"When we're home, we train together most days... but we never talk race tactics" - Michael Matthews opens up on bromance with Tadej Pogacar

Rivals in the Classics perhaps, but Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogacar have formed one of the biggest bromances in the peloton over recent years, training alongside each other regularly and even carpooling to races together.

“We met up for a ride after one of the races we did together and we just clicked together. Sometimes you meet people like that who you just click with straight away," Matthews recalls of the friendship's formation in conversation with Velo. “We share a passion for riding bikes and having fun, enjoying the whole process of training. We attack and race against each other [in training]. I guess we’re like big kids in that we love what we do. We’re so happy to do what we do on a daily basis, and both train the same and have the same interests.”

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As both live in Monaco, when not racing Matthews and Pogacar regularly meet up to spin their wheels. “When we’re both at home, we train together most days. We have a similar style of training and we’re quite flexible with what we do," the Australian of Team Jayco AlUla explains. “We’ve never been too cautious of going out too hard and blowing ourselves up, and we feel what we feel in the moment. We’re quite spontaneous, never too scripted. A lot of pros are very scripted with their training and do exactly what’s on their program to the tee, but we’re flexible. We just have fun on our bikes. If someone wants to go a certain way or direction, we’re quite lax about it.”

Although on paper, a Grand Tour contender such as Pogacar and a sprinter / puncheur such as Matthews don't have many races where they both are targeting the victory. Given Pogacar's all-around brilliance though, this does occasionally happen, notably at this year's Milano-Sanremo, where after carpooling to the race together, Matthews and Pogacar both finished on the podium, although Jasper Philipsen took the victory.

Matthews (L) & Pogacar (R) both finished on the podium at Milano-Sanremo 2024

“Once we’re racing, we’re racing. There are no gifts. I have to predict what his plan will be and race my race around that. We know when he attacks it’ll be very strong and he’ll be hard to bring back because he’s so good. But I need to race my race and hopefully my team can support me to the best of their ability,” the Aussie explains, insisting that during their training together, no secrets are not revealed. "We never talk about race tactics with each other.”

In 2025 again, it seems both Mathews and Pogacar will again be targeting Milano-Sanremo. “It’s a very hard race and I’ve been trying to win it my whole career. To lose it by a few centimeters this year was a bit heartbreaking," says Matthews. “It’s a race that suits me well but you look at some of the guys who’ve not won it. Peter Sagan was a three-time world champion and never won it."

"It’s one of those races you have to get lucky in, have to make the right move at the right time and hope everything works out. If it doesn’t, you have to wait for another year. It’s a race where you can never predict what’s going to happen," he concludes. “You’d say that yes he (Pogacar ed.) will win it in his career, but exactly how and when and which year it’s very hard to say. And I hope I win it as well!”

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