In my estimation, the best scandal stories are the ones that make me obsess over something I previously couldn’t give two hoots about, and based on that rubric alone, Ghost in the Machine is an exemplary yarn. Set in the high-stakes world of professional cycling, and led by journalist Chris Marshall-Bell, this series revisits a big ol’ brouhaha that happened in 2016

When 19-year-old Belgian cyclist Femke Van den Driessche was found to have a motor in her bike, it caused uproar. But was she a cheat or a victim? Chris Marshall-Bell tells the very weird tale with enthusiasm, chronicling death threats, incredible allegations involving doped pigeons and anger from competitors.

— Guardian

I have no interest in cycling… but I really got into this. If you have any interest in sports news, crime, and investigations, this will definitely draw you in…. some of the names they get access to is very impressive.

— The Pod Squad

Excellent in-depth investigation of yet another suspected cheating scandal in cycling, from a journalist who leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get answers on a topic that others have treated more as myth than a story to be seriously interrogated.

Incredible piece of investigative journalism. Hope it gets the air time it deserves.

— Munster11 (Apple Podcasts)

Recommended. The combination of story, sources and production made the first episode really engrossing and I’m looking forward to hearing more. One doesn’t need to be a cycling bore to enjoy it: this is a sport story, and ultimately about the impact on one young woman’s life. I hope we get to hear from her, or at least more about her.

— Get Down (Apple Podcasts)