One of the most important weeks of the spring season for ORICA-GreenEDGE begins on Sunday with the Amstel Gold Race. With multiple cards to play at each of the three Ardennes Classics, the Australian outfit lines up in Maastricht with a strong roster to support the team’s big ambitions.
“We have a great team for Amstel. We’ve got plenty of cards to play beyond our team leader Simon Gerrans, and that is a luxury in a race like this. Of the three races next week, Amstel is the one that suits the characteristics of our team the best. ” – Sport Director Matt White
“The goal is to win, but there are a lot of other teams and riders with the exact same goal. I think the main difference is that we have several guys that could win this race where others team might only have one. It gives us good confidence to know that we have so many different options because on race day, the race could unfold any number of ways, and we have every option covered.” – Michael Matthews
“This is the big one. It’s the only monument in the Ardennes week, and it’s one of the oldest races on the calendar. Of the riders that target the Ardennes, there are many that dream of winning Liège-Bastogne-Liège. It’s a more demanding course than Amstel or Flèche. The climbs are a bit longer and quite a bit harder. Generally a climber who can be very good over six hours of racing wins this one. This sets Liège apart Amstel and Flèche, where an explosive rider like myself has a better chance.” – Simon Gerrans
