n atrocious conditions that felled the greatest cyclists in the world, Australia's Michael Matthews finished a gallant 24th in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships men's road race in Yorkshire.

‪"It was horrendous, not too many words can describe the day," said Matthews, the 2015 silver and 2017 World Championship bronze medallist who was just one of 45 finishers from 196 starters.

"It was one of those ones that winds you down. I tried to accelerate at the end, but I had nothing.

"In terms of conditions, that was the hardest race I've ever done."

The north of England saved the worst for last with the men's elite race set to live on in history as the definitive example of a “race of attrition".

Heavy rain during the night across the region forced Yorkshire 2019 organisers and the UCI to divert the 280km race away from the flooded northern section of the course.

With the diversion eliminating two key climbs in Buttertubs and Grinton Moor, while seeing an increase in the laps of the technical 14 kilometre Harrogate finishing circuit from seven to nine, pre-race team plans were changed in an instant.

An early breakaway of eleven riders was established inside the first twenty kilometres of the revised 261km battle, with the Australians controlling the pace of the peloton through dual reigning time trial world champion Rohan Dennis.

With team captain Rory Sutherland (UAE-Team Emirates) calling the shots while the entire team surrounded Matthews in an attempt to protect him from the atrocious weather, Dennis drove the pace of the peloton through horizontal rain for the next 120 kilometres.

Dennis' superb efforts reduced the breakaway's margin from two and half minutes down to ninety seconds as the race approached the Harrogate circuit. As they hit the first lap of the circuit, Dennis and Sutherland hung up their bikes for the day after a perfectly delivered team performance.

The race was quickly brought back together on the first lap and the urgent pace setting during the early Harrogate circuit laps saw riders shed from the peloton seemingly at every kilometre.. Riders who ended their race in this phase included Australians Mitchell Docker (EF Education First), Nathan Haas (Team Katusha Alpecin) and Luke Durbridge (Mitchelton-Scott).

Simon Clarke's (EF Education First) efforts came to an end on the third last lap, with Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) the team's only remaining support rider for Matthews until he lost contact on the penultimate lap.

One of the many race favourites Mathieu van der Poel (NED) attacked with two laps to go alongside Matteo Trentin (ITA), Gianni Moscon (Italy), Mads Pedersen (NED), and Stefan Kung (SUI) and while this group appeared cohesive and capable, the main bunch began to fade.

Teams that needed to chase were fast running out of bullets, while mechanicals, exhaustion, hunger flats, hypothermia and old fashioned "getting dropped" had relentlessly whittled the riders from nearly 200 to well below 50.

Despite the lead group being just a tantalising 50 seconds up the road, the bunch struggled to get themselves coordinated, and with Trentin unable to muster a winning sprint, it was the 23-year-old Danish rider Pedersen who held his nerve and watts to take the win from Trentin and Kung.

‪"I knew it was always going to be difficult, a bit of a gamble of a race," Matthews added. "With four laps to go, when a group of five went, we didn't have any guys to go with it.

"I was trying to wait for the last two laps until I moved, but they didn't come back.

"I was wound down too much, the guys were gone, I think there was a sprint for fourth of fifth, but the race was over.

Team Director Brad McGee was proud of the team's overall campaign for the World Championships and in particular their performance on what was the most testing of days.

"One of the toughest! You saw some of the mightiest bike riders on the planet today just stopping suddenly; going from a potential performer to zero," McGee said. "Michael, gallant to the end, but just legless in the last half lap. It happened to Clarkey too; all the boys finished as if it was the hardest race they have ever done.

"I don't know how you prepare for a day like today, physically you can't do anything, mentally you have your strategy, and you are confident with that. At the end of the day, there is an element of being born and made for the mud.

"We didn't have that today. But we gave it everything we could, we stuck to the strategy, stuck together, fought until the end.

"They made the perfect adjustments according to how the race unfolded. In the end, we just didn't have the firepower to make an impact," McGee added.

PHOTOS 

By Casey Gibson

Michael Matthews (ACT) is celebrating an Oppy ‘triple crown’ after claiming three of the major honours at the 2017 Cycling Australia Awards in Melbourne on Friday.  

Matthews, 27, was awarded the Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman Medal & Trophy after being named the 2017 Australian Cyclist of the Year in front of 300 of Australian cycling’s elite.

In addition to the Road Cyclist of the Year award, the popular Canberran was also voted the 2017 JLT People’s Choice Award winner by thousands of Australian cycling fans. 

“It is a huge honour in Australia to win the Oppy, it is something I have been dreaming about since I became a cyclist,” Matthews told Cycling Australia from his home in Monaco. “It is an unreal feeling (to win all three), I didn’t think it would happen so soon, but it is a reminder for me that it was a big year for me and Australian cycling. 

“It means a lot that I can be among other excellent Australian cyclists who have won this award.”

In 2017, Matthews became just the third Australian to win the Tour de France green jersey, scorching to the sprinting honour with two stages wins.  

At the Road World Championships, Matthews claimed the team time trial world title for Team Sunweb before winning road race bronze a few days later in the green and gold for the Australian Cycling Team. 

“I started the season with mixed feelings as I went into a new team and you never know how fast will you adapt,” said Matthews of his debut in the black and white of the German professional team which saw him finish ninth on the UCI end of year rankings.  “But I feel so comfortable in my team which reflects on my results too.

“Unfortunately, the rainbow jersey didn't work out for me but I will keep fighting for it.” 

It is the first Oppy Medal for Matthews who began cycling as a teenager with the Tuggeranong Vikings Cycling Club after his cycling talents were recognised at school. 

“Thank you to Cycling Australia and the whole cycling community in Australia to making sure our sport is well promoted and supporting young talents as I was, as without their support I would never be professional cyclist,” said Matthews, who was quick to thank the support of his family and friends. 

“To my coach Brian Stephens, my team and my wife. They put great amounts of efforts into fulfilling my dreams and I am so thankful for that. 

“And to all my fans which stay with me no matter if they are good or bad results, they are always there to support me. 

“It’s not the easiest sport, and it sometimes has more downs than ups, but its something I love doing and seeing appreciation from Australia makes it so worth it.”

Katrin Garfoot (Gold Coast CC/QLD) won her third straight female Road Cyclist of the Year award after becoming just the second Australian female cyclist to win World Championships medals in the time trial and road race in the same year. The Gold Coast Cycling Club member, riding for Orica-Scott, also claimed both the road and time trial national crowns.

The Track Cyclists of the Year awards went to Cameron Meyer (Midland CC/WA) and Stephanie Morton (South Coast CC/SA).

Meyer took his career world title tally to eight after winning the team pursuit and points race crowns at the World Championships, in addition to the Madison silver. Meyer also added three national titles and World Cup gold and silver to secure a fourth career award.

It was a breakthrough international season for Morton who claimed her maiden World Championship medals in 2017 with silver in both the sprint and team sprint.  Morton also won two national titles (sprint and team sprint) and set the fastest flying 200m time ever seen in Australia.

It was a glittering year from para-cyclist David Nicholas C3 (Mackay CC/QLD) who won the individual pursuit world title and a swag of medals including World Championship silver and bronze, Road World Cup gold and four national titles.  

Nicholas was named the male Para-cyclist of the Year for a second time, while Carol Cooke T2 (St Kilda CC) rode to a third women’s award after claiming the time trial and road race world titles, three World Cup gold and two national titles on the road.

Caroline Buchanan (ACT) is celebrating a sixth straight BMX award after collecting World Championship silver, the national title and a win at the USA BMX Gator Nationals in 2017. 

In the men’s BMX category, Australia welcomed a new BMX cyclist of the Year in Logan Martin (QLD) who was crowned the inaugural world champion in BMX Freestyle with a blazing run at the inaugural World Championships in China.

Queensland’s first siblings of mountain biking celebrated their first win in the category, with Michael Hannah grabbing World Championships silver, while sister Tracey Hannah claimed her first World Cup victory in five years and found the podium with bronze at the World Championships.

Carol Cooke T2 (St Kilda CC) and David Nicholas C3 (Mackay CC/QLD) have been crowned 2017 Australian Para-cyclists of the Year. 

It was a glittering year from para-cyclist Nicholas C3  who won the individual pursuit world title and a swag of medals including World Championship silver and bronze, Road World Cup gold and four national titles on the track and road.  

Cooke riding to a third women’s award after claiming the time trial and road race World Championships, three World Cup gold and two national titles on the road.

The Gary West Coach of the Year went to Nicholas Flyger (SA) who, during an emotional season which saw him take over the reigns from the late West, was instrumental in guiding Morton to her first World Championship sprint medal (silver) and the women's team sprint duo (Morton & McCulloch) to silver.

The Norm Gailey Trophy for Champion State went to New South Wales, while the Gold Coast Cycling Club won its maiden Australian Club Premiership.