Bobby & Jens: Matt Goss

For sprinters, victory and defeat are measured by millimeters. In his decade as a professional cyclist, Matt Goss found himself on both sides of that razor’s edge at some of the sport’s biggest races. This week the Australian joins Bobby & Jens, to share a few memorable stories.

Also read: Bobby & Jens – Kurt Asle Arvesen

Like many of his compatriots looking to pursue their passion for cycling, Matt underwent a major life transformation in his late teens. He discussed the early struggles in his career adapting to living in his pro base of Monaco, literally halfway around the world from his home in Tasmania, Australia. Despite the challenges, he was able to find his way towards a fruitful career.

Along the way, he found himself on a super-strong HTC-Columbia team. He talked about finding his place within an organization with the likes of Mark Cavendish, Mark Renshaw, Tony Martin, and others. That team had perhaps the most dominant, dialed–in sprint train ever. Matt touched on the dynamic within the team of figuring out where everyone slots in when there are so many heavy hitters.

While he often spent time leading-out riders like Mark Cavendish, sometimes he found himself in a position to win. Matt’s biggest victory in his career came in 2011 at Milan-San Remo. He took us through what went into making that race come together on a day when he had no teammates make the front group with him. His strategy, succinctly put, came down to “having to be willing to lose the race to win it.” But it wasn’t always good results at the sprinter’s classic for Matt. He shares a story about being forgotten by his own team at another edition of the very same race.

Matt also had some close races that didn’t swing his way, like finishing second at the world championships against his trade team teammate Mark Cavendish. He recounts that heartbreakingly close finish against the dominant sprinter.

Despite being in a position to keep riding for a long time, Matt decided to retire at a relatively early age of 30. “I had lost a bit of the passion for racing,” he recalled. He discusses that decision and fills us in on his new chapter in life.

Listen to this week’s episode for the full discussion.

“Bobby & Jens” is a weekly VeloNews podcast. It stars former pros Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt and features conversations with top athletes, coaches, emerging stars, and other newsmakers from the wide world of cycling. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

Send your questions to BobbyandJens@VeloNews.com or Tweet @bobbyandjens.