After a disastrous 2013 season, Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) has set himself up for a repeat of his magnificent 2011 season by winning the Eastern Gardens Criterium, the second round of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic. Having won the exact same race in the build-up to his 2011 campaign, the Australian sprinter benefited from strong teamwork to beat defending Caleb Ewan (Subaru NSWIS) and teammate Leigh Howard in the bunch kick and took over the leader's jersey from Zakkari Dempster (SASI) in the process.

When the team was created in 2012, Orica-GreenEDGE signed Matthew Goss to lead the charge in the sprints but the 2011 Milan-Sanremo winner and Worlds silver medalist has had two disappointing seasons as a leader of his home team. Stage wins in the 2012 Giro d'Italia and 2013 Tirreno-Adriatico are what he has come up with in his first two years with the squad.

When Goss had his best season in 2011, winning the Milan-Sanremo and finishing 2nd at the World Championships in what was generally an exceptional year for the then HTC-Highroad rider, he kicked off his season by winning the Eastern Gardens Criterium in the traditional opener of the Australian summer season, the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic. Today he repeated that performance in the second race of this year's series that consists of four fast criteriums in the Geelong area in Australia.

Orica-GreenEDGE is the major team in the Australian event and has all eyes on its shoulders but the team failed to capitalize on its strength yesterday. Goss and Luke Durbridge both made it into the decisive 7-rider breakaway but as Goss had run out of legs, it was up to Durbridge, a non-sprinter, to come away with the goods.

That mission failed, with the team taking 5th and 6th, but today the 5-rider roster was keen to make amends. Through a very aggressive showing, the team played a prominent role throughout the race, launching several attacks as they tried to split up the field on the tough circuit.

The early break was made up of sprint leader Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) and Tom Scully (Total Rush/Hyster Racing) but the duo was kept in check by Orica-GreenEDGE. When the move was neutralized, the Australian team put down the hammer on the testing course as they tried to put their rivals under pressure.

Despite many attempts from Durbridge, Michael Hepburn and Leigh Howard, the team realized with four laps to go that a bunch sprint was inevitable and put all their focus on Goss' chances. Durbridge switched role from aggressive attacker to controlling policeman and kept things in the check as they sped around the circuit for the last times.

Mitchell Docker and Howard were responsible for delivering Goss to the line and they gave the 2011 Milan-Sanremo winner the perfect lead-out. Defending champion Caleb Ewan did his best to challenge one of cycling's big stars but had to settle for 2nd behind the Orica-GreenEDGE leader. Despite working as a lead-out man Howard held on to take 3rd.

With the win, Goss takes over the leader's jersey from day 1 winner Zakkari Dempster who could only manage 9th in the final bunch sprint. Goss now has a 2-point lead over 2nd placed Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics') who continues to impress, adding a 4th place to yesterday's 3rd. Dempster is now 3rd, 3 points behind Goss.

The series continues tomorrow with its penultimate race, the famous Portarlington criterium. The circuit is the toughest in the series and a bunch sprint is far from being the guaranteed outcome. Goss will try to defend his title while Durbridge will be keen to capitalize on his good form by winning the race for the second year in a row.

Result:

1. Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) 1.01.54

2. Caleb Ewan (Subaru NSWIS)

3. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE)

4. Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics')

5. Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor JLT)

6. Raphael Freienstein (Charter Mason/Brennan IT)

7. Allan Davis (Chain Reaction)

8. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT)

9. Zakkari Dempster (SASI)

10. Russell Gill (SASI)

General classification:

1. Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) 17

2. Brenton Jones (Procon Telematics') 15

3. Zakkari Dempster (SASI) 14

4. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) 13

5. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) 11

6. Caleb Ewan (Subaru NSWIS) 10

7. Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor JLT) 8

8. Luke Parker (Jayco VIS) 7

9. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEDGE) 6

10. Raphael Freienstein (Charter Mason/Brennan IT) 5

Sprints classification:

1. Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) 11

2. Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEDGE) 5

3. Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) 4

4. Thomas Hamilton (Jayco VIS) 4

5. Thomas Scully (Total Rush/Hyster Racing) 3

Teams classification:

1. Orica-GreenEDGE 34

2. Rapha-Condor JLT 21

3. SASI 20

4. Procon Telematics' 15

5. Subaru NSWIS  10