- Giro d'Italia: Bouhanni avoids carnage to score hat-trick
- Watch Giro d'Italia LIVE on SBS ONE and at Cycling Central website
After a week in the maglia rosa and a stage win to go along with it, the Orica-GreenEDGE team announced today that star sprinter Michael Matthews would not start the 11th stage despite finishing on the podium on Stage 10.
"After consulting with our medical staff, we have decided that it was the most prudent decision to take Michael out of the Giro," the team said in a statement.
"He fought hard to get a result today and it was extremely impressive, knowing that he had a lot of pain after his crash the day before yesterday. He has a substantial contusion and is generally quite bruised, so everything taken into consideration, it was the right thing to do."
The team praised the efforts of the 23-year-old, whose next big target is expected to be the Tour de France in July.
"He’s had a huge break-through here winning a stage and carrying the pink jersey and he has definitely also learned a lot. The team has worked hard for him and we’re all proud to have been able to bring a young talent this far in his first Giro d’Italia."
Matthews crashed on Stage 9 and struggled to the finish with the help of his team-mates, battered and bruised. However on Stage 10 the Orica-GreenEDGE rider dug deep to again find himself on the podium, this time recording a surprise third place behind Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Factory Racing).
The stage was always marked as one for the sprinters and if he was fully fit Matthews would have been in most experts' pre-race calculations.
Despite a rest day to recover from the Stage 9 accident there was still doubt about him continuing. However Orica-GreenEGE sports director White earlier hinted at a result for Matthews despite his injuries.
"Michael really wanted to stop a couple of days ago, the day of his crash," White told Cycling Central during the stage.
"You've got to remember the team here has been killing themselves for Michael for a week and he acknowledges that and he's trying to repay those guys for all the hard work they've done keeping him in the jersey. But he's going to have a big day in the final."
Matthews proved White correct and showed his toughness as he paid back his team-mates with a result that in many ways may have his best in this year's Giro.
"Michael turned himself inside out to get that result,” said White. "He definitely has a lot of discomfort from his crash.
After the breakaway was caught, Matthews stayed out of trouble, avoided the late crash which split the peloton and made up the ground necessary to take third.
SBS broadcasts every stage of the 2014 Giro d'Italia LIVE! There will be nightly highlights at 5:30pm on SBS ONE, and each stage will also be streamed live here at Cycling Central.
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Don't miss your pocket-sized Giro d'Italia Guide brought to you by SBS and Bike magazine. Inside, SBS Giro commentator Matthew Keenan looks at the riders to watch, the must-see stages and fascinating Giro facts, while renowned chef Stefano Manfredi gives you the culinary highlights of that region of Italy. And there's a complete listing of live telecast and highlight package times. Free with the latest issue of Bike.
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