there are only geese and not-geese, but my point would be that despite a year-round influx of twitchers, there is no outward celebration of the fact. granted, i doubt there are as many bird watchers as football fans, but i'm sure you begin to catch my somewhat obscure point.
in the 2025 tour de france, scottish rider, oscar onley equalled robert millar's fourth place in the 1984 tour; not a single flag appeared in bowmore. cameron mason has been british cyclocross champion for four consecutive years, yet, once again, flags have been conspicuous by their absence. but glasgow bus company, mcgill's, has renamed one of its buses mcginn's due to a similarly named player in the scottish world cup squad. why is the world like this? what has football got that cycling hasn't? yes, i think many of us would agree that the average sprint or transition stage during the tour or giro can be a good excuse for a yawn, but cyclocross or track racing is fast, furious, and often shorter than a football match, and almost entirely without track or parcours invasions. and the annoying habit of soccer fans lighting coloured flares was quite obviously stolen from the tour's dutch corner, or enthusiastic basque fans, who, despite nationalistic fervour, were always in the habit of supporting every rider who passed over a pyreneean summit, no matter for which team they rode.
the only satisfaction to be gained from scotland's participation in this year's world cup in the usa, is the granting of a bank holiday on monday. though not one of the staff in the office harbours the least interest in football, we're all gaining an extra day off work.
boo-ya.
sunday 14 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................pragmatism
the following is hardly groundbreaking, and, compared to what others are doing, mildly pathetic, but since it makes what i believe is a valid point, i'm going to forge ahead in any case.
i have previously brought to your attention my pleasant habit of riding south west every alternate friday afternoon, to deliver sales copies of islay's local newspaper to debbie's in bruichladdich. this is a happenstance that began during covid lockdowns, when the alternative means of delivery were found wanting for particularly good reason. therefore, with three retail outlets requiring newspapers, the owner of port charlotte stores, a member of the sunday peloton, would cycle northwest (from his point of origin) to collect his shop copies, while i would load up the rapha backpack with those destined for bridgend stores and debbie's. this may sound not only like a wizard wheeze, but very much like an excuse for a coffee afternoon masquerading as an environmental project, which it most decidely was/is.
since those darkened days, the office has recruited a receptionist who lives in portnahaven, right at the southernmost tip of the rhinns of islay, meaning she has to pass all three shops on her way home. i am still inclined to ride to debbie's with her particular copies, unless otherwise occupied, or if the weather is particularly inclement. however, yesterday, the receptionist unexpectedly called in sick, meaning that delivery of those to bridgend stores became my logistical problem and definitely not hers. the chap from port charlotte stores very kindly collected his own copies from my front porch.
bridgend stores is in the habit of receiving 80 copies of each issue, and since the assumption was that these would be delivered by someone other than yours truly, they had been placed inside a cardboard box. sadly, this particular situation, if nothing else, demonstrated the unsuitability of the average cyclocross bicycle when it comes to matters of pragmatism; that box could easily have sat on a car passenger seat, or been placed in the boot. had i been willing to walk the five kilometres to bridgend, it would have been a relatively simple matter to carry said box. but on a bicycle with no racks, and no convenient means of attaching one, a cardboard box could be seen as the straw that broke the camel's back.
ever one to look for a practical and suitable solution, i decanted the copies of the newspaper into two sealable plastic bags, allowing them to fit inside the aforementioned rapha commuter backpack, alongside the copies of debbie's which i can usually carry in an islay woollen mill, tweed musette. had the bridgend retail outlet required a larger order, i cannot deny that there would have been problems, not least of which would have been shoehorning all three bags into the backpack. while there was vacant space above the three packages, i have previously learned that filling that space means that, once the backpack is on my back, i cannot lift my head to see where i'm going, because the back of my helmet fouls on the topmost packet. there have been numerous previous occasions when i have had to ride with face pointed downwards, while my eyes strained to look forward. granted, that only persists for five kilometres, but it's certainly not the safest way to ride a bicycle.
however, all being well, as in this week's case, transporting goods by bicycle highlights just how pragmatic a means of transport is the average velocipede, a factor that i often think is missing from people's appreciation of the genre. granted, there is a wide range of cargo-bikes available nowadays, but in this particular case, that would be deemed to be overkill, both from a practical and economical point of view. since i am really only required to carry stuff once every two weeks, what would i do with a cargo bike for the other thirteen days, and more pointedly, where would i store it?
now all this may seem so very humdrum, with resulting retorts that i am guilty of simply pointing out the glaringly obvious, a comment with which i would hardly disagree. but with manufacturers constantly highlighting how aero are their latest offerings, how diaphanous the frames and just how many watts they can save over their predecessors, the pragmatism afforded by virtually any bicycle, when allied to either a large backpack such as the one mentioned above, or the affixation of a front or rear rack, seems to have become lost in the conversation. if you do frequently require to shift large amounts of stuff on a regular basis, then a cargo bike makes perfect sense, and i'm guessing that many who find themselves in that situation, probably already own one. but for the simpler, more lightly laden excursions, don't just jump in the car; use your head and use the bicycle. it might not have been specifically designed for such a purpose, but versatility is its middle name.
you're welcome.
saturday 13 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................chicken and egg
currently underway is the tour auvergne-rhône-alpes, the artist formerly known as the dauphiné. it's an event that holds a specific level of importance for the participants; van aert's sprint victory helped him assess the level at which he sits, and for ef education-easypost rider, alex beaudin, holding the lead is undoubtedly a nice bonus. however, just who is winning, sprinting and/or climbing, has become almost of secondary importance, at least for the cycling media. the articles relating to the tour auvergne-rhône-alpes (an idiotic renaming of a perfectly good race) that i have come across seem preoccupied with the new tech on display ahead of next month's tour de france.
that being the case, i do rather wonder if the reporting bias is at odds with what is expected? for instance, when wimbledon takes to our television screens at the end of the month, how many journalists will be eagerly checking backstage to avail themselves of who is using which racket, and whether any recent developments have been made available to the top seeds. and though i can't really come to terms with the fact that i'm nentioning its name in these hallowed pixels, is it possible that the world cup football matches will be queried as to what type and make of footballs are being used? and are those goalposts still hewn from wood, or has progress demanded that high modulus carbon fibre has been deemed more goalkeeper friendly? are any of the teams wearing one-piece skinsuits with drag-reducing properties?
even formula one motor racing seems a tad less obsessed with the technology, though admittedly, the relevance of such vehicles is surely closer to missile technology than the average family saloon? and conversely to cycle sport, it is very definitely the car providing the wherewithal, rather than specifically the driver.
could it be that it's the demise of the world's cycling print media that has turned the tables? as i recall, magazines such as peloton, cyclesport and procycling concentrated more on the races and riders than contemporary bicycle technology. peloton magazine in particular had a commendable habit of relating cycling to subjects such as wine, whisky and cordon bleu, underlining cycling's place in the social firmament. the principal content in the others usually consisted of interviews with team managers and prominent riders, along with historical enlightenment.
but now that we are firmly in the hands of predominantly online velocipedinal media, things seems to have changed. whether that's for the better or not, depends greatly on your point of view. at the time of writing, i made a quick scan of the cycling media, which featured stories on the costs of running a top-level team, colnago's hitherto unseen time-trial bike, the uci's ever-changing rules, bike repair, and, yes, the tech on display at the tour auvergne-rhône-alpes, folk still harping on about specialized's new crux, and, of course, cycle racing. i'm sure that, if i were to count, there would be more about the racing than the technology, exactly as it should be, but the encroachment is real (according to me).
however, do not misunderstand me; the above is not a criticism. unlike photography, where it seems quite possible to either be interested in taking pictures or cameras but rarely the middle ground. i'm sure there are many who revel in wout van aert's sprint victory, as well as the pressure of his rear tyre, or which gear he chose for the sprint. i recall being sat next to sean kelly following a braveheart ride many years ago (discussing garden sheds, if i recall correctly), when we were interrupted by a fan who asked in which gear sean had been when ascending the poggio in the 1992 milan-sanremo?
perhaps it's the desire for such information that separates cycling from mere hobbies like soccer, golf, cricket and snooker. after all, you'd hardly find max verstappen shooting the breeze in his local branch of starbucks, answering questions from all and sundry pertaining to which gear he used to clinch the 2021 world championship.
and i bet he doesn't have a garden shed.
friday 12 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................what's afoot?
in 2019, the good folks at chater lea sent me a pair of their (at the time) yet to be released grand tour pedals for review, a review in which i pointed out that "chater-lea's grand tour, stainless steel pedals are, to be frank, a niche product. they will not appeal to every cyclist, nor are they intended to. on the basis of several bicycles i have witnessed over the past couple of weeks, they'd be an ideal fit for the intrepid touring cyclist, particularly in light of their build-quality, ease of maintenance and promise of longevity, the latter backed by a lifetime, original-owner warranty." in the intervening seven years, i have not had great cause to change my mind, but the question itself has taken on a more perspicacious stance, one over which i'll admit i am characteristically procrastinating.
there are many velocipedinists who have acquired considerably more years in the saddle than yours truly, yet who continue to confound nature, by simply getting quicker and quicker. it could be that this is as a result of continuing to train specifically for such a task, often based on a lengthy career in the competitive milieu, something that never ever featured in my own past. i, on the other hand, while still trying to wear my advanced years on my sleeve, have to gracefully accept that my days of being quick are well behind me. that, however, need not be considered a negtive situation; instead of manfully trying to convince myself there is still latent speed to be found (if only i knew where), perhaps i could simply alter my perspective and embrace the difference.
on reaching this pinnacle of awareness, i have begun to look at the aspects of my cycling persona that either are, or should be, extraneous to observable reality. though it often seems indicative of the ageing process for riders to eschew drop bars on their bicycles and swap to more appropriate flat bars. except flat bars and i simply do not get on at all well. my last recollection of having to forcibly ride such objects of torture, was when loaned a less than pristine mountain bike by the field centre on arran for a 100km round trip to the south of the island. by the end of the journey, i was in severe doubt as to whether i'd be able to play the drumset for which i was there in the first place.
but do i still need such a lengthy stem (as it transpires, i probably do, due to having slightly longer than normal arms), or a race-type saddle with carbon rails? the jury is out on the latter, because after as many years of cycling as i have enjoyed, my posterior would be likely to strongly object to any unwarranted change. however, to return to my opening gambit, perhaps the need for cleated shoes and matching pedals is an unnecessary accessory? according to common lore, cleated shoes - the triangular, road-type version - offer scientifically better power transfer and foot security than a non-cleated pair of shoes, the likes of which are few and far between these days.
that is truthfully, a bit of a shame, when there are pedals of the quality of those proffered by chater-lea. because the corollary of the science claiming cleats to be the better option, is that, during low intensity, steady-state pedalling, there is an almost immeasurable difference between cleated and non-cleated. but cleats reputedly offer up to 16% better power transfer during sprints. apart from aiming for bragging rights to be first past the village sign, who amongst us has recently found themselves involved in a sprint? exactly, so why do we insist on fitting clipless pedals and concomitant footwear? well, for starters, the industry, as clearly pointed out only a few days past, is obsessed with the selling of speed, despite the majority of their customers being incapable of supplying it. were that not the case, more footwear manufacturers would offer versions of their shoes unrequiring of cleats.
the chater-lea pedals, it has to be admitted, are hardly cheap (£290 per pair), but perhaps if the wearing of flat-soled shoes were more common amongst the slower of the cognoscenti, there would be a notable increase in availability of that particular style of footwear. currently, this niche tends to be viewed as retro in intent; dromarti still offer two variants of their flat-soled leather cycling shoes with a price to match that of the chater-lea pedals, meaning well over £500 just to go slower in style. but i'm unaware of any suitably stiff-soled, cleat free cycling shoes form elsewhere (though i confess to having undertaken no research whatsoever).
that doesn't stop it being a sensible option, but i'm a tad concerned over the clash of aesthetics on my cyclocross bike.
thursday 11 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................responsibility
i have not acquired a new bicycle since 2015, and even then, it came through trade contacts, with the end result being a review in these very pixels. two bicycles arrived in close proximity to each other, but from different manufacturers. one of those currently has a technical problem, which may or may not see a remedy at some point in the foreseeable future. but, not for the first time, i digress. we have previously discussed the apparent folly of the cycle industry, apparently expecting the new kids on the block, who arrived during the covid pandemic, to have replaced their early decade purchases with subsequent releases from the factory. that fact that this did not happen, in the vast majority of cases, is at least partly to blame for the mess in which that selfsame industry currently finds itself.
there are, of course, other reasons, but for today's monologue, we'll simply settle for the above reasoning.
obviously enough, any industry survives on continually encouraging existing aficionados to renew their faith in the activity at regular points along life's trajectory. as an example of how that could play out in a negative fashion, i might cite the story of the porteus mill, a sturdy machine used by large swathes of the distilling industry to grind their malt into grist suitable for the subsequent process of creating whisky. the company which produced these indestructible, predominantly red machines, went bust in 1973, mainly because they produced an easily maintained/repaired device that simply lasted forever. as testament to their longevity and desirability, one such machine sits proudly in the mill room of islay latest distillery at laggan bay. the company went out of business because there was no need to replace the existing mills, and new distilleries could almost always find a defunct distillery from which to buy a used model.
though doubts have occasionally been expressed over the long-term viability of carbon fibre, few of those doubts have come from within the industry, for why should they care? if it transpires that carbon has a definitive, short-lived lifespan, that would surely only lead to repeat sales when the first one wore out? in order to maintain or increase a suitable level of bicycle sales, the verious marketing departments are tasked with highlighting any new model or technology, even if it is simply recoloured to foster renewed interest.
however, as i have mentioned to the point of boredom, advertising such as described above is mostly aimed at the existing cognoscenti; playing to the gallery, if you will. but surely it is incumbent on the industry to make direct inroads into the large, untapped market we all know exists in the land of the great unwashed. and the latter are very unlikely to inhabit the mainstream cycling media through which the majority of industry advertisements are currently funneled. and if you would agree that the already persuaded, are likely to be more personally investigative as to what might be newly available, any adverts ought not necessarily be too invasive.
but in order to attract more acolytes to the cause, i have long said that the more financially well-off within the industry (yes specialized, merida, trek, colnago et all, i'm looking at you) might consider advertising their wares through non-traditional media outlets. i have no trouble recalling the days when car adverts appeared in the comic, and across the pond, car and pickup adverts in usa cycling media is quite commonplace. so why not reciprocate and advertise bicycles in the motoring press? as i understand it, many formula one drivers use bicycles to maintain fitness and to get about the paddock and pit lanes of their eyewateringly expensive and tedious sport. could it be that such a connection might prove beneficial in some way?
and then there's us.
granted, acquisition of a bicycle does not lay the onus on the purchaser to proselytise the cause to the unbelievers, but would it do us any harm to try? if, like me, you clamour for the next opportunity to ride your bicycle in a carefree manner, why not attempt to pass that sense of joy onto the nearest innocent bystander? though the responsibility is not legally ours, it's hard to deny that it might be a part of our moral duty. so instead of pointing the finger at the industry on which we rely, might it ultimately serve our purposes to form a loosely amalgamated velocpedinal recruitment agency? my own part in the latter, i will admit, centres around riding my bicycle everywhere i can, throughout the principality, in all weathers, eager to demonstrate that, if an old fart like yours truly can do so, anyone can. it's a strategy i have employed for decades.
only, i have to admit, so far it doesn't seem to be working too well.
wednesday 10 june 2026
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................the accidental tour-ist - ned boulting. bloomsbury sport paperback. 284pp illus.£11.99
for those of you who believe they are experiencing a mild case of deja vu, let me point out straight away, that, yes, i have already reviewed this book in these very pixels; in june 2025, to be precise. if you're wondering why i appear to be sliding the subject under the radar, but twelve months later, a slightly closer look at the heading would elicit the revelation that this time round, the cost has almost halved, because this time, it's the paperback edition. a counter-argument that the content can hardly have changed, given that the book's subject matter concerns author and commentator, ned boulting's final outing as live commentator on itv4's broadcast of the tour de france, also cannot be denied. while many of us have good cause to resent tnt sport's expensive intervention into our velocipedinal lives, mr boulting may have greater cause, given that it has dramatically reduced his employment opportunities during those three weeks in july.
while there was always hope that the executives at the top would see the blinding light and altruistically offer to restore free-to-air coverage of the cycling season's biggest event, that particular sliver of hope has turned out to be quite forlorn.
though i have been reviewing books for more years than i can truthfully recall, including volumes that have little or nothing to do with cycling, i have never quite understood the rationale behind any title's initial launch consisting of a comparably expensive hardback edition. my original review from june 2025 records that the price of admission was a princely £20, compared to the paperback's recommended retail price of £11.99. though i'd agree that one-year is a long time to wait to read a book in which you harbour a substantial interest, it's worth bearing in mind that, were the hardback to have been released in june 2026, the jacket price would probably be closer to £25.99. that would probably buy you two paperbacks. why not, i have queried, simply publish the two formats simultaneously; those of us more in favour of the substantive hardback format could avail ourselves of the option, while the less bookish could nab themselves a paperback, admittedly a more versatile format when it comes to even local travel.
but, apart from almost inevitably releasing books on a thursday (check and see; almost every publisher does so), hardback first, paperback later appears to be an inescapable industry mantra. i confess that there are only a few publishers who insist on sending reviewers both formats, but for one lucky reader, that will probably become a welcome move. though i agree that i am taking the easy way out by repeating my original review below, subsequently, there is one simple question, the correct answer to which will bring someone, thanks to bloomsbury's (perhaps unintended) generosity, a pristine copy of the book.
we've been through all this before, but suddenly its relevance has reared its ugly head once again, and simply needs to be cited as part of this review. following many happy years of eurosport, through more commentators than i can truthfully recall, the cycling horizon took on a far darker hue earlier this year, when owners warner brothers/discovery decided to forcibly transfer velocipedinal activity to tnt sports, the re-named edition of bt sports. where many had watched all manner of cycling via eurosport on the telly box as part of their sky package, or, as did i, via a monthly subscription to the online player, at the end of the 2024 tour de france, eurosport discontinued their proprietary online broadcasts, switching continuing subscribers to discovery+.
i was one of those who was provided with a healthy discount on that discovery+ subscription fee until december 2024 by way of compensation for the sudden demise of the eurosport equivalent. but, as previously explained at length, warners/discovery paid £6.7 billion for the sole rights to england's premier league football until 2030. along the way, they hoovered up the same rights to the tour de france and pretty much every other world tour race, mountain bike event and cyclocross season. to fund all this, the monthly subscription price dramatically escalated from £6.99 to an unpalatable £30.99. i can only assume that warners/discovery/tnt aren't overly concerned about the size of their cycling audience.
but the acquisition of exclusive rights to the next five years' worth of tours has had the collateral effect of removing free-to-air broadcasts from itv4. in other words, if you're not subscribed to tnt sports, this is the last year you'll be able to watch le tour.
that means, of course, the excellent commentary partnership of ned boulting and david millar, captained by gary imlach (who knew the latter didn't own a bicycle?), has metaphorically joined the dole queue. and since this will be the end of ned's twenty-two year association with the tour, over the course of 277 pages, he offers his acutely observed reminiscences.
"I had experienced the sometime glares of Cavendish, the inscrutability of Nibali, the excessive pre-answer nodding from Froome and the sheer oddness of Peter Sagan."
arguably unlike many of the professional peloton who have written in partnership, or have engaged the services of a ghost writer', mr boulting is a remarkably adept and erudite writer, as well as a commentator of particular note. his association with former professional, david millar, however has produced a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts; two disparate individuals who seem genuinely to complement each other to the extent that their extracurricular activity (the never strays far podcast - "a title that doesn't make sense"), has proved every bit as popular as their commentary exploits.
"I went to the Giro to commentate daily with Mat Stephens, while David remained at home in Spain. Every morning I would set my alarm for 6:30am, wake up in a state of disorientation, insantly dial David up on a Zoom call and, without any preamble, start to record a podcast."
former eurosport commentator, the late david duffield, was somewhat of an expert in waffling endlessly about nothing in particular during particularly lengthy sprint stages. he was even given to describing his and sean kelly's travel plans as they wended their way around france during the tour. but by and large, it's only the commentary to which viewers are party; behind the scenes is hidden between gary imlach's introductions and daniel friebe's on-screen insights. but now, all (or at least some) can be revealed.
"Those who provide the words alongside the action at say, football, rugby, cricket, athletics, tennis or any of the much, much bigger and more lucrative sports benefit in one peculiarly meaningful way: they can actually see what they are talking about. In road racing, we can't."
ned's appreciation that the sports mentioned above are 'much, much bigger and more lucrative' than the decidedly niche sport of cycling, is paid testament by citing the late richard moore "telling me that he'd once seen froome walking down a london street pushing his bike alongside him, dressed in a team sky tracksuit, being totally ignored by every single passer-by". mr boulting is well aware of his place and that of cycling in the grand firmament; there is no grandstanding here.
along the way, we are treated to tales from his solo theatre tour, a series of extravaganzas that were to begin life as an evening with chris froome, where ned would ask searching questions at various locations throught the uk. close to the start of this venture, froome pulled out. we also learn of his lengthy relationship with mark cavendish, the transition from cycling journalist to cycling commentator, and the often hilarious brompton adventures. but, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and on 27 july this year, it seems that they will.
"I am dreading our final descent into Paris. I already fear the moment that I will glimpse the Eiffel Tower by night on the last transfer I make to the capital city..."
in truth, this is not only the entertaining recollections of one of cycling's finest commentators, but also something of an historical document, a last treatise on the changing face of sports broadcasting, where those with money can run roughshod over the needs or desires of a rapidly disenfranchised audience. the sport may be the very definition of the word niche, but it has been all the better for ned boulting's twenty-two year association with the yellow jumper.
to win a paperback copy of ned boulting's the accidental tour-ist, tell me who his co-commentator was on the itv4 tour de france broadcasts. the first correct answer drawn from a scale model of the eiffel tower will win the book. send your answers to brian@twmp.net, making sure to include a full postal address. closing date is monday 15 june.
tuesday 9 june 2026
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