The first race on the sky calendar with some hills, so our climbers will be there as will a few of our cobbles men, just to ensure that they’re fit for the classics. Not expecting too much though as Alberto will be there. Still, we’ll see what we can do. The team is: Kurt, Brad, Froomy, Rigo, Michael Barry, Ian, Lofkvist and Rogers.
Stage 1
A really strange opening stage in which the breakaway were able to build a lead of over 10 minutes. It was eventually reduced, thanks mainly to some hard work from our boys to 53 seconds before the finish.
Stage 2
Wow! That was the greatest teamwork I’ve seen on a stage in my career! Heading up the first climb we saw that Contador, Roche, Sanchez and Kloeden were sitting farther back in the peleton. So we decided to try and create a split. We did! A split of 9 riders including Brad, Michael R, Kurt, Chris, Rigo, Thomas and 3 others. They just rode away up the road on their own. It was amazing to watch.
The tactic also worked further down the climb as well as Sanchez and Roche fell foul of the climb and would finish 8 minutes back. Meanwhile, our boys just rode on, not creating a large gap; but maintaining one that was still dangerous. Then disaster strikes. Thomas Lofkvist falls on one of the descents, but manages at least to keep in the peleton. The boys up front are all working for leader Rigo. They are all spent with 40km to go, so Rigo jumps off the front to see if he could possibly make to the end. Sadly for us he gets caught with about 15km to go by a peleton of 30 odd and completely lacking in sprinters. So, with a small rise and 7km to go, Uran jumps out again as lead out for Thomas Lofkvist who carries a 34 second lead through to the finish line! What an amazing stage!
Stage 3
The day of 3 falls. All for big riders. AND 2 OF THEM ARE SKY! Both Wiggins and Rogers hit the tarmac but are able to make it back to the peleton to help Lofkvist and Rigo who follow Contador in the charge up the final climb. They can’t match him though and lose 17 and 24 seconds respectively. Yet, 2nd to Contador is nothing to be ashamed of.
Stage 4
A stage for Sanchez. He showed today that while he is down on the GC rankings, he’s not out. He managed it with a last burst break with 5km to go that went right to the line, put he wasn’t able to make any time back.
Stage 5
The final stage is a 19km time trial, so we don’t stand a chance of beating Contador to the GC, but with both Rogers and Wiggins here, we can certainly attempt a stage victory.
Ian Stannard in 77th place came out strong, setting the provisional best time of 27’38’’. Eventually finished 15th +58’’ adrift of the stage winner.
Sanchez then comes out and lowers Ian’s time by 7 seconds taking the new best spot.
Another favourite for this stage, Richie Porte could only manage a finish 11 seconds adrift of Sanchez. Disappointing for the Aussie hopeful.
The surprise of the day, Vladimir Popovych is our first overtake and blows Sanchez’s time out of the water, beating it by 28 seconds. It will be a long time before this time is beaten. Great ride by the Ukrainian.
Wiggins, coming out of the gate is 23rd place, thanks to that fall earlier on in the race. He scorches along the road and destroys the best time by 22 seconds. This time is looking good for a win.
Sure enough, time-trialling heavyweights, Kloden, Leipheimer, and Rogers can't match it and it still remains the best time as Alberto Contador sets out. At the time check, Wiggins is 4 seconds up of Alberto. Looking good. NOOOOOOOO! 1 second! He did it by 1 second! Infuriating!
Froome, Lofkvist, Rogers and Uran all finished 6th to 9th places respectively on this final stage. So, in the end Contador was just too strong, but all the same, 2nd, 3rd and 4th were unexpected when we started the race.
Both 
NOOOOOOOO! 
