Orica Greenedge DS Matt White says that Michael Matthews can challenge for the Green Jersey at the Tour de France in the future, but that wont be his objective when he finally makes his debut in the race this year.

24 year old Matthews was ruled out of the event last year after a crash in Monaco while training, just one week ahead of the race starting in Yorkshire. But he bounced back and added a Vuelta stage win to go with his Giro win in the Pink Jersey earlier that year, proving he is one of the best uphill sprinters in the world.

He has started 2015 like he wants to keep that title, with 5 top 10 finishes in Paris-Nice, including a win in Saint-Pourcain-sur-Sioule on an uphill drag and the Green Points Jersey. He then followed that up with third in Milan-Sanremo. Those are the only two races he has done so far.

Robbie McEwen, three time Tour de France Green Jersey winner, told the Canberra Times that he thought Matthews was ready to challenge for the jersey this year.

White says that everything has to be put into perspective and the fact that 2015 will be Matthews debut Tour makes it harder to challenge for the win in the classification.

"I think, first thing’s first … [Matthews] hasn’t ridden the Tour de France yet … and he is young,” he said. “Robbie wasn’t even professional at that age – at the age ‘Bling’ is now. So you have to put things into perspective.”

"He has got the talent to be a green jersey [contender]. He has that ability to back up day in day out, to take points on the flats, to take points in the mountains. He is a similar rider to Peter Sagan, but our focus will definitely not be the green jersey at the Tour de France. It’ll be winning his first stage at the Tour.”

As for the Tour itself, White says he already has a couple of stages in mind for Matthews to target, although he cant be sure until more info on the stage profiles is released closer to the race.

“I have an idea of a couple of stages, but until you see those last three kilometres, or the full profiles you are guesstimating a little,” White said. “But I know there are a couple of stages we have used before that suit him, and some stages you know the area that will suit him."

"Until we see those details – and some of those stages we might go and have a look at ... But there will be stages we definitely will target.”