Matthews takes world championship silver after career-threatening injuries

Australian cyclist Michael Matthews won silver in the men’s road race at the UCI World Championships, completing a remarkable return after injuries that had threatened his career. Matthews finished 13 seconds behind American winner Brandon McNulty after a 273.4-kilometre course around Montréal. He beat former champion Mathieu van der Poel and Quinn Simmons in the chase group to claim his second road-race world championship silver medal.

The 36-year-old had missed much of the 2025 season after a pulmonary embolism was found in his lung. On March 5 this year, he collided head-on with a fire truck while training. He suffered an open arm fracture, severed thumb tendons, fractures to both wrists and a sinus fracture that required facial stitches.

Matthews said he had considered whether he would be able to return to the highest level. He described the silver medal as a victory and credited his family, team and support staff for continuing to believe in him. The race became decisive with just over 30 kilometres remaining, when McNulty attacked and established a solo lead.

Attempts by Ireland’s Ben Healy and Britain’s Tom Pidcock to close the gap were unsuccessful, allowing McNulty to secure the United States’ first men’s world road-race title since Lance Armstrong in 1993. Matthews now has two road-race world silvers and two bronzes, as well as medals from mixed-team relay events and the under-23 title won in Geelong in 2010. He said the result might represent his final opportunity to become world champion but that he was proud of his recovery and performance on a course some had considered beyond his strengths.