The Domestiques

A Norwegian in yellow. A Dane winning the stage. And Lidl-Trek putting on a tactical masterclass.
Matilda Reynolds is joined by Mark O’Brien to break down a brutal opening week of the Tour de France, where the heat, the climbs and the relentless racing have already started to take their toll. We unpack Mads Pedersen’s brilliant breakaway win, Uno-X’s dream day in yellow with Torstein Træen, the suffering of the sprinters, and what UAE’s control of the race says about the battles still to come.
They also look ahead to the first true sprint showdown, debate whether Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier or Biniam Girmay has the edge, and preview the coming Tourmalet stage as the GC contenders prepare for their first major mountain test.

The Tour de France is here, and it has wasted no time reminding everyone why it is the biggest race in cycling.
This week on The Domestiques, Tils, Marko and Hollywood break down the opening stages of the Tour, from the Barcelona team time trial and Visma’s early masterclass, to Pogacar’s ominous start, Del Toro’s rise, Remco’s pressure, the first breakaway chances, and the brutal heat already shaping the race. The first week has barely started, but the GC picture is already shifting.
They are joined by EF Education-EasyPost’s Harry Sweeny, who gives a brutally honest update on the toughest stretch of his career. After a flying start to the year at Tour Down Under, Harry looked set for a huge European season before illness, knee pain, surgery, chicken pox at altitude, a mystery nerve issue, and a second operation wiped out months of racing.
Harry talks through the physical and mental toll, life in Monaco, switching off from cycling, rebuilding from a CTL of 28, staying locked in with EF, and why the Vuelta could still be on the cards.
Plus: Hollywood’s Tour kit verdict, Marko’s Hellride downfall, heat training, AI in cycling, sprinters, GC predictions, and the usual amount of abuse between mates.
The Tour is on. The heat is up. And the Sween Dog is rebuilding.

This week on The Domestiques, Tils, Marko and Hollywood are joined by Harry Leask, Olympic silver medallist for Great Britain, former America’s Cup cyclor with INEOS Britannia, and current Beach Road weapon making Saturday mornings miserable for anyone brave enough to sit on.
Harry takes us inside one of the strangest and most brutal roles in elite sport: powering a high-speed sailing boat from inside a tiny, boiling carbon box, where four riders are locked together, producing massive watts with no control over when the next effort is coming. From rowing at the Tokyo Olympics, to training alongside the INEOS Grenadiers, to discovering Melbourne cycling culture via the Hellride and the Queensmen, Harry’s story is as ridiculous as it is impressive.
The crew also previews the opening stages of the Tour de France, including the Barcelona team time trial, the first GC flashpoints, the stages to watch, and why the opening weekend could already cause serious damage. There’s also European nationals chat, special edition Tour kits, Fashion Corner, running injuries, and the usual amount of unnecessary abuse between friends.
The Tour is here. Sleep deprivation begins now.

The Tour de France is almost here, and the final exams have been handed in. This week on The Domestiques, Tils returns from a wrong turn at Devil’s Cardigan, Marko is back from Thailand with tendonitis and a double IPA, and Hollywood delivers one of his firmest fashion rulings yet: socks over leg warmers. No debate.

The crew break down Tadej Pogacar’s ominous Tour de Suisse performance, where he didn’t just win, he looked like he was running testing protocols on the rest of the peloton. They also dive into a brilliant women’s Tour de Suisse, Marlen Reusser’s return to form, Elise Chabbey’s aggression, Tali Appleton’s WorldTour stage race result, and the terrifying crash that left Eriska Zigart with a broken jaw.

Closer to home, there’s Devil’s Cardigan, gravel racing, Tils’ elite-category farewell, and the sudden arrival of Harry Leesk as a legitimate wattage monster after going toe-to-toe with Brendan “Trekky” Johnston. Plus, Marko explains whether gravel training is really different to road training, Lorenzo Finn announces himself again at the Baby Giro, and the boys hand out their Best Rider on Ground.

Luke Tuckwell joins us after a life-changing weekend. After an incredible week at the Critérium du Dauphiné, the young Australian stunned the cycling world with a breakthrough GC performance, spending time in yellow and finishing second overall against some of the sport's brightest young stars.

This week, Tils, Hollywood and Marko break down Tuckwell's ride, what it means for Australian cycling, and whether he's done enough to force his way into a Tour de France selection.
We also preview the Tour de Suisse, discuss Isaac Del Toro's frightening form, debate Remco Evenepoel's reported 425-watt FTP, and look at the latest action from the women's peloton and Copenhagen Sprint. And yes, we spend far too much time talking about yellow bibs.

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