Simon Richardson

1969. July the 15th. Stage 17 of the Tour de France. A brutal stage from Luchon to Mourenx covering four of the toughest mountains in the Pyrenees. On this fateful day, Eddy Merckx catapulted himself into the history books with one of the greatest solo breakaways the sport has ever seen. Fast forward over half a century, and GCN’s Simon Richardson is in the Pyrenees to pay tribute to The Cannibal by recreating his ride. To make the 220km epic even more challenging, Si will do it aboard his 1969 spec Faema team bike and wearing their iconic red and white jersey. Eddy Merckx made this ride look easy, but will Si even make it to the finish line?

Simon Richardson and James Lowsley-Williams are heading to Nepal to tackle the Annapurna Circuit; a 230 km trail that circumnavigates the mountain. Known as the best long distance hike in the world, an experienced hiker will take around 20 days to complete the route on foot; Si and James are attempting to ride it in just 5. Joined by local Nepalese mountain bike legend, Mangal Lama, they’ll battle extreme weather conditions, treacherous single track, and perilous high altitude as they try to complete the iconic Annapurna Circuit.

Ex-pro cyclist Si Richardson heads to Ovaro in northern Italy to tackle the infamous Monte Zoncolan. Joining him is former professional, Dan Martin, who battled to a top 10 finish there at the Giro d’Italia in 2010. One of the toughest mountains in Italy, the Zoncolan was once considered too difficult for the Giro. It has featured eight times since its first appearance in the 1997 Giro Donne, but its hellish gradients immediately earned it a reputation as a bucket list climb to be feared by both amateurs and professional riders. This brutal climb averages an eye-watering 11.9% for 10.1km. WorldTour rider Alessandro De Marchi and journalist Antonio Simeoli, who both grew up at the foot of Monte Zoncolan, reveal why a climb so punishing is still so loved by the locals.

In a fierce battle of innovation and resourcefulness, two teams have just three days to go head-to-head over a pile of scrap bikes and used parts, on a mission to transform discarded relics into awe-inspiring tandem bicycles and create the perfect set of wheels for a picnic adventure. With just old bike parts and the tools available, UK framebuilders extraordinaire Paul Burford and Ted James team up with ex pro Alex Paton and Crit racer Alec Briggs to conjure up new bikes from old. Under the watchful eye of judges Si Richardson and expert Andrew Denham, as the action unfolds, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong - from wonky wheels, to faulty frames and crazy cranks! This all culminates in a day of wacky races but will either of the bikes be roadworthy? And will they look the part? Who will be crowned the winner?

A mythical mountain, and one of the Tour de France’s favourite battle grounds, the Col du Tourmalet is the jewel in the crown of the Pyrenees. Its slopes have seen champions crowned and dreams shattered by its brutal gradients, earning it the nickname ‘The Terrible Mountain’. Si Richardson heads to the Col du Tourmalet in search of the stories that have been written upon this most historic of climbs, to find out its importance to the local area, and the communities that call the mountain their home. Joined by ex-pro Dan Martin, he shares his own memories of success and heartbreak on the road to the summit of this iconic Pyrenean giant.

Zwift Academy Finals is a reality competition series where top amateur cyclists battle for a professional contract. Through intense challenges, training sessions, and real-world tests, finalists push their limits for a chance to turn their virtual racing dreams into a pro cycling career.

In just four months, Alex Paton will take on the world's best gravel racers at Unbound—the biggest, toughest, and most famous gravel race on the planet. The countdown to race day has begun! In this video, Alex takes on a gravel test run with Si Richardson to get a taste of the challenge ahead. He also hears from other experienced Unbound cyclists about what to expect on race day. But is it enough? …Will Alex truly be ready?