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The Roar

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GreenEDGE suffers another Tour near-miss

5th July, 2012
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Orica-GreenEDGE director Matt White offered no excuses after they suffered another near-miss at the Tour de France.

Sprinter Matt Goss was left outnumbered after the high-speed crash fractured the field near the end of stage four and he had to settle for fourth.

While Goss also moved up from fifth to second in the green jersey classification, overall it was a frustrating day for the first Australian team in the Tour.

Goss and South African teammate Daryl Impey were no match for the Lotto-Belisol leadout train that piloted German sprint ace Andre Greipel to the stage win in Rouen.

It followed Goss’ third place behind Mark Cavendish and Greipel in stage two.

On stage three, Goss suffered a mechanical problem and Simon Gerrans crashed as Swiss teammate Michael Albasini finished fifth.

“The boys were a little bit lost there,” White said of the chaotic stage-four finish.

“It (the crash) didn’t help, but no excuses there – you have to execute things 100 per cent at the Tour de France.”

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Goss is feeling good and said the team morale is strong.

But they clearly need to revise their plan for the sprint finishes, because Greipel’s Lotto-Belisol team is stronger for longer.

“If we can sit back in the peloton … and really wait for that last one, 1.5km to unleash, I think we can give it a real red-hot crack,” he said.

There was some good news for Goss – he improved to second in the green jersey classification, although the gap to leader Peter Sagan is a whopping 55 points.

Fellow Australian Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo-Bank), in his Tour debut, recovered from a crash with 45km left to finish sixth in stage four.

Compatriot Mark Renshaw suffered a hip injury in the crash near the finish, but should start stage five.

Defending champion Cadel Evans avoided the crash and remains seventh overall.

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