One Question for Matt Goss

Just three feet away stands Matt Goss. Winner of Milan-San Remo. Stage winner at Paris-Nice, the Tour of Oman, and the Tour Down Under. And that’s just this spring. A fan is taking his picture and he’s signing an HTC jersey for her. Matt Goss is right there, and in about 30 seconds, he’ll be free. Now is your chance to say hello one-on-one to one of the best cyclists in the world. What do you say? Quick, quick, quick! What do you say?

You want to congratulate him on his success and let him know what a big fan you are, but you could shout that from the roadside. This is a unique opportunity to have a quick conversation with the guy, to ask him a question or two. But what question?

There are a million questions a cycling fan could ask a hot pro on the eve of a race, but you know very well that they can’t answer in any kind of meaningful way. Among them:

• With part of the team at the Giro, are you satisfied with this group for the Tour of California? Are any key players missing here?
• Do you think Tejay has the chops for the overall win this year?
• Do you feel the loss of Mick Rogers to Team Sky in the warm-up to the race?

Beyond California, there is an avalanche of potential questions about the team, the sport, and all the controversies.

• What do you really think about Cavendish? Can the team retain him and maintain its successful breadth of riders into the next few years?
• Are the governing bodies biased in favor of the French and Spanish teams?
• What should be done about doping? Would anything work across the sport as a whole?
• Is Bernie as popular with the ladies as one would guess?

To get real answers to any of those questions, you would have to be the guys’s mother, or at a minimum, riding that team bus with him every day. So what is left to say? The crowd is moving, and this is your chance. Quick, quick, quick. Jump in and say something!

Congratulations on a great season so far, Matt. How are you feeling?

-Feeling good, he responds, sharing a solid handshake and a warm smile.

Take a picture?

-Sure.

Thanks! And hey, go get ‘em next week.

And there it is. The probing questions will have to wait for another day. Matt is off to join his teammates, have a drink, and check out the gorgeous McLaren car outside. You’re pleased to shake hands with a champion and proclaim him a very nice guy. If he didn’t know before, he now knows he’s got fans in L.A. And you’re going to work on more questions for next time.