Earlier this week, Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) took the biggest win of his career, as he won stage 1 of Volta a Catalunya. Although he was doing the victory salute, his celebration was halted when Sonny Colbrelli collapsed shortly after the finish and had to be admitted to the hospital.
Just as the Australian crossed the finish line, all of the attention was diverted to Colbrelli who had collapsed and was rescued by medical care.
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After the race, Matthews shared his concern about Colbrelli in an interview:
Firstly, I just want to say, I hope Sonny Colbrelli is ok. I found out after the finish what happened, it’s never nice to hear something like this after your victory and I’m wishing him a good recovery and I’m hoping he’s ok.
Colbrelli and Matthews were the only Titans in the opening stage of Volta a Catalunya, none could even come close to them. Their launch was synced and it was just perfect, both of them were on the other side of the road, competing for the win but it seems like Colbrelli was still in the recovery phase from Bronchitis.
Bahrain Victorious, later on, confirmed that Colbrelli was in stable condition and there was nothing to be worried about. He was admitted to the Hospital Universitari de Girona for further assessment. Since Colbrelli is stable, we have to talk about how Matthews performed at the event.
This was Matthew’s biggest win since he signed with BikeExchange-Jayco, and this win definitely means a lot for his career and advancement into the team. Prior to this win, his last victory was at the Bretagne Classic while he was racing for Team Sunweb in August 2020.
Matthews stated after the race:
It’s been a long time without a victory for me now, so to come back to a finish that I knew well from a couple of years ago, to now win again, it means so much. My wife and dog are here to support me today and it’s just so nice to cross the finish line and to be able to give my wife a massive hug.
This course suits me quite well; a hard race and then an uphill sprint to the finish. I think knowing the finish from a couple of years ago also helped me
Matthews was in his best shape for Volta a Catalunya, this is a big win for him and BikeExchange-Jayco. We cannot wait to see more of him in action! For more updates, you know where to look!
Also Read: Sonny Colbrelli Admitted To The Hospital After Collapsing At Volta A Catalunya
Featured Image Via YouTube/ Bianchi Official
