Aussie cyclist Matt Goss receives support from unlikely source
FORMER England cricketer Matt Prior has backed Australian Matt Goss to return to international cycling prominence after three challenging seasons.
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FORMER England cricketer Matt Prior has backed Australian Matt Goss to return to international cycling prominence after three challenging seasons.
Goss, 28, last season switched from Orica-GreenEDGE to African outfit Team MTN-Qhubeka but was contentiously overlooked for Tour de France selection.
The Tasmanian has now signed with Pro-Continental outfit One Pro Cycling, which is part-owned by former England wicketkeeper Prior.
Prior believes Goss, runner-up to Mark Cavendish at the 2011 world championships and winner of the Milan-San Remo, can spearhead One Pro Cycling to WorldTour standing.
Prior told Cyclingnews he has had several conversations with Goss and is convinced the Tasmanian retains the hunger to succeed at the highest level.
“I absolutely believe that he does,” Prior said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have been signed by us.
“It’s all well and good looking at what he did a few years ago but it’s about where you’re at now and that’s one of the first questions I asked him.
“Ultimately, he’s the one on the bike and who has to do it and over the last few months we’ve had a number of conversations and it struck me that he’s now ready.
“He’s been through a lot in cycling, some things fantastic, some of them not so good, but 28 is still young and he’s now in a place where he still has the ability and talent because that doesn’t just leave you.
“He has a huge amount of experience having learned from the good and bad and now he can look at this as the second phase of his career and say, where do I want to get to?
“I see that as a personal responsibility as well, to help Matt get back to the level that he expects of himself. He is 100 per cent determined to get back to where he was.”
Fellow Australian Steele von Hoff is also one of Prior’s prime recruits along with Kristian House and Sebastian Lander.
Prior, who played 79 Tests for England, says One Pro will target Grand Tours from 2017.
Originally published as Aussie cyclist Matt Goss receives support from unlikely source
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