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Adelaide - HTC-Highroad all-rounder Matt Goss has been singled out as the sprinters' bogey man as the peloton prepare to tackle the first stage race of 2011 at the Tour Down Under this week.
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Australia's premier cycling event has often bucked the trend of stage races, and been won by sprinters, most of whom are not climbing specialists.
This year most of the peloton's top fast men are in attendance, including Tour de France star Mark Cavendish, American Tyler Farrar and Germany's Andre Greipel, who has won the overall title twice.
However, after winning two stages and the overall title at the Bay Crits series in December, then finishing second behind Jack Bobridge in the Australian road race championships, Goss is being tipped for success.
While fans will be watching to see how an ongoing feud between Greipel and Cavendish will be played out on the bike, the German said Sunday he was more interested in Goss.
"I haven't even looked at him (Cavendish)," said Greipel, who quit Cavendish's HTC-Highroad team at the end of last season as their feud - and his lack of racing opportunities at the top level - reached boiling point.
"I'm more focused on Matthew Goss. He won a lot at the Bay crits, and had a great performance in the nationals and he can get over the climbs, so I think he will be the biggest challenge."
As many as four of the race's six stages could end in a bunch sprint, thus boosting the sprinters' overall victory chances.
A potential race decider comes on the penultimate day when the peloton tackles the steep Willunga climb twice, although Greipel has twice shown it can be overcome.
Australian sprint veteran Robbie McEwen meanwhile believes the abundance of sprinters across the race's 19 teams could work against them and split the race wide open.
"There's such an array of sprinters across the teams that it could lead to a Mexican stand-off, when, if there's a break(away) up the road no-one decides to chase it down," said McEwen.
"We'll have to see how the teams co-operate. Having so many sprinters could open the race up even more."
McEwen, now racing with Lance Armstrong's RadioShack in what is the American's cycling career swansong, gave the likes of Bobridge and Goss the nod.
"I know the Aussie-based guys are going well after seeing them at Bay crits and the national titles," he added. "The unknown factor is the international guys coming in. It's their very first race of the season."
Cavendish's debut at the race is a boon for organisers - the Isle of Man sprinter has won 15 stages in only four participations at the Tour de France, and an impending clash with Greipel and Farrar is being anticipated.
But, with HTC-Highroad teammate Goss in such fine form, 'Cav' could spend most of his time making sure the Tasmanian gets the results he wants.
"The nationals was one of the steps along the way to gauge the form and...it's given me more confidence that I'm on track to do a result here," Goss said here Saturday.
"I don't want to come here and finish eighth on GC (overall), I want to be right at the pointy end... I'd like to be top three, if possible."
