Orica GreenEdge sprinter heading in right direction, says DS White
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Matthew Goss (Orica - GreenEdge)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matthew Goss (Orica - GreenEdge)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matthew Goss (Orica - Greenedge)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
He may have been anonymous in the sprints so far in this year's Tour de France but Matt White is still expecting Matthew Goss to bounce back before the race reaches Paris with stages 13 and 14 suited to the Orica GreenEdge sprinter.
Goss suffered with stomach problems in the opening few days of this year's Tour and was unable to compete with the likes of Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Marcel Kittel. Goss's blushes were saved by Daryl Impey and Simon Gerrans, both of whom wore the maillot jaune while the latter also won an individual stage. Goss was also part of the team time trial win in Nice.
"He's had some problems with his stomach and he's disappointed with the results he's had but it's going in the right direction and that's what matters," White told Cyclingnews after stage 12 from Fougeres to Tours.
"We've got a couple more opportunities in the week and we'll be fully committing to that."
Stage 13 and 14 should play out in sprints but an on form Goss would be ideally suited to the lumpy nature of stage 14 from Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule to Lyon. With only one individual win in 2013 a debut Tour stage win would no doubt do wonders for Goss's confidence after the Australian drew a blank at the Giro in May.
"He got sick at the Giro but he had good form at the start of the year. He had a close call at the Tour of Switzerland which was the only race he did between the Giro and the Tour. So it's frustrating for him as he'd obviously want to win more bike races."
Goss has yet to enjoy a similar season to the one he had in 2010, when, during his final season at HTC-Highroad he captured a thrilling Milan-San Remo, as well as a stage in Paris-Nice, the Tour of Oman and the Amgen Tour of California.
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"He hasn't won a stage in the Tour," White said, although Goss has made the top ten in over a dozen races this year.
"He's won some big races since he's been with us and he won a stage in the Giro and in Tirreno. We're aiming for higher and we've not finished yet."
"He's not a powerhouse like Kittel or Griepel but he's at his best when he's 100 per cent and it's a hard race."
Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
