'I'm not going to give up until my body does'; Matthews' ambitions are higher than ever after houdini act with death

Few riders experienced a more turbulent year than Michael Matthews. After a strong spring, the experienced Australian was suddenly hit hard. A dramatic medical emergency brought him to the brink of retirement, but later in the season he was able to show once again who he really is. And that motivates him more than ever ahead of the new campaign, he tells IDLProCycling.com.

After the shock of the summer, a late-season break was more than welcome. "I was able to do the Japan Cup, it has always been a dream of mine to go to Japan," Matthews says. "I love everything about it, so it our dream was to go there. My daughter was already googling and making a checklist of what she wanted to do, it was amazing to see how happy she was."

Before the Tour de France, Bling was confronted with a pulmonary embolism. Had he waited just two more days before seeking medical help, he might not be alive today. "It definitely wasn’t something I planned for. After winning in Eschborn-Frankfurt I thought the season was turning around and everything was heading in a good direction, but god had different plans for me and this years Tour de France. In the end, we managed to beat it and come back stronger."

The setback only gave the 35-year-old Jayco AlUla rider more motivation for what lies ahead. "Everyone said: was this the sign that it’s the end of my career? But as long as my health is fine, it’s like a second chance in cycling. When you’ve had something potentially taken away from you, something that’s your hobby, your dream, your life - I think I appreciate it even more, that I can do it everyday."

Age is just a number for Matthews, who extended his contract through 2027 after his medical scare. "You hear a lot of guys getting older and losing a little bit of motivation, but for me it’s the opposite. I’m even more motivated than I was any other year. I’m still the guy attacking my teammates and being stupid all the time, because I still love riding my bike."

After the embolism, he also had to deal with uncertainty within his team: it was unclear whether Jayco AlUla would continue as a WorldTour outfit. The Australians missed the licence-application deadline, but in the end everything worked out just in time. Now Matthews can focus on his biggest goals without distractions.

Those goals lie mainly in the spring. "I still haven’t ticked the boxes that I dream of every morning - obviously Milan-Sanremo. I’ve been close so many times. It’s not just a box to tick, but It’s a dream of mine to win. I’m not going to give up until my body does." In 2024, the sprinter finished second in La Primavera, narrowly behind Jasper Philipsen.

Winning will be tough, Matthews admits. Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel dominate the Monuments, but that changes nothing for him. "If I’m going there riding for second or third - that’s not motivating. I see them as amazing athletes, but this is why we do sport, because we believe we can win. In the past, it’s always been these same guys, but they’re also human, they can make mistakes."

Little will change in his schedule compared to previous seasons. Besides Sanremo, he has also circled the Tour of Flanders, the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège in red. He is unlikely to ride the Giro d’Italia - despite a favourable course - as his focus after the spring will be fully on the Tour de France, which he missed this year due to his pulmonary embolism.

The opening weekend will be crucial, featuring a team time trial in Barcelona. "It’s definitely a big focus for our team. We’ve always done well in Triple T’s in the past, so we’re ready to go for that. We’re not going for the GC, so we can take a stacked team to try and take that first yellow jersey." Despite four stage wins, Matthews never managed to wear the maillot jaune.

No more GC ambitions for Jayco, then. With the departures of Eddie Dunbar and Chris Harper, their climbing core has thinned significantly. "But we’ve brought in some strong guys to do the style of racing that we’re looking to do - more aggressive than held back. That suits me really well, trying to play a bigger part in the race and to have more guys in the final to increase our chance in the final," Matthews explained.

At the end of 2026, the Australian will face his final major career objective. The World Championships will take place in Montréal, Canada - where he has already won the GP Montréal and claimed three victories in its sister race in Québec. It’s only logical that Matthews will go all-in to finally add a world title to his palmarès.

"It’s probably my last chance to go for that rainbow jersey," Matthews admits. "So it’s obviously something I’m really motivated for. We have to plan for it, and we can adjust from there. It’s a hard course, but not as hard as the Montréal Classic itself - though it is 70 kilometers longer. It suits me pretty well."

Is his career only complete if he finally wins that coveted title? "It’s a hard one to swallow, knowing that I’ve been on the podium three times without a victory. I have to be proud of that too, but I’ve never been on the top step at the elites. I still have a few more years of cycling, but it might potentially be the last one that suits me. If I don’t do it, I can’t do anything about it."