In the first 2021 episode of the Cyclingnews podcast, we look back at the first major news story of the year involving the sudden contract termination of Marc Hirschi at Team DSM and his move to UAE Team Emirates.
We analyse why the move may have come about and what this says about Team DSM and their decision to release one of the revelations of last year midway through his contract.
We look back at some of the other riders who have left the team during existing deals, from Warren Barguil to Michael Matthews, Marcel Kittel to Tom Dumoulin and discuss whether the departure of Hirschi is somewhat different. The Swiss rider certainly leaves a void in the team but we look at who can step up to fill the gap, and whether Romain Bardet is the perfect fit as their new team leader.
Along with that, Daniel Benson and Ed Pickering from Procycling magazine make some bold predictions for the season in both the men’s and women’s WorldTour, and we also play some of the possible new Cyclingnews podcast theme tunes that our trusted listeners have sent over recent weeks.
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