Australian Michael Matthews finished off a perfect Team Jayco AlUla performance in style as he sprinted to glory in Germany at Eschborn-Frankfurt.
The 34-year-old took the win with his trademark sprint finish to wrap up a consistent spring campaign with a well-deserved trip to the top step of the podium.
The result was more than deserved for a Team Jayco AlUla squad that ripped the 198km race a part. The team powered to the front of the bunch ahead of the demanding hilly section before upping the pace and shredding the peloton to leave just 30 riders in contention.
Coppi e Bartali stage winner Paul Double then kept the tempo up, while Davide De Pretto and Felix Engelhardt looked after their team leader Matthews. Despite some late attacks over the final climb of the day, the reduced peloton reached Frankfurt in one piece, and as the bell rang for the final lap, a sprint finished seemed inevitable.
As the pack raced through the streets, Matthews used all his experience to work his way to the front and position himself amongst his biggest rivals for the win. Then with the line insight he launched his sprint, surprising his competitors as he raced away to take the victory.
Michael Matthews:
“I think my shape through the spring was good, I just wasn’t on the top step. It’s nice to finish off this block with a win here in Frankfurt. It’s a race that has really suited me for a lot of years and I haven’t been able to win it, so to come here with the team and the way we rode – we rode perfectly – and to execute a performance like my team did today it was the icing on top of the cake.
I didn’t expect my team to go so hard on the second long climb, but we split the bunch a lot and got rid of a lot of the fast guys, which was the goal. I think the team’s performance was exceptional and to finish it off the way I did, I’m so thankful to my teammates.”
2025 Eschborn-Frankfurt:
- Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) 4:38:43
- Magus Cort ST
- Jon Barrenetxea ST
