Michael Matthews has the capabilities to one day challenge for the Tour de France green jersey, but such a goal will not be on the Australian’s agenda for his debut in the race this year, according to Orica-GreenEdge head sports director Matt White.
Speaking to Cyclingnews after Matthews’ third place in Sunday’s Milan-San Remo behind German winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) and last year’s Norwegian winner Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), White said it is premature to declare Matthews as a green jersey contender for the Tour.
The 24 year-old Orica-GreenEdge rider was set to race the Tour last year, but never made it to the start line due to injuries from a crash while training in Monaco in the week before the start in Yorkshire.
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White’s clarification on Matthews’ Tour objectives follows retired Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen, a former triple green jersey winner, telling The Canberra Times recently that Matthews is ready to this year challenge Slovakian Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) for the Tour green jersey that he has held for the past three years.
Asked on Monday about McEwen’s view, White said: “I think, first thing’s first … [Matthews] hasn’t ridden the Tour de France yet … and he is young,” he said. “Robbie wasn’t even professional at that age – at the age ‘Bling’ is now. So you have to put things into perspective.
"He has got the talent to be a green jersey [contender]. He has that ability to back up day in day out, to take points on the flats, to take points in the mountains. He is a similar rider to Peter Sagan, but our focus will definitely not be the green jersey at the Tour de France. It’ll be winning his first stage at the Tour.”
Preparing for Le Tour and its opportunities…
So ... what will be Matthews’ best opportunities at the Tour? White says the team are not exactly sure just yet, as they still have to receive the final route details to the stage finishes.
“I have an idea of a couple of stages, but until you see those last three kilometres, or the full profiles you are guesstimating a little,” White said. “But I know there are a couple of stages we have used before that suit him, and some stages you know the area that will suit him.
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