How Michael Matthews twice dodged death to line up at the Tour de France

Michael Matthews is preparing for his ninth Tour de France, a remarkable feat given the two near-fatal incidents he has faced in the past year. The Jayco AlUla rider expressed his disbelief at being able to line up for the prestigious race, stating, "If you'd told me three months ago that I would be lining up for the Tour de France, I don't think I would have believed you." He emphasized the intensive work he put in to rejoin the team in time for the event.

“

If you'd told me three months ago that I would be lining up for the Tour de France, I don't think I would have believed you. I've worked really hard to get back together with the team in time for the Tour and I'm really looking forward to being back.

Matthews, who won the green jersey in 2017 and has secured four stage wins in his Tour de France career, faced a serious health crisis last year. While training, he experienced sharp chest pain, initially dismissing it as allergies. However, he collapsed and was hospitalized, where doctors discovered a pulmonary embolism. "The doctors said that if I'd done the same training at altitude for another two to three days, I probably would've not survived," Matthews recounted, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

“

The doctors said that if I'd done the same training at altitude for another two to three days, I probably would've not survived.

His challenges did not end there. This year, Matthews suffered another significant setback when he crashed into a fire truck while training at approximately 50 kilometers per hour. The collision resulted in a severe open arm fracture, cut thumb tendons, two broken wrists, and a sinus fracture requiring facial stitches. "It was much worse, let's say, than everyone had thought," he told the Detour podcast, detailing the impact of hitting a vehicle traveling at a similar speed.

“

It was much worse, let's say, than everyone had thought. I hit a fire truck at pretty much 100km/h, I was doing 50 and the truck was doing 50.

Reflecting on the severity of his injuries, Matthews acknowledged the potential career-ending and even life-threatening consequences of the crash. "I might not be here right now. I'm extremely blessed to be able to tell the story and how lucky I was," he stated. Despite these harrowing experiences, Matthews has made a successful return to cycling and is now ready to compete on the world's biggest stage.

“

I might not be here right now. I'm extremely blessed to be able to tell the story and how lucky I was.