In 2015 Michael Matthews has either won or placed on the podium at each race he has started with current form and results bolstering the Orica-GreenEdge rider's confidence ahead of a second Giro d'Italia appearance this month. Matthews enjoyed an impressive debut at the 2014 Giro as he wore the maglia rosa for six days and enjoyed stage six victory the pink leaders jersey.
In each of the three grand tours that Matthews has started, he as won at least one stage and worn the leaders jersey on two occasions. With recent podiums at both the De Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold Race, and stage wins at Paris-Nice and Tour of the Basque Country, Matthews looks good to continue his run at the Giro d'Italia which gets underway with a team time trial in San Lorenzo on May 9.
Cyclingnews spoke to the 24-year-old from his European base of Monaco ahead of the Giro as he puts the finishing touches to his preparation for the race.
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Cyclingnews: What's the final week before the Giro d'Italia looking like for you?
Michael Matthews: The work is pretty much all done up to this point. It's just a few days of sprint training and a little bit of motorpacing and just the final 'one percenters' before the race starts really. I haven't checked out any of the stages yet but we go and do it Wednesday and Thursday with the team all together so we all know what we are in for.
CN: Have you targeted any specific stages at the Giro for success?
MM: Stage four is my biggest target for the moment. It's the one that probably suits me the best in the first week. That's the one I am aiming for but the stages before that also suit me really well but it will depend on what the team wants to do and who we ride for, what the strategy is.
CN: How is your confidence level going into the Giro this year compared to last year?
MM: My confidence has probably doubled from last year going into the Giro, especially as I know what I am in for at the Giro now and the start of the season that I've had has almost gone 100% to plan, other than a few of the third places. We've basically ticked all the boxes leading into the Giro like we planned compared to last year when we didn't tick so many boxes so my confidence has definitely doubled this year knowing what I know from last year and the experiences I had like the stage win in the pink jersey. It's definitely a confidence booster going into the 2015 Giro.
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