Mark Cavendish condition:

Team Sky are happy to announce that Mark Cavendish has recovered sufficiently from his recent bout of illness to make his Team Sky debut in the opening stage of the Tour of Qatar.

The world road race champion, 26, did not take part in Team Sky’s training ride on Saturday after falling ill on his flight from London Heathrow to Doha on Friday night. Instead, he spent the day resting under the supervision of Team Sky’s medical team and his progress has since proved encouraging.

Team Sky’s Sports Director Steven de Jongh said: 

“We’re all delighted that Mark has been able to battle back from the bug he picked up coming out here and it will be a real boost to the rest of the guys to know that he’ll be starting today.

“Our medical team have done a fantastic job in looking after him and Mark has followed their advice to the letter. Clearly, he’s not going to be at his best in the next few days but we’re hoping he’ll get stronger with every passing stage. 

“We’ll continue to keep a very close eye on him but hopefully he’s over the worst of it now.”

Tweet

After discovering that bad intentioned people used his name on Twitter, Alexandre Vinokourov has just discovered in an interview with a Swiss journalist that his emails have been hacked.

 

This invasion of privacy is a new episode of the pressure and personal attacks that the Kazakh leader suffered in recent years. "I do not understand why some people are always looking to find some stories about me, says Alexandre Vinokourov. I am a cyclist and there is no place in our sport for the gutter press. I don't ever allow myself to attack anyone personally. I wish to finish my career quietly even though obviously it bothers some people that I'm still on a bike. "

 

Team Astana rider who politically committed to support the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for future elections in his country, reserves the right to complain in court if new press articles about his private life should be published in the future.

 

Team Sky is pleased to announce that Ian Stannard, Ben Swift and Peter Kennaugh have all re-signed with the team ahead of the 2012 season. 

Since the launch of the team two years ago the young British trio have all become highly valued and versatile members of the squad.

Stannard is now regarded as one of the strongest Classics riders in the team and claimed his first professional victory at the Tour of Austria in July. The 24-year-old from Chelmsford played a key support role for Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins at the Vuelta a Espana in August, was a member of Great Britain’s World Championship-winning road team in September, and has performed successful lead-out duties this season for the likes of Swift, Greg Henderson and Davide Appollonio. 

Kennaugh was the team’s only neo-pro during their opening campaign and has matured tremendously during his first two seasons in the professional ranks. Last year the 22-year-old Manxman earned his first Grand Tour ride at the Vuelta a Espana and this season marked himself out as a promising stage-race rider with a podium position at the Route du Sud and a top-five finish in the Tour of Poland.

After an encouraging first season, which yielded Team Sky’s first-ever overall victory at the Tour of Picardie, Swift came of age in 2011 with no less than five sprint victories during the opening five months of the season. That fine form earned the 23-year-old Yorkshireman his first Tour de France ride in July. 

Team Sky rider, Ian Stannard, said:

“I’ve learned so much from my first two seasons with Team Sky and am excited about what the future holds now I have signed this new deal. The Classics are where I want to specialise so I will be working hard to try and hit the ground running next spring. For the rest of next season I’m happy riding on the front and getting involved in the lead-outs, and if I can get in a few breakaways along the way then hopefully there could be some more victories to come.”

Team Sky rider, Peter Kennaugh, said:

“I was really happy to turn professional with Team Sky and they have given me tremendous support over the last two years. The team is the ideal place for me to continue progressing as a rider and I am delighted to be extending my contract with them.

“Next year my focus will be on chasing more results on the road, probably in some of the more testing week-long races and of course the London Olympics. Looking beyond that my ambition is to race some of the hilly one day races like the Ardennes Classics and continue to provide support in the mountain stages of Grand Tours as I did at the Giro d'Italia this year. These are really exciting times, and I am proud to be a part of one of the biggest teams in the world.”

Team Sky rider, Ben Swift, said:

“I’m delighted with the way things have gone over the last two years and am over the moon to have signed this new contract. The support the team have given me both on and off the bike has been absolutely fantastic and I just hope I can keep progressing now and win more bike races. We’re a really tight-knit group here and I’m really looking forward to seeing us push on and grow as a team.”

Team Sky Principal, Dave Brailsford, said:

“Having nurtured them on Great Britain’s Olympic Academy Programme, we knew these guys had bright futures ahead of them, and they have all fulfilled that promise, and more. It has been great to watch them flourish at the very highest level of the sport and we are delighted that they have chosen to stay with the team. I have no doubt at all that these riders will go from strength-to-strength in the future and we will continue to give them all the support they need to fulfil their massive potential.”

Tweet

World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish MBE will join Team Sky from 2012. 

The 26-year-old ‘Manx Missile’ brings a world-class pedigree to Team Sky having enjoyed the most successful season of his career in 2011.  In September Cavendish became world champion after securing the World Road Race title and the coveted rainbow jersey in Copenhagen.

This followed July’s Tour de France, where Cavendish confirmed his position as the world’s leading sprinter by powering to five stage victories and securing the prestigious Maillot Vert, or Green Jersey, as the race’s overall leading points scorer. 

In addition to 20 Tour de France stage wins, Cavendish has secured a further 10 Grand Tour stage victories in his career, as well as the overall points title at the 2010 Vuelta a Espana.  In 2009 Cavendish also won the prestigious Milan-San Remo race, one of the sport’s recognised ‘Monuments’.

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, said:

“Mark is the greatest sprinter of his generation and is well on his way to becoming the greatest of all time. He is a rider of exceptional talent who has proved his pedigree at the very highest level of our sport. “

“Mark is a born winner and what excites me most is the attitude he brings to all the teams he rides for.  We want to inspire more fans to get into cycling and I can think of no one better to help us do that. We are delighted that the new world champion will be riding for Team Sky next season.”

Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky rider, said:

“I think I speak for everyone in the squad when I say that we’re all delighted to have Cav joining us at Team Sky. He is the best sprinter in the world and has an energy and passion for cycling that is infectious. Team Sky has enjoyed a fantastic second season and Mark’s signing is another statement of our intent for next year and beyond.” 

Geraint Thomas, Team Sky rider, said:

“Cav joining Team Sky is fantastic news. In many ways it’s like he’s coming home – the team has a number of riders and support staff that he grew up with and it won’t take him any time to settle in. I think everyone saw that when we helped him to victory for Great Britain at the Worlds, and we are all looking forward to helping him deliver more wins for Team Sky.”

Edvald Boasson Hagen, Team Sky rider, said:

“I know from my time riding with Mark at Columbia-HTC what a special talent he is and it’s great that we are back on the same team. Mark is a good guy, delivers when it matters and is another weapon in our squad for next year.” 

Ben Swift, Team Sky rider, said:

“The young sprinters here are always looking to learn and having someone like Cav on the team is going to help us a lot.  We know each other very well already, but seeing how he goes about things on a daily basis will be really good for me personally and he’s always happy to give tips and advice. It’s great to have him on the team.”

 

Tweet

Team Sky is delighted to announce that Mathew Hayman and Chris Sutton have both signed new contracts ahead of the 2012 season. 

Newly crowned Paris-Bourges champion Hayman has long been recognised as one of pro cycling’s strongest riders and is a key domestique for Team Sky. Hayman’s wealth of classics experience saw him achieve a podium place at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February and the Australian also helped Sutton win Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne 24 hours later.

Sutton has shown himself to be one of Team Sky’s strongest sprinters over the last two seasons. He started this season strongly, with his win at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne. That was followed by his maiden Grand Tour stage win in Playas de Orihuela at the Vuelta a Espana in August.  Last week saw the Australian secure a stage win on his way to third overall at the Circuit Franco-Belge. During his two seasons with Team Sky, Sutton and has also celebrated victories at both the Brixia Tour and Tour Down Under.

Mathew Hayman, Team Sky rider, said:

“When I came to Team Sky I knew that I was joining something new and innovative, it has been a privilege to be able to be a part of this new team that has aimed so high and is always trying to set new standards.

“I am very much looking forward to the next two years and building on the start we have made. The team is full of talented riders and part of my role is to help those guys get the most out of themselves, as well as myself.

“The cobbled classics are close to my heart, I feel like I am close to making a breakthrough in one of these races, the team has been supportive of my ambitions in this area and I would love to repay that support with a win. I will also endeavour to make the Tour de France team because it is every rider’s ambition to be part of the biggest race in the world.”

Chris Sutton, Team Sky rider, said:

“To sign a new contract with Team Sky is amazing. I am so happy here and have learned so much from the riders and coaches over the last two years. Their input has allowed me to improve every aspect of my riding and I'm looking forward to progressing further in the future.

“It's like a big happy family here and I've made some really close friends. On the road we've also clicked a lot more this season that's been reflected with the number of race wins we've achieved. We're only going to get better over the next few seasons as well and that's really exciting to be part of.”

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, said:

“Mathew’s win this week at Paris-Bourges underlined his huge talent as a rider and he has continued to show all season why he is one of the most respected riders in the peloton. His strength, stamina and leadership are second to none and we are delighted that he has seen Team Sky as the best environment to continue his career.

“CJ is one of the most exciting sprint prospects in professional cycling. His stage win during this summer’s Vuelta was typical of his talent. He is a rider that is reaching the pinnacle of his career and we expect him to go from strength-to-strength over the next two seasons at Team Sky.”

Tweet

Team Sky have bolstered their squad for the 2012 season with the signing of experienced American Danny Pate on a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old will join the team from HTC-Highroad and is widely regarded as one of the hardest-working riders in the peloton.

Pate turned professional in 2000 and marked himself out as a star of the future by winning the World Under-23 Time Trial Championship in 2001. Instead of making the immediate switch to Europe though, Pate chose to concentrate on the American scene before finally making the trip over the Atlantic with Jonathan Vaughters’ TIAA-CREF team in 2006.

That season Pate won the time trial at the Tour de Beauce and also claimed top-10 finishes at both the Tour de Limousin and Tour de l'Ain. In the years that followed, Pate sacrificed his own chances of success to become one of the newly-named Garmin team’s key domestiques and rode back-to-back Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in both 2008 and 2009. That brought with it a team time trial success in Italy and also saw him bag podium places on two further occasions.

Another solid season was to follow in 2010 before the Coloradoan made the move to HTC-Highroad in 2011. Pate immediately settled in and became one of Mark Cavendish’s main lead-out men as the Manxman become the first British rider ever to win the green jersey at the Tour de France.

Danny Pate, said:

“I was fortunate to have a number of offers from teams for next season. After riding with HTC-Highroad, I wanted to stay at the highest level in cycling and be part of the most professional team in the peloton. That is why I have chosen Team Sky and I am delighted to be joining one of the best-structured teams ever in cycling.

“Team Sky has a fantastic back room staff, some highly talented riders and a shared motivation to be the best. I know it’s a team that I am going to do well with and I am very proud to be joining this ambitious and exciting project.  For the team my work as a domestique will remain my main focus and on a personal level I will be looking to target the World Championship TTT in 2012.”

Team Sky Principal, Dave Brailsford, said:

“Danny is a hugely experienced rider with a fantastic pedigree. As well as being one of the peloton’s strongest riders he is also a world-class time triallist and has shown again this year that he is one of the sport’s most talented riders.

“Throughout this season Danny has shown the calibre of bike rider he is with his performances for HTC-Highroad. We’ve seen him chasing down breakaways week in, week out and have been really impressed with the way he goes about his business. He’s capable of being on the front of the peloton for long periods, day after day, and that’s testament to the way he looks after himself both on and off the bike.

“His experience was also a major attraction for us and we will be looking to him to impart some of that on the younger guys in the team.”

 

 

Team Sky is delighted to announce Richie Porte as the latest signing for the 2012 season.

 

The 26-year-old Australian is one of cycling’s brightest talents and has enjoyed a meteoric rise since taking up the sport competitively in 2006. After learning the ropes with the Praties and Monsummanese Grassi Mapei teams, Porte was signed by Saxo Bank in 2010.

 

His maiden victory came just a few months into the 2010 season on the time trial stage at the Tour de Romandie, and Porte then rose to worldwide prominence with an incredible debut ride at the Giro d’Italia.  Not only did he hold the race leader’s Maglia Rosa between stages 11-13, Porte also secured seventh place overall and won the young rider’s classification by a seven-minute margin. 

 

With the arrival of Alberto Contador at Saxo Bank-Sungard in 2011, Porte assumed the role of loyal domestique and was handpicked to support the Spaniard at this year’s Giro and Tour de France.

 

Elsewhere, the Tasmanian continued to take his chances wherever he could and earned himself podium positions on time trials at Paris-Nice, Castilla y Leon and the Tour de Romandie before claiming a hard-fought victory against the clock at the Tour of Denmark.   

 

Richie Porte said:

 

“I'm really happy to have signed for Team Sky and cannot wait to see what next season will bring. Ever since the launch of the team I've been really impressed with the way they go about their business and it'll be nice to be able to experience that first-hand now. For riders like myself who are always looking to develop and improve, I don't think there's a better place to be - the coaching set up is absolutely top-notch and the way they look after their riders is also second to none.”

 

“I had two great years at Saxo Bank-Sungard, and will be forever grateful to them for giving me my chance in the professional ranks, but am looking forward to opening this next chapter of my career now and hopefully taking things to another level.”

 

“I'll be targeting the week-long stage races initially, although it would be nice in the future to lead the team in a Grand Tour. My time trialling is another area I want to focus on, and having guys in the team like Bradley Wiggins and Michael Rogers will help me no end and I'll be looking to learn as much as I can from them.”

 

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, said:

 

“In Richie Porte, Team Sky have acquired one of the world’s most gifted riders and we are thrilled to have him on the team. The progress he has made during the last four years has been outstanding and he will undoubtedly strengthen our squad for 2012 and beyond.”

 

“Richie is a rider that has everything - not only is he right up there with the best time triallers in the world, he can also climb and is not afraid to suffer when he is told to work for someone else either. Now is his time to shine - whether that’s in a Grand Tour or on a stage race like Paris-Nice, we’ll have to see, but it’s a long season and he’ll get plenty of opportunities.”

“I’m sure he’s going to be very happy with this team and we’re confident he will have a long and successful career with us.”

Tweet



Team Sky's top mountain domestique, Chris Froome, has taken over the mantle of team leader in the Vuelta a España, closing the gap on the race leader, Juan José Cobo, by winning the most difficult finish of the final week with an audacious double attack in the finale on the Peña Cabarga climb above the port of Santander in northern Spain.

Meanwhile the rider who has been the Sky No1 since the start of the race, Bradley Wiggins, lost 39 seconds on both men, effectively ending his challenge for the overall title, although the Olympic champion remains in third overall. It was a reversal of fortunes that was not entirely surprising, given that Froome had been the stronger of the two Sky men on the race's toughest mountain-top finish at the Alto de L'Angliru on Sunday.

Froome finished only a single second ahead of Cobo on top of the short, brutal ascent but he earned a 20-second deduction in the overall standings thanks to a time bonus awarded to the stage winner. After putting Cobo under immense pressure in the final 1500m, the Sky rider looked to have failed when the Spaniard caught and passed him but he had the presence of mind and reserve of strength to take the inside line on the final corner, yards before the finish line on the top of the hill, catching the race leader by surprise. Cobo also gained a time bonus, 12 seconds for finishing just behind Froome, but with further bonuses available before Sunday's finish in Madrid, and more hills in the next three days in the Basque Country, the suspense is set to last to the end.

It was surprising that the Kenya-born Froome was able to think clearly, given the intensity of his initial attack on the steepest section of the climb, which rears up at one-in-five in the final part. It had taken him around 15 seconds to dislodge Cobo, who initially marked the Sky man's pace, before Froome opened a gap of about 15 bike lengths entering the final kilometre and briefly raised the prospect that he might deprive the Spaniard of the race lead in front of his home crowd.

But Cobo sensibly opted to ride at his own pace, gradually closing the gap and eventually looking as if he might be able to take the stage. Instead Froome rode to the finest win of a career that began in mountain biking in South Africa, where he was brought up, and then saw him turn to the road with the Barloworld team in 2008, when he took British nationality.

"That was indescribable," Froome said after the finish. "It was one of the hardest days on the bicycle of my life. It was the last mountain-top finish and both Bradley and myself came into the stage trying to do as much as we could. But as you could see, Cobo was so strong."

His performance on Wednesday is bound to prompt questions about Sky's decision to use him to set the pace on several occasions during Wiggins's tenure of the red leader's jersey, the more so as Froome had finished ahead of his leader in the race's only individual time trial, on stage 10. He finished second to the German Tony Martin, 23 seconds ahead of Wiggins, which was enough to put him in the race lead before he ceded the red jersey to Wiggins on a mountain-top finish 48 hours later.

The last Briton to contend for overall honours in the Vuelta, Robert Millar, said that he wondered about Sky's tactics. "They've stuck with Brad as team leader because he has the pedigree and the proven successes but there is the question Froome's performance raises of what if the tactics had been different. What if they had used him differently, for example the day Bradley took over the red jersey [stage 11] and Froome did a massive amount of work despite being race leader because that's been the only occasion where he lost any time to his team leader."

Tour of Spain Stage 17 (Faustino V – Pena Cabarga, 211 km) results

1. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 4:52:38"; 2. Juan-José Cobo (Sp/Geox) +1"; 3. Bauke Mollema (Neth/Rabobank) +21"; 4. Daniel Martin (Irel/Garmin) +24"; 5. Igor Anton (Sp/Euskaltel) +27"; 6. Mikel Nieve (Sp/Euskaltel); 7. Marzio Bruseghin (It/Movistar) +29"; 8. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel/Omega Pharma – Lotto) +31"; 9. Denis Menchov (Rus/Geox); 10. Benat Intxausti (Sp/Movistar) +35"

Tweet

 

Team Sky has announced its team for next month’s Tour of Britain, starting on 11 September in Peebles, Scotland.

 

Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift, both members of Team Sky’s successful 2011 Tour de France squad, will be joined by fellow British riders Peter Kennaugh and Alex Dowsett.  The experienced Australian duo, Michael Rogers and Mathew Hayman, will round out the six-man team. 

 

Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, commented:

 

“This is a strong and exciting team for the Tour of Britain.  After a hugely successful season on the roads of Europe and beyond, it is really exciting to be racing in front of our home fans and we will be looking to repay the great support they have given the team all year.”

“The squad features a great mix of young and experienced riders that will be well equipped to deal with the race’s challenges. Team Sky was created to give British talent a chance at the elite end of racing and in Geraint, Ben, Alex and Peter we have four of this country’s most exciting professionals. They have shown all season with their results that they can ride and compete with the world’s best cyclists.  Alongside them will be the hugely experienced Michael Rogers and Mathew Hayman – riders who have performed at Grand Tour level on numerous occasions. We have a really exciting team and can’t wait for 11 September.”

Geraint Thomas, Team Sky rider, commented:

 

“The Tour of Britain is a great race and this will be my sixth appearance. It is always exciting to ride in front of our home fans. The support we have had on the road all year has been amazing and has played a big part in the success we have achieved as a team. We can’t wait to put on a good show for them. It’s going to be a great week of racing.”

 

Ben Swift, Team Sky rider, commented:

 

”I am looking forward to racing my home Tour again particularly as it is where I secured my first professional win in 2009. There will be some tough opposition this year with a number of star riders appearing, but we have a really exciting team with a real depth to it. The team is riding well and full of confidence and we can’t wait to get going.”

You can follow the team throughout the Tour of Britain at 

www.TeamSky.com

 

-ends-

 

 

Team Profiles

Alex Dowsett

 

The introduction of a time trial into this year's route plays right into the hands of Alex Dowsett. An already impressive neo-pro season hit new heights when he claimed his first victory on the final stage of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes in France last week and the 22-year-old will look to continue his fine run of form in his home race.

 

Mathew Hayman

 

A member of last year's Tour of Britain squad, Mathew Hayman returns to the UK once again to deliver his own unique brand of punishment to the peloton. A powerful and experienced rider, the Australian will marshal the team out on the road and will be called into action to close down breakaways and add firepower to lead-outs.

 

Peter Kennaugh

 

The 22-year-old Manxman enjoyed a great first season as a professional with Team Sky last year and has gone from strength-to-strength in 2011. Kennaugh earned himself a place on the podium at the Route du Sud and also claimed a top-five finish in the Tour of Poland earlier this month. His all-round ability will be a huge asset to the team.

 

Michael Rogers

 

Michael is one of the most successful and well-respected riders in the peloton.  With three World Championship titles to his name, the 31-year-old will be looking to impress in the time trial, whilst also helping lead the team on the road.

 

Ben Swift

 

The young sprinter returns to the Tour of Britain for the first time since his stage-winning appearance in 2009. Then riding for Katusha, Swift won stage seven into Yeovil, his first victory as a professional. The 23-year-old has seen his career take off in the last two years, racking up seven wins in Team Sky colours and will no doubt be hungry for more on home roads.

 

Geraint Thomas

 

Having ridden in the last five editions of the race, Geraint Thomas' career has grown exponentially and seen him develop into one of the most accomplished all-rounders in the peloton. With a stage race victory already under his belt this season at Bayern-Rundfahrt, the 2010 British National Champion will hope to fight for top honours at his home race.

Tweet

 

What a season!

 

It’s been busy times and it’s only now I can sit down and reflect on what’s been a very challenging season for me. The highlight and major event of my season was the Donne Giro D’Italia (Women’s Giro). The race surprised me in many ways, primerely the body adapting to a routine of waking up, eating a big breakfast, driving to the race start, race, transit to hotel, massage, eat then bed. In between the routine was spent contacting family and trying to relax before the next day. This is where music became my support line. My iPod was a key in pumping me up for the stage, or on the flip side chilling me out. However the Giro wasn’t all sunflower fields and roses. The world cycling community lost one of the toughest women I have ever met in cycling Carly Hibbard. A friend that provided me with support and advice and will be sadly missed by anyway who has ever met this amazing woman.

 

Now I’m back on home soil I have began my off-season break which means which means my study will get more attention for those of you who don’t know I study a Bachelor of Science via correspondence to the University of Southern Queensland. The purpose of my break beginning now is to rest up well and, take extra time out to relax with friends and family then build my body and mind up again for my early season main focus of Nationals held in January in my home town of Ballarat.  

 

Being at my computer more often over the next few months, blogs posts will certainly be more frequent and about what I have been doing with my off-season and preparation for what’s next.

 

Till then

Ange