A week into their maiden Tour de France, the new British Team Sky is currently sitting pretty with Geraint Thomas as the leader in the Best Young Rider competition. Thomas has the surprising honor of the team's best prologue performance with his fifth place finish well ahead of team leader Bradly Wiggins, as well as the team's best stage finish, a second place, over the cobblestones of stage three. The Welshman was then followed up with two successive third place finishes by prodigy Edvald Boasson Hagen to cap off a solid block of racing by the team.
“I'm very happy with the way things have gone so far," confirmed Team Principal Dave Brailsford. "The guys have improved as a team and been competitive throughout the whole first week, and we're all ready for this next hillier phase of the race to get under way."
After just six months of racing together things are going the right direction for the first British ProTour squad.
“I've also been encouraged by the collective feel that's developed within the team - the lads are really starting to bond," added Brailsford. "There's good morale throughout the camp so we couldn't ask for anything more than that really.
“The whole essence of this team is to try and inspire the next generation and get more people into cycling, hopefully we're doing that."
With Thomas only 24 years of age and Boasson Hagen even younger at 23, Team Sky should do well with reaching the younger crowds.
“A lot of people will already know about Bradley Wiggins, but to see someone else like Geraint Thomas breaking through and performing so well at this level is amazing," he added.
Wiggins, the team's hope for a podium spot in Paris, had a disappointing performance in the opening prologue, only managing 77th place, 50 seconds behind winner Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank). He rode well on stage three to make up time on most of his main rivals for the overall, but teammate Thomas, as well as Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) all gained more time on the 30 year old Briton. This weekend will be the team's first big test in the mountains.