2011 Milan-San Remo winner admits he lacks motivation for racing
Image 1 of 7
Matthew Goss (ONE Pro Cycling)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) discusses this weeks sprint opportunities(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
2011 Worlds: Elite men's podium (L-R) Matt Goss (Australia), Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) and Andre Greipel (Germany)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matt Goss (One Pro Cycling)(Image credit: Le Tour de Langkawi)
Matt Goss (Team CSC) wins stage 2 in 2008(Image credit: Rob Lampard)
Matt Goss (HTC) claims the biggest win of his career(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Three-time winner of the Launceston Criterium, Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) gets down to the finer points of, ah something or other... (Image credit: Ben Rae)
2011 Milan-San Remo winner Matt Goss has announced his retirement from competitive racing at the end of the 2016 season.
The Australian won the Italian Classic in 2011 after impressing in sprints in his early years. However he has struggled to be competitive in recent years and joined the British One Pro Cycling Professional Continental team for 2016. He has only raced for 41 days so far this season, with ninth on a stage at the Tour de Langkawi his best result.
He insisted he was still hungry for success after leaving MTN-Qhubeka but now admits he has realised it is the right time to call time on his career.
"The decision to retire is never something to be taken lightly but it is one I have put a lot of thought into," Goss said when announcing his retirement.
"I don't get the same buzz out of racing that I used to and the sport is too hard and competitive to do if you're not jumping out of your skin to get on the start line at every opportunity. While I'm still relatively young I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my life and I can take some great memories with me like winning Milan San Remo and standing on the top step of the Tour de France podium with some great team mates after winning the team time trial in Nice, all in front of family and friends."
In a professional career spanning ten years Goss enjoyed early success winning both the madison and team pursuit events at the Junior Track World Championships in 2004. Goss went on to sign for Team CSC in 2007 becoming the youngest rider to race in the WorldTour at the age of twenty.
He showed his talent as a sprinter by winning a stage of The Tour of Britain in his first year as a professional. He also showed strength in the classics during the 2008 and 2009 seasons with podium finishes in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Gent-Wevelgem and winning Paris-Brussels. He went to win stages of the Giro d'Italia, Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour Down Under and also won the GP Plouay. Milan-San Remo in 2011 is the biggest victory of his career. He also became the first Australian to win the Italian Classic.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I can look back at my career as a professional cyclist and be very happy and proud of what I've achieved," Goss said. "I've had the pleasure of winning some fantastic races, creating some great memories and meeting some amazing people across the globe. To represent my country at World Championship, Commonwealth and Olympic level has been an honour."
Goss failed to finish the recent Schaal Sels race in Belgium and it is unclear if he will race again before the end of the season. He did not give details of his plans for after his professional career.
