Matthews Sprints to Bronze in Men’s Road Race at World Champs
Canberran Michael Matthews has taken bronze in the men’s road race at the 2017 Road World Championships in Norway.
WA cyclist Luke Durbridge was part of a nine-man squad sent in to the race with clear instructions to set up a shot for his teammate and recent Tour de France green jersey winner, Michael Matthews.
The Australian team plan paid dividends in so much as that Matthews was part of a bunch sprint at the line, but the rainbow jersey was claimed by Slovakia’s Peter Sagan ahead of home nation hero Alexander Kristoff.
And whilst finishing behind one of road cycling’s most prestigious names is nothing to shy from, Matthews for his part, felt that he might have let an opportunity slip in the closing stages.
“It was a pretty hectic and there were a lot of attacks going inside the final five kilometres. I just tried to play it cool and save my legs for the sprint. I was in a good position with around 500m to go but I got a little bit swamped by Sagan and one of the Czech riders. I tried to fight my way back between the last two corners but I wasted that energy when I needed it for the sprint,” he recounted post-race.
“I jumped a lot with guys attacking but they were never really going anywhere. The bunch was still too big and I wasted energy from doing that. Sagan was still sitting back in the bunch and gambling on it coming back together. Maybe that’s what I should have done too. There’s nothing I can do now, I guess,” Matthews elaborated.
Matthews’ success was the fourth for the Australian team at this year’s titles, following silver and bronze medal efforts from Katrin Garfoot in the elite women’s time trial and road race respectively, after Madeleine Fasnachthad gotten Australia’s campaign off to a flier with bronze in the women’s U19 time trial.
Western Australian athletes Michael Storer and Jai Hindley were part of the Australian men’s U23 road race squad that supported Callum Scotson to a 22nd position finish overall.
The WA duo crossed home in 30th (Storer) and 64th (Hindley) positions individually.
Further details on the Road World Championships can be viewed at the competition’s official website.