Bay Classic win a shot of confidence for Goss Matt Goss wins race two of the Bay Classic criterium series yesterday in Geelong from Leigh Howard, left, and Caleb Ewan, right. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: TheAustralian CYCLING: The bear hug that Orica-GreenEdge team director Matt Wilson had for Matt Goss showed this was more than just another early-season win. After two lean years of results, followed by plenty of talk in the past few weeks about Goss's cycling future, he gave his confidence a massive boost by winning race two of the Bay Classic criterium series. Winning the women's round on Friday at Eastern Park in Geelong was also doubly special for London Olympian Chloe Hosking. She became emotional as she dedicated the victory to her brother-in-law Lachlan Smith, who died last October of cancer. By upsetting Italian star Georgia Bronzini, Hosking showed the fruits of a strong pre-season as she aims for selection on Australia's road team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. For sprinters such as Goss and Hosking, winning in the Mitchelton Bay Classic series can be the springboard for a monster season. Goss won the overall series title in 2011 and went on to become the first Australian to win the Milan-Sanremo classic. But he has managed only three wins over the past two years and is in the last year of a lucrative contract with Orica-GreenEdge. "It's a significant sign," Wilson said. When asked what if felt like to win again, Goss said simply "finally." Goss also admitted to feeling the pressure. "It does play with your head sometimes," he said. I spend a lot of time on the bike. There's heaps of time to think about it, isn't there? But I feel good . . . I feel like I'm in as good a shape as I've been at this time of year. So all I needed was a win or something to give me that confidence. Today is a good sign of that. The win also gave Goss the overall lead on 17 points, two clear of young Victorian Brenton Jones with two races left, while race-one winner Zak Dempster dropped to third on 14. Goss's main aim this year is again the Tour de France. After being part of the squad that famously won last year's team time trial at the Tour, Goss wants an individual stage win. Orica-GreenEDGE raced perfectly on Friday, with a rider featuring in every break before Goss was set up for the bunch finish. Defending series champion Caleb Ewan, who is nursing injuries after a training crash, also showed improved form by finishing second in round two. Bronzini remains the women's leader by finishing second on Friday, but Hosking's win showed that the Italian star will not have it all her own way. Hosking is three points behind the two-time world road champion on the series standings.