The solo show Cadel: Lungs On Legs, created and performed by Connor Delves, will play at Riverside Studios in London from October. It offers an intimate portrayal of the Australian cyclist’s remarkable 2011 Tour de France victory.

Cadel: Lungs On Legs, directed and dramaturged by Mark Barford, tells the story of Cadel Evans, the only Australian to win the Tour de France. The production opens at Riverside Studios on 13 October, running until 15 November, with a press night on 15 October. This follows a scheduled return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Gilded Balloon, Museum venue, from 6 to 30 August.

The solo show sees Delves on stage for the entire performance, riding a 2011 yellow BMC SLR01 bicycle—the same model Evans used to win the 2011 race. The play recounts the physical and psychological challenges of elite cycling, enhanced by live race commentary from Phil Liggett.

Delves co-wrote the piece with Steve McMahon and draws on his own background as a cyclist and cycling family. His parents ran a bike shop, his mother earned the WA Sport Award (May Campbell Medal), and his father competed alongside Evans internationally in the 1990s.

The production has previously played sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025 and toured Australia. It carries the endorsement of Evans himself, who praised the show’s ambition and authenticity, highlighting the physical dedication involved in performing while cycling on stage.

The creative team includes production design by Imagine Black, lighting by Mitchell Fenton, video design by Lauren Cochrane, sound design by Nate Edmondson, with assistant direction by Eva Sheehy-Moss. Mecca Christy appears as on-stage assistant stage manager and featured ensemble.

Evans noted the dramatic demands of professional cycling and expressed excitement that the sport’s “drama, effort, unpredictability, and suspense” would be presented as an art form. The play promises a new way for audiences to experience the thrill of major races through theatrical storytelling.