The Giro d’Italia rolls out from Albania on Friday and in doing so will introduce cycling fans to one of the more mysterious and probably misunderstood countries on the continent of Europe. We, too, knew very little about the 'Land of Eagles' but, in January this year, were invited on a remarkable treasure hunt that began with a listener’s enigmatic direct message into Daniel Friebe’s Twitter inbox. The story that then revealed itself - without giving too much away here - was one of an epic cycling journey that also turned into an astonishing voyage of self-discovery, into the so-called ‘Accursed Mountains’ of northern Albania. This KM0 is exceptionally available to all listeners, whether Friends of The Cycling Podcast or not. See below for details on how to become a Friend of The Cycling Podcast and thereby help fund our daily, on-the-ground coverage at the Grand Tours and output throughout the rest of the cycling season. The episode was written and narrated by Daniel Friebe and produced by Adam Bowie. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Dvine Cellars 2025 Girovagando Wine Selection As every year, Dvine Cellars and The Cycling Podcast have selected six wines that showcase the 'terroir' of the Giro d'Italia. Head to https://dvinecellars.com/products/the-cycling-podcast-giro-ditalia-2025 to make an order.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.