Matthew Brennan self critical after Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Matthew Brennan was close to his second victory of the still young cycling season on Sunday but had to concede defeat to Tobias Lund Andresen in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Afterwards, he mainly took responsibility upon himself.
Brennan rode an attentive race in and around Geelong and was always present in the finale, at the moments when attacks came from the significantly reduced peloton. About five kilometers from the finish, Santiago Buitrago launched a surprise attack. Only a few riders, including Brennan, managed to close the gap to the Colombian.
However, in the subsequent sprint, Brennan came to the front too early. "The team ensured I was well positioned throughout the race," the young Brit said afterwards on his employer’s website. "I was always perfectly positioned when hitting Challambra Crescent, always a key moment in the local circuit."
"In the finale, I always had the legs to respond to the accelerations, but unfortunately, I launched my sprint about a hundred meters too early. That was a misjudgment," he is strict with himself.
Isolated
Team director Jesper Mørkøv also reflected on how the race unfolded. "The guys rode a strong race, exactly as we planned. They controlled the race impressively. It was a shame that Anton (Schiffer, ed.) got involved in a crash because he could certainly have supported Matthew in the finale."
"As a result, Matthew was somewhat isolated, but he rode an impressive finale. He reacted alertly to the rivals' attacks while also pacing himself for the sprint. In the end, he launched just a bit too early, allowing a strong Andresen to pass him. Of course, we would have liked to win here, but a podium in a WorldTour race is definitely a great result."
