The Piste Take
Hosted by track cycling professionals, Lewis Stewart and Jonny Mitchell, the Piste Take offers top level insight into the world of track cycling. With expert analysis from some of the sports top riders and coaches, we offer a deep dive into the stories, shenanigans and titbits as the sport gears up for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.The Piste Take releases on Thursdays on a fortnightly basis, with some bonus extra episodes lined up.Artwork by Taylor Craig with thanks to Glasgow Caledonian Library for the use of their recording studio.
The Piste Take
Episode 51: An Ode to Katie Archibald + Canada Women's Team Pursuit Scandal latest
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This week on The Piste Take, we pay tribute to one of the greatest track cyclists Britain has ever produced. Katie Archibald, two-time Olympic gold medallist, four-time world champion, has announced her retirement, and we think she deserves her flowers. After 13 years at the very top of the sport, she walks away with 51 major medals, seven world titles and a record 21 European crowns. We reflect on a career that was like no other, and the impact she's had on the sport not just as an athlete, but as a person.
Then we turn to a story that has the track cycling world furious. Cycling Canada has told its women's team pursuit squad, two years out from the Los Angeles Olympics, that they will not be sent to the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai this October, the first qualifying event for LA 2028, and that the program will not be supported through to the Games. We break down what's happened, why it matters, and what it says about how national teams understand (or don't) what it's like to be on of their athletes.