Sigma Sports Podcast Archive

Episode thirty one

Matt Stephens and Richard Hughes discuss playing the biggest venues in the world and riding the biggest rides.

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.

Listen to episode thirty one below.

Episode thirty two

Matt Stephens and Lauren Steadman chat about keeping sight of your goals and never giving up.

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!

Listen to episode thirty two below.

Episode thirty three

Matt Stephens and Michael Matthews talk about finding the right path and taking your chances whenever you can.

Michael Matthews explains to Matt Stephens just how professional bike racing has changed since he turned pro 10 years ago. How he owes his hugely successful racing career to an unlikely source of inspiration, and how he fell back in love with the sport of cycling. There’s a world-first in the hometown quiz, and Michael is asked to sum up his experience with all of his former teams in just one word.

Listen to episode thirty three below.

Episode thirty four

Matt Stephens and Rebecca Charlton chat gender judgement, adrenaline and Disney soundtracks.

Rebecca Charlton tells Matt Stephens how she wanted to be a broadcaster from a very young age, and how the role of cycling in the pursuit of her dreams was somewhat coincidental. The pressures to adapt to a male-dominated industry in order to thrive encouraged her to do just the opposite, carving her own path in her own personal way. Rebecca has her work cut out in the hometown quiz, as Matt’s done some diligent research on Shoreham-by-Sea - plus the Random Question Generator serves up an existential head-scratcher!

Listen to episode thirty four below.

Episode thirty five

Matt Stephens and Nic Dlamini chat goals, hunger and the future of racing for young South Africans.

Nic Dlamini tells Matt Stephens all about growing up in hunger and how that has shaped him as a person and an athlete now. The Qhubeka Assos rider started riding a bike for a very cool reason, and now races to change people’s lives, with his team’s primary sponsor doing such great work in providing bicycles to people who need them in Africa. In the Cape Town quiz, Matt stumps Nic with a question about his hometown’s penguins.

To learn more about Qhubeka and perhaps make a donation, visit their website.

Listen to episode thirty five below.

Episode thirty six

Matt Stephens and Eric Min talk about creating a new cycling community and the importance of social impact.

Eric Min tells Matt Stephens how his unemployability meant he had no choice but to start his own company, Zwift. A bike racer in his youth, Eric has cycling in his DNA and is now rediscovering the joys of riding outdoors since moving house to rural England. Matt demands a pat on the back for his extensively researched Seoul quiz while Eric reflects on the importance of having a positive social impact through business, and how building an online community can be just the ticket.

Listen to episode thirty six below.

Episode thirty seven

Matt Stephens and Lachlan Morton chat about dream bikes, dream events and nightmare hypothetical scenarios.

Lachlan Morton explains to Matt Stephens how cutting down his road race calendar has meant he can now enjoy each race as if it’s his first, thanks to the alternative calendar afforded to him by EF Education-Nippo. As a world-beating endurance rider, he tells us how he’s had to harness his inner McGuyver to fix a range of trailside mechanicals. The Random Question Generator was on overload, dictating a number of meandering tangents, while the Port Macquarie quiz tackles nudist beaches and Aussie cover-bands visiting Lachlan’s hometown.

Listen to episode thirty seven below.

Episode thirty eight

Matt Stephens and Elisa Longo Borghini chat about their childhood obsessions with the Giro, and how dreams can come true.

Elisa Longo Borghini tells Matt Stephens how a period of reflection during lockdown helped shape her give-it-all attitude toward the 2021 season. The Trek Segafredo rider remembers geeking out on the Giro d’Italia as a kid, and can’t help but enjoy adding to the hurt her competitors feel on race day. Tune in to learn all about her vow to entertain on the road, and the magical connection between herself, her mother and the Olympic games.

Listen to episode thirty eight below.

Episode thirty nine

Matt Stephens and Matteo Trentin discuss rider safety, the merits of turning pro after university, and which animals are the rudest.

Matteo Trentin admits to Matt Stephens that the modern era of road racing is brilliant for the spectators but extremely difficult for the riders - so it’s a good thing he’s a fan. He credits the amazing team spirit of UAE Team Emirates to the collection of social riders they’ve put together, and measures this by how difficult it is to leave the dinner table. Tune in to find out which is Matteo’s favourite cog, and what his dream bike would look like.

Listen to episode thirty nine below.

Episode forty

Matt Stephens and Ned Boulting (sort of) live from the 2021 Giro d'Italia talk about this year's race up to the second rest day and who would be in their darts dream team.

Ned Boulting explains the virtues of a good darts game to Matt Stephens and the duo discuss why they are out at the Italian stage race. Ned shares his thoughts on the lack of crowds at the 2021 race and if a diminished Tifosi makes a difference when it comes to watching a bike race unfold. Tune in to find out how well he knows his hometown on Andover and what the Tour de Ned would look like.

Listen to episode 40 below.