Australian rider Matthew Goss has scored his second win in as many days with victory in stage one of the Giro delle Regioni in Italy...
Australian rider Matthew Goss has scored his second win in as many days with victory in stage one of the Giro delle Regioni in Italy.
The 19-year-old Tasmanian, who yesterday won the prestigious GP Liberazione in Rome, today was again the strongest of the 150 international riders from 25 countries on the 107.5km stage from Cassino to the medieval town of Fiuggi, in the hills south of Rome.
"The course wasn't very hilly but there were a couple of climbs which stretched out the race towards the end but not enough to split it apart," said Goss.
"The Ukraine controlled it in the early part as they are trying to set up their U23 World Champion (Dmytro Grabovskyy) for the overall."
An early break of three riders gained more than two minutes on the bunch but by the time the race reached the top of the Category 3 climb at the 79 kilometre mark it was all together.
"The SouthAustralia.com-AIS boys were unbelievable," said Team Director, Brian Stephens.
"They were in every single move from then on and there were a lot of them.
"Simon Clarke went in one, Wes Sulzberger was in another and Gossy was in a few as well."
Eventually at around ten kilometres remaining a group of four, including Goss, rode clear. Five kilometres from home Goss launched a solo attack but abandoned the move soon after.
"I thought if I keep going by myself I might get caught in the last kilometre and not have much left for the sprint," explained Goss.
"I knew I was probably the fastest sprinter in their so I opted to drop back to the group."
Five hundred metres from the line Grabovskyy bridged the gap to put five riders in contention for stage honours.
"I started my sprint at 250m to go because I was confident I could hold them off," said Goss who ended up winning by a good bike length.
"It's great that I've had a good couple of weeks and I'll try and keep it going."
Goss' win also gives him the overall lead in the six day race which tomorrow heads 167.8 kilometres from Villanova di Guidonia to Guidonia Montecelio north east of Rome.
Cycling Australia