BRIANÇON: Michael Matthews has never been short of ambition. And after claiming the Tour de France green points jersey for the first time of his career on Wednesday, he showed how so by declaring his intent of producing a grandstanding finish in the last stage into Paris on Sunday.
Matthews (Team Sunweb) became the Tour's green jersey wearer after the overnight points competition leader, German Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors), withdrew with 80km to go in the 183km 17th stage from La Mure to Serre Chevalier in the Alps from injuries in a crash early in the day.
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Tour de France crash catapults Aussie into green jersey
Horrific crash sees Michael Matthews inherit the lead in the race for sprint glory after Germany's Marcel Kittel is forced to abandon.
Matthews, 26, began the stage in second place and 29 points behind Kittel, but cut that to nine points by getting in the early break and winning the intermediate sprint 47.5km.
However, Kittel's exit elevated Matthews into first place on the points ladder with 364 points and German André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) from third to second place on 204 points.
![Michael Matthews celebrates on the podium after taking the green jersey.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170721131339im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/e/r/q/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxepwh.png/1500546181724.jpg)
Kittel's absence also creates a real chance for Matthews to win the blue riband stage for sprinters – the 103km 21st and last stage from Montgeron to the Champs Élysées in Paris.
The German, who had won five stages in this Tour before leaving it, had been regarded as the stand out contender for Sunday.
"Without Kittel in the race it is going to be a more open sprint," Matthews said on Wednesday. "He was the clear favourite for that stage, so I think it will be the next goal."
As for the green jersey, Matthews admitted he was "not sure" what threat Greipel would pose, but he added: "For sure I'm not going to let it go now. We definitely didn't expect this but once you get that ball rolling it keeps rolling."
![Seeing green: Michael Matthews.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170721131339im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/e/p/w/2/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxepwh.png/1500546181827.jpg)
If Matthews can defend the green jersey, he will have earned it, no matter how it became his on Wednesday.
When Matthews learned of Kittel's crash on the lead-in to the first of four climbs, the Col d'Ornon, he was already in the breakaway and focussing on the intermediate sprint and said that he "didn't know how bad it was." He then only learned of Kittel's abandon with 80km to go with an injured right shoulder, elbow and knee while descending the second last climb, the Col du Télégraphe, with about 48km to go.
![German sprint ace Marcel Kittel had won five stages in this years Tour de France.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170721131339im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/e/q/e/t/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxepwh.png/1500500909165.jpg)
"I just really hope he is OK," said Matthews after the stage. Concern for Kittel aside, Matthews still realises the enormity of the opportunity he faces. And in light of how hard he has fought so far in this Tour, should Matthews find himself the podium in Paris on Sunday as winner of the stage or green jersey – or both – he will be regarded as a deserving winner.
Until Kittel's exit, Matthews was closing in on the German as a real green jersey threat in a display that smacked of panache and looked set for a terrific showdown in Paris.
That Matthews had found himself so close to leading the points competition – let alone actually in first place as close as the eve of Thursday's second and last Alpine stage, 179.5km from Briançon to the Col d'Izoard - was a head turning feat that had already earned him immense respect.
Sure, no one wishes for a result to be decided by misfortune like what forced Kittel out of the Tour. But in cycling, crashes are an inherent hazard, and always will be. And this year's Tour has been no different in that regard, as the race-ending crashes of pre-race stars such as Australian Richie Porte (BMC), Geraint Thomas (Sky) and Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) – to name a few – will remind anyone
But just as staying upright is a key part of racing a bicycle, so too is it that a rider ensures that they are positioned well to make the best of any winning opportunity should one arise. And Matthews has done that throughout this year's Tour in which he also had two victories – in stages 14 and 16 – to his name by the time Wednesday's 17th stage had been raced.
Ever since the Tour began, Matthews realised Kittel would have the upper hand on him in the flat stage sprint finishes.
So to counter Kittel's advantage there, Matthews set about chasing points in the intermediate sprints and on uphill stage finishes suited to him. And now he finds himself ideally placed – so long as he too can avoid a race costing incident – to become the third Australian to win the green jersey after Queenslander Robbie McEwen who won in 2002, 2004 and 2006, and Victorian Baden Cooke in 2003.
However, even without Kittel, Matthews must still maintain his vigilance, and race through the final days to Paris safely.
As must the yellow jersey holder, Briton Chris Froome (Sky), who extended his overall lead in Wednesday's stage, which was won by a former ski jumper from Slovenia, Primoz Roglic (Lotto-Jumbo).
Roglic won by one minute 13 seconds over a group of four riders led by Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) and including Froome, Frenchman Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Spaniard Mikel Landa (Sky) in that order, while Matthews finished in 64th place at 28m 46s to Roglic.
But with Italian Fabio Aru (Astana) finishing 10th at 1m 44s, the top three overall was changed. Aru fell from second overall at 18s to fourth at 53s. Froome held first, but now leads by 27s over both Uran in second and Bardet in third.