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Tour de France Stage 10: Michael Matthews wins from break (+ video)

Orica-BikeExchange tactics pay off as Peter Sagan beaten on the line

Michael Matthews of Orica-BikeExchange has joined the select club of riders to have won a stage in all three of cycling's Grand Tours, picking up his maiden Tour de France stage victory in Revel this afternoon.

The Australian won from a strong group that included world champion Peter Sagan of Tinkoff, who finished second, and Edvald Boasson Hagen of Dimension Data, third.

Also in the group contesting the finish were BMC Racing's Greg Van Avermaet and Samuel Dumoulin of AG2R, as well as Matthews' team mate, Daryl Impey.

A third Orica-BikeExchange rider, Luke Durbridge, had been in the group of seven that came to the day's final climb, the Category 3 Cote de Saint-Ferreol, together, the last members of what had been a 15-man break that had got away earlier in the stage.

Coming over the top of the climb, Sagan had Matthews glued to his wheel, and had to respond to repeated attacks from Impey as the Australian WorldTour team executed their game plan perfectly.

The Tinkoff rider already had the consolation, however, of knowing he would be back in the green points jersey tomorrow, having crossed the line first at the intermediate sprint to overhaul Dimension Data's Mark Cavendish, and stretching his lead further with his second place.

Team Sky's Chris Froome retains the overall lead following the 197km stage from Escaldes-Engordany.

Stage winner Matthews said: It's unbelievable. I was just sinking in. I was close to giving in at this race after I had two bad crashes two and one years ago. This time around, I've crashed three times already.

"I thought maybe this race is not for me but my wife came during the rest day. We had a good talk. She kept me motivated and today my dream comes true.

"Me and Sagan, we've had a lot of head to head. At the Tour de Suisse, he beat me twice. I knew he was the man to beat today. He was the strongest of the breakaway for sure. He was always pulling. He never sat on. He did everything for the breakaway to succeed. He was the guy to follow. I was hoping I'd have the legs to follow him.

"At the Tour de Suisse, I didn't but it all came together well today. He often beat me before but today I got him, thanks to my team-mates. To win a Tour de France stage was the biggest goal of my season but it's not the end of the race yet. As a team, we'll try to go for more.”

Here's today's onboard video, introduced by the Flying Mullett, Shane Archbold of Bora-Argon 18.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

Avatar
cdamian | 8 years ago
1 like

None of the other teams managed to have more guys at the sprint, so good on OBE I say.

When Kittel or Greipel win with help of their team nobody complains.

Avatar
CycloTron07 | 8 years ago
1 like

So, bascially, it took 3 of them to just beat 1 Peter Sagan.

What's so impressive about that?  Got lucky.

Avatar
Butty replied to CycloTron07 | 8 years ago
1 like

CycloTron07 wrote:

So, bascially, it took 3 of them to just beat 1 Peter Sagan.

What's so impressive about that?  Got lucky.

 

He was run ragged by them like a dog being baited.

Still 3 vs 1 can still go wrong as Etixx found out against Stannard last year.

Sagan must be wondering where the rest of his team are at the moment, that's if he can remember who they are.

Avatar
tritecommentbot replied to Butty | 8 years ago
0 likes

Butty wrote:

CycloTron07 wrote:

So, bascially, it took 3 of them to just beat 1 Peter Sagan.

What's so impressive about that?  Got lucky.

 

He was run ragged by them like a dog being baited.

Still 3 vs 1 can still go wrong as Etixx found out against Stannard last year.

Sagan must be wondering where the rest of his team are at the moment, that's if he can remember who they are.

 

Not sure Sagan really cares!

 

He has combative and sprinter's jersey and had yellow. How much of that he had help with this Tour, seemingly none.

 

I reckon he should have his own team, of 1. Be a lot cheaper for Tinkoff.

Avatar
230548 | 8 years ago
2 likes

Mathews said in his interview i was beginning to think this wasn't the race for me, i don't think it is if his only chance is to be in a small break and have two teammates shield him and not do a tap of work how often is that going to happen, where would he have come if it had been a full bunch sprint 

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
0 likes

First TdF win that I was like.. whatever.

 

Matthews just seemed a bit lame. 

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