Michael Matthews Reveals Near-Fatal Pulmonary Embolism, Returns to Racing
brittany, France – Australian cyclist Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) made a striking return to competition at the Bretagne Classic-Ouest France on Sunday, finishing 8th in the sprint, just months after a life-threatening pulmonary embolism nearly ended his career. The 34-year-old revealed the harrowing experience in a recent interview with Rouleur.cc, detailing how a routine altitude training camp for the 2025 Tour de France uncovered a perhaps fatal condition.
Matthews was approximately a week and a half into a three-week altitude training block when he began experiencing symptoms. “The doctors told me that if I had continued to train at altitude for two or three additional days, I would problably not have survived,” Matthews stated. Initially dismissing the acute chest pain as allergies – he suffers from severe allergies and training occurred near freshly cut grass – he continued training despite worsening discomfort.
“The pain continued to worsen, but I continued to train despite everything,” Matthews explained. “I arrived at the end of my internship and I made a lot of efforts, but I couldn’t even make a single one. I had dizziness and I fell from my bike in a climb.” A subsequent hospital visit in Switzerland revealed blood clots, leading to hospitalization and three months of treatment with anticoagulants.
The former Quebec Grand Prix champion is now preparing to compete in the Quebec and montreal Grands Prix on September 12th and 14th, marking a remarkable recovery and return to the professional peloton.
