Michael Matthews gets closer to Mark Cavendish in Tour de France points classification but admits it 'could all be for nothing'
The Australian won the green jersey in 2017 and is currently Mark Cavendish's closest challenger
Michael Matthews has moved within touching distance of the Tour de France green jersey after another aggressive day of racing.
Following Mark Cavendish’s fourth win of the race on stage 13, the Briton held a lead of 101 points to Matthews in the points classification.
But Matthews has continued to attack the race and has so far claimed 141 points in the intermediate sprints, the most in the race.
He then made it into stage 16’s breakaway, finishing third in Saint-Gaudens, and Matthews now sits just 27 points adrift of Cavendish with five stages left.
With stage 17 having an intermediate sprint before the three mountains, Matthews could move within single digits of Cavendish.
He missed out on the chance to win stage 16 to Patrick Konrad and take even more points in the race for green, but Matthews has insisted that he will keep trying to get closer to the Manx man.
However, the winner of the classification in 2017 admits that Cavendish remains the outright favourite.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“I am closer [to the points classification lead] but not close enough,” the BikeExchange rider said after the finish on stage 16.
“Cavendish still has two more sprint opportunities in this Tour de France. If he wins them then that’s another 100 points so all this work I’ve been doing the last days could be all for nothing, but I am a fighter and I will fight all the way to Paris.”
His team have been targeting stage wins throughout the Tour with Matthews, Simon Yates and Esteban Chaves.
Mathews felt like he could have accomplished that goal on a wet and windy Tuesday in the Pyrenees, but isn’t downbeat with a third-place.
“I think today was a good opportunity for a stage win for a rider like myself,” the 30-year-old said.
“Our plan was to go in the breakaway, and we achieved that. The plan was to get some points in the intermediate and we achieved that, but just came up short with the stage win.
“We keep bashing at the door to get that stage win and we will continue fighting for it.
“We had eight guys chopping off [when Konrad attacked] so I didn’t think that break would go, and I wasn’t feeling that good on the climbs today so I really wanted to back my sprint and hope that it would all come back together, but in the end one rider stayed away.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and feature writing across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013.
Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in a number of places, but mostly in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
He lives in Valencia, Spain.
-
'I'd love to be an F1 driver': Get to know GB track sprinter Emma Finucane
World sprint champion tells Cycling Weekly about her earliest Olympics memories, drinking coffee in Jakarta, and her passion for F1
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I felt like I was the worst rider in the bunch' - Simon Carr dispels doubt with longest ever solo win at Tour of the Alps
Brit triumphs from lone 45km breakaway, after days of battling allergies
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard leaves hospital after Itzulia Basque Country horror crash
Danish rider underwent surgery to repair broken collarbone; too early to know whether Tour de France return will be possible
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Will the Tour de France be won by the last man standing?
With Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič hitting the deck at Itzulia Basque Country, all three now face battle to get their seasons back on track
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tom Pidcock unable to bear weight on right leg after Itzulia Basque Country crash
British rider crashed during recon of opening stage time trial last weekend and injured his right hip
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish to miss Scheldeprijs as illness continues to affect schedule
Cavendish will ride Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye later this month, Astana Qazaqstan confirms
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel not intimidated by Tadej Pogačar’s form ahead of Milan-San Remo clash
Dutchman starts his 2024 road season at Italian Monument on Saturday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him
US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson, Visma-Lease a Bike’s new star, continues to impress at Paris-Nice
The American could step into the leaders yellow jersey on Tuesday evening after stage three’s team time trial in Auxerre
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published