By Anthony Tan
Returning to Europe after his emphatic victory in the Commonwealth Games road race, Rabobank pro Mathew Hayman has been trying to capitalise on his good form.
However, since that glorious day in Melbourne just over a fortnight ago, things haven't gone quite to plan for the 27 year-old from Australia's capital of Canberra. Before the start of yesterday's Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen, Hayman told Cyclingnews he's still disappointed with how things went in his favourite race of the year, Paris-Roubaix, where he was allowed the opportunity to ride for himself but feels he didn't make the most of it, eventually finishing 23rd in a large group of 48 riders, 6'49 down on winner Fabian Cancellara.
"The week before [Paris-Roubaix] on Wednesday, I wasn't much chop in Gent-Wevelgem, and Sunday [before at the Tour of Flanders], I just did the job for [Juan Antonio] Flecha," he said. "But it takes a lot out of you for the first 160, 170k, just trying to keep him up the front; after the Commonwealth Games, I was happy to be in the team for Flanders and happy to do the work.
"Sunday [at Paris-Roubaix], Flecha was there and that was good [for the team]. But that's also my favourite race of the year and the best riders were at the front through the [Arenberg] Forest. I felt pretty good, but as soon as they got away, the race was closed down and there wasn't a lot of racing done after the Forest; I still felt like I had a bit more in me, but y'know, a top 25 is not too bad in Paris-Roubaix."
