JoseBeentv

11/12/2023

I don't post all that on this page but at the end of the year it's always nice to look back.

2023 was another great year of cycling: from the commentary booth, on my own bike and onsite watching actual bike races.

One of the highlights was undoubtedly being at the cyclocross world championships in Hoogerheide for SRAM. Seeing THAT sprint between Van der Poel and Van Aert was amazing. I also got to visit the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix at the Tour de France start for SRAM.

Being at bike races is still my favorite thing in the world!

I was also at the TDF for Escape Collective, a new site with familiar faces, and met my colleagues. An annual highlight I got to continue at 'the new place' were the daily Tour de France culture, food and history segments for the website and podcast. I am also very proud of my interview with Michael Goolaerts' parents.

This year I added a new assignment to my portfolio called Geo-Sports. I love learning new things. From a place of zero geology knowledge I helped scientists write blogs that the general public understood and enjoyed. I also took care of commentary books for my colleagues during the Tour de France and wrote daily tweets. I get to do that again in 2024 too. Can't wait to learn more. I found a new love in scientific public outreach communication.

I translated and wrote rider interviews for Kalas and rode around in my own design kit made by this Czech brand. Their support is amazing, as is Trek's, Vittoria's, Zwift's and SRAM's. They keep me rolling smoothly.

I had my third year of commentary at Eurosport and Discovery in English. I did a total of 80 days of commentary of races on four different continents, mostly alongside everyone's favorite Scotsman Brian Smith. This continues in 2024 as well.

I was also onsite for some commentary shifts in my beloved Spain, including a long-awaited trip to the amazing Lagos de Covadonga.

What also returned in 2023 was my volunteer work at the Jeugdtour Assen after three years away due to COVID. Almost 450 kids from Japan to Canada, France to the UK and from Germany to the Netherlands rode their hearts out in the pouring rain. Nothing better than seeing young kids race.

What will not continue in 2024 is helping out at AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step women's team. After pioneering together with Natascha Knaven from 2019 the comms department now stands and I took a step back. I wish them the best of luck in 2024!

I rode around on my Trek Domane for 7,000km myself this year, walked a few hundred kilometers with the dogs, spent hours with Adriene doing yoga and swam quite a few laps in the pool again. Mental and physical health are thriving which in the end is the most important.

The agenda for the first six months of the year is getting fuller again and I am ready to go another year. Curious to see what adventures await me.

26/01/2023

Woooohooooo!!! You can find me on the GCN + app, Discovery + and Eurosport. Select English language of course

20/01/2023

Proudly presented: my new company name: José Been Taal & Media and new logo designed by Brent Peeters and Manon Zuurmond.

I chose to use my own name as a brand name because everything I do is very personal. It all comes from my passion for this sport.

The bike figurine was designed by Manon many years ago. It’s me. I ride the cobbles which are so quintessential to our sport.

I usually work in English but chose the Dutch word ‘taal’ for language in my brand name to emphasise my roots.

What do you think?

18/08/2022

A little reflection on ten years in cycling commentary

It was a decade ago today that José Been did something she never thought possible: commentate on a bike race.

13/04/2022

Was riding the Paris-Roubaix cobbles a good idea? Maybe

I don't do cobbles ... until I did do cobbles. It was a wonderful but probably one-time-only experience.

08/04/2022

Very proud of this honest and open piece

A ride to quiet the mind was the best gift I could have given myself.

07/03/2022

For Cyclingtips I spoke to photographer Tim De Waele about that picture of an upside down Julian Alaphilippe https://cyclingtips.com/2022/03/behind-the-photo-how-photographer-tim-de-waele-shot-the-alaphilippe-somersault/

Tim De Waele was in the right place at the right time in Saturday's Strade Bianche for 'that picture'.

06/01/2022

An interview with the super consistent Denise Betsema on her season, motherhood and that positive test https://cyclingtips.com/2022/01/get-to-know-the-ever-consistent-denise-betsema-late-starter-mother-of-two/

José Been catches up with Denise Betsema to talk goals, motherhood, and that positive test.

21/12/2021

On CyclingTips we all get to write about our ten favorite products. My products are mostly still the same awesome products as 2020 thanks to my sponsors SRAM, Zipp, Vittoria, Fizik and Kalas so I gave it a little twist.

These are the ten things that moved me: about riders, dogs of Instagram, my own pandemic panic and the people who were there

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/12/10-things-that-moved-me-in-2021-jose-been/

José didn't have a bunch of favourite new products this year; she did have a few things that affected her, though.

09/12/2021

Thinking back of December 2020 when I was thinking how to get Tour de José Media back on the road after a pretty bleak pandemic year, I can only be proud. It's not in my nature to toot my own horn but yes I am super proud of myself.

It's been a busy year with a great variety of employers and that was exactly what I wanted after leaving Eurosport NL back in 2019. Multiple eggs, multiple baskets and new challenges.

In 2021 I:

* made The Run-Up documentaries with SRAM, Trek and LIV plus great media partners like WeArePeny and ChiloTV, wrote interview features for SRAM and covered cyclocross and road races on social media.

* joined Eurosport as a lead commentator again but this time in English with a global audience through GCN.

* wrote 50 feature length articles and provided 21 Tour de France history and culture contributions on Cyclingtips daily TDF podcast.

* did voiceovers for the Wahoo SYSTM race simulation videos called Pro Rides Series.

* commentated on the Healthy Ageing Tour and Festival Elsy Jacobs as freelance cycling commentator.

* helped the Kalas marketing team with blog, social media and website translations plus feature interviews.

* started with A*O as freelance commentator for their Vuelta women's race Ceratizit Vuelta Challenge.

* continued as a volunteer press officer for NXTG Racing.

* rode my bike for 7000km.

Yes, I am proud of myself and immensely thankful for all the opportunities, trust and support I got this year. Let's do it all again next year!

02/10/2021

Today I witnessed the very first women’s Paris-Roubaix. It was hugely emotional and I didn’t see that coming.

The past months have been very hard for me. After I had Covid my anxiety disorder became far far worse. The panic attacks became ever more frequent with huge fears of choking and dying. They happened at home, in restaurants, at supermarkets and even during commentary or doing interviews with riders. This week they travelled with me too and I hit severe panic mode while making The Run Up.

Today at the velodrome when the last of the NXTG girls (a team I volunteer for) entered, I suddenly started crying.

The momentous nature of the very first Paris-Roubaix, the fatigue, the sense of belonging in this cycling world and the pride that I did I pull through these weeks and didn’t run away as I so often wanted, finally caught up. I started sobbing uncontrollably and it’s not something I normally do.

I did so many amazing things this year and these past months but I hardly got to enjoy what I did because focus was always on pulling through and making it through the panic and anxiety to the next day.

Today was a historic day and I enjoyed every moment. The tears matched the occasion. I am so happy I was there but also can’t wait to go home to start recovery and healing towards the new season.

One more day.

01/10/2021

The Run Up to Paris-Roubaix is now live!

https://youtu.be/kVrFI8TUcM0

It's finally here: The first ever women's edition of Paris-Roubaix. If you think you've been anticipating this race, just imagine what the riders have been g...

25/06/2021

This is what we made the past week. I am so happy and proud!

https://youtu.be/ihZlREWMr3c

The new series highlighting the Women’s World Tour goes to FranceThe Run Up returns for episode two, highlighting La Course, the biggest one day race of the ...

07/05/2021

interview time!

One of the most well informed and captivating TV commentators is José Been - Vik says so. Ed Hood caught up with José to hear all about it.

24/04/2021

I am proud to be part of this! We followed three of the biggest women’s cycling teams in their Run-Up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège

https://youtu.be/AwOKU18qVIc

This season there’s a new way to keep up with the best women cyclists in the world.Introducing The Run Up, a new web series that will take you inside some of...

19/04/2021

I updated my website with my new commentary schedule for 2021.

https://www.tourdejosemedia.nl/agenda/

Agenda 30 April – 2 May GP Elsy Jacobs (free, worldwide livestream) 2-9 May Tour de Rwanda (highlights GCN+) 13 May Bingoal Cup Circuit de Wallonie (GCN +/ Eurosport) 16 May Coupe de France Tro Bro Léon (GCN +/ Eurosport) 22 May Coupe de France Tour de Finistère (GCN +/ Eurosport) 23 May Coupe d...