Milan-San Remo hopeful Michael Matthews is hoping finally to make the top step of the podium this Saturday, having finished five times in the top six over the course of his career.
However, one of the riders most likely to prevent him achieving this dream is also one of his best friends in the bunch – Tadej Pogačar.
The pair met five years ago when Matthews was asked by Pogačar's UAE-Team Emirates directeur Neil Stephens to show the newly-arrived young Slovenian around Monaco, where Matthews also lives. The rest is history.
Last year Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) was second behind winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – the Aussie's best result yet in 11 attempts, beating buddy Pogačar into third place.
"We first met up for a ride, and went training together," says Matthews of Pogačar. "There was obviously a click… and from there I think our relationship has gotten stronger. When we're racing, obviously we talk during the race, but when it comes down to the finals, there's no love lost – we need to race each other."
Their friendship, and ability to enjoy racing each other hard in spite of it, is "a special thing", within the peloton, says Matthews.
"I think we need more of this in sport. I think it's getting quite individual these days, [there's] a lot of, let's say, not so much respect for each other in the peloton. Hopefully we can bring that respect back into the peloton, and everyone can not necessarily be nice to each other, but race with a bit more respect and have more fun, like we all used to when we started the sport. And that's why we do it, because we enjoy it and we love it."
As well as good friend Pogačar, there is a phalanx of potential rivals that Matthews might have to contend with, depending on whether the race ends in a large group sprint or is outwitted by an escapee or two. Riders such as 2022 winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), 2023 winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and last year's winner Philipsen are just a few names Matthews could have to contend with.
After spending Paris-Nice riding in the service of team-mate Ben O'Connor, Matthews is ready to take the lead in a race himself, and says that he has prepared for this year's MSR like never before.
"After last year, losing by a tyre width or something, it gave me extra motivation to put a bit more time into the recon, making sure I know every piece of the road," Matthews says. "Which I sort of did before, but not to the amount of detail that I do now. I think [this] winter, I did it between 20 or 30 times."
No one can say Matthews is not well prepared. Now he just needs a little luck – his glasses not falling off his face in the final metres, for example, would help.
Last year they came adrift as he was approaching the line and he was left wondering whether that freak occurrence made the difference between winning and losing.
"Sprinting to the line, I really thought I was gonna win," he says. "I think it was 25 metres to go, I was still in front, and when my glasses fell, I had that lapse of concentration for a second. That's when Philipsen was able to pass me. So yeah, it's been, honestly, very difficult to swallow that result."
This year though, Matthews says his form is good, he knows the roads better than ever, and he even has new Scicon glasses that he's confident will stay put.
The scene is set. Now the road will tell the story.
