Michael Matthews: "It means a lot that I can win here again"

It had been around year and a half without a single win, but today at the Volta a Catalunya, BikeExchange's Michael Matthews has returned to his winning ways; his first win since rejoining the team in 2020.

“This course suits me well. A tough race and then a sprint uphill: that's up my alley. It also helped that I already knew the finish line," Matthews said after the finish. The final uphill sprint suited him perfectly, and after showing great form at last weekend's Milano-Sanremo, the Australian succeeded today.

It was a hard day, but BikeExchange was never on the backfoot. The whole team was part of an echelons that formed early on in the stage: "Simon Yates and I were in the first echelon before, but at some point we decided to slow down and save ourselves for the final.”

“My wife and dog are also here to support me. It is very nice that I could hug my wife after the finish. You also see what this means for the team. I knew this arrival well from a few years ago and it means a lot that I can win here again," he concluded.

Tomorrow Matthews will have another opportunity to go for a stage win alongside teammate Kaden Groves. With few competition and Simon Yates spearheading the team's GC aspirations, it is possible that BikeExchange will have a very successful week.