​​Matthews: I think this Worlds medal is the best

Michael Matthews rolled into the press room on his race bike, parked it up against the winners’ stage and sat down to take questions from the press after his UCI Road World Championships bronze medal ride.

With the weight of a nation on his shoulders, and a team backing him in 100 percent, the expectations were high for Matthews in Wollongong. 12 years after winning the U23 rainbow jersey on home soil in Geelong, Matthews’ claimed a historic bronze medal on the Worlds’ return down under.

“I think this one is the best,” said Matthews, his legs too tired to walk.

On Friday, Matthews said of the race that “everyone brings in their cards and they can spin the race upside down.” His description proved apt. The chaotic opening led to groups strewn across the road with TV commentators struggling to decipher the race situation with the aid of TV graphics. For the riders without race radio, the situation in the peloton was even more difficult to ascertain who was where and doing what. 

While the situation at the front of the race in the final two laps was crystal clear, Remco Evenepoel rampaging to victory, behind multiple groups were forming and dissolving. As a result, what appeared to be set for a sprint for silver between a chase group of five swelled to a contest of 27 riders.

In the sprint to the line Christophe Laporte of France narrowly got the better of Matthews who explained it was only minutes after finishing that he was told the bronze medal was his. 

“We were talking in the peloton, (asking) if we were racing for anything because we didn’t know where exactly anyone was,” he said of the chaotic finale. 

“We just kept catching bunches. Even in the last 500m of the race. I was thinking we weren't even sprinting for top-ten and then I saw the French team lining up for Laporte and I jumped on the back of that and did my thing in the sprint."

"But even after that, I didn't know exactly where I finished. I found out a couple of minutes later that I was third.”

Matthews added that he was driven to sprint for the line, regardless of the result, to repay the faith and dedication of his teammates, and ‘super special’ home crowds.

“I just knew that we did a good team performance today and I just wanted to finish it off for Australia on home soil to see where I would end up. Whether it was fifth, tenth, 15th... it didn’t really matter, I just wanted to finish off in the best way I could and it was for a podium in the end which was great.”

The medal count

The medal was Matthews’ second of the Championships after sharing bronze with his Australian teammates in the Mixed Relay TTT, and his third career medal at a Worlds. His second bronze, to go with silver in 2015, draws him level with Spanish duo Miguel Indurain and Juan Fernández, as well as German Erik Zabel as riders to have won three Worlds medals but not the gold. Rather than dwelling on a missed opportunity, Matthews reflected on the significance of the achievement in the context of his career.

“On home soil, it’s definitely the most special. I have been second, but the second place was also quite a long, long away like this one was,” he said of his result in Richmond behind solo winner Peter Sagan. “I think the level of cycling at the moment is so high. It is incredible to be up here with the bronze medal.”

As Matthews continued to answer questions from the press, Evenepoel entered the building and took his seat at the table next to Matthews. The newly crowned World Champion sat patiently in his rainbow jersey with the gold medal on his shoulders, sipping water.

“Having the medal in Australia, we wanted that one actually,” Matthews said, pointing across the table to Evenepoel, “but I think coming away with third place on home soil feels like a win.”

United behind Matthews

The Australian goal was all in for Michael Matthews and the team had been presented to the press on Friday collectively to reiterate their united front. Each rider had spoken of the importance of doing their job and doing their job well.

For Simon Clarke, riding in his 11th world championships, the team didn’t put a foot wrong all day and were simply beaten by the better rider.

“Everyone 100 percent nailed their job and that is all we could ask for,” he said.

Although the medal was the icing on the cake, Clarke added the most pleasant element about the ‘amazing’ home Worlds was the performance of the team. Not the result.

We’ve ridden badly before and got medals and I feel like today is one of the best team performances I’ve been in a national team,” said Clarke who was part of Cadel Evans’ 2009 Worlds winning team.

The sentiment was echoed by Henrich Haussler as he spoke to reporters while the podium ceremony played on the television screens in the mixed zone.

“Seeing Bling now, on the podium, of course with the Worlds in Australia we want that jersey. But it didn’t happen,” he said. “We can go home happy. We did our country proud today and showed the fans what we can do as a team.”

Matthews’ medal was Australia’s first in the men’s road race since Bergen in 2017 and it’s the eighth in total since Robbie McEwen opened the account with silver in 2002. In that twenty year time period, only Spain with 11 has won more Worlds medals than Australia’s eight. 

And while Clarke and co continue their rainbow dreaming in Glasgow and beyond, team success is not only measured in medals.

“I just hope we can continue in this fashion,” said Clarke. “Last year was such a disappointment in terms of an Australian performance and I hope that with today’s performance, the team selection, we can move forward.”