Edged out by Mark Cavendish in the world road race championships in September, new GreenEdge sprint leader Matt Goss is spurred on by the thoughts of turning the tables in next summer’s Olympic Games.
While Cavendish has a much larger palmares, due in part to Goss working for him while at HTC Highroad, the Australian rider showed in 2011 that he can also grab top results. He won Milan-Sanremo, emulating Cavendish’s achievement in 2009, and also notched up stage victories in Paris-Nice, the Tour of California, the Tour of Oman and the Tour Down Under, where he also finished second overall.
He also put in a very strong showing in the worlds, netting second behind Cavendish but also uncorking a finishing sprint which saw him move faster than Cavendish over the final 100 metres. Had he timed his jump a little better, it’s possible he could have taken the world champion’s jersey; instead, he’s now thinking ahead to London in August 2012 and what he could achieve there.
“To finish second by that much is painful," Goss told AAP. “It mainly sunk in when I walked through the airport the other day and I saw the picture on RIDE magazine with Cavendish (as world champion) on the front.
“I looked at it and that's when it sank in more ... it does make you a little bit hungry. I'd be happy to try and take it back off Cav in London, if we can do that.”
Goss may have sacrificed his own chances in many events while with HTC Highroad, but will be under no such requirement next season. As one of GreenEdge’s most protected riders, he will have the platform to deliver on his talent, and the backing to try to close the gap between him and his former team-mate.