Tour de France Rest Day Reflections 2025 - Stages 1-10 A relentless and breathtaking first week of racing

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Contact us! [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 certainly one to watch if he’s chosen for this season’s Giro d’Italia. Not only is he a fantastica bike racer, but he can sing and play guitar too! Paul treats us to a rendition of Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” at the end of the podcast. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 solely the experience itself. A fascinating chat with a unique young athlete that has some sage advice for all of us.  To donate to Boru’s fundraising page for MIND mental health charity, visit this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mindmapping This podcast deals with themes of depression and suicide. If you are struggling with your own mental health, consider contacting your local health services or General Practitioner. Or visit https://www.samaritans.org/ for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 what Jeroen is so highly regarded in academia and sports science. He discusses the impact of having a star like Tadej Pogacar on the team, the latest research into raceday fueling, and tells Matt how to win the Tour de France. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 riders with her YouTube and Social Media content. In this podcast she explains her plan to race The Life Time Grand Prix, and has some great advice for anyone wishing to try gravel cycling for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, Lars and Matt have a deep dive on the continued evolution of ‘cross, surprising off-season training methods, and a local hero award he recently received that’s guaranteed to raise an eyebrow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices