Michael Matthews dreaming of rainbows at Scotland UCI world championships

The man known as "Bling" has his sights set on claiming the one jersey he covets above all else - the rainbow jersey - by winning the world crown in Scotland in August.

Matthews has come close multiple times - including at this year's worlds in Wollongong - finishing third twice, second and fourth over the years.

The 32-year-old felt the Scottish course would suit him as he looked to add the rainbow jersey to the green one he won at the 2017 Tour de France.

Next year's worlds come two weeks after the Tour, where he'll also look to pick up another stage win following his amazing solo effort to win stage 14 of this year's Tour.

Matthews resumed training following a post-worlds break and said he was in the shape of his life.

"I started back training two weeks or so ago and I feel better than I ever have so hopefully I can continue progressing," he told the ABC.

"With the experience I've gained over these 10-11 years of being professional - and feeling better and better every year."

He's hoping to turn that form into world championship gold.

Matthews will ride the Tour in the lead-up to the worlds, looking to add to his four stage wins at the world's most famous bike race.

He's also won stages at both the other Grand Tours, the Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d'Italia.

Apart from that his focus will be on snaring a Spring Classic, with the Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race on his bucket list.

"It has to be the rainbow jersey. It's one that I got in the under-23 category, which was really special," Matthews said.

"I've been second, I've been third, I've been fourth ... in the elite worlds now I'm just missing that gold medal.

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"That's something I dream about whenever I go to sleep, whenever I get up in the morning and getting dressed for training and on the bike every day - I look down, 'Oh no, I'm still in my team jersey, it's not the stripes yet'.

"It's one of those races that's just a lottery."

Matthews' Team BikeExchange managed to avoid relegation in the first year the UCI brought it in as part of the World Tour, with Bling playing a big part in that.

He said he didn't really understand the "strange" system that brought a lot of pressure to the back half of their 2022 season.

But he relished the pressure that had both him and his teammates desperate to achieve results as the season wound down.

There was also the pressure of securing his future - he was in the last year of his BikeExchange deal, before he re-signed with them for the next three years.

Matthews was meant to keep racing after this year's worlds, where he finished third in the men's road race, but his fellow BikeExchange riders managed to get enough points to ensure safety and he took a break instead.

"I had the pressure of a contract ... and trying to stay in the World Tour, and just getting results myself," he said.

"It was a lot of pressure, but pressure is a privilege. If you don't have the pressure it doesn't really feel like it means something or it's not worth it.

"If you can strive under the pressure that makes you even stronger."

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