Michael Matthews Appreciation Thread

[tobydawq]

Chapeau! That must be his best win by far! What a ride. I assume he has an advantage in the heat due to his growing up in Australia, but still.

 

[roundabout]

Woah.

Seems like he was as fast as anyone from the chase group apart from Bettiol on the last climb.

Super super strong.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Van Avermaet finally beating Sagan H2H to win his first Tour stage transformed his career into full potential. Different scenario, but I could see Matthews going through something similar after today - going for broke instead of riding defensively, then digging deeper than he ever has to claw back to Bettiol and overtake him just when all seemed lost.

And even if he doesn't, he will still have the best ride of his career to remember.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Great ride, congratulations to Matthews. Thought Bettiol had cracked him for good at one point there.

 

[tobydawq]

I like his friendship with Pogacar.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1548329940998729730

View: https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1548329940998729730?t=27bwIjSeqPEDL8ZrndDCmQ&s=19

 

[dutchdescent]

Not only the rider himself, but also his discussion thread made a comeback from the dead. Exactly one year ago last post.

Chapeau Michael!

 

[memyselfandI]

Amazing! He's got his fair share of 2nd places in this Tour and overall. Just gr8 #bling

 

[yaco]

Matthews form in 2022 has been a bit better than in 2021, though contrary to the view of some he was nearly always making the final in 2021 but just missed that extra spark - Anyway they need to surround him for the World's in Wollongong in which he must be a chance - No 2021 when all his support riders were dropped with 60km's to go.

 

[jmdirt]

Congrats MM! Dig deep...deeeper!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Van Avermaet finally beating Sagan H2H to win his first Tour stage transformed his career into full potential. Different scenario, but I could see Matthews going through something similar after today - going for broke instead of riding defensively, then digging deeper than he ever has to claw back to Bettiol and overtake him just when all seemed lost.

And even if he doesn't, he will still have the best ride of his career to remember.

We can only hope. This is a much more enjoyable rider to watch than the passive dude we got in the past.

 

[Extinction]

It's funny how when you are on the limit, the guy in front cresting the top always has the dissdvantage in close quarters to the one who has spilled his soul to hang on just enough. Amen

 

[42x16ss]

I like his friendship with Pogacar.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1548329940998729730

View: https://twitter.com/LeTour/status/1548329940998729730?t=27bwIjSeqPEDL8ZrndDCmQ&s=19

If you follow them on instagram, they train together a lot.

 

[jmdirt]

If you follow them on instagram, they train together a lot.

I'm not on the gram, do they live near each other?

 

[42x16ss]

Both are in Monaco

 

[Red Rick]

Both are in Monaco

Apparently Pogacar bought a Ferrari after he won his first Tour. But because he doesn't have a garage it's in Matthews' garage

 

[AlfaLum]

First time in my life I was cheering for Matthews. What a ride by him and so different from the rider I didn’t appreciate in the years before.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Apparently Pogacar bought a Ferrari after he won his first Tour. But because he doesn't have a garage it's in Matthews' garage

Not usually a good thing for a cyclist to be linked to Ferrari.

 

[42x16ss]

First time in my life I was cheering for Matthews. What a ride by him and so different from the rider I didn’t appreciate in the years before.

Moving from Orica to Giant really helped Matthews, as he showed at the 2017 Tour. He was restricted by White's directing the first time at BEX because of the overlap with Gerrans meaning he wasn't utilised as well as he could have been a lot of the time.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Not usually a good thing for a cyclist to be linked to Ferrari.

As long as he wasn't bragging about his engine to his Australian friend(s).

 

[memyselfandI]

Not to hijack this thread but I was just thinking Cavendish once again when Bling did this and when I watched Cav in nationals this year, and some other one day races in earlier years. He should do that style bit more for the final years of his career, because he can.

 

[Sciatic]

Not to hijack this thread but I was just thinking Cavendish once again when Bling did this and when I watched Cav in nationals this year, and some other one day races in earlier years. He should do that style bit more for the final years of his career, because he can.

No. Matthews has always climbed well, but never used to risk attacking from farther out.

 

[Tigerion]

No. Matthews has always climbed well, but never used to risk attacking from farther out.

He has always climbed well, he didn't win a green Jersey by being the fastest sprinter

 

[SHAD0W93]

He has always climbed well, he didn't win a green Jersey by being the fastest sprinter

He won by Sagan getting dqed.

 

[Tigerion]

He won by Sagan getting dqed.

Get out of this thread with your slanderous..uummm...truths.
Similar to Sagan he picked up a lot of points on mountain stages and has always been better on uphill sprints than than pure sprints

 

[dusty red roads]

Aha, so it was Hayman in the car! New DS, new racing style perhaps....

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGCBiS8g_kc