Stanley St. Social | Cycling News and Interviews
by Max Gawn, Luke Plapp and Alex Clements
Cycling podcast for race news, rider interviews and honest takes from inside the peloton. Melbourne AFL captain Max Gawn, WorldTour pro Luke Plapp and Alex Clements break it all down.Cycling news every Monday, long-form rider interviews every Wednesday, plus daily coverage through the Tour de France - alongside the Giro d'Italia, la Vuelta, the spring classics, the WorldTour and Australian racing. Race recaps, tactics, gossip and the odd terrible take.
Episodes
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Interview of the season | Max on Stuey O’Grady, Pogi and Carapaz
Description Max Gawn joins from Thailand for a Wednesday Social Club. He reckons if Pogačar comes to the Tour Down Under, he falls in love with it and comes back three years running. And if anyone has the mail, it's Michael Matthews. We unpack the points system and why being a top-three ProTeam…
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Max Gawn Sits Down With Stuart O’Grady | 2027 TDU
Max Gawn sits down with Santos Tour Down Under race director Stuart O’Grady to go through the 2027 route, stage by stage, the morning after Max and Ed Langdon Everested Willunga Hill. They talk leaving Willunga out of his first race as director. O'Grady explains how the men’s and women’s races…
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Adam Hansen on GPS trackers, WADA and fixing cycling’s safety problem
CPA president Adam Hansen joins us fresh from the first UCI cycling reform meeting to talk rider safety, salaries and anti-doping from the inside. Heads up: the audio isn’t our usual standard, but what he shares is well worth pushing through for. Adam takes us through what was discussed at the...
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Trek Are a Watch: Max’s Top Five Transfers | Ciccone, Ganna
Max Gawn's top five transfers of the trade period so far, from Giulio Ciccone to Q36.5 and Filippo Ganna to Lidl-Trek to Ben Turner at Soudal Quick-Step. Plus Paul Seixas wins Il Lombardia, Per Strand Hagenes takes Paris-Tours, and Plappy is out of Guangxi with a fractured wrist. In this Social...
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Sir Max Gawn Everests Willunga at 115kg | Remco, Ciccone, Lombardia
Max Gawn has Everested Willunga Hill: 39 and a half laps, 8,851 metres, no power meter and 115 kilos, alongside Ed Langdon and Hamish Blake. Plus Plappy on crashes and police motorbikes on the course in Italy, Remco v Ciccone at the Euros, and who wins Il Lombardia. In this Social Club: Max's...
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A Sports Director Has Never Crossed the Line First | Sam Bewley
Former GreenEDGE rider Sam Bewley joins us for a look at what goes on behind the scenes at a WorldTour team. Sam is now Head Sports Director at NSN. His job covers race strategy from the car, deciding which DS goes to which race, and helping recruit the riders who will shape the squad in 2028. We...
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Teamwork Wins Races (8-Man Teams) | World Championships 2026 Recap
Brandon McNulty is the 2026 road world champion. Team USA's 8-man squad outplayed Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, and Michael Matthews rode to a heroic silver for Australia with almost no team support. On this week's Social...
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Worlds Preview, Brownlow Night and Max's Everest Plan | Social Club
Max is fresh off fourth in the Brownlow, the best vote count of his career, and a red carpet interview that started with a question about the world wheelchair championship. He also talks Everest prep: seven laps of Mount Dandenong, roughly 40 climbs to go in South Australia, and a possible pub…
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Folded Teams, Unpaid Wages & Making the WorldTour at 34 | Aaron Gate
Aaron Gate made the WorldTour with Astana at 34. New Zealand's most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete joins us to talk through one of the most unlikely careers in the peloton. He won Olympic team pursuit bronze in London, then worked through a string of teams that folded underneath him,...
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Luke Tuckwell | The Roglič Apprenticeship, and a Worlds Debut
Luke Tuckwell's first Grand Tour was a three-week apprenticeship. He rode the Vuelta a España as Primož Roglič's climbing support, spent most of it on his wheel, and came out the other side named in Australia's team for his first elite world championships. He's 22. Roglič wanted him sitting…
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Australia's Incomplete Worlds Team | Movistar Win Big + Vuelta Tiers | Social Club
Australia's team for the world championships in Montreal has been announced, and there are a few names on it worth talking about — and a few that aren't on it at all. Alex and Max go through the selection rider by rider, look at how the squad might race in Canada, and get into a side of the...
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Mas Holds Firm, Van Aert Runs Riot at the Vuelta | Social Club
Max is back from the footy trip (alive) and Plappy's building form for Tour of Bright as the boys dive into a huge week of La Vuelta a España. They break down every stage from 9 to 16 - Van Aert's green jersey dominance, Movistar's masterclass in setting up Enric Mas, and Brenner's big win for…
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Michael Matthews | Kobe Bryant, GreenEdge Then & Now, and Pogi
Bling / Michael Matthews joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation spanning his entire career — from a motocross-obsessed kid in Canberra who stumbled into cycling, to Australian champion within six months, to a decade-plus at the top of the World Tour. Bling opens up on the origin of his...
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David Spindler: Team Culture, Concussion Science & The Neurochemistry of Winning
Dr. David Spindler is a neuroscientist, cognitive performance strategist, and elite athlete wellbeing expert who's spent his career helping athletes and teams understand that brain chemicals matter. He's worked with some of the biggest names in professional sport, most famously alongside Mark...
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The Pogi-to-Australia Masterplan (Sky Decks, Highland Cows & One Very Specific Tennis Player)
The boys have a plan to get Tadej Pogačar down under. Meanwhile the Vuelta has completely flipped on its head, someone's playing it ice cold in the red jersey, and the mountain bike world championships produced one of the most ridiculous rides of the year from a guy who basically chose to start...
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We're (Alex is) sorry | Max's 9th Jacket + Ed hard-launches the next cycling project
We're (Alex is) sorry — Monday's show fell apart in a car park in Stage 3, so here's the make-up episode. Max's 9th All Australian jacket, plus Ed hard-launches the next cycling project: an Everesting attempt in October with zero training.:Max's Top 5 on fixing cycling coverage and a full Vuelta...
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Matthew Richardson | AUS To GB, The Lifetime Ban & Getting Taken Out In Japan
Alex sits down with Matthew Richardson at his home in Manchester for his most open interview yet. The world's fastest man over 200m takes us inside the Japanese Keirin World Series — the deliberate hit that broke his scapula and put him in a Tokyo hospital, body armour, betting culture, and three...
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Keeno's Home | Tour Wash-Up, Vuelta Preview & Max's Top 5 Commentators
Keeno's back from 44 days in France. Matthew Keenan, Max and Alex wrap the Tour and TDFF. We preview the Vuelta a España — UAE's three-headed monster, Gall, Onley, Landa's last World Tour Grand Tour, Tuckwell's GT debut — and run through Hamburg, Czech Tour, Norway (Uno-X, obviously), Del Toro's...
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James Moran | Building Uno-X's Nutrition Program
James Moran is Head of Nutrition at Uno-X Mobility, joining the team in December 2019 as a consultant when they were still a Conti squad, before building the entire nutrition program from the ground up as they turned WorldTour. What began with just a list of riders and no instructions beyond…
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Top 5 Riders Teams Should Sign, Max's Grand Final-or-Everesting Gamble, and Monaco's Car Rankings | Social Club
Plappy's back from San Sebastián. Max's off-season plans hinge on one thing: Melbourne's finals run. Either he's playing in a grand final, or he's Everesting a climb in South Australia with Ed Langdon — completely untrained, in the hunt to be the heaviest person to ever do it. Also floated…
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Team Demi vs Team Kasha — the Receipts Get Read | TDFF Final Recap
The final episode of an incredible nine days — Max makes his case for "Team FDJ," a 2024 grudge resurfaces, and one mid-race turn from an unlikely rider blows the whole GC group apart before the decisive finale. In this episode: Demi's callback to 2024 and the full context behind it — was Kasha...
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Fourth Yellow Jersey in Eight Days, and It's Not Slowing Down | TDFF Stage 8 Recap
Will Max's solo laptop-battery monologue finally sees the light of day? Alex rides Ventoux himself, and a genuinely controversial corner sparks the most heated debate of the whole Tour — was it a block, or just racing? In this episode: Alex's own Ventoux ascent, and a Strava time nobody's allowed...
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Team Games, a Neutral Car Nightmare & the Ventoux showdown | Stage 6
A stacked breakaway, a young French rider given the hometown blessing to attack, a runaway neutral service motorbike causing chaos, and a proper GC scare for one of the favourites heading straight into the Queen Stage. In this episode: FDJ's hometown gift to their young French talent, and EF's...
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"I Was At My Best. They Were Just Better." | TDFF Stage 5 Recap
Amy makes her BBC radio debut talking bra-gate, and back on the bike a genuinely brutal stage separates the real GC contenders from the pretenders — including one honest, disarming post-race quote that stuck with everyone. In this episode: Amy's whirlwind BBC appearance, and whether any press is...
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Pauline's Position, Bra-Gate & the UAE Leadership Mess | TDFF Stage 4
Max is back from a Gold Coast win and straight into it — Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's baffling time trial position gets torn apart, a fresh UAE leadership headache deepens, and a UCI aerodynamics scandal that's somehow gone properly mainstream. In this episode: Pauline's TT position — "overrated...
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Where Was Everyone Else? Hello. | TDFF Stage 3
Amy's Women's Cycling Weekly origin story, another round of the broadcast coverage debate, and a proper "why wasn't anyone else in the move" session for the teams who missed their shot on a day that opened right up. In this episode: Amy explains how Women's Cycling Weekly started, and why she…
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The Blasi Files and the Coverage Gap | Tour de France Femme Stage 2
The Blasi contract drama just got a lot juicier — a 100K buyout clause, a "stupid mistake" quote, and a team principal stepping down mid-Tour. Plus a genuinely brutal blow for the Australian contingent, and a deep dive into why some stages get full broadcast coverage and others don't. In this...
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Six Minutes, No Panic | Tour de France Femmes Stage 1 Recap
Title Options — no spoilers Primary (recommended):Six Minutes, No Panic | Tour de France Femmes Stage 1 Recap Alternates: The Blasi Question & a Savage Post-Crash Quote | TDFF Stage 1 Our Biggest Prize Yet, Thanks to Zwift | TDFF Stage 1 Recap Spratt's Last Tour, Raced Like Her First | TDFF Stage…
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Vollering, PFP, Vos & Niewiadoma: Tour de France Femmes Preview
We're joined by a brand-new voice on the podcast — cycling journalist Amy Gaze, who's covered the Tour de France Femmes since its inaugural edition in 2022 (ex-Cyclingtips, Rouleur, and her own Substack), to break down everything you need to know before the race hits the road. Alex and Max sit…
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Luke Plapp Is Back! Tour de France Final Week Breakdown
Luke Plapp is back on the pod straight off the back of the Tour de France, and we're running through everything from the final week. Plappy takes us inside Stage 21's new Montmartre circuit (better than Alpe d'Huez?), what it's actually like riding through the crowds at Alpe d'Huez when you're…
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That's a Wrap! Tour de France 2026 Final Stage | Stanley St. Social
That's a wrap on the 2026 Tour de France! Max Gawn and Alex close out three weeks of daily coverage with the final stage into Paris — Mathieu van der Poel's incredible late attack on Montmartre, Jasper Philipsen's runner-up salute, and Tadej Pogačar sealing his dominant overall win. They reflect…
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Week Three Legs, Chalk Lines & That Ackermann Photo | Stage 20 Recap
Week three legs are separating the field, the Alpe d'Huez debate isn't going anywhere, and the mailbag has thoughts on both. Chalk lines vs rope vs barriers, plus one photo of Pascal Ackermann that needs no further explanation. And yes, there was also a Queen Stage. In this episode: Week three…
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Best Advertisement Cycling's Ever Had | Stage 19 Recap
Genuinely one of the wildest days of the Tour — a stacked breakaway, a three-way GC battle up the road, and a mountain scene so chaotic it's sparked a real debate about barriers, cars, and the future of racing on Alpe d'Huez. Plus Max stays up staring at the ceiling and lives to tell the tale. In...
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Mauro Schmid is a bargain for Q365 | Stage 18 recap
Look deeper, Alex — Max wants his flowers. Sore leg, black nicks, an unconvincing podium smile. Gross Hartner suddenly does it all. Parapant's 11-0 in polka dot sprints and nobody can explain why Carapaz keeps trying. Mauro Schmid, absolute bargain. Feud with the rivals, officially over. In this...
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Trek's Brain Fade, UAE's Bus Bug & Sponsorship Dreams | Stage 17 Recap
A genuinely wild green jersey day — Trek let a 40-point lead shrink to 7 in the space of one stage, while a mystery illness in the UAE camp opens the door for Red Bull to make a real move. Plus Max makes his TV debut alongside Mick Molloy and the Aussie Uno-X sponsorship pitch takes a turn into…
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The WADA Saga Continues & We Can't Get Enough of Your Voice Notes | Stage 16 Recap
The doping-testing saga refuses to die down — this time it's Mahorič calling out the inconsistency, and Adam Hansen weighing in on the financial and mental toll testing takes on riders. Plus a brutal blow for Red Bull-BORA on an otherwise huge day, a teams classification battle down to 20…
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Rest Day Voice Notes: The Grenade Tweet
Rest day, and it's a big one — 43 voice notes to get through and only twenty minutes of the show that were meant for them. Max and Alex start on the 2am testing saga engulfing the GC battle — Vingegaard and Pogačar's out-of-hours tests, the ITA's "severe suspicions" line, and a very direct take...
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20 Questions & a Rest Day Reckoning | Stage 15 Recap
A stage that flipped the entire Tour on its head — Jonas Vingegaard's race-ending crash, a wild UAE tactical scramble, and Max eating a full plate of humble pie after his breakaway predictions blew up spectacularly. In this episode: Why Visma's early race-long effort almost delivered the win —...
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Pogačar & Del Toro's Perfect One-Two, Charmig's Heartbreak | TDF Stage 14 Review
A wild one from the mountains — Carapaz nearly stole the stage before Vingegaard, of all people, paced Pogačar back into contention. Alex and Max break down a genuinely funny piece of race tactics, a big GC shakeup, and one more sad Charmig update before previewing a brand new climb for Stage 15....
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Plappy Has Legs & Jayco's Perfect Day | Tour de France Stage 13 Recap
The stage everyone had circled finally arrived — a massive breakaway, a genuine tactical masterclass from Jayco AlUla, and Luke Plapp officially graduating from "names not legs" to the real deal. In this episode: How Plapp basically called his own tactics pre-stage, then executed them perfectly...
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We've Got the Roster, Now We Need $20M (Plus $30M) | Stage 12 Recap
Genuinely the pick of the Tour so far — a stacked breakaway attempt, a chaotic finale, and yet another sprint jury controversy. Plus, Max has done his homework and built an actual Australian/Kiwi Uno-X-style dream team, position by position. In this episode: Casper Asgreen's aero-helmet tell and...
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What If Australia Had Its Own Uno-X? | Tour de France Stage 11 Recap
What if Australia had its own Uno-X? Alex and Max go deep on why national-identity teams like Uno-X actually work — and make a genuine, semi-serious pitch to Australia's richest people to fund the next one. Oh, and there was also a Tour stage today, and it was the best sprint finish of the race…
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Trek vs UAE: It's time to focus on the team classification | Stage 10 Tour de France
Rest day brought its own chaos — a rogue podcast drop, hotel horror stories, and Alex's mountaintop stakeout for a Plappy stage win that never came. Back racing, Bastille Day delivered exactly the kind of Pogačar dominance we've come to expect, but Alex and Max dig into the smaller battles hiding...
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How Philipsen can win again | Caleb Ewan & Matt Keenan | Tour de France rest day
A special one for rest day — Alex and Matthew Keenan sit down with Caleb Ewan for a wide-ranging chat covering team identity in the pro peloton, the reality of stepping into the commentary box, and Keno's incredible 20th Tour de France milestone. In this episode: Why national-identity teams…
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Cause they're a GC team | Stage 9 Tour de France
Stage 9 brought the biggest breakaway fight of the race so far, a genuinely baffling UAE tactical decision, and a redemption stage win for MVDP heading into the first rest day. Alex and Max break down the chaos and set up week two. In this episode: Every team's attempt to get in the break — and…
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Me Myself Me & Stage 9 Preview | TDF 2026
Stage 8 delivered another Tim Merlier masterclass — this time with no lead-out at all, bridging a gap solo and still finding the win. Alex and Max break down a wild finale, a genuinely funny Patrick Lefevere quote about Remco Evenepoel, and preview a Stage 9 that could produce one of the biggest...
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Merlier's Genius Move & Cycling's Concussion Problem | TDF Stage 7 Recap
Stage 7 gave us a genuine bunch sprint for the first time this Tour, and Merlier proved once again why he might be the fastest man in the race. But this episode goes deeper than the finish line - Alex and Max take a hard look at cycling's concussion protocol after two riders in three stages…
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Remco Keeps Receipts, Lippo Finds Another Gear, and Pogačar Just Rides Off
Pogačar went at the 42.7km mark — Del Toro went with him, did a turn, then cracked human — and from there it was just Tadej riding away to a 2:40 stage win and the yellow jersey. But the real drama wasn't even the stage win. Remco Evenepoel stopped for a nature break, got dropped, had to chase…
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Messy Finishes, Green Jersey Wars & Stage 6 Preview | TDF 2026
Stage 5 was billed as the big sprint showdown, but it played out more like a quiet day in the legs — and Alex and Max dig into whether that was fatigue, tactics, or something closer to a protest ahead of tomorrow's Tourmalet. In this episode: Why nobody wanted to make Stage 5 hard, and what that...
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The Heat Broke Riders, Trek Broke the Race | TDF Stage 4 Recap
Stage 4 was run in genuinely brutal conditions — 44 degrees on the road, no heat protocol in effect, and a peloton that paid for it. Alex and Max break down a day where the tactics mattered as much as the legs. In this episode: How hot was it really, and why there's still no UCI heat policy in…
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About this show
Cycling podcast for race news, rider interviews and honest takes from inside the peloton. Melbourne AFL captain Max Gawn, WorldTour pro Luke Plapp and Alex Clements break it all down.Cycling news every Monday, long-form rider interviews every Wednesday, plus daily coverage through the Tour de France - alongside the Giro d'Italia, la Vuelta, the spring classics, the WorldTour and Australian racing. Race recaps, tactics, gossip and the odd terrible take.
Hosted by
Max Gawn, Luke Plapp and Alex Clements
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