This year’s Stan Siejka Launceston Classic will witness the end of two of Tasmania’s most distinguished sporting careers.
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Two decades after they started riding together as Flowery Gully neighbours, Matt Goss and Bernie Sulzberger will bring down the curtains on their pro careers in their home-town criterium.
Goss confirmed his plans when announcing his retirement last month and Sulzberger followed suit this week, the father-of-two saying it would be the ideal way to sign off from elite cycling.
“I’m just looking forward to settling down and having more time with my family,” said Sulzberger, 32.
“I started riding aged about 10 while at Exeter Primary School and I will be 33 in December so I’ve been going for a while.
“I will still ride socially, but professionally that will be it for me. It will be a pretty good way to go out.
“Matt and I started riding about the same time growing up together in Flowery Gully so it will be good to go out together.
“I’ve done the race a few times and my best result is third so it would be nice to improve on that.”
That third place came in 2014 behind Neil van der Ploeg and Steele Von Hoff while Goss has dominated the event, claiming victories in 2004, ’07 and ’10.
“That is where people started to notice me, so it’s nice to go back,” Goss said of his plan to retire in the classic, which will again be run around City Park, on Sunday, November 27.
- Sulzberger looks back: Page 41