Matthew Goss is a potential Green Jersey winner for the Tour de France. But can he win it?
The Green Jersey is an award for most end stage or intermediate points gained during a tour. Generally most points go to winning a stage and therefore its often called the Sprint Jersey.
It has been won by Australians Robbie McEwen three times and Baden Cooke once. Stuart O’Grady has achieved second place four times.
Cadel Evans recently won the points Jersey at the Criterium Dauphine because of his places, but he still came third.
What is Matthew’s chance? Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) is the undisputed fast man of cycling. At 27 he has already won 20 stages of the Tour de France, not going to mention his wins in other competitions.
In straight-up sprint so far this year Matt Goss has only bested Cavendish once, in the third stage of the Giro. That was with what Director Sportiff Matt White stated was an ideal lead out by Orica-GreenEDGE (and of course Mark Cavendish hit the asphalt before the end).
So, you would be thinking that Goss’s chances are slim, but there are many reasons why Matt Goss has got a good chance for at least some sprint wins. Cavendish and to some extent Team Sky(GB) would be desperate to win the Road Race at the London Olympics.
I’m sure that Cavendish if he only won one race this year, and it was the Olympic Road race, would declare 2012 a beautiful year (anno auriolus…pun intended). I feel he will definitely withdraw no later than stage 15 in the Tour de France which is sprint finish into Pau. This would allow Team Sky to concentrate all its efforts to support Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) who has shown outstanding form so far this year.
This could then lead to the opportunity for the United Kingdom to win the Tour de France and the Olympic Road race for the first time all in one year and on home soil.
This is where an excellent opportunity presents itself for Orica-GreenEDGE and Matthew Goss. At the moment Matthew Goss is about to Start the Tour of Slovenia. With him will be South African powerhouse Daryl Impey. It was his lead-out that lead to Goss’s stage win in this year Giro d’Italia.
So, if the proviso for discussion is based on Mark Cavendish’s withdrawal from the Tour de France and subsequent all out execution by Team Sky for going for General Classification, what would be Orica-Green EDGE ‘s next step to support Goss winning the points Jersey?
Team options could be an all out strong team of domestiques to support Stage wins by Goss or a mixed team of domestique and sprint finishers like Cooke, Davis and potential stage winners like Gerrans and Albasini.
I think Orica-GreenEDGE will need to go in with a team out for stage wins. The points jersey would be a bonus.
Orica-GreenEDGE has the depth so that anyone given the opportunity can sneak stage wins. This is also applicable to Mark Renshaw at Rabobank. And of course Adam Hansen of Lotto Belisol will remind me that he can go way beyond lactate threshold to get his team mate Andre Griepel up for an opportunity for stage win, or even a green jersey.
Matthew Goss has a great opportunity but so does Peter Sagan (Liquigas), Andre Grepiel (Lotto-Belisol) and Mark Renshaw (Rabobank). Also, lets not forget Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), who is another challenger for the title.
What do you think, Roarers? Who is your pick?
Tinea Pedis
Roar Guru
I do like how Argos left Degenkolb off the team because of his age. My thoughts are that Marcel didn't want the added pressure of John being there and an option for the team to turn to if he has an average first week...
Robin Parsons
Roar Guru
Just noticed you need to be LOGGED IN before The ROAR recognises who you are..der!
Robin Parsons
Roar Guru
Hi hamleyn, I would agree with you, that sprinting is not solely the domain of youngsters, but I think there is a real shift in the peloton that Olympic Medals mean more than they did in the (distant) past when only amateurs raced. UCI also recognises this by putting the Olympic Rings on riders jerseys.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
I don't agree with you on the "in four years time, it might be out of his reach" idea, as there are plenty of sprinters who have kept being very successful well into their thirties (Petacchi, McEwen, Zabel, Cipollini). However, it is a unique opportunity to win a gold medal at home and that is an opportunity too good to pass up. However, I think Cav will finish the Tour (unless he misses the time cut) and try to do the Green-Gold double (bit ironic, eh?). His love of the Tour goes above and beyond anything else. Sure, the gold medal is nice and would be another incredible feather in his cap. But, he success of a cyclist is often measured by his success at the Tour de France. In 20 or 30 years time, after the guy is retired, we'll more likely be talking about his X number of stage wins at the Tour de France and comparing the best, with the "oh and he also won an Olympic gold medal" tacked on as an afterthought.
Andy
Guest
The Olympics course for Rio is supposed to be very hilly too so this is pretty much Cav's only shot at a gold medal.
Justin Curran
Guest
If Cav stays in it, I would imagine he will win the Green Jersey. If not, Sagan for mine who just seems to be sweeping all before him, and I wonder if he might have already gone past Goss despite his tender age. After watching them all race separately this year, the prospect of watching them all go toe to toe in the same sprint is very exciting!
Bones506
Roar Guru
Cav was the only British male cyclist in Beijing 2008 that did not take Gold home. He has plenty of Green Jersey's to win but in 4 years time chasing a Gold might be a bit beyond his reach. He can easily compete first week or so of Tour - go for stage wins so his ascent to the record of stage wins is well ontrack but be fresh enough for Olympics and Worlds. I thinkon the list of priorities it is Gold, World's and Green.
GreenEDGEFans
Guest
Sprints are going to rock...will be some thrills and spills. I would agree that all elite cyclists are hyper-competitive but they are not super human! Got to be smart and focus on goals :D
GreenEDGEFans
Guest
Great point! Kittel is an enormous talent. Griepel not racing...thats sad! I thought Boonen was in a mid-season break to concentrate on the TdF but worlds & olympics OK
Sean Lee
Expert
I reckon Cav will complete the Tour, and if he does he should win the green jersey. Cav is a competitive beast and if he is winning sprints and feeling good he should go right through to the end. He loves the Champs-Elysees and I doubt he'll pass up the opportunity to showcase his talents on the Tour's final day. If he does pull out, then Gossy is a big chance. Kittel is an enormous talent and Sagan is in devestating form. The sprints should be awesome!
Bones506
Roar Guru
.....be very competitive.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Great article. Love the sprinters more than the GC style of riding. A few points of clarification: Greipel and Boonen are not racing in the Tour. They are focused on Olympics and Worlds. Cavendish has gone on the record and said he would race the whole TDF unless he missed the cut off. I think this might be a bit of foxing and agree he will pull out before the mountains as he, surprisingly, completed the entire Giro. There is one guy who you did not mention as he is a Pro Continentel Rider for Argos-Shimano and that is Marcel Kittel. The team is on the TDF roster this this year and Kittel has shown some pretty serious form and thumped Cav and Renshaw in stage 1 of Ster ZLM Toer overnight. Cav, as we have all seen many times, can really kick and jump multiple bike lenghts very quickly. Kittel also has an absolutely monstourous kick. He is built much like Griepel so he generates huge wattage. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on. I really think Goss will be a major threat to all for the Green. Orica-GREEedge are taking a team to focus solely on stage wins and getting Goss into Green. He will be surrounded by a lot of very experienced riders and they showed in the early stages of the Giro that they can get a strong leadout train easily organsied. At the end of the day those that love the sprinters are in for a massive treat this year: Cav, Goss, Kittel, Sagan, Renshaw and Bos (if he is picked) will all
Andy
Guest
Sagan has to be the biggest threat to the Green Jersey. That guy is a freak! I haven't had a good look at the sprint stage profiles yet though (Ride's Tour guide is almost on sale) so I don't know how hard the sprint stages are. If there are a number of really hard ones then Sagan and Goss are two really good bets but given Sagan's ability to win from just about anywhere and under any circumstances (the other day he pulled his foot off the pedal with 250m to go and STILL won) he has to be the biggest chance in my book.
Darryl Kotyk
Roar Pro
I like the question, but I'm not ready to go on record with my pick just yet. I think things are so wide open this year that it's almost anyones race....including the race for the Green Jersey. Let's see what the readers have to say.