# 2010 Team Sky season

The 2010 season for Team Sky, its first, began in January with the Tour Down Under. As a UCI ProTour team, they were automatically invited and obliged to attend every event in the ProTour. The team formed for the 2010 season as part of an initiative by British Cycling to produce the first ever British Tour de France winner within five years. Much of the team's ridership is British, most of it is anglophone, and the team competes under a British licence. Its manager is Dave Brailsford, the former Performance Director of British Cycling. Senior Director Sportif was Australian ex-professional road cyclist Scott Sunderland. Team Sky's other Sports Directors were former professional cyclists Marcus Ljungqvist from Sweden, the Briton Sean Yates, and Steven de Jongh from the Netherlands.

## 2010 roster

Ages as of 1 January 2010.
| | Rider | Date of birth |
| Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR) | Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR) | (1976-02-09)9 February 1976 (aged 33) |
| John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) | John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) | (1986-08-10)10 August 1986 (aged 23) |
| Michael Barry (CAN) | Michael Barry (CAN) | (1975-12-18)18 December 1975 (aged 34) |
| Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | (1987-05-17)17 May 1987 (aged 22) |
| Sylvain Calzati (FRA) | Sylvain Calzati (FRA) | (1979-12-26)26 December 1979 (aged 30) |
| Kjell Carlström (FIN) | Kjell Carlström (FIN) | (1976-10-18)18 October 1976 (aged 33) |
| Dario Cioni (ITA) | Dario Cioni (ITA) | (1974-12-02)2 December 1974 (aged 35) |
| Steve Cummings (GBR) | Steve Cummings (GBR) | (1981-03-19)19 March 1981 (aged 28) |
| Russell Downing (GBR) | Russell Downing (GBR) | (1978-08-23)23 August 1978 (aged 31) |
| Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) | Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) | (1977-09-17)17 September 1977 (aged 32) |
| Chris Froome (GBR) | Chris Froome (GBR) | (1985-05-20)20 May 1985 (aged 24) |
| Simon Gerrans (AUS) | Simon Gerrans (AUS) | (1980-05-16)16 May 1980 (aged 29) |
| Mathew Hayman (AUS) | Mathew Hayman (AUS) | (1978-04-20)20 April 1978 (aged 31) |
| | Rider | Date of birth |
| Greg Henderson (NZL) | Greg Henderson (NZL) | (1976-10-09)9 October 1976 (aged 33) |
| Peter Kennaugh (GBR) | Peter Kennaugh (GBR) | (1989-06-15)15 June 1989 (aged 20) |
| Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | Thomas Lövkvist (SWE) | (1984-04-04)4 April 1984 (aged 25) |
| Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR) | Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR) | (1984-05-14)14 May 1984 (aged 25) |
| Serge Pauwels (BEL) | Serge Pauwels (BEL) | (1983-11-21)21 November 1983 (aged 26) |
| Nicolas Portal (FRA) | Nicolas Portal (FRA) | (1979-04-23)23 April 1979 (aged 30) |
| Morris Possoni (ITA) | Morris Possoni (ITA) | (1984-07-01)1 July 1984 (aged 25) |
| Ian Stannard (GBR) | Ian Stannard (GBR) | (1987-05-25)25 May 1987 (aged 22) |
| Christopher Sutton (AUS) | Christopher Sutton (AUS) | (1984-09-10)10 September 1984 (aged 25) |
| Ben Swift (GBR) | Ben Swift (GBR) | (1987-11-05)5 November 1987 (aged 22) |
| Geraint Thomas (GBR) | Geraint Thomas (GBR) | (1986-05-25)25 May 1986 (aged 23) |
| Davide Viganò (ITA) | Davide Viganò (ITA) | (1984-06-12)12 June 1984 (aged 25) |
| Bradley Wiggins (GBR) | Bradley Wiggins (GBR) | (1980-04-28)28 April 1980 (aged 29) |

### Riders' 2009 teams

| Rider | 2009 team |
| Kurt Asle Arvesen | Team Saxo Bank |
| John-Lee Augustyn | Barloworld |
| Michael Barry | Team Columbia–HTC |
| Edvald Boasson Hagen | Team Columbia–HTC |
| Sylvain Calzati | Agritubel |
| Kjell Carlström | Liquigas–Doimo |
| Dario Cioni | ISD–NERI |
| Steve Cummings | Barloworld |
| Russell Downing | CandiTV-Marshalls Pasta |
| Juan Antonio Flecha | Rabobank |
| Chris Froome | Barloworld |
| Simon Gerrans | Cervélo TestTeam |
| Mathew Hayman | Rabobank |
| Rider | 2009 team |
| Greg Henderson | Team Columbia–HTC |
| Peter Kennaugh | neo-pro |
| Thomas Lövkvist | Team Columbia–HTC |
| Lars Petter Nordhaug | Joker–Bianchi |
| Serge Pauwels | Cervélo TestTeam |
| Nicolas Portal | Caisse d'Epargne |
| Morris Possoni | Team Columbia–HTC |
| Ian Stannard | ISD–NERI |
| Christopher Sutton | Garmin–Slipstream |
| Ben Swift | Team Katusha |
| Geraint Thomas | Barloworld |
| Davide Viganò | Fuji–Servetto |
| Bradley Wiggins | Garmin–Slipstream |

## One-day races

Before the spring season began, the team took a victory in its first-ever race. Henderson was the team's captain for the Cancer Council Helpline Classic, a 51 km (32 mi) criterium run two days before the Tour Down Under with the same peloton, but not counting toward its standings. Team Sky was largely responsible for bringing back a breakaway that included Lance Armstrong and Óscar Pereiro, with Downing and Sutton leading Henderson out to the sprint win. Sutton finished the race in second place just behind Henderson.

### National championships

At the British National Road Race Championships Team Sky controlled the men's race ending with riders in the top three positions. Geraint Thomas won the race, Peter Kennaugh came second and Ian Stannard came third. In the British National Time Trial Championships again claimed the top three with Bradley Wiggins retaining his title. In Norway Edvald Boasson Hagen won his National Time Trial Championships for the fourth time.

## Stage races

Henderson finished third overall in the Tour Down Under, after taking second place on stages 2 and 6 of the six-stage race. His teammate Sutton was the rider to beat him on the final stage. The team won the team time trial stage which opened the Tour of Qatar, giving Boasson Hagen the race lead. He lost it the next day, when attacks from Quick-Step and Cervélo TestTeam caught the team unaware and then, when the team had almost paced him back into the leading group, he suffered a puncture.
Later in February, at the inaugural Tour of Oman, Boasson Hagen again took race leadership, with third in a sprint to finish the race's second stage. He extended his lead with a victory in stage 3, but lost it the next day in a controversial stage 4. After Team Sky, who were pacing the peloton as the team of the race leader, let a morning breakaway get over seven minutes on a flat course, emotions ran high when no team seemed willing to help them bring the group back. Sky riders responded by pulling the peloton quickly through the stage's feed zone, something which is normally not done. Later, Cervélo TestTeam attacked 56 km (35 mi) from the end of the stage, while Boasson Hagen had stopped to urinate at the side of the road, also something which is normally not done. Boasson Hagen lost a minute and five seconds on the stage, and the race leader's red jersey. Boasson Hagen went on to win the stage 6 time trial to close the event, winning the points and youth classifications in the race and finishing second overall.

## Grand Tours
### Giro d'Italia

The first Grand Tour for Team Sky started out nicely with Bradley Wiggins winning the first stage. This put him into the Maglia Rosa, he would only wear it for one stage. Chris Froome was disqualified during stage 19 for holding onto a police motorbike. The team had a few near misses with stage wins; Coming second in the team time trial by only 13 seconds to Liquigas–Doimo and Greg Henderson's second-place finish in Stage 13.

### Tour de France

The team were awarded a wild-card entry for the 2010 Tour de France. In stage 2 of the tour Geraint Thomas finished second on the stage putting him into the lead of the youth classification, he would retain this jersey until stage 7 where he lost 3 minutes on the overall leader.

### Vuelta a España

Team Sky received an invite to participate in the 2010 Vuelta a España.
During the race, many of the team's riders and staff contracted an unknown virus. John Lee Augustyn, Juan Antonio Flecha, and Ben Swift were forced to retire from the race due to illness. Soigneur Txema Gonzalez died five days after being admitted to hospital due to an unrelated bacterial infection, with the team withdrawing from the race before the start of stage eight.

## Season victories

| Date | Race | Competition | Rider | Country | Location |
| January 17 | Cancer Council Helpline Classic | None | Greg Henderson (NZL) | Australia | Rymill Park, Adelaide |
| January 24 | Tour Down Under, Stage 6 | UCI ProTour | Chris Sutton (AUS) | Australia | Adelaide |
| February 7 | Tour of Qatar, Stage 1 | UCI Asia Tour | Team time trial | Qatar | West Bay Lagoon |
| February 16 | Tour of Oman, Stage 3 | UCI Asia Tour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Oman | Qurayyat |
| February 19 | Tour of Oman, Stage 6 | UCI Asia Tour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Oman | Muscat |
| February 19 | Tour of Oman, Points classification | UCI Asia Tour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Oman | |
| February 19 | Tour of Oman, Young rider classification | UCI Asia Tour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Oman | |
| February 27 | Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | UCI Europe Tour | Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP) | Belgium | Ghent |
| March 8 | Paris–Nice, Stage 1 | UCI World Ranking | Greg Henderson (NZL) | France | Contres |
| March 16 | Tirreno–Adriatico, Stage 7 | UCI World Ranking | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Italy | San Benedetto del Tronto |
| March 28 | Critérium International, Stage 2 | UCI Europe Tour | Russell Downing (GBR) | France | Porto-Vecchio |
| May 8 | Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 | UCI World Ranking | Bradley Wiggins (GBR) | Netherlands | Amsterdam |
| May 15 | Tour de Picardie, Stage 2 | UCI Europe Tour | Ben Swift (GBR) | France | Cires-lès-Mello |
| May 16 | Tour de Picardie, General classification | UCI Europe Tour | Ben Swift (GBR) | France | |
| May 16 | Tour de Picardie, Points classification | UCI Europe Tour | Ben Swift (GBR) | France | |
| May 16 | Tour de Picardie, Teams classification | UCI Europe Tour | | France | |
| May 16 | Tour de Picardie, Young rider classification | UCI Europe Tour | Ben Swift (GBR) | France | |
| June 13 | Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 7 | UCI ProTour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | France | Sallanches |
| June 18 | Ster Elektrotoer, Stage 3 | UCI Europe Tour | Greg Henderson (NZL) | Netherlands | Schimmert |
| June 24 | Norwegian National Time Trial Championships | National Championship | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Norway | Orkanger |
| June 27 | British National Road Race Championships | National Championship | Geraint Thomas (GBR) | United Kingdom | Pendle |
| July 23 | Brixia Tour, Stage 3 | UCI Europe Tour | Chris Sutton (AUS) | Italy | Pisogne |
| July 28 | Tour de Wallonie, Stage 5 | UCI Europe Tour | Russell Downing (GBR) | Belgium | Welkenraedt |
| July 28 | Tour de Wallonie, General classification | UCI Europe Tour | Russell Downing (GBR) | Belgium | |
| August 13 | Dutch Food Valley Classic | UCI Europe Tour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Netherlands | Veenendaal |
| August 21 | Eneco Tour, Stage 4 | UCI ProTour | Greg Henderson (NZL) | Netherlands | Roermond |
| August 24 | Eneco Tour, Points classification | UCI ProTour | Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) | Belgium/ Netherlands | |
| September 5 | British National Time Trial Championships | National Championship | Bradley Wiggins (GBR) | United Kingdom | Llandeilo |
| September 12 | Tour of Britain, Stage 2 | UCI Europe Tour | Greg Henderson (NZL) | United Kingdom | Stoke-on-Trent |
| September 18 | Tour of Britain, Points classification | UCI Europe Tour | Greg Henderson (NZL) | Great Britain | |

## Footnotes

* ↑ The riders on the squad were Kurt Asle Arvesen, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins
* ↑ The riders on the squad were Ben Swift, Russell Downing, Davide Viganò, Juan Antonio Flecha, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Peter Kennaugh, Nicolas Portal and Geraint Thomas