The Tour de France has not been a happy hunting ground for Michael Matthews but on Sunday’s first uphill finish he is hoping to start a new chapter in what has already been a highly successful career.
Matthews, of course, crashed on the eve of the 2014 Tour and never made it to the start line, while last year he battled to Paris but with just two top-10 finishes to his name.
This year, stage 2 from Saint Lo to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, with its kick skywards before the line is tailor-made for the 25-year-old, and like the majority of riders here at the Tour he has already ridden reconnaissance. On the basis that stage 1 is a flat track-run for the sprinters, stage 2 should see the race lead change hands, providing Matthews with the incentive that if he wins, he will most likely take the race lead too.
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“We did the recon three days ago with half the team in the morning, and the other half did it in the afternoon, so we know the run-in,” he told the media at Orica-BikeExchange’s pre-Tour press conference.
“We know the last 100 kilometres is really quite technical, on small roads, and I think the crosswinds are going to make a big difference on the race. It’s meant to be 20-30km/h on the day and a bit of rain so it’ll be a sketchy race.”
Orica arrives at the Tour with a number of outlets and options. Adam Yates is expected to climb with the best in the mountains, while Mat Hayman, Ruben Plaza and Michael Albasini cover breaks. Matthews, like his teammate Simon Gerrans, will potentially divide up a number of similar stages between them. How stage 1 unfolds may determine the team’s tactics for stage 2.
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