Podcast
Benji Naesen on why Wout's Roubaix hit different, Seixas at the Tour and cycling's blind spot on women's health - Domestique Hotseat
In this episode, Lantern Rouge co-host and cycling analyst Benji Naesen joins Aidan in the Hotseat for a conversation that goes well beyond race tactics. From the Pro Cycling Manager disc that started a lifelong obsession, to weighing 130 kilos and being too scared to show his face on camera, Benji opens up about the journey behind one of cycling's most listened-to podcasts and why he's using that platform to push for change in women's health.
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Benji gets into how a Pro Cycling Manager disc changed his life, why he became obsessed with statting every continental rider on the planet, and how a DM about Vincenzo Nibali turned into the Lantern Rouge Cycling Podcast within days of meeting Patrick for the first time.
He also opens up about weighing 130 kilos, the shame that stopped him from doing anything about it, and how Zwift sessions at midnight slowly became his way back. Along the way, he explains why he loses interest in riders the moment they stop being underdogs, and what it felt like watching Wout van Aert cross the line at Roubaix.
Looking ahead, Benji breaks down the Pogačar problem, why comparing Van der Poel's Ronde tactics with Wout's Roubaix approach is apples to mangoes, and whether Paul Seixas can genuinely podium the Tour de France. The episode closes with a passionate discussion on endometriosis awareness, RED-S screening and why women's health in cycling remains dangerously underfunded.
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