Gruelling Giro d'Italia takes toll, Michael Matthews and Jay Vine to miss Tour de France

The Canberra talent confirmed on Instagram he will not compete in the second grand tour of the season.

Matthews overcame a bout of COVID in March and multiple crashes in April to claim a stage victory at the Giro in May, the win prompting an outpouring of emotions as he crossed the finish line.

He won't, however, have the chance to replicate the success in next month's Tour de France and will instead turn his focus to the second half of the season.

Fellow ACT talent Jay Vine will also miss the race after a challenging Giro debut that coincided with a round of antibiotics and a slide down the general classification standings.

The 27-year-old has only been on the world circuit since 2021 and has faced a number of ups and downs throughout the past two years.

For now, he's focused on mentally and physically resetting before commencing preparations for a likely shot at the Vuelta a Espana.

"Sometimes the best thing you can do is try to enjoy the little things in life in the hard times," Vine posted on Instagram. "Cycling is a hard sport, the highs are so high and the lows are very low.

"Now that we've had a moment to take a breather, I'm feeling a lot better mentally and physically. Feeling ready to start the big training block ahead of the rest of the season. Let's do this."

While Vine's Giro did not go to plan, Australian legend Simon Gerrans said it will prove a valuable learning experience for the future.

The youngster earned a professional contract through the Zwift e-cycling program and is currently a member of one of the top teams on the world tour, UAE Team Emirates.

That sees him ride alongside two-time yellow jersey winner Tadej Pogacar and a host of experienced cyclists.

Gerrans said the ability to learn directly from Pogacar is priceless and backed Vine to figure in the grand tours over the coming years.

"Jay has got all the ingredients to become a contender in grand tour racing," Gerrans said.

"He has the right mix of time trialling ability, incredible climbing ability. He seems to have the focus and discipline to be able to target grand tour racing and stay focused for the duration of the three weeks.

"Give him another season or two and we'll be looking to Jay Vine as potentially Australia's next grand tour contender."

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Gerrans and former Canberra cycling star Gracie Elvin will be in France for SBS's coverage of the Tour next month.

Having made the transition from rider to commentator after retiring in 2020, Elvin has had a close eye on the men's and women's world tours.

It didn't take long for Vine to catch her eye and she expects to see him challenging for a yellow jersey in the next few years.

"Jay Vine will learn so much from his Giro experience," Elvin said. "He really burst on to the scene. He came through the Zwift Academy, then it was a big adjustment being in the world tour peloton and he's performing so well.

"The fact he didn't have the Giro he wanted and was still so instrumental in team success shows how talented he is.

"Having a couple of grand tours now, he's gaining so much strength physically and really crucial experience. Three-week races are so much harder than the average race, so it will be great for him.

"I think we can see Jay Vine as a top-three finisher and even trying to go for an overall win in the Vuelta, Giro and maybe even the Tour de France."

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