Goss attempts to rescue worlds campaign at Giro di Padania

In a bid to rescue his campaign prior to his tilt at his second UCI Road World Championships later this month, Matt Goss will line up in an Australian composite team at the Giro di Padania in Italy on Tuesday.

Goss (HTC-Highroad) became the first rider to abandon the Vuelta after being dogged by food poisoning since the day before the start of the Grand Tour. With HTC-Highroad not running a team at Paris-Brussels, where Goss told Cyclingnews he was hoping to get a start, Australian National Men's Road Coordinator Matt White was forced to look at other options in order to keep the Milan-San Remo winner on track prior to the worlds in Copenhagen.

As he'll line up for his national team at the six-day stage race, Goss was able to get clearance from Vuelta organisers – unlike his HTC-Highroad teammate Mark Cavendish who Cyclingnews understands is struggling to find a start given the limited options between now and the elite men's road race on September 25. The Tour of Britain (September 11-18) is believed to be his best bet.

Goss will be joined at Padania by Wes Sulzberger (FDJ), Mitch Docker (Skil-Shimano), Cameron Meyer (Garmin-Cervelo), Lachlan Norris (Drapac), and Nick Aitken (Jayco-AIS). The 24-year-old will then ride the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (September 16) and GP d´Isbergues (September 18).

Australia's nine-man team for the world championships will be named early next week with Cycling Australia National Performance Director, Kevin Tabotta explaining that the initial 14-man long list was selected to keep "alternative scenarios covered."

Following his exit from the Vuelta, Goss said he was determined to focus on the worlds and finish the season on a good note.

"It [Copenhagen] is a course that suits me really well and the last thing I want to do is finish the season like I have at the Vuelta – that just gives me more motivation than I ever had before," he said.