Geraint Thomas: Sky buckled under pressure at 2010 Tour de France
Sky's Geraint Thomas has claimed his team fell victim to widely held expectations on their performance at the 2010 Tour de France.
Dave Brailsford's team, which formed in December 2009, entered the Tour on a wild card with high hopes on Bradley Wiggins, who finished fourth in the 2009 edition, and Edvald Boasson Hagen, a favourite for the points classification.
But the team failed to claim a single stage victory and Wiggins came 24th in the overall standings after a weak performance.
"At the Tour right from the start, it was all about Brad and Sky and that was how we were going to be judged," Thomas told
Cyclingnews about the team's disappointing run. "However, we showed that there are a lot of other races out there that we did well in."
The defending British road race champion added that Sky's successes outside of the Tour, which included Wiggins' stage win at the Giro d'Italia and Juan Antonio Flecha's triumph at the
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, were partly down to there being less press coverage ahead of those races.
"I think the focus wasn’t on [races apart from the Tour]. We just went to them and did them, so to speak. I think now a lot of the riders and the staff have been together for a year now and there’s so much more of a base to work from."
For 2011, Brailsford has secured the services of all-rounder Michael Rogers and climber Bobby Julich, two additions that will add much-needed experienced to the relatively young Sky roster.
"They're coming into a strong team and one that has gelled," Thomas said about his team's new signings. "They'll fit in really well and they've got bags of experience too. I think that's another aspect we needed on and off the bike and it
will be vital for us next season."
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