Sigma Sports Unplugged with Matt Stephens

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 - th...

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...

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 b...

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...

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 to...

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 favour...

Matt Stephens chats to Paul Double about his journey from development rider at Zappi’s Racing Team to winning World Tour stages for Jayco AlUla. Unlike recent trends, Paul’s route to the top tier of pro cycling has been a steady development over many years of racing through the ranks, only signing his first World Tour contract at 28. He’s a gritty, determined climber with a decent sprint - so he’s...

Matt Stephens chats to Boru McCullagh about his incredible bikepacking trip around the globe. When he started out, Boru had a fixed route and planned to ride as quickly as possible, but he soon realised that was not the way he needed to do things. In this podcast he explains to Matt how his outlook on bike riding changed when he realised the bike was the means of experiencing the world, and not so...

Matt Stephens chats to UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Head of Performance Jeroen Swart about his role on the team, and how he helped transform them into one of the most successful sports teams in the world. With fascinating insights into the importance of applying scientific knowledge in a way that fosters team spirit and personalised approaches to coaching for each individual rider, it's clear to see wh...

Matt Stephens talks gravel racing with former British Gravel Champion Danni Shrosbree. The accomplished former road racer turned to gravel during lockdown and never looked back. Within a couple of years she had become one of the best gravel racers in the world, winning Badlands in the pairs category with her partner Bradley Shenton, finishing 4th at Unbound and inspiring a generation of young ride...

Matt Stephens chats all-things cyclocross with Dutch superstar Lars van der Haar. The Baloise–Trek Lions rider is a former U23 World Champion, won the European Championships twice, and shared the elite podium with the likes of Pidcock, Van Aert and Van Der Poel. So there’s no better expert to comment on how the sport is changing in terms of both the riders and their bikes. In this fascinating chat...

Matt Stephens chats to Toms Skujiņš about his hugely impressive results in recent seasons, with the Lidl-Trek rider coming second at last year’s Strade Bianche, and finishing 4th in the road race at the UCI World Championships in Zurich. The former Latvian national champ is suited to long and hard days in the saddle, and has high hopes for the 2025 season where he’ll certainly be one to watch. Onc...

Matt Stephens chats to Alex Yee about his illustrious triathlon career, where he became only the second man to win both Olympic gold and the World championship in the same year for the standard distance triathlon. Now his sights are set on running a marathon in 2025, Matt is keen to learn how training is going, and what time he’d be happy to finish with. For a man with a mural of his face in his h...

Matt Stephens welcomes the first Dame he's ever had on the podcast in a wonderfully uplifting conversation with Laura Kenny. As Britain's most decorated female Olympian, Laura needs no introduction. But how she has embraced life since hanging up her wheels is something we could all learn from. Enjoying the freedom to use her own voice and to truly be herself, Laura is grasping as many opportunitie...

Matt Stephens chats to Bas Tietema about his incredible journey from promising young pro cyclist with a podium at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, to falling out of love with racing, only to fall back in love with cycling as a fan. While following the tour de france from his tent at the roadside, Bas made some amazing YouTube content with friends and got the motivation to start racing again This inspired hi...

Matt Stephens chats to Robbie McEwen about his highlights of the 2024 season, and whether Tadej Pogacar can be beaten in 2025. The Australian fast man sprinted to his fair share of victories over his illustrious career; none more memorable than his first grand tour stage win in 1999, which came at the Champs Elysees - a story he retells with humorous detail. On the topic of rider safety raised by...

Matt Stephens chats to DSM-Firmenich PostNL rider Oscar Onley about his sharp rise to the top step of the World Tour podium. The young Scottish rider had a setback at the 2023 Vuelta Espana, but could focus solely on his recovery thanks to the faith his team showed in him by offering him a long contract. He has since gone on to race a fantastic season in 2024, including a stage win at the Tour Dow...

Matt Stephens discusses a trailblazing first season at pro level for Joseph Blackmore, which saw him jump up a level from Conti Tour to Pro Tour for Israel Premier-Tech. He had a string of fantastic results along the way, including the general classification and points jersey at the tour de l’Avenir, he also won the tour of Rwanda, tour of Taiwan and the Circuit des Ardennes, and the U23 Liège–Bas...

Matt Stephens chats to David Millar about retirement, maturity and finding solace in the quiet life. The former British national champion won multiple stages and wore the leader's jersey of all three grand tours during his illustrious career. In a candid and honest conversation, David opens up about his recent alcohol problem, and how the bike played a big role in his rehabilitation. Now in a much...

Matt Stephens discusses career highlights with Victor Campenaerts, including his UCI Hour Record and that amazing victory on stage 18 of the 2024 Tour de France, which he credits to the joyous psychological boost that came with the birth of his son. Recorded in the off-season, Victor is about to move from Lotto Dstny to Visma Lease a Bike, where he explains his goals for 2025 include helping Jonas...

Matt Stephens chats to Nathan Van Hooydonck about the heart attack that changed his life forever, prematurely ending his professional cycling career for Team Jumbo Visma. Having enjoyed a hugely successful career with highlights that include helping Jonas Vingegaard win the Tour de France in 2023, he is now embracing life as a business development manager for Team Visma Lease a Bike. Discussing th...

Matt Stephens chats to Tiffany Cromwell about her impressive road racing career and her switch to gravel racing in recent years. The Canyon//SRAM pro has some great advice for anyone getting into gravel, and lives by the rule of constantly challenging herself. Having set up events in her homeland of Australia and her partner Valtteri’s homeland of Finland, she’s helping grow the whole gravel scene...

Back in France with his portable recorder, Matt Stephens brings us clips from behind the scenes at the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift 2024. From the grand depart in the flatlands of Holland to the hilly Ardennes and onto the high mountain finale of Alpe D’Huez, the biggest grand tour on the women’s calendar was like a week-long ramp test. And while the racing was nothing short of breath-taking,...

Matt Stephens is back behind the scenes at the Tour de France with his portable recorder, capturing the sights and sounds of the race and the caravan. While dodging chicken goujons and other projectiles, he catches up with Hannah Walker, Adam Blythe and Alberto Contador as they review the feast of racing we’ve been treated to over the past three weeks. Matt also reflects on Tadej Pogačar’s scintil...

From behind the scenes at le Tour de France, Matt Stephens has been having the time of his life reporting on the race from the back of a motorcycle for Eurosport WBD. As the Tour entered week two, Jonas Vingegaard completed his incredible comeback to put Tadej Pogacar under serious pressure for the GC. Meanwhile Matt has enjoyed an adrenaline fuelled reportage while sitting on the back of a motorc...