Sigma Sports presents Matt Stephens Unplugged

Phil Gaimon on KOMs, hustling, and his un-professional cycling career

Matt Stephens has an open and honest chat with Phil Gaimon about his admittedly stop-start professional cycling career, and how he never really got a fair shot at the races that suited him. Now carving out a creative path through riding with sponsorships within the world of cycling, Phil’s exciting new ventures can’t be considered a retirement. Having recently joined Jukebox cycling, a uniquely international setup of multidisciplinary cyclists doing what they love, he’s enjoying his cycling perhaps more than ever. However, he still considers his ability to hold 400 watts for an hour to be wasted on Strava KOMs.

Dan Bigham on engineering the perfect performance

Matt Stephens and Dan Bigham talk numbers in their fascinating conversation about aerodynamics, power, watt-saving measures and pies. The British Hour Record holder is a formidable engineer, who specialised in aerodynamics - Matt is keen to learn how this unique set of skills helped him to earn his current title, and of course, Dan knows exactly what he would need to do to break the World Hour Record. Now working with INEOS Grenadiers, how will his knowledge be put into practice in a team environment, and will he share his winning formula even if it threatens to take his own record away?

Joss Lowden on turning pro in the nick of time

Matt Stephens learns how Joss Lowden bought a TT bike one Saturday, signed up for her first Time Trial on Sunday and set the course record on Monday. “Like a fish to water” doesn’t begin to describe the current Women's World Hour Record holder’s natural aptitude for bike racing. Now riding for Uno-X, the 2022 calendar looks incredibly exciting for Joss, but how will it compare to a Norwegian military-style team-building exercise featuring a single potato and a very large onion? And can it live up to the career highlight of standing on the podium with her partner Dan Bigham at Harrogate World Championships in 2019? There’s only one way to find out - enjoy the podcast.

Cameron Mason on the synergy of Cyclocross

Matt Stephens chats with Cameron Mason about his impressive performance at the HSBC UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships, taking home the Under-23 title and coming second in the Elite category at the tender age of 21. Wise beyond his years, Cameron credits his early-career success to his passion and motivation to learn every time he turns up to an event. With strong opinions on the maximum value of stock loaded into a Poundland lorry, a stunning performance in the Linlithgow quiz, and advice for what to pack on a 1000-year trip across the Galaxy in a UFO, this is an episode not to be missed.

Double Downing - Russ and Dean’s Top Training Tips

Matt Stephens is joined by not one, but two Downing brothers as Dean and Russ share their expertise in this training-focused podcast. Both having enjoyed illustrious racing careers, they now run the hugely successful Downing Cycling; coaching ambitious amateurs and top professional athletes alike. Matt is keen to learn how time-crunched riders can maximise their training time, what the most common training mistakes are, and what their best piece of advice is for new riders. We hear how the Donny Chaingang went online during lockdown and has flourished from there. Plus there are plenty of distractions along the way, with the Rotherham quiz and the Random Question Generator causing all kinds of confusion.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio on ESports, equality and empowering women

Matt Stephens chats to Ashleigh Moolman Pasio about her wonderful career so far, and how the multiple National Road Race and Time Trial champion of South Africa took to ESports like a fish to water - winning the 2020 UCI Cycling ESports World Championship. She speaks passionately about training and racing on Zwift, and how the platform is great for building confidence in women getting into cycling. The SD Worx rider looks forward to the season ahead with an eye on making the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift a real highlight.

OJ Borg talks on the radio and thinks on the bike

Matt Stephens and OJ Borg embrace the tangents in this fun-filled meandering chat. The BBC Radio 2 DJ explains how turning Vegan caused him to lose his voice, how he doesn’t just buy Lego for his kids, and how seeing Rob Hayles naked really caught him off guard. In the Leicester quiz, OJ displays sound logical reasoning, while the Random Question Generator goes all ‘Desert Island Discs’ but without the discs. There’s time for some cycling chat too - with OJ recently completing Mallorca 312, he admits he gets real clarity of thought while riding his bike.

Taylor Phinney only fell in love with the bike once he retired

Matt Stephens chats to Taylor Phinney about living the dream of riding whatever kind of bike he wants to, whenever he likes. How funemployment is equipping him with newly acquired and admittedly random skills. Plus we learn about his first love of football (soccer), and how a trip to the orthodontist helped him look like his childhood hero - if only for a short while. But when the Random Question Generator leads him to the topic of modern-day heroes, it’s clear that Taylor’s heart now lies in the arts. 

Alex Howes on training smart and racing stupid

Matt Stephens talks to Alex Howes about his new career trajectory, which includes coaching amateur riders and racing at World Tour level with EF Education-NIPPO - whether that’s on the road or at gravel events. He's got a lot of balls in the air, and Alex even juggled this podcast recording with the duty of feeding his baby. Now enjoying a mountain lifestyle in Nederland Colorado, Alex believes the world would be a better place if everyone rode a bike. But can he beat his team manager, Jonathan Vaughters in the second-ever Denver Quiz? 

Joe Dombrowski on nurturing talent and eating Obama’s M&M’s

Matt Stephens and Joe Dombrowski talk about the culture shocks experienced by American riders living in Europe, and how he’s happy to sacrifice a little convenience for the laid back pace of life in Nice. At the time of the interview, Joe was about to sign for Team Astana and recalled his hugely successful final season with UAE-Team Emirates - featuring a stage win at the Giro d’Italia, and recalls how close he came to wearing red at the Vuelta Espana too. But when Joe remembers the time he was invited on board Air Force One and left with the President’s M&M’s, he concedes that it was probably the best day of his life.