Sky hit the front



Boassen Hagen wins for Sky



When Dave Brailsford and Team GB decided to move their all conquering track cycling road show onto the road scene there were many who thought that it was a mistake, that they should stick to what they were good at and leave the ‘proper’ racing to the Spanish, French and the Americans, who have dominated the Tour De France, the Giro D’Italia and the Vuelta Espana (French, Italian and Spanish tours).

Brailsford and his team had other ideas, recruiting some of the best coaches and backroom staff around. Backed by BSkyB, Team Sky, or Sky Pro-Racing are in their second year of professional racing, the second of the five year plan to put a drug free British rider from a British team at the pinnacle of cycling’s hierarchy, the fabled Tour De France.

British teams have competed in the past, but with little success. British riders have had mixed success, but sporadic stage wins (Mark Cavendish aside) have given little overall joy. Most recently Bradley Wiggins came close to a podium finish two years ago, prompting one of the few ‘transfers’ in the sport, from Garmin to the newly formed Sky outfit.

Backed by substantial funding, and along with Sky's glitz and glamour, they now can back up all their talk with tangible results. Last month Wiggins won the Criterium du Dauphine, the biggest of his road career to date.  For the second year in a row Geraint Thomas is wearing the white jersey of the best young rider and with talented young Norwegian Edvald Boassen Hagen’s first place in stage six, they now have recorded their maiden Tour stage victory.

Quite what the team can achieve this season is debatable. One thing is for sure, Wiggins will surely improve on last year’s poor showing. Whether he can challenge the Contador's Evans’ and the Shleck brothers for overall glory, is something we will find out over the next two weeks.