Listener sentiment
Listener sentiment remains strongly positive in the wake of the 2026 Tour de France, with the majority of recent ratings awarding top marks and several reviewers describing the show as their new go-to daily companion for Grand Tour coverage. Ned Boulting and David Millar's partnership is the most frequently praised element — listeners highlight their tactical insight, wit, and ability to distill a full stage into minutes of essential analysis, with Lizzie Deignan also singled out as an excellent foil who drew some fans to the companion "Femmes" coverage. The one persistent, specific complaint continues to be race results appearing in episode titles before listeners can watch highlights; this has prompted a handful of low ratings and at least one unsubscribe, and has been raised independently by multiple reviewers across the Tour window. The broader format transition from the original Never Strays Far identity still generates some nostalgia among long-time fans who miss the scrappy travelogue eccentricity and find the new iteration more advert-heavy and mainstream, but most recent reviewers have embraced the change and frame their high ratings as explicit support for the team through a period marked by the loss of ITV's free-to-air Tour de France coverage. Overall, a deep reservoir of goodwill endures, and the show appears to be consolidating its position as the preferred English-language cycling podcast for many listeners.
Apple4.8 · 396
Summary generated Aug 23, 2026
