Claim OwnershipSigma Sports Unplugged with Matt Stephens
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Sigma Sports is proud to present Matt Stephens Unplugged, a regular catch-up with cycling’s favourite character, Matt Stephens, as he chats with special guests and explores the bowels of his own fruity mind. With lots of surprises along the way, the route-map has been torn up; so who knows what direction we’re going in, or where we’ll end up!
136 Episodes
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Matthew Riccitello is one of the most exciting young climbers in the WorldTour. Fresh from a breakthrough fifth place at the Vuelta a España, the 23-year-old American joins Matt Stephens from altitude camp in Sierra Nevada to reflect on his journey so far and his move to Decathlon CMA CGM Team. In this episode, Matthew discusses GC ambition, training philosophies, racing without a power meter, and why consistency and confidence are his greatest strengths. Matt learns about life in his hometown Tucson and his adoptive European home of Nice. Wise beyond his years, Riccitello explains how he feels the final week of a Grand Tour is the best stage on which to shine.
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Double Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee joins Matt Stephens from his home in Yorkshire for a wide-ranging conversation about life after elite triathlon. Brownlee reflects on retiring from professional sport, the pressure of delivering at a home Olympics, and why daily movement still matters as much as ever. The pair dive into Alistair’s growing love of gravel racing, sibling rivalry with brother Jonathan, and that unforgettable moment at the 2016 World Triathlon Series. There’s also time for business ventures, community impact, and a proper Yorkshire Bramhope quiz covering pubs, tunnels, chippies and baked goods.
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Former world champion Julian Alaphilippe joins Matt Stephens from Tudor Pro Cycling’s training camp near Calpe to reflect on a career defined by courage, instinct and unforgettable moments. Julian opens up about leading the Tour de France, the pressure of wearing the rainbow jersey, and why that period was both a peak and a personal challenge. He discusses becoming a father, finding balance beyond results, and why joining Tudor has reignited his motivation. The conversation also explores modern cycling’s obsession with numbers versus feel, the responsibility of leadership, and the emotions behind his standout victory in Québec… before a lively Saint-Amand-Montrond hometown quiz rounds things off.
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2025 Pan American Cyclocross Champion Andrew Strohmeyer joins Matt Stephens from his European base in the Netherlands to discuss racing World Cups, funding a full European season, and chasing a professional career. A multiple US national champion and Pan-American title holder, Andrew explains the “Mud Fund,” the impact of gravel’s boom in the US, and the technical skill gap between American and European racing. He breaks down his impressive 12th place at the Tábor World Cup, the demands of elite cyclocross training, and why the discipline keeps pushing him to improve - before contemplating the existence of exploding goats in the Mount Airy, Maryland hometown quiz.
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1Portugal’s finest export since the pastel de nata, João Almeida joins Matt Stephens for a brilliantly honest conversation that dives into the life and mindset of one of the most consistent GC riders in the modern peloton. Matt also digs into what it’s like sharing a team with superstars Tadej Pogačar, Juan Ayuso and rising talent Isaac del Toro. Does riding for UAE Team Emirates limit his personal ambitions, or unlock even more potential? What did he really say in that infamous Tom Pidcock moment? João answers all of this and more with refreshing honesty.
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Matt Stephens chats to ultra-distance bike racer, content creator and charity fundraiser Chris Hall about his recent challenges for Movember. Despite atrocious weather conditions, Chris completed a lap of Britain unsupported during the summer of 2025, learning valuable lessons along the way. With a history of severe depression, Movember is a charity close to his heart and this monumental effort is documented superbly in Chris’ film “Bikepacking the Perimeter of Britain”. Cycling has played a huge part in Chris' recovery from depression and continues to help him maintain his mental health.
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Support Chris’ Movember fundraising at his MoSpace: https://uk.movember.com/mospace/6408721
Chris Hall’s ‘Bikepacking The Perimeter of Britain’ on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLGuamHY2pc
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Matt Stephens chats to Emma Pooley about her incredibly varied career, which spans from professional cycling through long distance running and triathlon, to a victory on University Challenge and some Geotech Engineering thrown in for good measure. The very definition of a multi-disciplinary champion, Emma talks candidly about her struggle to retire from pro sports and how her love for the mountains is undying. The former UCI Individual Time Trial world champion and Olympic Silver medalist shares the origin story of her competitive nature, which to Matt’s surprise, involves roast potatoes.
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Matt Stephens chats to Amy Hudson, known as amy.cycling.adventures on social media channels, about her struggles with mental health and the role cycling has had in her recovery. While working as a Mental Health Nurse for the NHS, Amy began suffering with anxiety and eating disorders, with thoughts of suicide. Her husband bought her a road bike, and it slowly changed her life. Now, with the goal of raising funds for mental health charities, she has completed the entire men’s Tour de France route as well as the transfers, and is setting her sights on a huge challenge in 2026.
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Amy’s Fundraising page for Shout and The Mix Mental Health charities - https://www.justgiving.com/page/a-c-a
Read more about this episode on the Sigma Sports Blog:
https://www.sigmasports.com/hub/stories/world-mental-health-day-matt-stephens-in-conversation-with-amy-hudson
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Filippo Conca races in the Maglia Tricolore with UCI WorldTeam Jayco–AlUla - but just three months ago, that seemed like a distant dream. Out of contract at the end of 2024, he found salvation in SWATT club, an Italian amateur team known for offering cyclists a fresh start with a mix of road and gravel racing. In this podcast, Filippo explains how it feels to win an Italian national road race championship as what he calls ‘a normal rider’, how his engine was suited to gravel racing, what he has planned for the end of this season and his goals in 2026. His is a story of resilience, redemption, and victory - it’s a bit like a movie.
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With his unique mix of mayhem, tangents and honest analysis, Matt Stephens looks back on the final week of the 2025 Vuelta Ciclista a España drawing this season’s Rest Day Reflections mini series to a close. There was redemption for Egan Bernal, Pidcock on the Podium, a birthday Kuss, and of course the great Dane dominating the race with Vingegaard looking good in red on the top step. But this is a Matt Stephens podcast, so you can expect clips from inside a revolving door, an origin story about his fondness for waterfowl, and an honest admission from Adam Blythe on his struggles with resisting off-air Monster Munch.
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From Juan Ayuso’s contract to Mads Pedersen’s anatomy, Matt Stephens leaves no stone unturned in his analysis of stages 10 to 15 of the 2025 Vuelta Ciclista a España. With the race in the balance, this informal look back at the previous week of racing is the perfect rest day listening. Expect the usual from Matt however, as he gets distracted by Orla Chennaoui’s theme song, carp (again), and an eerily silent room!
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Fresh from the TV studio, Matt Stephens reflects on the first nine stages of the 2025 Vuelta Ciclista a España as they happened. Expect expert opinions on a jam-packed first week of racing that included everything from a mini Giro d’Italia to a sprint finish with a disqualification. And since this is Matt’s podcast, you can also expect him to provide updates on wooden foot bridges and for him to get distracted by carp.
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Reporting from the mix zone, the motor bike, and a McDonald’s, Matt Stephens brings us a unique look at the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift 2025. After hot-footing it from stage 19 of the men’s race, Matt didn’t want to miss a beat of the women’s competition. And what a race it turned out to be. With so much French interest in their homegrown riders the fans at the roadside brought the atmosphere, and the peloton brought the theatre. With a final word from Pauline Ferrand-Prévot fresh from her victory this is a podcast not to be missed.
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Live from behind the scenes at the Tour de France, Matt Stephens shares his experience of the final week of racing at the men’s competition before jetting off to watch the Femmes. In this episode you can expect the usual shenanigans alongside some more detailed race analysis and a reflection on how the Tour de France unfolded. So if you like a cocktail of excitable European accents reviewing their fancy French dinners, and Adam Blythe mildly panicking about toilet access while on moto duties - then this is the Tour de France podcast for you.
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He’s armed with a portable recorder and he’s still not afraid to use it! Matt Stephens is back at the Tour de France 2025 to bring us a series of vignettes from behind the scenes, as well as his thoughtful reflections on how the men’s race has been ridden over the course of stages 11-15. So if you like thoughtful reflections, panic in ski gondolas and plenty of references to classic pop music - then this is the Tour de France podcast for you.
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From behind the scenes at the 2025 Tour de France, Matt Stephens has got his portable recorder at the ready to capture the atmosphere, and his own reactions to the biggest men’s bike race in the world. From the grand depart in Lille to the unpredictability of Bastille day, there are a whopping ten stages to get stuck into. So if you like tiny toilet reports, caravan float roulette, and time trial recces on Bromptons - then this is the Tour de France podcast series for you.
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After what many are describing as the best Giro d’Italia of all time, Matt Stephens looks back at the final week of action from stages 16 - 21 2025. Stepping out of the TNT Eurosport Discovery TV studio to record his clips, Matt’s reactions are immediate, honest and fresh - with takeaways from each stage that retell the story of the grand tour in his unique way. You can also expect to hear about bees, swashbuckling, snakehips, low-budget Mission Impossible movies, and German Fathers’ day, - after all, this is Matt Stephens Unplugged.
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Looking back at stages 10 - 15 of the Giro d’Italia 2025, this special episode of Sigma Sports Presents Matt Stephens Unplugged is another fantastic installment of his Rest Day Reflections mini series. After each stage of the Giro, Matt pops out of the TV studio to give us his raw reflections on how the race went that day. Expect wet and wild time trials, Lidl Trek dominance, the surprising demise of a race favourite, and (this being Matt Stephens); water polo cousins, goose attacks and a
taxidermied fox to feature too!
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Live from Stockley Park, Matt Stephens steps out of the TNT Eurosport Discovery TV studio and delivers his opinions on the Giro d’Italia as it happens. In this episode, Matt reacts to a thrilling week of racing when the Giro landed on Italian soil, as he focuses on stages 4 - 9. There was a little bit of everything to reflect on; flat stages with frantic finishes, impressive climbing from grand tour debutants, and the pink jersey changing hands four times in the past week. Not to mention a thrilling win for Wout van Aert in Siena, on a stage sharing the same gravel sectors and the same finish as Strade Bianche.
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For the 2025 edition of the Giro d’Italia Matt Stephens has a live in-studio role providing commentary and analysis for TNT Eurosport Discovery. But he’s taken his pod-mic along and will give us his daily reactions to each stage, right after it happens. In this episode, Matt looks back at the first three stages in Albania, which saw some pretty hectic racing right from the very start of his favourite Grand Tour. Matt being Matt, this podcast features tips on how to eat well with only a hotel kettle to cook with, and plenty of laughs along the way.
Disclaimer: This episode contains mild swearing. Two "S-words" to be precise!
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genius!