MATTHEWS IN GREEN
MICHAEL Matthews’ refusal to give up on his green dream has paid off in spectacular style, with the Australian taking the prestigious jersey in Stage 17 of the Tour de France.
The Australian is now all but certain to become only the third Australian to finish in green in Paris in four days’ time after a tumultuous day in the Alps.
Matthews was crowned the new points classification leader after Marcel Kittel crashed and was forced to abandon the race with an injured shoulder. The German was caught in a multi-rider pileup only 20km into the mountainous 182km slog from La Mure and could not continue.
While Matthews may be benefiting from the withdrawals of fast men Kittel, Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish, he has been the enduring performer in a war of attrition. As rivals have fallen around him, the man they call “Bling” has ridden with panache and aggression.
Coming off two tough stage wins in three days, Matthews had cut Kittel’s lead to nine points when he claimed the intermediate sprint from the early breakaway before Kittel pulled out.
At the finish, Matthews closed his eyes and looked to the heavens on the podium.
“Today my dreams really came true,” Matthews said.
“I feel sorry for Kittel. I heard that he had a crash so I really hope that he’s OK. It’s never nice to get a jersey like this, but I’ve worked really hard for it.”
Asked if he could hold the jersey for the last four stages, he said: “I really hope so. I’ve worked way too hard to give it away now.”
Robbie McEwen (in 2002, 2004 and 2006) and Baden Cooke (in 2003) are the only Australians to have won the Tour’s green jersey.
Slovenian Primoz Roglic won the torturous 17th stage, his first in a Tour de France.
Behind him, Briton Chris Froome withstood a barrage of attacks to extend his lead atop the general classification after Italian Fabio Aru cracked and slipped from second to fourth.
Stage 18’s 179.5km journey to the top of the top of the massive Col d’Izoard is the last realistic chance Froome’s rivals have of overcoming the three-time winning Brit.