"Everything is back on track" - Michael Matthews looks to thrive on brutal Giro d'Italia route
Cycling
Michael Matthews won a summit finish stage last year at the Tour de France conquering the stage to Mende. The route in France will be very mountainous, but is was a logical option for the Team Jayco AlUla to ride the Giro d'Italia where he has better chances of taking a stage win and the points classification.
“Three years have already passed since the last time I raced the Giro and so I am very happy to return to a race that has given me a lot of satisfaction in the past, having won stages and worn the pink jersey back in 2014 and 2015," Matthews said in a press release. "The Giro d’Italia is of course a huge race for us and it is always great lining up at such a prestigious event."
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The 32-year old has had success in this race in the past, thriving from the Giro's frequent use of hilly stages, even in the days where the sprinters have their chances. There will be quite a few opportunities for Matthews, whilst in the final week the sprinter field should be reduced and he can benefit from his climbing capacity. He's won the points classification at the Tour Down Under and was showing good form at Paris-Nice, however then his spring was turned on it's head.
He tested positive for Covid-19 which forced him to miss Milano-Sanremo and had him far from his best form in the cobbled classics. "I am eager to get back to racing, I have had a bit of a rollercoaster of a season so far after a crash at the Tour of Flanders and having to recover from that and also being forced to stop for a while due to Covid. Now I am feeling good and like everything is back on track," he assures.
He returned to competition at Eschborn-Frankfurt yesterday, riding to 14th on the day. Throughout the three weeks however he will have plenty opportunities to succeed. Alongside Mads Pedersen they should be the main favourites for the points classification as well.
"This year’s course is very demanding, but there will be some good opportunities for me for stage victories and we have a well-balanced and experienced team. It is really motivating to have a slightly different calendar this year and to return to this great Grand Tour," he concluded.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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🟢⚪️🔴 #Giro 🟢⚪️🔴 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘖𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢 🇮🇹🚴🏻♂️ 𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘺 🍝 “Three years have already passed since the last time I raced the Giro and so I am very happy to return." - Matthews More 📰 bit.ly/Giro2023
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