Michael Matthews is hoping that a different style of racing with his new team will lead to more victories in races like the Ardennes Classics, starting with Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race.
“Waiting was ingrained in us at Orica-GreenEdge,” he told Dutch publication WielerFlits. “We always had to sit and wait for the sprint. And honestly, that is not really me, so I would like to change that. You see that all the Flemish Classics were attacking races, with few people in the peloton at the finish. In the Brabantse Pijl again — you saw that I tried to wait for a sprint, but we did not catch them.”
Matthews also says that the absence of the Cauberg in the finale of Amstel Gold Race is unlikely to change the race.
“I don’t think it’ll change the race too much, honestly. It is interesting (though) because nobody knows what’s going to happen and where to attack. Of course it’s also possible everyone else is waiting for it. But I want to make it a hard race.”
“The hardest part is trying to stay together on these small roads with all the climbing and descending. It’s really like a rollercoaster this race, but when your teammates are committed to you like they have been to me so far this season it definitely gives you a lot of confidence.”
