Thirty-three year old Willie Smit is one of Africa's most ever-present professional cyclists over the last 15 years. He has raced at UCI World Tour, Pro Continental and Continental level across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Willie shares his entry into the sport, his heroes and motivation, his highlights and recent DQ story, and his hints and tips for younger riders in a highly entertaining chat, all in his usual candidate and honest style!

Check out his full palmares on ProCyclingStats here...

Anyone who knows a little about African cycling knows the name Adrien Niyonshuti. The inspirational Rwandan who survived a genocide, found a purpose riding and racing bicycles, made history by qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics, had a brilliant career in the World Tour, and is now a highly successful coach to young African and international riders.

Fourteen years after the London 2012 Olympics, we sat down with Adrien and the race commentator Dan Jarvis to reminisce about that seminal moment in African cycling; the release of the Rising From Ashes movie about Adrien's life (now available for free HERE on YouTube) that year which features Dan calling Adrien across the finish line to hundreds of cheering fans; and his work now with the UCI's World Cycling Centre to coach and develop young African - and other - riders.

Adrien is truly one of the most inspirational African cyclists of all time. We hope you join us in celebrating this moment, enjoy a stroll down memory lane, and maybe have time to watch the Rising From Ashes movie as well!

The Tshenolo Women's Pro Cycling Team is a new African women's team, African-owned, and based in South Africa.

The team is considering moving to the UCI Continental level for 2027, however for now is racing across South Africa and all relevant African races.

We caught up with the team's Sport Director, Durwan Benjamin, and Lucy Young, one of their top riders, to talk about the team, the Tour du Burundi Feminin, which started on Sunday, and the riders she feels will be in contention.

This race is the only UCI women's stage race on the African continent in 2026. At the time of this podcast going live, the 20yo Kazakhstan national champion Yelizaveta Sklyarova has won the first two stages, with riders from Team Amani and Tshenolo filling the rest of the top nine GC spots. Burkina Faso's strong rider Lamoussa Zoungrana has fought her way into tenth spot as well.

Give the Tshenolo Women's Pro Cycling Team a follow on Instagram and we wish them well for the rest of 2026 and into 2027! #WatchTheFemmes #AfricaRising

We always are looking for stories to tell about Junior or U23 African riders as they represent the future of cycling on the continent. Our latest podcast features 21-year-old Neriah Meunier Sow, the new National Champion of Senegal!

Neriah currently races for the Surne Bilbao Cycling Team in Spain as part of an international 20-rider squad of U23 athletes. He took Senegalese citizenship in 2025, with strong family ties to the West African country. He talks through his family connections, his love of the culture and how he got into cycling. Another African with Alberto Contador as his hero as a young rider.

We talked to him about his career so far, his hopes and dreams for his career, and his advice for young riders trying to make it in pro cycling! Thanks for your time Neriah!

With just four days to go to the start of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, we joined the official AG Insurance Soudal press conference, to hear from Mauritius' Kim Le Court Pienaar about her preparations for this year's race.

Despite her big crash and wrist injury earlier in 2026, her recent performance at the women's Tour du Suisse shows she is in great form. Hear her thoughts on her recovery, her preparations and strategy for the 2026 race.

Saturday 18 July was "Qhubeka Day" at the Tour de France.

The stage and the whole day is dedicated to the South African charity which manufactures new African-designed bicycles and distributes them to schoolchildren in the poorest areas of the country. This hugely reduces the time it usually takes them to walk to and from school, improving attendance and results, as well as significantly improving their individual safety.

Qhubeka - and the French domestic charity Secours Populaires - are the principal causes of the Tour de France's "Un Vélo pour Tous" (A bicycle for all) commitment to cycling mobility. As part of this program, more than 7,500 bicycles have been donated.

We caught up with Anthony Fitzhenry, the Founder of the Qhubeka Charity, in Mulhouse after the day's celebrations had taken part, to hear all about the charity, and some of the moments that took place today, including Sir Mark Cavendish talking about his experience at Qhubeka distributions.

You can see the 2026 TDF & Qhubeka promotional movie here, and to find out more about the charity, or to make a donation, visit their website: www.qhubeka.org

#LAveniràVélo #BicyclesChangeLives

On this week's episode, we spoke with Gerhard Breed, the President of Windhoek Pedal Power, and the Race Organiser of the 2026 Pupkewitz Megabuild Tour de Windhoek - powered by Pupkewitz Motors!

This race is Namibia's premier multi-stage cycling event, showcasing the breath-taking landscapes of the country across five thrilling stages, and is one of southern Africa's top races.

Participants traverse diverse and technical routes that test endurance and skill, culminating in a grand finale and prize-giving ceremony at Pupkewitz Megabuild Lifestyle.

Listen to a full run-down of all the exciting things happening from Gerhard, including a children's race, a night race, a big cycling expo, and a criterium. All with some impressive prizes!

To register or to find out more, visit the Pupkewitz Megabuild Tour de Windhoek website!

A week after this event, the UCI African Continental Gravel Championships will be taking place in Namibia.

By taking part in the Tour de Windhoek, African riders can acclimatise to Namibia's altitude, and then race the Gravel Conti Championships! Taking part will give riders the right to enter the UCI Gravel World Championships, so it would be a week well spent in the beautiful country of Namibia.

To find out more about the Gravel Conti Championships, visit their official website.

On 29 March 2026, 17-year-old Jonathan Muhawenimana won the Rwandan Junior MTB XCO National Championships. This was a great win for a rising young Rwandan cycling star.

Jonathan is the son of Rafiki Uwimana, who, alongside Adrien Niyonshuti, was one of the founding riders of Team Rwanda 20 years ago.

Jonathan is currently in the USA on a training and racing program, and we would like to give a shout-out to the awesome Excel Sports for sponsoring Jonathan!

Our podcast today is with Ryan Petry, the Creative and Community Lead for the iconic Mt Blue Sky Hill Climb.

The Mt Blue Sky Hill Climb will take place on 25 July, and is a legendary 27-mile ride up the highest paved road in North America. The ride was established in 1962, and the organisers close the road to the top for riders' safety.

The Climb is in honor of Bob Cook, a US Olympian and record holder. Bob Cook died of brain cancer at the age of 23, and the Hill Climb is a memorial to this extraordinary athlete.

We hear Jonathan's hopes for the race - give him a follow on Strava to see how he does - some tips from Ryan on how to handle this really challenging race, and lots more!

Give the race a follow on Instagram, and we will of course be sharing Jonathan's results as they are confirmed.