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

At 34 years old, Michael Matthews still feels like a young man in an increasingly younger peloton. The Australian, riding for Team Jayco-AlUla, has watched many of his peers retire from cycling in recent years, but he's stayed competitive alongside the rising stars who now dominate the sport. In a conversation with IDLProCycling.com and other media, he shared how Tadej Pogacar has played a crucial role in that process.

It’s no secret that Pogacar and Matthews are close friends. Living near each other in Monaco, they spend plenty of time together. One is 26 years old, a world champion, reigning Giro and Tour de France winner, and the best cyclist in the world. The other is about three (cycling) generations older, has 42 career victories under his belt and has endured a 2024 season filled with highs and lows. “I think my season went pretty well overall, although there are always things you’d like to improve,” Matthews reflected.

He analyzed his year: “The start of the season was very good, especially at Milan-San Remo, where I was just a few centimeters short of my first Monument victory. That was a bitter pill to swallow, but my performance was strong. Then came the disqualification in the Tour of Flanders, which caused a big emotional rollercoaster. The fact that I was finally able to bounce back with a win in Quebec, Canada, was really nice. Now we have a new team, with nine fresh riders. I think we’re stronger, with better support for myself and my ambitions in this sport. We were lacking some depth, and we’ve addressed that. Hopefully, it will help me perform better.”

The season was also marked by physical challenges, Matthews admitted. “I should have had my wisdom teeth removed before the Tour de France. I’d been struggling with them since a training camp in Livigno, but we made the wrong decision with the doctors not to address it then. It affected me for the rest of the season — some days I was flying, and others I couldn’t even train. Once I had them removed near the end of the season, I felt like a new man. That's too bad, and it's a missed opportunity, but I can't change it now. I have to learn from my mistakes. When there’s a problem, I need to act immediately instead of waiting.”

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Michael Matthews on the starting podium at the Amstel Gold Race

Milan-San Remo was a huge blow for Matthews

In other words, a true rollercoaster of emotions. And it all started with Milan-San Remo. "San Remo isn’t just another race for me, it’s like a home race. I’ve been on the podium there many times and came close to winning on several occasions. It’s the Monument that suits me best, and everything looked good until the final 25 meters," Matthews explained. "Then my glasses fell off my head, got caught in my wheel, and shot up. I’ve never seen anything like that in the decisive sprint of a Monument, and it really took me some time to recover from it — basically up until the start of the Tour of Flanders."

According to Matthews, losing out on the win hit him hard, especially after Jasper Philipsen snatched the victory right in front of him. "In the races I did after San Remo, my head just wasn’t in it. I couldn’t focus and was completely drained. San Remo wasn’t just a race I wanted to tick off. It held deep personal meaning for me. Processing what happened took much longer than usual for a second place."

"I don’t know if I made a mistake by not closing the door on Philipsen," Matthews reflected. "It’s a fine line to walk. I felt something in my hip, which might have caused me to move slightly. Anyway, I’m not the type of rider who forces others into the barriers to win. If I had blocked him, he might have filed a protest, and I could have been disqualified. I think I struck the right balance in that race and wouldn’t have done anything differently. Of course, I would have preferred to keep my glasses on my face, but apart from that, I don’t think I did anything wrong."

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Matthews with friends Philipsen and Pogacar on the podium in San Remo

The 'new cycling' is more fun, according to Matthews

At 34, Michael Matthews is aware that opportunities are becoming scarcer, but he continues to dream. “I’ve been very consistent throughout my career in Milan-San Remo, but I’ve never won it,” he said. “When I talked about it with Peter Sagan recently, he also mentioned that it’s missing from his resume. We had a long conversation about it, which was cool. He asked me how I’m able to keep going in the cycling world. With his results, it may have been easier for him to retire, but I’m still fighting for my dreams and want to achieve them. I won’t stop until I do. I love this sport.”

In a cycling world that Matthews describes as “more aggressive and less scripted,” he’s found new ways to stay competitive. “In the past, you’d ride calmly toward the finale and let an early breakaway go. Now, every classic is full throttle from the start. In Milan-San Remo this year, there was barely time to stop for a wee after the flag dropped. UAE Team Emirates hit the gas right away, which makes sense when you've got Tadej Pogacar in the team. For us experienced riders, it’s all about adapting. If you don’t, you’re out.”

And those aren't just empty quotes — Matthews knows what he’s talking about. “I think cycling is more fun now. Fifteen years ago, it was all new, but now I respect the bike more. I understand the sport better. Back then, I rode for fun, but now I invest more time in it, both on and off the bike. I’ve raced against three generations of top riders, and the fact that I’m still competing at the highest level makes me proud. It doesn’t feel like work — I enjoy racing against these guys. That makes me happy.”

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The Alejandro Valverde of Jayco-AlUla?

How has Matthews managed to stay competitive? Part of the answer lies in his dedication. “I keep pushing myself and trying new things in training, nutrition, psychology, and in the gym. I don’t do the same thing every year because the sport evolves, and we’re always learning. Consistency is key, and there aren’t many riders who love the sport as much as I do. I live and breathe cycling, so as long as I’m competitive, I’ll stick around. I reckon that will be at least another two years, and if this team or another wants to keep me after that, I can see myself continuing even longer. But that also depends on my level, as the sport is moving fast.”

“How I feel on the bike right now has never been better,” Matthews added. “I’m hitting better numbers than ever, I’m happy, confident, and I have a great team around me. If I can’t maintain this level, I’ll stop. Look at Alejandro Valverde — my wife often compares me to him. He kept going until he couldn’t anymore. I’m the same kind of rider, with the same passion. If I can keep winning, I’ll keep going. We’ve already talked about extending my contract, although we still need to discuss the details. Things look good, but things can also change. If the team decides to take a different direction… For now, everyone’s happy with me, but there are always options.”

That’s a relief for Matthews, who has another big goal besides Milan-San Remo. “The World Championships is the race I’d most like to win. That race has haunted me for years — I’ve seen nearly all my competitors wear the rainbow jersey. It’s been tough, and I’d love to win it. Rwanda will likely be too challenging for me, with over 5,000 meters of climbing. There won’t be many riders left in the finale, so I don’t think 2025 will be my year. But I’m happy with the calendar I have — it’s worked well for me for a long time. I’d like to keep it that way, but I hope to be just a bit faster and stronger.”

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Pogacar is crucial for Matthews

When it comes to his love for the sport and an incredible drive for renewal, Matthews found his lifeline in Pogacar. “Tadej was an incredibly important factor in the change I’ve undergone. I saw myself in him, in his attitude, which I also had at his age. That helped me return to those days at a time when many of my peers were retiring. Tadej has always kept me in the zone and has allowed me to keep enjoying cycling. Riders who are retiring or on the verge of stopping talk about this a lot. But if you surround yourself with people who still love the sport and are full of passion, those are the people with positive energy that I want to be around. The love for cycling is our hobby.”

Beautiful words, but how does Matthews achieve this, exactly? Training with Pogacar? “I don’t often sprint against Tadej. When I do, I try to do as many sprints as possible, because it’s one of the few things I can beat him at. That gives me a good feeling, and fortunately, he’s a racer who always wants to compete. I’m a bit faster than him, and he wants to improve his sprint. So doing it occasionally helps him and boosts my confidence. I’m also not afraid of burning myself out while training with him. He’s one of the few riders with whom I can train all day at a consistent pace and talk at the same time. When we train together, it doesn’t feel like training — it’s like going out for a ride together. Just enjoying the ride, it makes things easier and effortless.”

On top of that, Matthews and Pogacar share the same frustration: Milan-San Remo. Can they help each other finally win that big race in the coming years? “There are two ways to win San Remo. In one scenario, he has the best chance. In the other, it’s me. For him, it needs to be an incredibly tough race, even harder than this year. For me, I’m happy if we reach the finish with a small group. In that situation, we can’t really help each other — we just have to focus on ourselves.”

“We train together a lot, but we are still competitors,” he continued. “We won’t give each other anything for free, and we’ve never done that. Our friendship is good, but it’s nice that I don’t expect him to give me anything. And I wouldn’t do that for him either. We have work to do, and we stay professional. That’s what we’ll keep doing. The San Remo recon ride that the media blew out of proportion was also taken out of context. We were just riding to the Italian coast, and the Cipressa and Poggio happened to be along the way. It was just a normal ride, about 30 kilometers from our homes.”

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