When he first signed for Orica-GreenEDGE, Mat Hayman had two goals: to ride well in the Cobbled Classics and too pass on his vast experience to his younger teammates. After two seasons, he says he has failed the first goal but passed the second goal with flying colours.

Hayman, 37, has just signed a new two year deal where he will be supporting youngsters like Caleb Ewan and Esteban Chaves, while acting as an able plan B to Jens Keukeleire in the Classics.

"I guess every race I get given the role of being more of a road captain outside of the classics where I still have my own ambition," Hayman told Cyclingnews of his mentoring role.

While Hayman is happy to help his teammates succeed in most of the races on the calendar, the races he wants to succeed at himself are the Classics, where he has underperformed so far with just one top 40 in his last six Monuments.

"There's been some disappointment there personally for me and it's not necessarily that I win them but I'd like to be around the mark again and have those guys be proud of what I am doing in those races. I can say I've had some bad luck, or this and that, but I'd like to string it all together and repay those guys for their faith in me and for signing me up.”

"I think I am doing alright on the other end of the scale with the rest of the season but it's something I am super passionate about and there are guys in the team, whether they're riders, staff members, mechanics, or soigneurs, that also get super excited for those races and they are something that are special to all those people and I think we can do better as a team and I can do better individually."

He has made changes to his calendar for 2016 to ensure he doesn’t underperform in the race he loves so much. He will also spend more time racing in Australia in 2016.

"I'll be doing nationals, Tour Down Under, I'll be going to Cadel's race so that will be interesting and something nice to do and to support the races at home. Then it's off to a training camp so just missing Qatar and going into a similar programme with Strade Bianchi, Tirreno, Milan San Remo and I am pretty sure we are doing opening weekend now so that's Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne," he said of the early season.