Orica GreenEDGE leaves out proven tour performers

ORICA-GreenEDGE will not discuss why former winner Cameron Meyer and Michael Matthews were left out of its line-up for the Santos Tour Down Under.

Orica GreenEDGE

AUSTRALIAN team Orica-GreenEDGE will not discuss why former winner Cameron Meyer and stage winner Michael Matthews were left out of its line-up for the Santos Tour Down Under.

Despite both showing exceptional form at the national championships and being proven performers in Adelaide, the pair missed the seven-man team for the tour, which starts on Sunday.

Meyer won the criterium title and Matthews sprinted to second place in the road race, which followed his third place in the time trial at last week's national titles.

Matthews tweeted this on Monday: "Heading back to Canberra after no spot for me at tdu all the best to the boys at Orica-GreenEDGE and thanks for an awesome week at nationals."

Team director Matt Wilson, who was a team-mate of Meyer when he won the 2011 TDU crown, said selection for this year's race was "super hard".

"This year even more so because we had so many guys going well in January," Wilson said.

"There's a lot that goes into the selection procedure.

"It's a lot more than form, and the team management have got our reasons and, yeah, it's disappointing (not being able to fit Meyer and Matthews in).

"It's not a question of their form - they're both going fantastic - it's just disappointing there's not nine spots available.

"I can't really go into it.

"It's a long procedure."

Wilson confirmed the team's priority was to help Simon Gerrans defend the ochre jersey but also to fine-tune its lead-out train, with Daryl Impey and Jens Mouris launching Goss into the sprints.

"Having a two-pronged attack means you have to bring people who are good at different things, specialists in different events, but we've got a really well-rounded team and I'm happy with the guys we've got here," Wilson said.

"We're working with Matt Goss, we've got a couple of his key lead-out guys here and trying to get a core sprint group together for the rest of the season.

"And it starts here."

Goss spent an extended part of his pre-season in Europe before returning to Australia for the Herald Sun Tour this month.

"He (Goss) has only done a little bit of racing and for the (Herald) Sun Tour. He stepped straight off the plane into 44 degree weather, which really knocks you around," Wilson said.

"He said he felt good on Sunday (in the national road race) and he's normally good here, so I've got no reason to think that he wouldn't have great form."