He battled van der Poel and Pogacar and hasn't finished a race since 2023 - Glasgow worlds revelation returns to pro cycling

Matthew Dinham, a former mountain biker and rider for Team Picnic PostNL, was a major breakthrough as he rode with the very best in the world at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, and finished 7th in a race only behind the likes of van der Poel, Pogacar, van Aert, Pedersen, etc. He hasn't finished a race since 2023 due to a lingering injury, but in two days he will be back to the professional peloton.

The injury he has suffered was not cycling related and also carried consequences further beyond anything that could've been foreseen. After finishing the 2023 during a hiking session he felt pain in his foot which was later diagnosed to be a stress fracture and although it initially didn't lead to many concerns, it began hindering him with no end on sight.

"The fracture was healing, but more complications kept coming: nerve symptoms with no clear cause. I had seven MRIs, six ultrasounds, X-rays, nerve conduction studies and more…we were a bit lost as to what was causing the issues," Dinham said in a press release issued by the team.

“I tried everything. Different doctors, physios, but we couldn’t solve it. In the end a friend of mine and radiologist in Sydney went above and beyond with the help of his colleagues to diagnose the issue. They discovered accessory veins which were causing tarsal tunnel syndrome in my ankle. Even on the indoor trainer, with almost no resistance, I was in pain after only a few minutes as the nerve would get compressed," he explains.

This made training impossible and regaining a high level on the bike was not feasible. He began his 2024 season at Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège but did not finish either races, and those were also the last ones for him in 2024 as there was no letting go of the pain.

After this happened he made the decision to undergo a surgery that carried serious risks of ending his career, but could also save it. “It was a bit scary. But I couldn’t live like that. Most days I couldn’t walk for more than a few minutes without pain. The first few rides on the home trainer were 50 watts for 15 minutes. I really had to start from nothing. Eight weeks after the operation I could finally ride outside again and from there I built up slowly: increasing duration then intensity.”

This was in the summer of 2024, but for over a year the now 25-year old had to build back his level towards being a professional cyclist. In 2025 he has not pinned a number, and will do so for the first time at the Tour de Langkawi on the 28th of September.

“The rehab has gone well. It’s been a bit of a rush to be ready for the last races of the season. We wanted to find the right balance, and not starting back with the hardest races like Canada. Langkawi and then Guangxi felt like the perfect way to return. My training sessions have been good and I’ve done everything I can to be ready".

“I was lucky to have incredible people around me. My friends in Sydney supported me a lot and made plans which I could still be involved in without stressing the injury," he explains. He still holds a contract until 2027 with the Dutch team and there was always patience as Picnic PostNL look to recover one of its brightest talents. "For sure without the team, my doctors and physios, my trainer and coach; I wouldn’t be here. For someone without that support I had, solving this would be nearly impossible.”

With puncheur and climbing qualities, as well as his off-road record, Dinham was an incredible talent and his potential is yet to be unwrapped. “I wanted nothing more than to keep cycling. As an Australian it’s so hard to make it as a pro in Europe, and I’d sacrificed so much. I started racing when I was four years old. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I realized how important sport is for me, how much being healthy means. Now, riding again with friends in Nice, it feels like I have my life back.”

In Malaysia he will have a modest peloton and some calm racing likely, where he will be helping the team achieve results and gather important UCI points. “I have zero expectations in terms of results. I just want to push my limits again. Honestly, I’ll probably be the most excited rider on the start line. Getting that email with the flight details was surreal. I’ll have to set a reminder, so I don’t miss the plane to Malaysia. If I can look back after Langkawi and know I gave everything, I’ll be happy. I just want to do my best and enjoy being back racing with the team.”