The Australian cyclist who quit her job to live in the moment - Meet Matilda Field

Matilda Field (Roxsolt-Liv-SRAM)
Matilda Field (Roxsolt-Liv-SRAM) (Image credit: Fran Reyes)

It’s the second stage of the first-ever women’s edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía. The route is hard and lumpy. It’s one of those races where the weaker riders are afraid to spend too much energy and prefer to bide their time on the bunch in order to avoid finishing outside the time limit, while the stronger ones are confident they will pull a good result if they wait long enough in the shelter of their domestiques. It's a conundrum that translates into dull racing.

With 60 kilometres to go, there is no breakaway and nothing to see. All of a sudden, a cyclist from Roxsolt-Liv-SRAM attacks. She's Australian, 29 years old, and has virtually no track record in road cycling. She was part of a four-strong break the previous day, though, and seemed competent. 

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Fran Reyes is a Spanish sports journalist based in Granada. Back when he was a child, he loved cycling and he loved writing. Therefore, becoming a cycling writer made complete sense as a life project.


Over the years, he has published pieces as a freelance journalist at Ciclismo a Fondo, The Cycling Podcast, Cyclingtips, and Cyclingnews. He has also worked for ASO and Unpublic, organisers of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Españ, and made some of his dreams come true by laying the foundations of Spanish professional cycling team Equipo Kern Pharma, among other press officer roles at pro teams.