Hayman and his Orica-BikeExchange teammates were in Canberra for pre-season testing last week and started their journey without 26-year-old Matthews.

Sprinter Matthews will link with Giant-Alpecin for the 2017 season after claiming his first individual Tour de France stage win earlier this year.

He has his sights set on claiming the sprinter's green jersey in the coming years and Hayman conceded he was better placed to achieve his goal with Giant-Alpecin.

Former under-23 world champion Matthews, also known as "Bling", has won stages in all three Grand Tours – the Vuelta a Espana, Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.

"Michael is very ambitious and one of the things he will probably want to have a go at is that green jersey at the Tour de France," Hayman said.

"I think that's something burning inside him and probably at the moment this team [Orica-BikeExchange] isn't the ideal fit for that with a number of young guys concentrating on [general classification].

"I think he's moved there because the green jersey is something he wants to target and he'll get full support. He's an exciting prospect."

Hayman and the Orica-BikeExchange used their time at the AIS to test their physical capabilities and lay down markers for their 2017 performances.

Cycling fever will hit Canberra and the Snowy Mountains this week when three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome arrives to ride in the L'Etape Australia event in Jindabyne.

The event is run under professional conditions for amateurs with a sprint and king of the mountain section designed to give cycling fans a chance to test themselves in Tour de France-style conditions.

Thousands of cyclists from Canberra will race in the event for a chance to ride alongside Froome.

"Canberra's such a great place to ride your bike, you can get out into the Brindabellas and I think most of the guys are jealous when they see what it's like here," Hayman said.

"I started here as a young rider and it's a great environment [to start]."