Michael Matthews has credited his friend and training partner, Tadej Pogačar, for helping him rediscover his love for cycling. However, as the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich approach, Matthews makes it clear there will be no favours in Sunday’s road race. The Australian believes he can out-sprint the Slovenian if it comes down to a final dash.
“When he starts riding more than a few minutes uphill, then it gets more difficult, but in training sprints, I can beat him,” Matthews told Cyclingnews with a touch of humour during the World Championship week. “If we come to a sprint together, I’m confident, but let’s see what happens over that other 270k before that.”
The challenge ahead: Zurich’s rolling circuit
Pogačar, known for his attacking style, is unlikely to wait for a sprint. He’s expected to make his move on the rolling 27km Zurich circuit, which will be covered seven times in the 273.9km elite men’s road race. After his historic Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double victories, Pogačar took a break and then trained specifically for the world championships. He returned to racing in Canada, winning the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal with a solo attack 23.3km from the finish.
Matthews, who won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in Canada, saw Pogačar’s form up close. “He’s really good,” Matthews noted ominously. Matthews spent the last three days prior to the championships training with Pogačar. They motor paced, did sprints, and attacked each other on climbs, making the training sessions enjoyable rather than feeling like hard work.
Experience and strategy: Matthews’ take on the race
Having won the under-23 world title in Geelong, Australia in 2010, Matthews has had a career filled with both successes and frustrations. His friendship with Pogačar has been a source of new motivation. “What I love about the guy is that he just enjoys riding his bike all the time. After a few years where I wasn’t really enjoying it, Tadej has helped me find my love for cycling again,” Matthews shared. “We love training together; it doesn’t feel like training, it feels like we’re just going out and enjoying ourselves.”
Despite knowing Pogačar well, Matthews finds it challenging to see how to beat him. “If I knew how to beat him, I would have done it already in other races,” Matthews said. Pogačar’s usual support team isn’t present, which might be a factor, but Matthews recognises Pogačar’s versatility.
Australia’s strong team and tactics
Matthews leads a formidable Australian team, including Jay Vine, Jai Hindley, Ben O’Connor, and four other WorldTour level riders. He is a strong contender if the race ends in a small group finish, similar to the women’s race where Lotte Kopecky won the six-rider sprint.
“I’m really confident in myself,” Matthews stated. “I think Quebec went really well. At Montréal, I under-fuelled a little bit and just blew up in the final, but I learned from that. Hopefully, this Sunday I’m stronger.”
Matthews was part of Australia’s winning team in the Mixed Relay time trial on Wednesday, giving him a chance to scout the 27km Zurich circuit. “I think the key climb of the circuit is not as hard as I thought when I looked at the profile. I’m a bit more confident now after seeing it,” Matthews said. He also pointed out that racing without radios will make it challenging to control the race. However, he believes in the strength of his team. “I think Benno (Ben O’Connor) and Jay (Vine) are in good shape. The rest of the guys are coming in from the Vuelta and from different races, so I think we have a great, strong team.”
Australia, like other major nations, plans to ride their race rather than letting Pogačar dictate the terms. “We’ll play our cards and ride our own race,” Matthews insisted. “There are a lot of big threats out there, not just Pogačar. If everyone targets him, then some other person will win.”
