THE SHORT ANSWER
Andy McGrath, cycling journalist, former rouleur editor, author of tom simpson: bird on the wire, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast 2 times. Here's where McGrath lands on periodisation. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
WHO IS ANDY MCGRATH?
Andy McGrath is the cycling journalist who has written the definitive modern biographies of three very different riders — Tom Simpson, Frank Vandenbroucke, and Tadej Pogačar. His Tom Simpson book won the 2017 William Hill Sports Book of the Year, the highest honour in British sportswriting, and his Vandenbroucke biography is the only credible English-language account of one of the sport's most tragic talents. As former editor of Rouleur and a long-form contributor to the Guardian and FT, he sits where most cycling fans wish they could — close enough to the riders for real access, far enough away to write honestly about them.
MCGRATH ON PERIODISATION
McGrath’s key positions on periodisation.
- Cycling journalism's golden age was built on long-form access — the era of riders sitting down for hours of interview is largely over, and that loss is showing.
- Tom Simpson's death at Mont Ventoux is the foundational story of professional cycling's drug culture — the modern peloton is still living in its shadow.
- Frank Vandenbroucke is the warning sign nobody wanted to see — extraordinary talent paired with managed mental illness, in a sport that had no framework for either.
- Tadej Pogačar is the most studied modern rider because the journalism finally caught up — his openness has reset what fans can know about a Tour winner's daily life.
- Books outlast features — the long-form biography is the format that survives the news cycle, and the one most cycling fans actually keep.
IN MCGRATH’S OWN WORDS
Verbatim from Andy McGrath’s appearances on the podcast.
“Pogy only averages 55 race days a year. That's what I worked out. And Merks's hallowed win number is 525. So yeah, he he'd have to win every race for 10 years Padra to beat him.”
“The 2022 tour to France, they were outintelligenced by John Bo Visma, pure and simple, you know, and they didn't see it kind of coming that they and going back to Cli, they should never have won the tour to France. He said that year that on on paper they were behind. They weren't a tour to France winning performance team.”
“Vingard was saying at the Tour France this year that he he's putting out some of his best numbers. He's better than ever and he still can't beat him, you know.”
“there was one I think one junior year he won something like 49% of all the races he started half basically like that's pretty um unreal”
HEAR IT ON THE PODCAST
Episodes where Andy McGrath covers periodisation and related ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What does Andy McGrath say about periodisation?
Andy McGrath, cycling journalist, former rouleur editor, author of tom simpson: bird on the wire, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast 2 times. Here's where McGrath lands on periodisation. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
What is McGrath's main point on periodisation?
Cycling journalism's golden age was built on long-form access — the era of riders sitting down for hours of interview is largely over, and that loss is showing.
Which Roadman Cycling Podcast episodes cover Andy McGrath on periodisation?
McGrath discusses periodisation in these episodes: "How Pogacar Rebuilt After 2022 | Roadman Cycling Podcast", "The Untold Story Of Frank Vandenbroucke's Life & Death | Andy McGrath".
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