Cycling News

05 February 2010

The first time the whole Team SKY squad got together was in Manchester last November. We came from all over the world to attend a week long camp with the focus on planning the season and getting to know each other. It was a great opportunity to do some media stuff as well as having photos taken so it was a busy week.

The team of staff that has been assembled is extremely impressive. The team manager Dave Brailsford is a great guy and really knows how to lead the team. Aussie expat Shane Sutton and Rod Ellingworth who have had years of experience with the British Cycling Team are there to head the coaching staff. The directors include Scott Sunderland, Sean Yates, Marcus Ljunqvist and Steven de Jongh, who were all great riders before becoming directors and I’m really looking forward to working with each of them. The mechanics and the carers have all been hand picked and are a great crew. Working alongside all the staff will be a lot of fun. Finally there’s administration staff who are all super organised and really helpful. I’m convinced a professional cycling team can only ever be as good the staff running it and after meeting everyone involved in the organisation of Team SKY I’m sure we are going to be an awesome team.

All 26 riders who have been signed to Team SKY have been signed for a reason. Every rider has earned their place in the team whether it’s because of their reputation as great helpers or team leaders. I think we will have a competitive team in nearly every race we start. Most importantly all the riders in the team seem like really good guys so there will be a great ambience whenever we get together.

Cycling in many ways is a very traditional sport and can be quite fixed in its ways. Funny as it sounds, in some professional teams the emphasis is on sticking with tradition, doing things ‘old school’ and following the way the team has been run in the past. In other teams it’s all about promoting the sponsor on the jersey or the make of the team bike, not about performances or results. Team SKY’s approach is something new. The emphasis of the team is on performance with the big goals simply being to get the best from each of the riders. Every member of the team is working towards this goal.

I have been really motivated since the first contact I’ve had with the team and even more so following our first get together. Team SKY will be a real revelation in cycling and I believe the team will be the biggest thing our sport has seen for quite some time. I’m thrilled to be apart of it!!

Print