Sigma Sports presents Matt Stephens Unplugged

Lauren Steadman on the gift of being different

Matt Stephens chats to British Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman about her impressive career so far and how moving from swimming to triathlon unlocked her potential as an Olympian. It’s no surprise that the Psychology graduate backs up her sporting talents with immense mental strength, but how well does she know her hometown of Peterborough, and how will she react to the interruptions of the uncontrollable Random Question Generator? - There’s only one way to find out!

Richard Hughes - Keane drummer and keen cyclist

Matt Stephens chats to Richard Hughes about his impressive musical career and his undying love for cycling. Having grown up using his bike for fun and to get to band practice, the Keane drummer has gone on to complete some of the toughest rides in Europe. He talks candidly with Matt about how the bike really helped him cope with a hiatus from gigging, and the merits of planning your next challenge before you complete the current one. Having shared the same stage as his musical heroes, and the same roads as his cycling heroes - the parallels between the two are plentiful.

Adam Blythe can’t help wanting to put the hurt on people

Adam Blythe and Matt Stephens discuss the modern era of road racing, and how competing against the likes of van der Poel and van Aert is a whole different ball game. There are two tenuously linked stories about the Junior Axel tour, and Adam gives us an insight into how it feels to ride pillion on an in-race moto at the Tour de France. The pair imagine a bike race without bikes, talk at length about Bubble and Squeak and Adam tries to phone a friend to gain a competitive edge in the Sheffield Quiz.

George Bennett denounces balance and preaches life in the extremes

George Bennett and Matt Stephens discuss how fine margins win races, but fine margins are easy to close. From his apartment in Andorra, overlooking the empty pistes, the New Zealand native looks back at his career to date and explains how he’s grown as a rider. Now with Jumbo Visma, the Kiwi national road champion is flourishing at a team that really knows how to mine his talent. The Random Question Generator serves up a doozie, and Matt gets out his notebook to swat up on George’s hometown for the Nelson quiz.

Lizzie Deignan on deciding when to make other people suffer

Lizzie Deignan is enjoying life as a pro cyclist more than ever, and in this exclusive interview, she tells Matt Stephens all about her preference to train outdoors, whatever the weather. They look back at her confident victory at the 2015 World Road Championships in Richmond and discuss the future while touching on their shared addiction to property listing websites. Matt’s done his research in the Otley quiz, and Lizzie doesn’t disappoint with her local knowledge.

Steve Cummings on tactics and starting from scratch

Steve Cummings tells Matt Stephens how his working-class background makes him uncomfortable with doing nothing. Now busy with a postgrad course and his new position at Ineos Grenadiers, Steve recognises how privileged he is to have lived the dream of being a professional cyclist, and is now in the fortunate position to start all over again. The random question generator is back, and Matt struggles to find questions about Steve’s hometown, in the Pensby quiz.

Karl Kopinski on the parallels between art and cycling

Karl Kopinski steps back from the easel to spend an hour with Matt Stephens and chat about their shared loves of art and cycling. Famed for his breathtaking illustrations and captivating portraits, Karl enjoys nothing more than unwinding with a hard session in the saddle. On his way to becoming the celebrated artist he is today, the Nottingham native worked as a pool attendant, did a shift in a pie factory, and spent a day as a refuse worker. But, it was an in-house stint at Games Workshop followed by a chance meeting with designer Paul Smith that really changed his life...

Matt Holmes on perseverance and waving with confidence

Matt Holmes takes a break from training on his snowy local roads to chat to Matt Stephens about his first Giro d’Italia and admits that while he’s not the best climber or sprinter out there, working hard can get you far. The Lotto–Soudal rider lays out his goals for the coming season, tackles the Wigan quiz, and explains how his newfound fame has changed the way he waves.

Kasia Niewiadoma on the rapid evolution of Women’s Pro Cycling

Kasia Niewiadoma tells Matt Stephens how she first took up cycling to prove herself to her father, then ended up making him incredibly proud by winning the Amstel Gold Race in 2019. Tune in to find out how the Canyon-SRAM climber prepares for a big race, how cycling is a great way to meet new people, and exactly how Matt managed to lose a quiz he wrote himself.

Jonathan Vaughters on arguing about ducks with the UCI

Jonathan Vaughters explains to Matt Stephens how his EF Education-Nippo cycling team is the natural home of intellectual misfits, and how no rider is greater than the team itself. With a personal love for individual expression, JV practices what he preaches and is known for standing his ground and swimming against the tide. But just how will he fare in the world’s first cycling-podcast-based Denver quiz?