Rainbow stripes "is what we've been thinking about since we knew about this race" Michael Matthews confirms
Cycling
Racing at his home country is something Michael Matthews has not done for several years, but he will make a special return to Australia this Sunday to try and capture the rainbow jersey under special circumstances.
In a recent interview with Cyclingnews, Matthews said that "I haven't been back there since 2017. I think just being back in Australia will be quite emotional. But putting on the [Australian] jersey and having my teammates around to go and fight for that [rainbow] jersey, it's going to be special." The Team BikeExchange - Jayco rider will be leading the home nation at the worlds, with the ambitions of a rainbow jersey at the end of this Sunday's race.
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"I'll just personally be happy if I give it everything I have and have no regrets on the race. And whether that's the rainbow jersey or podium, or top five. I think I just have to give it everything," he added. The punchy climbs and flat finish in Wollongong will suit Matthews very well, he who has recently won the sprint for second place at the GP de Québec, and finished 13th in the more similarly hard GP de Montréal.
However over the summer he's shown stronger results, having won the summit finish in Mende at the Tour de France, aswell as finishing second in both punchy finishes at Longwy and Lausanne, behind Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert respectively, who will be amongst the main favourites for this weekend's race aswell.
Although Jai Hindley is still undecided to race following a Covid-19 infection, Ben O'Connor and Nick Schultz should be able to support the 31-year in his pursuit of success. "My teammates need to know what I need on the day to deliver and yeah, I think it's going to be a roller coaster. But hopefully everything I've done this year, I can put all that strength, that knowledge, that experience into that one day at the Worlds. I mean, this is what we've been thinking about since we knew about this race. So hopefully it comes together."
After finishing on the podium in 2015 and 2017, Matthews will once again be aiming high at the Worlds. The last time the Worlds took place in Australia, back in 2010 in Geelong, Matthews took the under-23 title. "I think it's just gonna be an amazing race. Having a World Championships in Australia – the vibe in 2010 was incredible. Australians don't get this level of cycling very often," he concluded.
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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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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - 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
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