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.”

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“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.

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