Joe-Nathan Matar

Rider Profile

My name is Joe-Nathan Matar, I am 2nd year U23 riding for Orwell Wheelers. I’m currently enrolled in college at Maynooth University completing a Business and Sports Science degree. I started my journey in cycling through duathlons and triathlons when I was 9 and started focusing solely on cycling as a 2nd year Junior. I’m from Belgium but lived in Dubai most of my life, and only moved to Ireland in the Summer of 2022, when I started focusing on cycling, joined Orwell that same year and started off my racing journey with Orwell the following season.

2023 Season

My first year of racing started with a crash in my first race, cracking my new frame. I then got sick and didn’t get going until the Gorey 3-Day, where I finally felt competitive in the bunch. After a couple of more races in the legs, I got my first result at the Kanturk 3-day, where I finished 8th on GC and got my first points. Having gained confidence from getting a result, point finishes quickly followed, with 4th at Shay Elliot, 2nd at Phoenix GP, 4th in Newry 3 Stage 1 and 4th at the Christy McManus (I seemed to quite enjoy being just off the podium).

These results led me to an upgrade to A2 and my first selection with Leinster Cycling at the Junior Tour of Ireland! The legs were there, and I felt strong in the bunch but a crash on Stage 3 halted my progress and whilst I finished the race, a puncture on the last day saw me descend into the last riders on GC in the race! This unfortunately started a chain reaction of bad luck, as I crashed two more times during the summer, eventually ending my first season at the Junior Tour of Wales with Leinster after a knock on the head.

Despite the rough end to my first season, I can still look back at it positively, as I got my upgrade to A2 and knew I could be competitive in the bunch and fight for the win.

2024 Season

Unlike the 2023 season, my first season as a senior went off to a flying start, 5th at Dublin Wheelers Open with the A1, then back to reality with early puncture at the Seamus Kennedy, then back to dreaming with one of the highlights of my season being at Ras Mhaigh Eo. After a strong first 2 stages, a late breakaway in Stage 3 saw me get 2nd on the stage, and move up to 3rd on GC, along with the white jersey! To get on the podium at my first stage race with the A1’s was a moment I’ll definitely remember.

The strong start of the season meant an early upgrade to the A1 category, and my 3rd selection for Leinster at Ras Mumhan, a test against the best Ireland had to offer. 4 days of some of the hardest racing I’ve ever done pushed me to the absolute limit and saw me come in 18th in GC. After having completed two stage races in my first month, I caught a buzz and could only wish for more. Following a resultless April and badly timed sickness ahead of the Shay Elliot, one of my A goals, I turned towards my first Ras Tailteann.

With the forced rest from being sick, the legs were fresh and with some good training, the form came back which I got to show off at the National Series Round 3 in Conga, coming in 3rd, my first podium at NRS level and beating some big names ahead of the Ras! Confidence was high and I was looking forward for 5 days of fast racing! And fast it was, with averages of over 45km/h on most days, it was the fastest race I’ve ever done and the longest, with over 3hrs in the legs every day. As the race went on, I only felt stronger in the bunch, and whilst a rough two first stages saw me fall out of GC, near the end I was in the moves trying to get away (unsuccessfully but it’s the thought that counts!). But the Ras was an experience like no other, flat out racing for 150km, being brought around the country with the only thing in mind being racing, and going from point to point every night, I quickly fell in love with this aspect of stage racing, and being surrounded by good company only made it better.

Shortly after the Ras, and an 8th place at the North Down GP, I headed to Belgium for my summer block, and had the opportunity to help out with the Leinster Junior team in Luxembourg, a great experience, and peak into the world of DS’s and soigneurs, something that as a rider you don’t always get to experience

After that, I joined Jack Conroy and Connor Verbruggen on a farm in Flanders for a month of kermesses racing and enjoying frites, even pulling off a couple of top 20’s and top 5 amongst the U23’s. The main highlight of the trip was the experience gained, racing in 70 to 175 rider bunches 3 days a week around technical and fast courses with some of the strongest kermesses riders in Belgium, you learn so much and gain a lot of confidence in the bunch, and being elbow to elbow going 50km/h into a roundabout on cobbles is an adrenaline rush like no other. All this racing helped me prepare for my first Belgian Road U23 National championships at the end of July. Probably the strongest field I’ve had to race against, with all the top Belgian developments sending in many riders. Unfortunately, my race was cut short by a dog running onto the course but the experience of flat out racing in that field and on the cobbles was invaluable.  After that my season slowed down, couple of more races in the legs and a crash at the start of the Tour de Namur, my 2024 season came to a close end of August. 

Looking back at the 2024 season, I would considerate it a success, I had the legs to mix it up at the front end of the senior races and pulled off some results to be proud of. For the 2025 season, I’d hope to step up in my consistency at races, more results more frequently and hopefully finally pull a win.