Updated January 24, 2026 01:02PM
It’s only January and the race is not a WorldTour event, but Michael Matthews reached a very significant milestone in his comeback on Saturday.
The Australian raced to victory in the Gran Premio Castellón in Spain, proving himself strongest in what was a very long and very determined uphill sprint to the line.
The importance of the win? It’s his first individual triumph since returning from a potentially disastrous medical situation last summer.
Matthews was at an altitude camp prior to the Tour de France when he fell ill. Team staff diagnosed a pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening condition involving a blood clot in the lungs.
The news was announced by his Jayco AlUla team on June 13, with Matthews being sidelined from all competition due to what his team described as a safeguarding measure.
He missed the Tour de France, and didn’t return to competition until August 31.
Matthews was shaken by the medical condition, an understandable reaction from a professional level sportsman normally in very good health. He rode solidly upon his return, taking top five finishes in the Coppa Bernocchi and Gran Piemonte, and was part of the winning Australian squad in the mixed relay team time trial at the world championships.
However Saturday’s success is a major step forward, given that it’s the first time he crossed the finish line as an individual race winner since his illness.
“I was really in good shape in the final, and I’m very happy to have won this race again,” he said.
He also triumphed in the event two years ago, giving him both an important insight into the Gran Premio Castellón plus an emotional connection.
‘I feel I’m getting better and better’
Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) celebrates as race winner of the Ruta de la Ceramica – Gran Premio Castellon 2026 (Photo: Antonio Baixauli/Getty Images)
Matthews’ path back to victory didn’t come easy. That pulmonary embolism scare aside, he crashed hard in his season debut in the Classica Camp de Morverde on Friday.
Once he decided to compete on Saturday his team rowed in behind him, spending much of the race riding on the front to control the gains of a dangerous move.
“After yesterday’s crash, the first part of the race was challenging, but then I felt better and better,” he said.
“The team always believed in our chances of winning and worked hard and full throttle all day. We controlled the race most of the day, and in the finale, there were three of us – Andrea Vendrame, Davide De Pretto, and me fighting for the win.”
Next up for Matthews is the Majorcan races, starting with the Trofeo Calvià on Wednesday.
He’s doing those as part of his buildup for Milan-San Remo, a major career target for him.
He missed out on the win in 2024 by a matter of inches, and has also finished third, third and fourth in the race. His near misses in other big one day races include third, fourth and fifth in the Amstel Gold Race, plus one silver and two bronze medals in the elite road world championships.
Winning a monument or the world title is a huge career priority. His health scare will only see him redouble his efforts now.
“I really feel like I’m getting better and better,” he said when announcing a contract extension with the team last November.
“I’m really looking forward to another two years with the team and seeing what we can achieve together. Hopefully I can achieve those goals that I’ve been looking for in my career along with the team.
“I’m just really excited to see what these next two years bring and just appreciate every moment.”
A friendly rivalry with Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) and Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) prior to the 2025 Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images)
On paper at least, Matthews’ attributes are perfect for San Remo success. He’s one of the fastest sprinters in the bunch, as underlined by his four Tour de France stage wins, as well as three apiece in the Giro and the Vuelta.
He’s also a surprisingly strong climber, well able to mix it with the best on selective courses. That’s how he took three victories in the GP Cycliste de Québec.
Matthews is very good friends with Tadej Pogačar and regularly trains with the multiple Tour de France winner. He spoke at length to Velo before about that, explaining why two riders from rival teams with different attributes spent so much time together.
“I guess it’s down to friendships,” he said, explaining the unexpected link. “There’s no rhythm or reason or why, but it just works.
“I mean, we train very similar ways. We like to ride really hard all day and just attack each other and see who’s the strongest on the day, which is always fun. There’s not too many guys that that like to do this anymore.
“Everyone’s normally so focused on their training they have to do that day. But most days we don’t really care too much. As long as we’re having fun and just smashing ourselves, then that’s what drives us to be better.”
Like Matthews, Pogačar is utterly determined to win Milan – San Remo. The Slovenian has taken many of the top races in the sport, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia and the Tour of Flanders.
Completing the set of five monuments is a major goal for the Tour star but while they are close buddies, Matthews will be doing all he can to frustrate his friend and reach the finish line first this spring.
His pulmonary embolism last summer gave him a big scare. Now that he’s got his first win under his belt, he’ll hope to keep building and to make the very most out of his second chance in the sport.