Michael Matthews opts for a more aggressive racing style in 2025: "I want to return to my roots"

Michael Matthews kicked off his 2025 season exactly one month ago at the Gran Premio Castellon, but has since taken a break from racing. However, the Australian remains highly ambitious for the spring, as he told Sigma Sports. "I want to return to my roots and race more aggressively."

The Jayco AlUla rider started his season early, on January 25. "I had some issues before that race. I ate something really spicy four days before, but my stomach still hadn’t settled by race day," said Matthews, who finished twelfth in his first race of 2025.

Now, he will return to competition at Paris-Nice, followed by the spring classics, where he aims to race differently than in recent years, when he often relied on his sprint. "As an under-23 rider, I was used to throwing myself into races, and I absolutely loved it. But when I moved up to the WorldTour, I had to adjust to a different racing style. I never really enjoyed that—waiting and then sprinting at the end."

"I actually enjoy aggressive racing, but over the years, I kind of got used to riding in that one way," he explained. "Now, racing is evolving again, and hopefully, I can adapt and race aggressively. That’s how I want to do it. But in key moments, I naturally became a bit more conservative. That’s also how I’ve won a lot of my races, so logically, you start gambling on that approach."

"But I want to go back to my roots—attacking early instead of just waiting for the sprint, which is also kind of boring. Hopefully, I can approach things differently this year," said the former green jersey winner. The 34-year-old Australian also shared his ambitions for the spring. "I’m still chasing the races where I’ve already finished second and third. Milan-San Remo, of course," said last year’s runner-up. "I still dream about that race every night before I go to sleep."

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Matthews has a special connection to the Amstel Gold Race

"And the Tour of Flanders has also become a kind of new passion for me. In the first half of my career, I never really thought about it, but in the second half, I’ve fallen in love with that race. It’s an incredible event, and after last year, I feel the fire to return," said Michael Matthews, who was relegated in the results and lost his podium spot. In January, he scouted the route with some of his Jayco AlUla teammates in preparation for the race.

"And then, of course, there’s the Amstel Gold Race—the place where I had my first date with my wife," Matthews revealed. "That makes it very special for me and my family. It’s a great race, but on a personal level, it means a lot too. My wife comes to the race every year, so I’d really love to check that one off my list."

Read also

The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way

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