Orica-GreenEDGE might be languishing at the bottom of the teams classification at this year’s Vuelta a Espana, but its morale is sky high after young gun Michael ‘Bling’ Matthews claimed his maiden Grand Tour victory.
His comprehensive win on stage five and his third placing on the uphill finish of stage four has vindicated his selection and with last night’s stage six and tonight’s stage seven tailor made for sprinters, there is a strong possibility that the boy from Canberra will walk away from Spain as a multiple stage winner.
But just how many stages can Matthews win? Can he do a ‘Degenkolb’ and take home a bag full?
John Degenkolb claimed five stages last year to be the race’s dominant sprinter although the German was aided by a weak sprinter’s field.
Still, you can only beat who is put on the road with you, and the Argos-Shimano rider made the most of his chances.
A similar opportunity presents itself to Matthews this year. The difficult Vuelta parcours has once again scared off the top notched sprinters, which, on current form, must leave the Australian as a favourite for the flatter stages.
Fresh from stage victories at the recently completed Tour of Utah, Matthews has entered this race chock full of confidence, and his comprehensive bike-length win on stage five will have boosted his self belief even further.
Put simply, Matthews has the chance to write his name into the history books by becoming Australia’s first multiple Vuelta stage winner.
But the emergence of Matthews is more important than that, especially as Orica-GreenEDGE’s number one sprinter, Matt Goss, has failed to deliver.
Originally signed as the team’s marquee rider, Goss’s troubles have been well documented.
Just two individual wins in two years with a team that was primarily built around him has just not been good enough. In the absence of a key climber it has often left Orica-GreenEDGElooking one dimensional and without a plan B.
Michael Matthews is about to change all that.
As well as being a talented sprinter, he is also capable of dragging himself over moderate climbs and pumping out a handy time trial. His ability to see himself over lumpy terrain is an advantage that he not only holds over Goss, but the likes of Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel.
It is an asset that should serve him well, especially on those in-between stages that aren’t exactly flat, but not hilly enough to be called mountainous either.
While he would not yet beat the best of the fast men on a dead flat track, he may surprise them when things are more difficult.
His talent has always been apparent. In 2010, on a very challenging course, Matthews became the under 23 world road race champion.
Interestingly enough, Degenkolb was second that day, while Taylor Phinney finished equal third with the Canadian Guillaume Boivin. Other names featuring in that race included rising Colombian star Carlos Betancur and this year’s Tour Down Under victor Tom Slagter.
Each has made a successful transition into elite level racing.
And while on the subject of young riders, especially those of the Australian variety, Caleb Ewan and Lachlan Morton, both of whom I featured in an article with Michael Matthews on The Roar a couple of weeks ago, have continued on their winning way.
Ewan has dominated the first three road stages of the Tour de l’Aviner, recording two firsts and a third, while Morton wore the leader’s jersey at the USA Pro challenge in Colorado for two days before finishing fifth overall, just 2:34 behind eventually winner, Tejay van Garderen.
But back to the Vuelta.
Before last night’s stage, Matthews was running second in the points classification, sitting just seven points behind Katusha’s Daniel Moreno. There is a fair chance, that by the time we wake up this morning, he’ll be leading it.
Buena suerte Bling!
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