"I had moments of doubt about if I would ever come back" - Michael Matthews on career-threatening injury and masterful comeback to world championship medal
Cycling
Michael Matthews is one of the riders in the current peloton that has spent the most time racing at World Tour level, but his motivation hasn't faded. Second at the recent World Championships and off the back of a serious injury, the Australian admits that he had doubts he'd ever return to his true level.
The former Tour de France green jersey moved back to Team Jayco AlUla in 2023 and has spent the past few years adapting to the requirements of pro cycling in 2026. His friendship and training with Tadej Pogacar has been an important factor in his late development, which has provided him some high-level wins and results.
"I had moments of doubt about if I would ever come back. You never know if you really can bounce back and what will happen but you have to keep believing," Matthews said in words to Domestique.
Back in March, Matthews suffered serious injuries in a training crash which left him with a fractured right arm left wrist and thumb as well as several tendon injuries. In addition, he fractured an eye socket.
But despite that, he made a comeback, raced the Tour de France and has returned to his very best level. "I've got that tattooed on my neck and that's for a reason. I looked at it every day and was inspired by my daughter and wife, who helped me so much. I didn't want to end my career like that.
Recently, he was sixth at the GP de Québec and was then second at the Montréal World Championships just under two weeks ago. "I hope my comeback can inspire other people who go through a bad moment, I hope it shows them that you can come back."
Michael Matthews continues to race at the highest level at agr 26
Matthews trying to keep World Championships momentum
The Australian returned to competition at the Italian autumn classics, not finishing the Coppa Bernocchi, and now finishing eighth at Gran Piemonte.
"I'm on a massive high after the World Championships. I hope to keep that ball rolling but it's difficult to keep that peak going," he admits. "The result and the performance I did in Montreal was incredible, especially on a personal level. I'm extremely proud of my second place and how I got it".
Matthews will be present at Il Lombardia, taking the team's leadership in the absence of the injured Luke Plapp. But aside from it all, the 36-year old accuses fatigue from the worlds.
"I put a lot of time and energy into the World Championships. It was one of my biggest goals after recovering from my accident. I hope I'm stronger than ever".
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Matthews still motivated for another season
After Il Lombardia he will fly to Japan to close his season at the Japan Cup, where he should be amongst the big favourites.
"It's a big weight off my shoulders but a lot of mental energy went into it. Now I'm trying to give back to the people who helped me come back and perform so well: my wife, my daughter and my close friends who kept me motivated and made me believe it was possible," he concluded. "I need to thank everyone for what they did."
Afterwards, a 2027 season in which he will be teaming up with the newly-signed Sam Welsford - announced this Friday morning.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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