Lately, the team has been competing in the Tour de Langakwi, here are the separate time rankings after stage 8, nothing much changed until the end of the tour, so 2 more honours for us.







So, a double in the young riders ranking, beating the likes of van Garderen, Meyer and Kwiatkowski. Why aren't we in the Giro or the Tour?!

Anyway, Strade Bianche is next on my list, and I'll be given the chance to lead! Can't wait, but until then...
ADIOS

STRADE BIANCHE

This was kind of our second string team, but still, I was delighted be leading.

As usual, we had a break. On this occasion, 10 riders - none worth mentioning.


There seems to be a curse on this team's leaders. With 41.7km left to go I suffered a puncture. I was also surprised to see Pellizoti (AND) back as well. Corti tried to help me back to the front but we were caught on the wrong end of a split. I had to work hard to get back but I managed it with almost as much energy as I had before.





Still, I have to thank Romero for protecting me anyway. As well as Rodriguez for bringing me water, as I had missed the last load brought up by Corti.

Annoyingly, some idiot decided to block me on a 13%+ slope, when the attacks started to come from the bunch. After all my work, the race was ruined as I was now in a bad position and the four guys who would fight it out for the win had been decided.


They were Felline from Androni, Huzarski of NetApp, Rebellin of CCC and De Trover of Accent Jobs.


Felline staggered over the line, while Huzarski was just edged out.


I got my first ever Top 10! I followed Sojasun rider J. Simon's wheel and despite my horrible sprinting ability the high gradient helped me to 7th.



My next race is in France, the GP De Cholet. I'm in good form now, so hopefully I will get a good result . The team directors are still deciding whether to bring Chavez or Duarte to lead but it will probably be the later. We'll soon see, but until then...
ADIOS

Great race for Melani, 7th position is good

It is . A Top 10 is always great, especially with the situation I was in with 10km left.

RESULTS

PARIS-NICE

GC: 1. Vasil Kiryienka (SKY)
2. Vincenzo Nibali (AST)
3. Luis Leon Sanchez (BLA)

POINTS: Alejandro Valverde (MOV)

KOM: Steve Chainel (ALM)

U25: Tom Jelte Slagter (BLA)

TEAM: SKY


TIRRENO-ADRIATICO

GC: 1. Bradley Wiggins (SKY)
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY)
3. Chris Froome (SKY)
4. Dario Cataldo (SKY)
5. Cadel Evans (BMC)

POINTS: Mark Cavendish (OPQS)

KOM: Sylvain Chavanel (OPQS)

U25: Carlos Alberto Betancur (ALM)

TEAM: SKY

Oh wow, Sky are SOO dominant. Win pn and 1-2-3-4 in TA. Also how did Edvald beat Froom?

Froome was working for Wiggins, while Boasson Hagen got bonus seconds from sprints. The reason they were so dominant was because the destroyed the competition in the TTT.

MORE RESULTS

We didn't do particularly well in the Roma Maxima, one day after the Strade Bianche.


But we did even worse in the GP di Stresa. Out of all people, Arango was our best rider. He finished in 71st, +1'03".


In France, we did much better, but still couldn't crack the Top 10.

GP DE CHOLET

Today we were working for Duarte, Chalapud was second in command. I was given the free element role, but with limits. If something happened to Chalapud, I was next in charge.

As usual we had a break, this time of 8 and again none of name. (Anyone get that reference?)

The pace in the peloton was hard, and we all struggled. The race might as well have been over before we got to the feeding zone!


The first attack from the peloton came from Poulhies, with Txurruka (CJA) following. Duarte continued to push a steady pace in the wheel of Chalapud.
Suarez also protected me, which allowed mysef and Duarte to ride away when the two attackers were caught.


The two Fabios away! I'm there closest to the grass. Duarte and I kept pushing a strong pace to get away from the rather measly competition.


With 1.3km to go we were sure to win. Mr DS said to work with eachother, but fight it out for the win. This meant that I had the clearance to go for it. I took my leader's wheel, and due to my bad sprint, waited as long as possible on his wheel.

My friend said that he would let me win, but with my bad sprint I wasn't able to catch up to him. With 5m to go, he lead, but all of a sudden, in the last metre, stopped riding completely.


I could celebrate! My first ever pro win, and hopefully the first of many!




We both celebrated, because it was a big day for the team. Huge in fact!


Sebastien Chavanel (EUC) lead home the peloton, 1'03" later.




What a day! I let Fabio (Duarte ) go up to take the plaudits for the team win. After all, he deserved to be standing where I was. And might I say, those podium girls are quite good kissers .


On the front cover of the papers, too! Although it's not really the best shot of me I must say .


Big day today! I'll come back later with the press stuff and another big surprise!

No more reports tonight, but a few coming tomorrow.

Congrats for the win, hope that many will follow

Nice victory, would've been better to win more fairly, but I'm sure your time will come, anyway, I'm sure you did all the work or something and you deserve it for the work you've done. Nice photos, showing your back wheel

Great win for a Melani! Good team ride with Duarte

Well done you have your first win. Hopefully that is a sign of many things to come.

Thanks everyone! I hope that this will start a nice run of form. Hobbit: I guess that the victory wasn't all that deserved but I'll take it! Especially as you said, after doing a lot of the work.

INTEREST

Wow, I wasn't excpecting this. After my win in the GP Cholet, a few teams have expressed interest in my signature. Obviously, as I'm pretty unknown, it's preliminary interest, and scouts are going to watch me for a long time now.

The teams were Radioshack, Orica-GreenEDGE, Garmin, Europcar, Accent Jobs and Vini.

So, even interest from the World Tour! Amazing! Obviously, I still haven't been offered a contract, but I hope to be soon.

I've decided not to hire an agent, as I want to be in charge of my own destiny. Obviously, I'll ask people who are close to me - me family and my friends. Even you guys! I've made my decision, but where do you think I should go, assuming all of the above teams offer me a contract. (Which is about as likely as a duck becoming U.S. President.)

Sorry for the lack of reports today. This morning I was getting my braces fitted and this afternoon I have a huge football (soccer) trial. I'll have a report this evening though .

(All times AEST)

Orica, great team, based in a similar climate and you may get a chance in the mountains, maybe even a free role, they don't have too many climbers!

Wow your really liked by a lot of good teams. Keep it up.

NEWS

Radioshack have revealed that they will no longer sponsor the team next season. This means that any chance I had of signing a contract there is gone.

AG2R are locked in a fierce head to head battle with Saxo Tinkoff to sign Rafal Majka next season. The Polish climber is out of contract with Saxo next season, and AG2R are trying to bring him over to France.