Michael Matthews produced one of the rides of his career to take the silver medal in a thrilling World Championship Road Race in Montreal.
The 36-year-old sprinted to second place from a select chase group containing the best in the pro peloton to claim his fifth ‘Worlds’ top-five finish and the fourth elite road race medal of his career.
The Australian was never far from the action throughout the gruelling 273km race, using all of his experience to follow, mark and counter the endless attacks. As the pre-race favourites each made their bid for glory lap after lap, Matthews hung on to remain in the hunt for the medals.
Team Jayco AlUla teammate Mauro Schmid also put himself in the fight for the podium places with a typical and daring late attack in the closing kilometres. The Swiss rider had earlier been dropped, but made a stunning recovery to bridge back to his rivals before making his move.
Despite the best efforts from the 2026 Tour de France stage winner, there was no catching eventual winner Brandon McNulty. But behind, Matthews used all his race craft to launch a long-range sprint for the silver medal, holding off Mathieu van der Poel and the best of the rest to finish off a huge performance.
The result is Matthews’ sixth top-10 finish in the men’s elite road race and adds another medal to go alongside his U23 triumph in 2010 plus his gold, silver and bronze medals from the team time trial and mixed relay events.
Michael Matthews:
“It’s not only the way I raced the race today, after what I’ve been through the last two years with the embolism in my lungs thinking my career was done, to breaking both my arms at start of this year and thinking my career was done. Now bouncing back to being second in the world’s road race, I’m just speechless honestly.
I said to my wife and the start today, ‘let’s just leave it all out there and be proud of the ride’ and at the end of the day make sure I finish with nothing left and that’s exactly what happened today.
When I crossed the finish line I put my head in my hands, almost in disbelief at what just happened. Honestly, it’s just credit to my family, to the team, to all the support crew around me that didn’t stop believing that this could happen right now. I just I owe everything to them.”
2026 World Championship Road Race – Results:
1. Brandon McNulty (USA) 6:17:04
2. Michael Matthews (Australia) +0:13
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) ST
Photos: Sprint Cycling
