Michael Matthews will compete in Paris on 3 August. Photo: Michael Matthews Facebook.
Michael Matthews literally could not have done more, apart from winning the Tour de France and the World Road Cycling title, to secure selection on the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympics.
After narrowly missing selection for the Rio Olympics, Matthews reset his goals to satisfy the criteria in a bid to win a place in the national team for Tokyo.
From 2017 until 2020, Matthews won gold in the team time trial and bronze in the road race at the 2017 World Titles. He was first in the Tour de France points classification, and he secured a series of wins in Canada and Europe.
In the lead-up to Olympic selection, he finished seventh in the road race at the 2020 World Titles.
At the time, Matthews was heartbroken and devastated by his non-selection, feeling as though he had met AusCycling’s criteria for a place at the Olympics.
He could have given up on the dream but decided to give it one last crack.
Michael Matthews is a rider with considerable determination. Photo: Team Sunweb.
Three years later, Matthews has finally fulfilled his dream of competing at the Olympics: he will represent Australia in Paris.
On the back of solid results this year, with a victory in the Gran Premio Castellon and second in the Milan-San Remo race, he won selection in the Australian team heading to France.
“It’s truly an honour to represent Australia at the Olympics,” says Michael.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I knew what the Olympics was.”
Matthews is the latest in a list of Canberra cyclists representing Australia in the road race at the Olympics. Others include Neil Stephens, Stephen Hodge, Michael Rogers, Gracie Elvin and Chloe Hosking.
Chloe Hosking after racing in Norway. Photo: Chloe Hosking Twitter.
Rogers’ belated bronze medal in the individual time trial at the Athens Olympics was a significant highlight, although Rogers was robbed of the moment to a degree. American Tyler Hamilton was stripped of the 2004 gold medal in 2012 after he admitted to using banned substances in competition.
Rogers, who finished fourth, was elevated to bronze and awarded his medal at a ceremony in Switzerland in 2012, eight years after he crossed the finish line.
If Matthews is to medal in Paris, he doesn’t have to look too far back in his career for inspiration.
His victory on the 192-kilometre 14th stage of the 2022 Tour de France showed outstanding courage.
In 40-degree temperatures, Matthews’ epic battle on the final climb of the stage, overtaking Italian Alberto Bettiol, will live long in the memory.
It was Matthews’ first stage victory in the Tour since 2017.
Michael Matthews competing in the Tour de France in 2017. Photo: Filip Bossuyt.
At 33 years of age, it is hard to argue that any Australian has worked harder and overcome more adversity to win a place on the road team for the Olympics.
He will need to draw on that journey on 3 August ahead of the 273-kilometre road race, with 2800 metres of climbing and 13 named ascents.
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