It's great news he's returned two negative tests for the coronavirus, but it also means a false positive ruled the 30-year-old out of the Giro d'Italia - ending his time with Team Sunweb prematurely.

The Giro was Matthews' last race with the team before returning to Mitchelton Scott next year.

He was ruled out ahead of stage 10 after returning what increasingly looks like a false positive on the first rest day of the Giro.

Matthews was immediately withdrawn from the race, but has since returned two negatives to the COVID-19 virus and will have another test on Monday to make sure.

The Canberran was obviously delighted to be cleared of the virus that has killed more than one million people worldwide.

But the flip side is he's missed the chance to add his two career Giro stage wins (2014, '15).

"Obviously I tested positive on the first rest day of the Giro d'Italia," Matthews said on Twitter.

"I was taken out that same day and got a test the next morning, which came back as a negative so that's quite good news.

"Then on the Wednesday I got another PCR test and it also came back as a negative. So obviously super happy with the negative test.

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"Unfortunately I'm out of the Giro, but as long as I'm healthy and I can say [to] my teammates and the peloton around me [I'm] healthy and all the tests have come back negative.

"It's sad to be out of the race, but I'm really happy that I'm fit and healthy and don't have COVID-19.

"I'll have another test on Monday so hopefully that comes back also negative and then I'm 100 per cent COVID free.

"I hope I can continue this period of being COVID free and looking forward to next year now."

Matthews was grateful for all the support he's received since his testing positive and he wished his Sunweb teammates well, as they push to get second-placed Wilco Kelderman into the pink leader's jersey.

He has 56 seconds to make up on race leader Joao Almeida following the stage 14 individual time trial on Sunday.

Australia's double world champion Rohan Dennis finished second in the stage to his Team Ineos Grenadiers teammate and world champion Filippo Ganna.

It was Ganna's third victory of the Giro.

Almeida finished sixth, one minute and 31 seconds behind Ganna's time of 42:40.

It was a disappointing day for leading Australian Jai Hindley, who could only finish 34th and slipped back to 10th in the overall standings.

The 22-year-old Almeida is riding his first Grand Tour and has held the lead since a strong effort up Mount Etna in stage three.

Only one more week of racing remains before the race ends in Milan next weekend with another individual time trial. with AAP.