After near collapse, Jayco confirm Michael Matthews contract extension
Jayco-Alula came close to disbanding in recent weeks, but after securing the necessary bank guarantee for WorldTour registration, the team has confirmed that Michael Matthews will stay put until the end of 2027.
Michael Matthews will continue his professional career in 2026 after signing a two-year deal with Jayco-Alula. The announcement itself was hardly a surprise, but the timing is still noteworthy given how close his team came to folding in recent weeks.
Although Matthews was blighted by health problems earlier this year, missing the Tour de France due to a pulmonary embolism, he was always going to find a place in the peloton for 2026. The more pressing question was whether Jayco-Alula would still be around to honour the contract they had offered him in the Spring.
When Jayco missed the first deadline for WorldTour registration last month, it was initially brushed off as a simple administrative issue, but general manager Brent Copeland confirmed to Daniel Benson on Friday that the concerns related to the bank guarantee required for registration. The team’s very existence was in doubt.
“We came pretty close to not having a team for next year,” Copeland said. “It was a matter of a few days. I think that the UCI have been very supportive, because they wouldn’t want us to fold, but it was close for us. A few more days, and it would have been over.”
Copeland flew to Saudi Arabia last week for discussions to save the team, reaching a deal with both Alula and Giant for increased investment over the next three years. Team owner Gerry Ryan continues his backing, and the Australian provided the funds for the bank guarantee.
In a video call on Thursday, Copeland informed the 180 riders and staff from the men’s, women’s and development teams that their jobs were safe for 2026. The team confirmed as much to Domestique on Friday.
“Gerry gave us the final approval to proceed,” Copeland said. “We have contracts with Jayco, Alula and Giant until 2028.”
Jayco-Alula endured a difficult 2025 season, marked by the surprising dismissal of sports director Matt White on the eve of the Giro d’Italia, and the team has lost a number of high-profile riders for 2026, including Dylan Groenewegen, Chris Harper and Eddie Dunbar.
At 35, Matthews remains a key figure at Jayco-Alula, as evidenced by his fourth-place finish at Milan-San Remo and his victory at Eschborn-Frankfurt.
His season was interrupted by a pulmonary embolism diagnosis, but he collected some solid one-day results on his return to action in September and he was also part of Australia’s winning effort in the mixed relay at the World Championships in Rwanda.
“I’m super happy, I think after the problems I had during the summer this year it made me appreciate the team, my life, the way it is and the last years I’ve had in cycling,” Matthews said in a statement on Monday. “I still feel like I’m 25 years old, so I’m excited to continue this journey with Team Jayco-Alula and my own cycling career.
“I really feel like I’m getting better and better, so I’m really looking forward to another two years with the team and seeing what we can achieve together. Hopefully I can achieve those goals that I’ve been looking for in my career along with the team. I’m just really excited to see what these next two years bring and just appreciate every moment.”
It remains to be seen how Jayco-Alula will now add to its roster for 2026, which still has four available places, though Copeland suggested they would sign a maximum of three more riders.
“We have some names we’re talking to,” Copeland told Daniel Benson. “I’m not going to say we’re going to copy the tactics from Astana this year, but I think you can look at the signings that we’ve made and you can see the sort of rider that we’ve targeted, riders who can support Michael Matthews and riders who can gain points in a lot of races.”
