Michael Matthews has clear ambitions for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race: "The plan is to win"
Cycling
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race will be taking place tonight and one of the main favourites if Team Jayco AlUla's Michael Matthews. Being perfectly suited to the course and showing good form at the Tour Down Under, the 32-year old is looking to win on his debut.
“The plan is to win. We are here with a great strong team. Obviously for us, being the Aussie WorldTour team, we are here with our A team to deliver on Sunday," Matthews said in a press conference before the Australian race. "It is a race we were all looking forward to, especially for me with the memories I have here. But a lot of our guys have raced here before so they know what we are in for.”
Matthews is a renowned puncheur and sprinter and the Australian race will suit him well, as the ascents of the Challambra Crescent are set to tear the peloton to bits, but the finale of the race offers an opportunity for the fast men to nevertheless thrive.
Matthews talks of that climb: “I did it four times yesterday in my training and it is probably just under 3 minutes from bottom to top - first climb, full gas so that's going to create some fireworks for sure. And then we’ve got the downhill into the next climb so there is no real rest around here.”
With the support of Simon Yates, the team has the option to cover attacks, but also to work on a chase and try to lead to a reduced bunch sprint. Matthews' last win was at the Tour de France and he's looking to add another high-level victory to his palmarès before travelling back to Europe.
“That’ll suit me a bit more. I haven’t had the Aussie summer to prepare properly. I did as much as I could overseas to prepare in the heat but in the end, there is nothing like actually being here. I am a little bit more with the Euros where I wouldn’t mind it a bit cooler and then I can do my thing a bit better," he concluded.
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.
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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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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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#CadelRoadRace 🇦🇺 A short rest & we're back racing 🔜 Here's a reminder of how our men's team lines-up tomorrow ⬇️
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