Results Gran Premio Castellón 2026 | Michael Matthews seals uphill sprint after late race explosion

Michael Matthews powered to victory at the Gran Premio Castellón, finishing off a controlled Team Jayco AlUla performance with a decisive sprint on the rising finish in Onda.

After a race shaped by a long-lived early breakaway and a late but ultimately unsuccessful acceleration from several of the favourites, the outcome was decided in a reduced bunch sprint following a fast and well-organised run-in to the line.

The race settled early after the Alto de la Coma, with a six-man breakaway forming once the opening climbs failed to produce any separation in the peloton. Jasper Schoofs, Carlos Garcia Pierna, Mikel Bizkarra, Marton Dina, Kenny Molly and Enzo Leijnse were allowed to establish a sizeable advantage, which hovered around five minutes through the middle phase of the race.

That margin gradually came down after the Alto de la Serratella, where the peloton increased the pressure without forcing an immediate selection. The escape showed resilience through the second passage of Vall d’Alba, but its advantage continued to erode as teams behind began to organise more decisively.

The race finally ignited on the Collado de Adoyar. A sharp acceleration dismantled what remained of the break, with Bizkarra and Garcia Pierna dropping as the gap fell rapidly. Moments later, a group featuring Antonio Morgado, Christian Scaroni, Guillermo Thomas Silva and Hector Alvarez surged clear as the peloton briefly hesitated.

That move, however, proved short-lived. With teams quickly committing to the chase, the gap closed rapidly in the final kilometres. Alvarez was the first to be reeled in, followed by Morgado and Scaroni, before Silva was caught inside the final four kilometres as the peloton fully regrouped.

From there, the finale became a battle for control and positioning rather than further attacks. Cofidis and Unibet Rose Rockets took responsibility at the front of the bunch, lifting the tempo and stretching a reduced peloton of around 50 riders on the approach to the uphill finish.

Inside the final kilometre, the pace remained relentless. A crash behind failed to disrupt the front of the race, and with the road continuing to rise, Matthews launched his sprint with around 300 metres remaining. The Team Jayco AlUla rider quickly opened a clear advantage and held it to the line, sealing victory in a demanding uphill finish that rewarded both timing and power.

After several hours of controlled racing, late aggression and a decisive regrouping, the Gran Premio Castellón ultimately belonged to Matthews, who converted his team’s work into a convincing sprint win on the slopes of Onda.