Stage three of the Giro d’Italia was another milestone for the Orica GreenEdge and was important on three counts.
Firstly, it marked the first Grand Tour victory for the team. It was also its first win since Orica took over the title sponsorship of the squad. Thirdly, it was also the first victory by Matt Goss this season and, therefore, in its colours.
The WorldTour team is riding the first three week race in its existence, and clocking up a victory on day three is of major significance.
For Goss, the result is a major relief. He’s been chasing a win for a long time this year, and clocked up no less than four runner-up slots in the recent Presidential Tour of Turkey. He was also second on stage two of the Giro, losing out to Mark Cavendish (Team Sky).
"I have been really close to a win in recent races," Goss said. "To take my first win of the season here in our first Grand Tour is a fantastic feeling.
"I'm really happy to win today to pay back the team for placing me perfectly. They worked incredibly hard for me all day."
Goss’s victory came as a result of a strong leadout by his team, which put him very close to the front of the bunch as the sprint began, and saw him stay clear of the chaos which erupted behind. Roberto Ferrari (Androni Giocattoli Venezuela) tried to challenge for the win, but veered wildly; this manoeuvre took out world champion Mark Cavendish (Sky) and, indirectly, also caused race leader Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team) to fall.
Directeur sportif Matt White explained the tactics that secured them the win. "The plan was to put five guys into that corner first. It didn't work out exactly like that, but the guys still managed to get to the front with the numbers needed at the right time,” he said. “We knew we could only go once. If we didn't get the timing right, we would have gotten boxed in. It was way too fast of a sprint to surge for a second time."
Next up for the team is a rest day tomorrow, then Wednesday’s team time trial in Verona. The Garmin Barracuda squad is favourite for that test, but GreenEdge scooped a fine victory in a similar effort in March’s Tirreno-Adriatico.
With morale on the up, it will chase another win there or later in the race.