S1 Ep15: Brother UK Cycling Podcast - Women's Tour preview

This episode previews The Women’s Tour: a top-tier stage race, widely considered the most well-organised in the women’s sport. Brother UK has sponsored the event since its inception in 2014 and served as Official Print and Results Partner since 2016. This year, the Neutral Service p/b Brother UK in-race support crews will take their place proudly in the race convoy.

Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK and the podcast’s co-host, describes the logistical and operational challenge in preparing our neutral service support for a race with a diverse array of technical requirements. Phil shares his experiences from inside a neutral service vehicle at the recent Tour of Britain, too. 

Sophie Wright is a professional cyclist with the Alé BTC Ljubljana squad: an Italian-registered team competing at the sport’s highest level. As a ‘graduate’ of a Brother UK-sponsored domestic squad, Sophie is well-placed to comment on the race’s appeal to visiting superstars and homegrown talent. 

Mick Bennett is the Race Director of The Tour of Britain and The Women’s Tour. A former Commonwealth champion and Olympic medallist, he has spent a lifetime in the sport, most of it at the helm of Britain’s biggest races. His insights on the myriad challenges faced in staging a world-class bike race are well worth hearing. 

Becky Storrie is a young woman in a hurry. Signed in mid-season by CAMS-Basso from the Brother UK-OnForm development team, she will make her stage race debut at The Women’s Tour, testing her legs over six days alongside the newly-crowned world road race and time-trial champions. Becky’s honest and insightful comments on such a daunting opportunity offer an invaluable insight. 

Co-host Timothy John has been the editor of RoadCyclingUK.com and Rouleur.cc and is now a consultant. A journalist by training, he interviews each of the guests and presents and produces the episode. As a writer covering professional cycling since 2012, he has witnessed several editions of The Women’s Tour.