Michael Matthews celebrated his first victory under the BikeExchange-Jayco banner on the first stage of the Volta a Catalunya, raising his hands in victory for the first time in a year and a half.

But after crossing the finish line, the Australians' attention quickly turned to the condition of Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), who collapsed after finishing second and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

"First of all I hope Sonny Colbrelli is ok. It is never good to hear something like this after a victory. I'm praying for his recovery and hope he's okay," Matthews said.

Matthews and Colbrelli were the dominant sprinters on the opening stage of the San Feliu de Giquisol, with the two breaking away from the main pack, Matthews running up the right end of the finish straight and Colbrelli up the left end.

Matthews of Australia won the race, but Colbrelli, who finished second, collapsed shortly after the finish and required emergency medical attention.

The team confirmed that Colbrelli was in stable condition when he was transported by ambulance to the University Hospital of Girona for additional treatment and tests.

This was Matthews' first win since signing with BikeExchange-Jayco in early 2021. His last win was the Bretagne Classic in August 2020 while racing for Team Sunweb. He also won the 2019 edition of the Volta a Catalunya in San Feliu de Gixols with this finish, so he knew the final uphill straight well.

"After being away from winning for so long, it means a lot to come back to a finish I've known so well for a few years and win again," Matthews said.

"My wife and my dog were there cheering me on today, and I got to give her a big hug as I crossed the finish line.

Matthews was in perfect position to sprint for the win in San Feliu de Gixols and sprinted from the last 200 meters to take his first win of the season.

"This course suits me. It's a hard race and it's an uphill sprint to the finish. I think it helped that I knew the finish a few years ago."