Michael Matthews banged his handlebars with frustration after finishing second in the uphill Tour de France sprint in Longwy, knowing that a split second moment of hesitation and the loss of Tadej Pogačar’s wheel coming out of the final corner cost him a chance of victory.
Matthews made a long and intense effort into the headwind and passed a number of rivals who had got in his way but was unable to close the gap on Pogačar who surged away to victory and the race leader’s yellow jersey.
It was another frustrating placing for Matthews. He finished in the top five on four occasions in the 2021 Tour de France and racked-up similar consistently good results in the Vuelta a España, but without taking that win which so often fuels sprinter’s ambitions and self-confidence.
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“I tried everything today and in the end it was second,” Matthews said after sportingly hugging good friend Pogačar and congratulating him on his win.
“The team did a great job positioning me into the final and all day long. It was freaking hard out there. In the final I just had to believe in myself and try to fight for that victory.
“I knew the wheel to be on was Tadej’s. I think it was Pidcock fighting me for the wheels. I thought we were maybe at the front a little too early, so I let him in but he couldn’t follow the wheel in the final and so Tadej got a gap. I had to try and run at him, but it was too late in the end.”
BikeExchange-Jayco head sport director Matt White highlighted that positioning made the difference in the sprint.
“The only thing we could have done better was if Matthews was on the wheel of Pogačar into the last corner, which was the plan,” White said, his disappointment clear to see.
“Michael got a little bit squeezed going into the corner and with the acceleration of Pogacar it was just that little too much and he had to go past four of five non-sprinters. When the final sprint started, [Dani] Martinez, [Nairo] Quintana and others were all in front of him.
“He had to go past four people. He went past three but didn’t catch Pogačar. If he’d been on Pogačar’s wheel when he went, he might have been able to beat him. He had a good run at him, but you can’t give the world’s best climber a head start with 250 metres to go.”
White made it clear Matthews will have further opportunity to fight for victory in the rest of the Tour de France.
Bike Exchange-Jayco doesn’t have an overall contender and have instead built their squad around pure sprinter Dylan Groenewegen and Matthews. Groenewegen won in Sønderborg. Now the Australian team hope Matthews can strike.
“It’s not his last chance,” White said, suggesting Matthews will stay mentally strong and continue to fight in the Tour de France.
“He’s not going home, there’s a long way to go… Michael wants to win a stage as much as anyone else. This was a chance but there are plenty more to come.”
