Ned Boulting

In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago.

Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence - studying each frame, face and building - until he had squeezed the meaning from it. It sets him off in fascinating directions, encompassing travelogue, history, mystery story - to explain, to go deeper into this moment in time, captured on his little film. 

Join him as he explores the history of cycling and France just five years after WWI - meeting characters like Henri Pélissier, who won the Tour that year but who would within the decade be shot dead by his lover using the same pistol with which his wife had killed herself. And Theophile Beeckman - the lone rider on the bridge.

Join Ned once more as he brings his cycling stories up to the present day - full of recollections of chaotic, memorable and sometimes surreal encounters with all the key riders. While the Tour de France takes centre stage, his horizons expand far beyond its confines to take in races across Europe as well as to fascinating locations in the Middle East, China and Malaysia.

There are behind-the-scenes chapters on life at the Giro d'Italia; the growth of women's racing; forays into podcasting; replacing the great Phil Liggett as ITV's main commentator; the Flemish classics; and the life and times of Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish.

Ride along as Ned travels around the UK with a stage show about the Tour de France, and on the many days that he and David Millar have spent quixotically riding folding bikes up and down enormous mountains.

Although best known as ITV's commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football. Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter.

Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it. Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary looking men on quadbikes - Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in 90s and 2000s football.