Matthews has to settle for fifth at Amstel Gold Race

A maddening business, the Classics. A week after Mathew Hayman ad-libbed to pull off the surprise of the Spring by winning Paris-Roubaix, Orica-GreenEdge were now hoping that Amstel Gold Race would stick faithfully to the expected script, as they lined up with not one, but two favourites in the shape of Michael Matthews and Simon Gerrans.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.