Founder & Head Coach
2022 European Road Champion Gran Fondo
2023 Vice-World Champion UCI Gran Fondo & Gravel
2023 Italian Gravel Champion
Matteo Cigala is a cycling coach based in Wicklow, Ireland. With 28 years of experience in cycling, over a decade of coaching, hundreds of race victories, and formal qualifications including a Business Management Degree (BA) and a Diploma in Science and Sports, Matteo has built a reputation as one of the leading cycling coaches in Ireland.
In 2015, he brought his vision to life: connecting Ireland to the Italian cycling scene and delivering some of the most advanced, up-to-date coaching methods.
Through continuous collaboration with professional cyclists, WorldTour teams, top-level sport sciences and coaches, he ensures that his athletes benefit from the same performance standards used at the highest level of the sport.
Today, Matteo is widely regarded as the most successful cycling coach in Ireland of the last decade, coaching athletes of all levels — from beginners to competitive club riders to WorldTour professionals.
He began racing at the age of five, quickly rising through the Italian cycling system and establishing himself as one of the most talented young riders of his generation.
As a junior, Matteo represented Italy on the world stage, participating in some of the most prestigious races in global cycling:
• World Championship Juniors 2011 — Copenhagen
• Paris–Roubaix Juniors 2011 — France
• Trofeo Karlsberg 2011 — Germany • Course de la Paix 2011 (Czech Republic) — podium in Stage 5 His early career highlights also include:
• Winner — Giro della Lunigiana Stage 4 (2010)
• Winner — GP Eco di Bergamo
• Multiple-time Lombardia Regional Champion
These achievements positioned him among Italy’s strongest junior talents.
After moving to Ireland, Matteo became one of the nation’s most successful cyclists.
During the Rás Tailteann (UCI 2.2), Matteo finished as Top County Rider 20 times across five editions (2016–2024), including six podiums — a record unmatched by any other rider.
In 2017, he finished the season as Ireland’s highest-ranking Elite domestic rider, winning the Cycling Ireland A1 Classification.
In 2018, Matteo raced professionally with the Holdsworth Pro Racing Team, competing in major international events including the Tour of Qinghai Lake (UCI 2.HC) — China’s biggest stage race
That same period brought a historic achievement: alongside his athlete Greg Swinand, Matteo broke the Irish Hour Record twice — first in Colorado, then in Aguascalientes, Mexico with a distance of 48.469 km.
From 2019 to 2020, Matteo served as Sports Director and Head of Athlete Performance at Ireland’s only UCI professional team, EvoPro Racing, further expanding his expertise in elite performance management.
The years that followed cemented Matteo as one of Europe’s most successful amateur riders:
2021 Season Highlights
• Ranked Top 5–10 in the Zwift E-Sports World Ranking
• Won 11 road races in 4 months, including major European events:
• Gran Fondo Il Lombardia
• Gran Fondo Tre Valli Varesine
• Medio Fondo Gran Fondo Strade Bianche
• Medio Fondo Gran Fondo Colnago
2022 Season Highlights
• Represented Italy at the UCI eSports World Championship, finishing 25th
• Won the Medio Fondo at Gran Fondo Strade Bianche for the second consecutive year
• Achieved 8 consecutive road wins
• At the Rás Tailteann, finished on the podium 3 times and 2nd in the points classification
• Achieved the most prestigious result of his amateur career: European Road Masters Champion (19–34) — Reggio Emilia, Italy
• Finished 6th at the first-ever UCI Gravel World Championship
2023 Season Highlights
• Silver Medal — UCI Gran Fondo World Championship
• Silver Medal — UCI Gravel World Championship
• Winner — Italian National Gravel Championship
2024, 2025 Season Highlights
• Won the County Rider Classification in Ras Tailteann
• 4th at the Gravel & 5th in the Gran Fondo World Championship
• Winner of Volta Almodovar
• Winner of Stage 1 of Ras Mumhan, 8 years after his first win in the same race
Matteo’s coaching is grounded in sports science, performance physiology, and data-driven decision-making, including:
• Energy system development
• VO₂max optimisation
• Lactate threshold and durability training
• Fatigue resistance modelling
• VLaMax profiling and power-duration optimisation
• FatMax and fat-oxidation strategies
• Power profiling and performance diagnostics
• Individualised periodisation
• Recovery and adaptation science
• Race-specific psychological preparation.
• Heat training and environmental adaptation
• Performance-focused nutrition strategies.
What sets Cigala Cycling Coaching apart:
✓ A lifetime in cycling — 28+ years of expertise
✓ International racing experience at the highest level
✓ Collaboration with elite teams, coaches, and athletes
✓ Evidence-based, fully personalised coaching
✓ Performance tracking with advanced analytics
✓ Professional communication and long-term strategy
✓ A proven record of coaching success across all levels
✓ Working closely with Sports Nutritionists and Sports Psychologists
Coaching is our CORE. #TrainSmarterRideFaster is our vision.
Cigala Cycling was founded by the Italian head coach Matteo Cigala when he moved to Ireland.
Matteo, with his 26 years of experience in cycling, and coaching for a decade, brings with him a vast and varied knowledge of training methodologies and techniques used by Italian and International professional teams and coaches
Cigala Cycling offers the highest level of cycling coaching and triathlon coaching.
View coaching vision HERE
Individual coaching packages, sportive coaching packages and group coaching packages available.
Coaching all levels of cycling.
tours.cigalacycling.com
Memorable Adventures. New Friends. Shared Passion. Lifetime Experience.
With the partner company, Cigala Cycling Tours, we provides beautiful trips around Europe. In particular to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, Cyprus and more.
Italy: Lake Garda, Lake Como, Alps & Dolomites, Tuscany, Sicily, Sardegna, Emilia Romagna.
Spain: Mallorca, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Calpe.
France: French Alps and Pyrenees
Portugal: The Algarve and the N2 Challenge.
Cigala Cycling Tours is the Official Tour Operator of the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, Gran Fondo Il Lombardia & Gran Fondo Algarve.
Ireland’s #1 Online Shop for all cycling needs
Cigala Cycling Retail provides a vast range of cycling products & accessories such as power meter, indoor trainers, bike computers, recovery tools and much more.
Supplier of premium brands such as Favero Electronics, Wahoo, SRM, FSA, Quarq, Rotor, PowerTap, InfoCrank, Avio, 4iiii, Stages, Ceramic Speed, SeaSucker, AirRelax, PoweDot, Pissei, Maurten, Guerciotti and much more