O’Grady: ‘We’re on a roll’
Following the stage three success of Simon Gerrans plus yesterday’s team time trial victory, Matt Goss is hoping to clock up another win for the Orica GreenEdge in the days ahead.
The sprinter went close last year with runner-up places on stages five and eighteen, plus third place finishes on stages two, six and twenty.
Now, he is hoping to notch up success of his own in the race.
“I’ve got some big shoes to fill now after Simon has done what he has these past two stages, but the pressure is off the team now,” he said today. “We got so close to a win last year so many times that it was frustrating for myself but hopefully this run of success will make things come a little easier.”
Goss will be up against fast sprinters such as Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and his former team-mate Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma Quick Step), but while he hasn’t been regularly as quick as them in the past, he sounds more upbeat after his team’s strong past two stages.
“I’m confident in my form and my condition,” he said, “so let’s bring on the next few days.”
Meanwhile the team’s most experienced rider Stuart O’Grady has lauded the success of the squad thus far, speaking about the emotions he and others have felt after a frustrating first Tour for the squad last year.
“It’s been a perfect start,” he said after the team time trial. “Stage three was a great day for the team and it really did release a lot of the pressure. In the team time trial the guys rode so fast and so smooth that it was just amazing.
“We’re on a roll. There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes and we have very dedicated and committed bike riders but also the support staff. Everybody in the team puts in a massive amount of work.”
Watch the team’s behind the scenes video from the day four below, celebrating the team time trial win plus Simon Gerrans’ yellow jersey.