As the pressure on pro cycling intensifies and teams step up wage cuts and postponements, Michael Matthews (open in new tab) (Team Sunweb) believes everyone involved in the sport will be asked to make sacrifices in the coming weeks and months.

On Wednesday, the UCI decided to postpone all races (open in new tab) until June, and the Criterium du Dauphiné was postponed from the World Tour calendar. There is still a chance that the Tour de France will be held during the summer months, but increasing financial uncertainty has forced several teams to cut costs, most notably Bahrain McLaren (opens in new tab).

Cycling News broke the news Wednesday evening that Bahrain McLaren team riders have been forced to accept a 70% salary deferral (opens in new tab). While Matthews' Team Sunweb (opens in new tab) has not yet been forced to make such a move, the Australian rider is convinced that the current state of cycling will force the team and other organizations to make difficult economic decisions. [Matthews told Cycling News on Thursday morning. [We've been blessed with sponsors and Sunweb. At the moment, everything is going well under the circumstances, but when push comes to shove, some teams will have to do that to keep the team alive, and everyone has to do their part to keep it going. It is not a good situation for the team, but sacrifices must be made for the World Tour team to remain in the peloton.

Lotto Soudal was the first team to implement the pay cut, and Astana followed suit earlier this week. More teams will likely be forced to do the same. Meanwhile, the AIGCP is calling on the sport's governing body, the UCI, to increase its financial and legal support.

Matthews has been supportive of both his team and the other teams that make up the AIGCP and trusts that his employer will make the right decision despite the increasingly difficult situation.

"I can just focus on my team and they are great. They are great people. They told me that the current situation is safe and under control, and I really trust Ivan [Spekenbrink] and the team," Matthews explained. [But] if it happens, and it has to happen, I'm confident they will pull out all the stops to make sure it's the best course of action for the riders, the staff, and the rest of the team. I know that management is doing a great job behind the scenes. It will be a hard decision for Ivan, but we all understand if it has to be done for the long term future of the team. It would be sad to see it happen to another team, but right now everyone has to make sacrifices in other areas."

"I'm sure the team is in touch with the UCI and working to stabilize things, because without the UCI there would be no World Tour, without the team there would be no World Tour. Ultimately, they make wise decisions about what is best for the team to keep things going. Some of the sponsors are obviously in a tough spot, as we see teams taking pay cuts. Without sponsors, there would be no teams and no racing. It's all about keeping the sport going and I hope everyone makes the right decisions so we can keep the sport we love going"

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Like the rest of the peloton, Matthews is currently waiting for racing to resume and life to return to some semblance of normalcy.

At home in Monaco, he can at least spend more time with his family and has the company of an indoor trainer who works hard to keep him fit. But the former Tour de France green jersey winner is well aware that there is more to it than sport. The coronavirus pandemic has hit every corner of the world, with mainland Europe being one of the hardest hit areas.

"It's funny. It feels weird, but I get to spend more time at home with my family, the sun is shining, what else can you do?

"My first thought is that I want everyone to get this virus under control. It is so horrible to see how many people are dying every day. You think about your friends and family, but I don't think anyone will know during the [racing] season. We have seen the number of infected people and the number of deaths, and that number has not decreased. As for [the Tour de France], I think they will announce in May whether I can compete or not, but until then I am just thinking about staying in shape. As for goals, I don't think I have any clear ones.

"We are considering an e-race. It would keep everyone occupied and it would be nice to have some races on the calendar.