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Team Sky Tour a success

Image: The team were full of smiles in Paris

Team Sky left a strong imprint on the 2011 Tour de France following two stage wins and a number of stand-out performances.

Brailsford and Yates look back at race

Team Sky left a strong imprint on the 2011 Tour de France following two stage wins and a number of stand-out performances. During their second attempt at the world’s biggest bike race, the team were forced to think on their feet after the loss of team-leader Bradley Wiggins to injury. The refocusing of objectives allowed the remaining eight riders to further express themselves on the bike, successfully building on a Tour that had already got off to a flying start. Geraint Thomas wasted no time in riding his way into the white young rider’s jersey on the first stage, with even greater success to come as that same rider and jersey led out Edvald Boasson Hagen to take the team’s first Tour de France victory on stage six. Just a day later the team’s Tour was turned on its head as large crash in the bunch spelt the end of the race for Bradley Wiggins, the newly-crowned British national champion abandoning on the spot with a broken collarbone. Faced with the loss of a rider in the form of his life, the team showed impressive composure and strength in depth to quickly rebound from the crushing blow, immediately setting out to enliven proceedings, with Xabier Zandio in the break the very next day. The team started as they meant to go on, keeping up a 100 per cent record of putting riders into moves on days they hard targeted.

Spirit

Team Principal Dave Brailsford was full of praise for the way the team took up the gauntlet of racing on without their leader. He said: “I’m very happy with the performance. Obviously we had a major setback when Bradley crashed out and broke his collarbone. The reaction of the team since that incident has been absolutely fantastic. “We take a lot of numbers, data and measurements like how fast the guys are climbing. We know what Bradley can do and what condition he was in. “From our point of view we think for sure he’d have been second, if not fighting for the top spot. He was in great shape but I’m sure he will come back fighting and we’ll go and give it another shot.” With the team’s main GC hope now back home receiving treatment in Manchester, Rigoberto Urán set about helping to fill the void left by Wiggins. The Colombian had shown signs of top form as first Team Sky man home on the Mur-de-Bretagne, a performance that made it all the easier for the team to throw their weight behind the climber. A gutsy ride on stage 14 up the Plateau de Beille saw that vote of confidence rewarded as Urán rode an intelligent race on the brutal climb, gauging his effort to perfection to steal fifth place on the line and more importantly, move into the white jersey.
On the attack
The chance to stretch their legs at the head of the race saw a number of encouraging performances, notably an eye-opening ride from Thomas through the Pyrenees. Still discovering more about himself with every passing kilometre, the Welshman made his way into the day’s break on stage 12 and attacked his rivals on the fabled Col du Tourmalet. The future growing ever brighter for a rider Brailsford hailed mid-race as ‘one of the best lead-out men in the world’, the team received a timely boost after the second rest as the 25-year-old signed a new three-year deal with Team Sky. On the team’s two white jersey holders, Brailsford added: “They are both young. Geraint we have worked with for a long time under British Cycling. We’ve known for quite a while he is very gifted physically. “He has got his belief systems right in this Tour. He has taken his opportunities and really stepped up. He can really start assessing his future in terms of some real big results and looking at the very big races and seeing if he can challenge for those. “In terms of Rigoberto, he confirmed his climbing ability when he was fifth on a stage up to Plateau de Beille. Unfortunately he got a lung infection and he started antibiotics on the second rest day and that took its toll – but he is a huge talent.”
Practice makes perfect
Persistence paid off for Boasson Hagen as the Tour wore on, the Norwegian working hard during a number of frantic opening salvos to force his way into breakaways. A sixth place on stage 13 into Lourdes was followed by a heart-breaking second place three days later into gap – both stages seeing compatriot Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) taking the win. Not to be outdone, Boasson Hagen formulated a plan, willing his way into the day’s move and then subsequently dropping the remnants of the break on the Cote de Pramartino before forcing home his advantage with a daredevil descent into Pinerolo. A solo run into the finish allowed the Norwegian to savour the moment and in doing so, double his and the team’s tally of stage wins at the Grand Boucle as the race ventured into Italy. Sports Director Sean Yates admitted that, when it came to picking his highlights from three weeks of racing, it doesn’t get much better than winning stages at the Tour. He said: “Obviously the two wins are right up there. To win a stage at the Tour de France is something special. It was also a great ride in the TTT. They didn’t win but it was very close. That was a sign they were going well and it was also a high-pressure event, with a lot at stake. They did themselves proud.” Despite the chance to see Team Sky’s arms raised in victory, the experienced DS and former pro revealed one of his greatest pleasures had been to witness the bond amongst the team. He added: “They are a great bunch of guys – it’s all for one and one for all. There are all world-class athletes and they want to get stuck in and get involved and help each other out. The way they all helped each other – and looked after each other during rough times - is in many ways the highlight for me from the last three weeks. We’ve had a great Tour.”
Looking to the future
Now mid-way through its second year as an outfit, Team Sky continues to grow and develop as a team. With a stage win at the Tour now ticked off on the team’s growing list of achievements, the foundations for the future continue to grow ever stronger as the riders gain in experience, a fact Brailsford is happy to point out. “The nice thing about Team Sky at the moment is that they are a group of 22 to 25-year-old’s. They are young, they really get on well and they are a super team,” he added. “It’s going to be fantastic watching them develop over the next three to five years. Once they get there they will be a formidable team.” Yates agrees, pointing to clear improvements a year on from the team’s debut at the event, saying: “It's a massive step forward from last year and has been great to see. "It gives us plenty of confidence - we're still a relatively new team but this bodes very well for the future and future Grand Tours. “Brad is another story altogether. What if? It was bad luck for Bradley and for the team. “We will just keep the fingers crossed for next year. Or the year after! Cadel Evans won the Tour at 34 and a hard Tour at that.”

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