The 2016 Giro d’Italia was the first edition covered end to end, on the ground, by The Cycling Podcast, and what a race it proved to be. A thrilling last week saw Steven Kruijswijk fall at the last hurdle, almost literally, and Vincenzo Nibali mount an extraordinary comeback. But neither of these stories could rival stage 15 to Alpe di Siusi and more specifically the victory of rank outsider Alexander Foliforov for sheer shock value.

Foliforov disappeared almost as quickly as he burst onto the scene, retiring two years after his Giro stage win. Since then he has become a meme, a sort of post-ironic legend, but above all an enigma: what mysterious force propelled him to victory that day, and where has he vanished to over the last ten years?

Exactly a decade on from the Russian’s greatest day, Daniel Friebe tracked him down and invited Foliforov to relive and explain one of the strangest days and results in recent Giro history.

One-Hit Wonder was written and produced by Daniel Friebe. Music is by Amaraterra.

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2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

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Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

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The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Grab a round of agua con gas and listen in as Rose Manley, Denny Gray and Rebecca Charlton review the Spanish stage racing block.

With many of the big hitters away making preparations for the forthcoming Giro d’Italia, the short stage races of Itzulia and Vuelta a Burgos provided plenty of surprises and breakthroughs. On a rare opportunity from domestique duties, Mischa Bredewold led the charge for SD Worx who looked back to their old imperious best. But what does the win mean for a team that already have so many champions in their roster? Yara Kastellijn’s huge victory on the final day of Burgos cemented a phenomenal few weeks for the rider who has been without a win since her breakthrough at the Tour de France Femmes in 2023. Plus, did FDJ United Suez make the wrong call in Itzulia by not backing young British star Lauren Dickson?

In our mini feature we speak to the last Spanish rider (before Paula Blasi this year) to win a women’s Grand Tour. That champion is Joane Somarriba, a rider who twice won the Giro Feminile and three times won Tour de France Femmes precursor the Grand Boucle. She talks about her journey to the top, overcoming hospitalisation and prejudice to become one the best riders of the late 90s and early 2000s.

We also look ahead to this year's Giro d’Italia Women which begins at the end of the month. The Cycling Podcast Féminin will be bringing listeners daily coverage of the race for the first time, starting on 30th May.

Also on the agenda: the ambience of shopping malls, virtual sangrias and Denny’s dream of being paid in cheese.

Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the Giro d‘Italia.

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Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the Giro d‘Italia.

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Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Join Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci as they take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the 2026 Giro d‘Italia. Today’s Giro d’Italia rolled from Porcari to Chiavari on a tough 195km medium-mountain stage, with punchy climbs and a breakaway-friendly finale along the Ligurian coast.

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Join Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci as they take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the 2026 Giro d‘Italia. Today’s Giro d’Italia rolled from Porcari to Chiavari on a tough 195km medium-mountain stage, with punchy climbs and a breakaway-friendly finale along the Ligurian coast.

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Join Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci as they take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the 2026 Giro d‘Italia.

Today the race rolled from Porcari to Chiavari on a tough 195km medium-mountain stage, with a breakaway-friendly finale along the Ligurian coast. So how did it pan out?

Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.

Join Daniel Friebe, Brian Nygaard and Michele Pelacci as they take you to the heart of the action, on the ground, at the 2026 Giro d‘Italia. Today, after a rest day, the race is back underway with an individual time trial from Viareggio to Massa on the north-west coast of Italy.

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Follow us on social media:
Twitter @cycling_podcast
Instagram @thecyclingpodcast

Friends of the Podcast
Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes.

2026 Girovagando selection:
You can buy this year’s Girovagando wine selection here: https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-giro-26.
The wines with corresponding stage numbers are as follows:
Stage 3: Mixtape Red, Georgiev & Milkov, Plovdiv (red)
Stage 4: Tenuta del Conte, Calabria Rosso, Calabria (red)
Stage 5: Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata (red)
Stage 10: Bianco 'il Terraio’ Paterna, Tuscany (white)
Stage 14: Les Crêtes Mon Blanc, Valle D’Aosta (white)
Stage 20: Braida Antica Blanc, Russolo, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (white)

The 11.01 Cappuccino
Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am).

The Cannibal & Badger
Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in.

The Cycling Podcast is on Strava

The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.