Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) discusses this weeks sprint opportunities(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matt Goss (Orica GreenEdge) finishing the stage at the 2013 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matthew Goss told Cyclingnews Monday that the decision to leave Orica-GreenEdge next season after three years was a mutual call among both himself and the team.
“It's not a surprise,” Goss said following the pre-race press conference before Tuesday's start at the Tour of Alberta in Canada.
“It's something that I've kind of known about for awhile,” he said. “It's something that I spoke to the team a little bit about as well. The last years haven't been the best of my career, and I think I need something different and a bit of a fresh start. So for myself and for the team it was a pretty mutual thing.”
Goss, 27, earned a silver medal at the 2011 World Championship behind Mark Cavendish. He also became the first Australian to win Milan-San Remo that year while riding for HTC-High Road. Goss has taken two stages at he Giro d'Italia so far in his career, one in 2011 and another in 2012. His most recent WorldTour win came during a stage at Tirenno-Adriatico in 2013.
The Australian fastman has 17 wins in his professional career, including stages at the Tour of Britain, the Herald and Sun Tour, Tour de Wallonie, Tour of Denmark, Tour of Oman, Tour Down Under, Paris Nice and the Tour of California. He also won the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic and GP Ouest France.
In January, Goss won the Eastern Gardens Criterium at the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic, which remains his sole victory of the season. Orica-GreenEdge did not select Goss for any of the three grand tours, but he did ride the Tour of California in May, grabbing four top-ten finishes.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“I haven't signed the contract yet,” he said. “But I have something in my inbox. When that's signed it will be up to the team to decide as to when they want to announce it.”
So will his 2015 squad be a UCI Pro Team, Pro Continental or Continental?
“We'll have to figure that out when we announce it,” he said.
Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.
