Ian Stannard is returning to Ineos Grenadiers, the team where he spent the final 10 years of his career as a rider, as a sports director in 2023. 

Stannard, along with Dajo Sanders, has been appointed by Ineos in a bid to bolster the team’s elite coaching group for the coming season. 

There has been an overhaul in the coaching setup at the British squad in the past couple of months, with longterm coaches Servais Knaven, Gabriel Rasch and Brett Lancaster all leaving the team. 

2022 was the first year that Ineos did not win a Grand Tour since 2014; despite a triumph at Paris-Roubaix and podiums at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, management felt a change was needed.

After his retirement from racing in 2020, Stannard joined Trinity Racing as a DS, cutting his teeth in management with some of the star riders who now make up the roster at Ineos. 

On his return to his former team, Stannard said: “It's very exciting to be coming back to Ineos Grenadiers. I had two great years and a steep learning curve at Trinity Racing which I think puts me in a good place to be stepping into a DS role. I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges with the Team, which has some of the young riders I worked with at Trinity. 

“It’s been great to see the way the team is building for the future and that is something I’m looking forward to being part of. It will be fun to be back working with some of my old teammates as well.” 

In his lengthy career, the British rider nicknamed “Yogi”, became renowned as being a tough and gritty rider who excelled in the spring classics. Stannard took two successive wins at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2014 and 2015. 

The team's deputy principal, Rod Ellingworth, said that Stannard was the physical embodiment of Ineos’ racing philosophy. 

“It felt like it would only be a matter of time before Ian came back to work with us again. He has a wealth of knowledge to pass on, especially when I think about our Spring Classics and Grand Tour teams," Ellingworth said. 

"I’m looking forward to working with him and sharing time on the road with him again. If there’s anyone who embodies our ‘all in’ racing spirit, it’s Ian."

As well as Stannard, Ineos have recruited Sanders, a highly experienced coach who has competed at national and international level. 

Until recently, Sanders was a coach at WorldTour level with Team DSM. 

On the addition of Sanders, Ellingworth added: “Dajo will be an invaluable addition to our coaching team. He is highly experienced and comes with a unique mix of academic knowledge, personal racing experience and practical coaching insights. 

"While coaching at UCI World Tour level for the last four years, he has twice successfully coached a rider to the podium of a Grand Tour as well as multiple Grand Tour stage victories.”

Trinity Racing have announced that former Ineos Grenadier rider, Ian Stannard, will join the team as a sports director as the team steps up to the Continental level of racing for the first time.

Stannard, who is 33-years-old, had to retire from racing with Ineos Grenadiers last season due to the issues he was experiencing from his rheumatoid arthritis, meaning he has had to look elsewhere for a role in the sport.

>>> Sir Dave Brailsford announces Ineos Grenadiers leadership for Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España

Speaking in a press release by the team, Stannard said: "I have been very impressed with the progression of Trinity Racing since the team’s inception in 2018.

"They have quickly become one of the leading development teams in Europe and I look forward to starting my new role for the coming season.

"Obviously the road is what I know best, and we have an impressive roster of riders, Ben [Healy] and Thomas [Gloag] to name a couple, who we are confident can build on the success they showed last year in some of the biggest Under 23 races in the world."

Trinity, Tom Pidcock's (Ineos Grenadiers) former team, are also going to be joining the UCI mountain biking and gravel racing ranks, which is something Stannard is looking forward to being a part of.

"I am also very excited about getting stuck into the other sections of Trinity’s calendar during the year, particularly gravel and MTB.

"As a WT pro for so long, I only ever got to enjoy a small bit of MTB’ing in the winter, but I have seen how the off-road side of the sport has grown, how riders these days really benefit from mixing disciplines, and I look forward to immersing myself in these worlds to learn, and help our roster in the process."

The press release doesn't specify how long the two-time Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner is down to work with the team, but it does say that he will be at the team for the coming seasons.

Stannard, who raced in the pro ranks for 14 years, is hoping that his vast experience can rub off on the young riders in the team as they look to develop the next big star.

After the success story of Tom Pidcock making his big move to Ineos Grenadiers, they will be hoping that other riders can have a similar career ahead, on the road, on muddy tracks, and on gravel.

Britain's Ian Stannard was a pro for 14 years, taking seven wins and doing a huge amount of work on the front of the peloton for his leaders in Grand Tours, but has announced that he has been forced to retire at the age of 33 after developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Stannard started his career in 2006 but took his biggest results in a Team Sky jersey, now Ineos Grenadiers; a team he joined at their inception in 2010.

His first career win came in 2011 at the Tour of Austria on stage five of the race, but he had to wait almost a year for his next win, which was the road race title at the British National Championships.

After that he won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad two years running, with 2015 being his most famous of victories, beating three Quick-Step riders, Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenburgh, to the line against the odds.

We take a look back through the lens at some of Stannard's career highlights.

Stannard's first win came in the shape of a team time trial at the 2010 Tour of Qatar, this was Sky Procycling's second-ever win. The team would go on to take 22 wins in their debut season.

A few months later, Stannard managed to take third at the semi-Classic, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. The conditions were horrific and only 26 riders finished.

The race was fought out between Stannard and two Dutchmen, Rick Flens, who was riding for Rabobank, and the winner on the day, Bobbie Traksel, who rode for Vacansoleil.

Stannard recalls the race today as "the worst conditions I've still ever raced in."

Stannard's first individual victory came in the 2011 Tour of Austria where he beat Gatis Smukulis, Stefan Denifl, Grégory Rast and Yannick Eijssen from a break. Here he is riding in that year's Ghent-Wevelgem.

His second win came in the shape of the British National Championship road race title in 2012, which he won by over a minute to his then team-mate, Alex Dowsett with Russel Hampton of Raleigh-GAC taking third in Ampelforth.

The Essex-man was then selected to try and support Mark Cavendish in securing a road race gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics. The GB team failed to do as Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) took the win from a 26 man breakaway.

Sky, now Ineos Grenadiers, have become the dominant force in Grand Tours, and Stannard was a key part in that, supporting Chris Froome to five of his seven Grand Tour wins, including at the 2013 Tour de France (pictured).

Stannard then finally came good in the Classics after a number of solid results when he beat Greg Van Avermaet, now of CCC Team, in a two-up sprint to the line at the 2014 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with team-mate, Edvald Boasson Hagen taking third.

Then came 2015 and Stannard's most famous win. Up against three Omega-Pharma - Quick-Step riders in the shape of Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh, Stannard managed to steal victory after riding two off the wheel and beating Terpstra in the sprint.

In 2015, Stannard came tantalisingly close to a Monument win when he took third in Paris-Roubaix behind Mat Hayman and Tom Boonen.

He didn't get as close to winning the 'Hell of the North' again, which was surprising as it suited his characteristics perfectly.

He rode in support of Froome as well as Geraint Thomas and Adam Yates in the Rio 2016 Olympics road race but Team GB again missed out on gold with Thomas finishing 11th, Froome 12th and Yates 15th as Van Avermaet won.

2016 continued to throw up success for Stannard though, with his first win at the Tour of Britain. He took the win from the break, as was usual for him, but went solo ahead of Graham Briggs and Kristian House who sprinted for second.

In 2017 Stannard won a stage win from a late break at the Herald Sun Tour where he managed to beat Aaron Gate and Taco van der Hoorn on the final day of the race. His next best result that year was a fourth place in the team time trial at the Vuelta a España.

A year later and another solo victory came at the Tour of Britain. Again going solo from a break, Stannard won by just under a minute from powerhouse German rider, Nils Politt, and three minutes ahead of the rest of the break and four minutes to the peloton. This was Stannard's last career victory.

Last year, Stannard was in the team that were the first to race in Ineos colours at the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire, which was won by his team-mate, Chris Lawless after he had put in yet another hard shift throughout the four days of racing.

Stannard's final race came earlier this year in the Tour of Poland where he rode to try and support Richard Carapaz to overall victory before Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) went and took overall victory with an astonishing solo ride.

The cycling world has reacted to the shock news that Ian Stannard has been forced to retire due to health problems. 

Stannard, who has ridden his entire WorldTour career with British squad Ineos, has to end his career because of rheumatoid arthritis. 

The 33-year-old has become an icon of British cycling in the pro peloton, building an impressive palmarès while riding in support of Chris Froome in five of his Grand Tour victories. 

Friends, team-mates and fans have all shared their thoughts as Stannard leaves the pro peloton. 

Luke Rowe, who joined Stannard at Team Sky in 2012, said on Instagram: “Many a smile spent chopping off with this big man. 

“Always a good crack on and off the bike. Enjoy retirement Yogi Bear.” 

Both Rowe and Stannard have targeted the spring Classics when given their own opportunities and had some hugely impressive results - Rowe with fifth place in the Tour of Flanders and eighth in Paris-Roubaix, while Stannard won two editions of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, was third in Paris-Roubaix and finished sixth in Milan-San Remo.

Geraint Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour de France who has also ridden for Sky and Ineos for his entire career, said: “Sad to see Ian Stannard retire, after over 20 years racing together. 

“Going to miss you mate, but what a career.” 

 Cycling journalist Paul Knott said: “I’ve never felt Stannard got the recognition he deserved from the masses, which he probably didn’t mind in all honesty.

“But I’m sure his team-mates would say he was one of their most valuable and loyal in some of the biggest races during his career.”

>>> Nearly missing the start and struggling to clip in – Harry Tanfield’s Strava stats show how tough Vuelta a España time trial really was  

Commentator Ant McCrossan said: “What a rider! 

“His win in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is a cult moment in cycling. Ian Stannard, all the very best.

“A bike rider made for the toughest of conditions. His results speak for themselves.” 

Bringing his team their second win in two stages, Team Sky's Ian Stannard won stage seven of the 2018 Tour of Britain on Saturday. His face stained with the game of a long wet day in the saddle, the 31-year-old crossed the line 59 seconds ahead of fellow escapee Nils Politt.

The pair were the last remaining from a five man escape group when Stannard attacked the German with 16km of the 215.6km stage remaining, setting up and enthralling game of cat and mouse as they approached the line in Mansfield.

>>> Simon Yates reclaims red jersey with victory on Vuelta a España stage 14

With the Brit just ahead, the Katusha-Alpecin rider's deficit remained under 10 seconds for the following 10km, however Stannard's relentless strength soon told as the pair ground through the outskirts of the Nottinghamshire town.

Behind, Giovanni Carbone (Bardiani-CSF) rode alone to third place, while further back Briton Mark McNally (Wanty-Groupe Gober), the last of the breakaway, crossed the line just ahead of the peloton for fourth place.

After his Quick-Step team did much of the work on the front of the bunch, Julian Alaphilippe crossed the line in 19th place with the rest of the peloton, easily able to retain his overall race lead. Indeed, there was no change in the overall top-10.

The win is Stannard's first since he took a stage at the Herald Sun Tour at the beginning of last year, and redolent of his previous victory at the race in 2016, which he also won solo.

How it happened

At 215.6km, Saturday’s seventh stage between West Bridgford and Mansfield was the longest of the eight days. And though a 12km neutralised section added to the days travails, nothing other than a bunch sprint was expected.

Though the opening kilometre brought little more than nervous looks, combat was soon joined, the pace lifting, bringing a series of attacks which punctuated what was a frantic opening.

Among the most aggressive in the opening kilometres were Katusha-Alpecin, with repeated digs from both Mads Würtz Schmidt and Politt, and Sylvain Chavanel, the Direct Energie man riding his final season as a professional.

The 39-year-old was one of a group of around 20 riders who escaped the bunch after 15km, though the presence of Patrick Bevin (BMC) and Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) - fourth and fifth overall respectively - caused alarm in the chasing bunch.

Race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) was part of another large group who got away over the top of the first classified climb at Keyworth, after 21km, but it was only after a further five kilometres the race finally settled.

Stannard led the way, escaping with Politt, though the pair soon sat up to wait for three chasers. With 33km ridden, they were joined by Carbone and British duo Alex Paton (Canyon-Eisberg) and McNally, and set about building a lead.

At nearly nine minutes down, Carbone was the best placed rider in the break, and they were allowed their heads, their advantage reaching 7-20 with 134km left to ride through the dank Nottinghamshire countryside.

Paton hoovered up the available sprint points, the Canyon-Eisberg rider moving into the classification’s virtual lead, before being the first to drop back, possibly conserving energy to defend the red jersey in Sunday's final stage.

Behind, Quick-Step had been joined on the front by both Mitchelton-Scott and Sunweb, and though the gap was significantly reduced, by the time the leading quartet entered the closing 30km, their advantage remained over four minutes and the break was set for success.

It was a further eight kilometres later that Stannard made the first of a series of attacks, dropping Carbone and McNally setting up the tense final.

Traditionally a day for the sprinters, tomorrow’s 77km final stage in London will provide little opportunity for major changes at the top of the general classification.

Results

OVO Energy Tour of Britain, Stage seven: West Bridgford - Mansfield (215.6km)

1. Ian Stannard (Gbr) Team Sky, in 4-56-27

2. Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha Alpecin, at 59 seconds

3. Giovanni Carbone (Ita) Bardiani-CSF, at 3-09

4. Mark McNally (Gbr) Wanty-Groupe Gobert, at 3-54

5. Emils Liepins (Aut) One Pro Cycling, at 4-04

6. Patrick Bevin (Aus) BMC Racing

7. Ethan Hayter (Gbr) Team GB

8. Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani-CSF

9. Andy Tennant (Gbr) Canyon-Eisberg

10. Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Sunweb, all at same time

General classification after stage seven

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors, in 24-47-25

2. Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, at 17 seconds

3. Primož Roglič (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo, at 33 seconds

4. Patrick Bevin (Aus) BMC Racing, at 46 seconds

5. Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors, at 51 seconds

6. Jascha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar, at 58 seconds

7. Nielson Powless (USA) LottoNL-Jumbo, at 1-10

8. Dmitri Strakhov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin, at 1-24

9. Chris Hamilton (Aus) Sunweb, at 1-28

10. Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned), at 1-35

#SP18 #Scheldeprijs

Here the moment they skip the railroad crossing. pic.twitter.com/EPctA48av3

— Brain on Wheels 🚲 (@BrainOnWheels) April 4, 2018

Ian Stannard (Team Sky), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) and Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) are among 35 riders disqualified from the Scheldeprijs in Belgium on Wednesday after riding across a railway level crossing as the gate was closing.

Under UCI race rules, riders must stop at a railway crossing when the warning lights are flashing before it closes.

However, a large group of riders rode under the barrier in Krabbendijke as it was closing and were subsequently eliminated from the race by commissaires.

The group was quickly caught by the race commissaires on motorbikes and in an official car. Despite being signalled to stop, some riders continued past the commissaires while others could be seen arguing with officials.

Davide Martinelli (Quick-Step Floors), Christian Knees (Team Sky), Conor Dunne (Aqua Blue Sport) and Kris Boeckmans (Vital Concept) were also among those disqualified.

>>> ‘I don’t endorse their decision’: Riders voice anger at commissaires over Scheldeprijs level crossing disqualifications

All of the riders involved were in a second peloton after the race was split apart by crosswinds.

Defending champion and pre-race favourite Marcel Kittel was with his Katusha-Alpecin team-mates in the first peloton and completely avoided the incident.

In addition to being disqualified from the race, the riders caught going under the level crossing barrier were fined 100CHF each.

Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Floors) went on to win the bunch sprint at the end of the race.

Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard have both been named as part of Team Sky's lineup for semi-Classic Dwars door Vlaanderen in Belgium on Wednesday (March 28).

It will be the first time that the two British riders have ridden together on the roads of Belgium this season, with Rowe continuing his return to form from injury and Stannard in his second race back after missing E3 Harelbeke on Friday due to illness.

Rowe is still defying predictions could be off the bike for a year after severely breaking his leg while white water rafting on his brother's stag event in August.

Even when he returned to training ahead of schedule, was not initially expected that he would take part in any races on the cobbled roads of northern Europe.

>>> Cobbled Classics: Latest news, reports and race info

However, Rowe finished 30th in Nokere Koerse on March 14, rode Milan-San Remo on March 17, then helped Team Sky to a team time trial stage win and overall victory with Diego Rosa in Settimana Coppi e Bartali in Italy last week as part of a remarkable comeback.

Stannard was forced to sit out E3 Harelbeke on Friday after suffering from an illness, but he did race in Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday, finishing 90th.

Stannard and Rowe will be joined at Dwars door Vlaanderen by Chris Lawless – who sprinted to a stage win in Settimana Coppi e Bartali on Saturday – Jon Dibben, Gianni Moscon, Kristoffer Halvorsen and Lukasz Wisniowski.

Both Rowe and Stannard are also on the provisional list of starters for Sunday's Tour of Flanders. Rowe placed fifth in Flanders in 2016.

Moscon was Sky's highest-placed rider in Friday's E3 Harelbeke, finishing eighth.

However, Sky missed out on having any riders in the top 10 of Sunday's Ghent-Wevelgem, after Moscon ended up in a roadside barrier at the foot of the Kemmelberg and was forced to expend valuable energy in trying to chase back.

The British WorldTour team also suffered bad luck in Volta a Catalunya in Spain at the weekend, when Egan Bernal had to abandon the race after a heavy crash while in second place overall.

Ian Stannard, Dylan van Baarle, Gianni Moscon and Lukasz Wisniowski have all been named as part of Team Sky's versatile line-up for E3 Harelbeke on Friday, March 23.

The British WorldTour team has several options for the Belgian race, which signals a return to northern Europe for the cobbled classics.

Stannard goes into the race as one of the leading favourites, having placed third in the 2016 edition behind team-mate and winner Michal Kwiatkowski. That was Sky's second E3 win, after Geraint Thomas won the previous year.

However, this season both Thomas and Kwiatkowski have other targets and will miss riding in E3.

>>> E3 Harelbeke 2018 start list

Dutch sprinter van Baarle finished ninth last year when riding for Cannondale-Drapac and is perhaps Sky's fastest finisher in its line-up of seven riders.

Moscon – fifth in Paris-Roubaix last year – will be seeking to build as a classics rider, and like Stannard, the Italian could be a factor if the race breaks apart.

Wisniowski has already shown he is on good form this season, placing second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and eighth in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – suggesting that a big win may not be far away for the 26-year-old Polish talent.

Completing the line-up are British rider Owain Doull, German Christian Knees and Pole Michal Golas.

Luke Rowe was Sky's top finisher last year in 15th behind winner Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing). The Welshman rode in Milan-San Remo on Saturday but is sitting out E3 Harelbeke as he continues his recovery from leg injury.

Sky will be up against the best Classics riders in the current professional peloton: world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), van Avermaet, Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal), Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First-Drapac), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) among them.

Many of the riders will also contest Sunday's Ghent-Wevelgem.

Team Sky's annual Christmas video has become established as a festive fixture over the past few years.

We've previously had Geraint Thomas playing jingle bells on a bicycle bell, and riders powering up Christmas lights with pedal power.

This year, British Classics specialist and super-domestique Ian Stannard takes a grim-looking wintry ride around the roads and lanes to map out something special in a video titled 'Riding Home for Christmas'... though it would be a bit mean to reveal exactly what if you haven't seen the video yet.

By his own high standards, Stannard has had a relatively quiet season during 2017 after starting well with a stage victory in the Herald Sun Tour in Australia in February.

>>> Team Sky riders let their hair down with incredible costumes at team Christmas party

Luck didn't go his way during the spring classics, and he was not selected for the 2017 Tour de France in July due to fatigue, having helped Chris Froome in his previous three wins.

However, Stannard was back in action supporting Froome to win the Vuelta a España in September.

Stannard has inked a new three-year deal with Team Sky this year, which will see him ride with the British WorldTour outfit until the end of 2020.

He has said that he is aiming for Paris-Roubaix in 2018.

Top British professional riders Ian Stannard and Ben Swift will take part in a charity fund-raising evening on Friday, November 24, at the New Mills Art Theatre, High Peak.

Stannard and Swift will appear on stage chatting and answering questions along with Team Sky Coach and Performance Manager, Rod Ellingworth and compere, TV commentator and former pro rider Rob Hayles.

The evening will raise money for a fund set up in memory of Charlie Craig, the 15-year-old cyclocross rider who unexpectedly died in his sleep in January.

The Ride For Charlie fund helps young riders gain experience in off-road racing.

Team Sky's Stannard and UAE Team Emirate's Swift will talk about their professional careers, which both started in the British Cycling Academy. Those attending the event will have a chance to ask the riders questions.

Charlie's father and well-known off-road rider Nick Craig said: "Charlie left his family and friends in a state of shock and an incredible hole in our hearts.

"It’s nearly a year since Charlie left us and we miss him more every day. It would have been his 16th birthday in November. The #ChatForCharlie evening will be a chance to celebrate his memory and hopefully inspire the next generation and raise funds for us to be able to support up-and-coming young riders.”

A raffle will also be held on the night, and the organisers are seeking donations for prizes. Anyone wishing to donate a prize should contact Fred Salmon at the Bike Factory in Whaley Bridge fredsalmon@btclick.com or by phoning 07712 068 887.

The Chat For Charlie evening takes place from 7.15pm on Friday, November 24, at the New Mills Art Theatre, Jodrell Street, New Mills, High Peak SK22 3HJ. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £12 for those aged under 16.

Ian Stannard will stay at Team Sky until at least 2020 after signing a new three-year contract with the British team.

Stannard, who is currently racing the Vuelta a España, has ridden for Team Sky since its inception in 2010, but has endured a difficult 2017 season, failing to pick up any top 10s in the Classics then missing out on selection for the Tour de France.

However the 30-year-old said that he was enjoying being back riding at the Vuelta and was already looking forward to next season.

>>> Ian Stannard: 'I don't think I deserve my hardman reputation. I just get on with my job'

"Obviously 2017 hasn’t gone how I wanted," Stannard said. "The Classics were disappointing, really. I was hoping to do a lot better and then getting ill and missing out on the Tour wasn’t ideal.

"But I’ve had a nice bit of time off, I’m delighted to be at the Vuelta and I want to play my part here. It’s been a while since I did this race, but Froomey has come here as the favourite so there’s a lot of responsibility on us.

"I’m thinking about next year now and pulling all the pieces together for that. I’ll sit down with Rod [Ellingworth] and go through it - pick this season apart and put a plan in for next year. Paris-Roubaix is the one I really I want to win and I need to try and get that right."

>>> Cycling transfers 2018: All the ins and outs from the WorldTour

Ellingworth, Team Sky's performance manager, said that he was pleased to have Stannard commit his future to the team despite interest from rivals.

"I’m delighted that Ian is staying because I’ve been working with him for a long time. He’s been with us since day one and he is part of the family. He’s got some good friends in this team and I think he knows he’s supported really well.

"It’s really good news. These guys have got other options and there’s lots of teams interested, so it’s great that he’s staying with Team Sky."

After helping Chris Froome to his last three Tour de France wins, Team Sky's Ian Stannard will watch from the sidelines for 2017 edition after the team left him out of their nine-man squad.

>>> Team Sky reveal the eight riders who will support Chris Froome at the Tour de France

Why Team Sky over-looked the Briton at first seemed a mystery since he raced most of the Critérium du Dauphiné with Froome and then the Route du Sud with Geraint Thomas as a build up.

However, he was not feeling the same force when towing Froome and the team through the French countryside.

"I expected to be going well but I'm creeping to be honest," he told Cycling Weekly after the stage four Critérium du Dauphiné time trial two weeks ago.

"I'm not really sure why. I really struggled the last few days and then today I haven't gone anywhere."

After the Classics, he came back to racing in the Tour of Yorkshire and built up to the Tour, including an altitude camp in Tenerife for a couple of weeks.

The 30-year-old struggled more so since he could not pin-point the problem.

"I'm not medically ill I've not got a cold or anything. Sometimes I struggle when I come back down from altitude and the first day of the Dauphiné has been difficult in the past but not to this kind of level…

"Whether I'm on the way down with something that we can't pick up yet or not, I don't know."

Stannard pulled out of the Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of stage five, but appeared back on track when he raced the Route du Sud with Thomas last week.

Sky, however, have plenty of men to select from to fill the mountain domestique spots and flat-land helper spots.

Team boss David Brailsford and head Tour sports director Nicolas Portal would have looked over their options through the Dauphiné, the Tour de Suisse and the Route du Sud.

They had four heavy-lifters with German Christian Knees – keen to race with the Tour starting in Germany – Belarusian Vasil Kiryienka, Welshman Luke Rowe and of course, Stannard.

Brailsford and Portal had to overlook Stannard and mountain helper Wout Poels, who has been battling with a knee injury.

"He's a good mate of mine, it's disappointing to see him miss out. Wout too, but Wout is coming back from injury," Geraint Thomas told Cycling Weekly after the squad announcement on Thursday.

"Ian was always hoping he'd get there, but it's one of those things. Everyone is so strong, so nothing's a guarantee.

"It's sad, but at the same time they will have a lot of other opportunities to go for themselves, whether they do the Vuelta or whatever.

Froome will be supported by Geraint Thomas, Sergio Henao, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Michal Kwiatkowski, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees and Luke Rowe.

"It's a definitely a bit of a different feel in the team this year," Thomas added.

“Still, everyone one apart from Kwiatkowski has been part of our winning teams. Everyone knows what they are doing."

The Tour de France begins on July 1 with a 14km individual time trial through the streets of Düsseldorf.

Watching the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix on television or by the side of the road and it's hard not to be in awe of the riders - thundering along rough cobbled roads at high speed and tearing up steep climb after steep climb, hour after hour.

At the end of both races we see the exhausted riders, empty eyes staring into the distance and dusty faces being washed down by soigneurs, and wonder just how tough these men have to be to compete in such brutal races.

One rider who knows what it's like to be in the front group on the Oude Kwaremont or the Carrefour de l'Arbre is Ian Stannard.

His third place in last year's Paris-Roubaix equalled the best performance by a British rider in the 114 editions of the race, matching the performances of Roger Hammond in 2004 and Barry Hoban in 1972.

With that sort of performance less than 12 months old, and once again heading towards the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as a major force to be reckoned with, you might have thought that Stannard would be happy to play the role of the Classics hardman.

>>> Seven things to look out for at the Tour of Flanders

But the down-to-earth Team Sky rider is having none of it, letting out a stifled laugh at the suggestion.

"No, I'm not sure about that. I don't think I deserve that reputation. I just do what I do and get on with my job.

"The bad weather does suit me. I enjoy riding in that weather," Stannard says, before reconsidering.

"Well actually, I don’t sit on the bus and think ‘Yeah, I’m really looking forward to this, I can’t wait to get out there in the rain’ but once you get out there and you get racing it doesn’t faze me."

No coincidence then that two of Stannard's biggest wins have come in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian season-opener which often provides seriously challenging conditions.

In 2014 Stannard, far from renowned for his explosive power, out-sprinted Greg Van Avermaet at the end of nearly 200km in torrential rain. 12 months later he successfully defended his title in an extraordinary race that saw him emerge victorious despite being outnumbered three-to-one by Etixx - Quick-Step.

Reflecting on that race, Stannard puts his victory more down to the mistakes of the Quick-Step riders than his own tactical nous or pure strength. However, talking about last year's Paris-Roubaix and it is his own mistakes that he concentrates on.

"Everyone in the front group in that race was on the same level, and it just came down to getting that final right and I made a few little mistakes.

>>> The Koppenberg and the defining cobbles, bergs and climbs of the Belgian Classics

"We came off the last cobble section and that’s where I really threw all my eggs in. I really went for it there and it only needed for them to hesitate for a little bit longer and I would have been gone.

"I was a bit stuffed after that, so coming into the velodrome I was a bit too far back and I had to go quite deep just to catch up on that last lap and I didn’t have the legs to finish it off.

"It was all there it’s just about getting it right, and getting that little bit of luck."

Watch: Tour of Flanders 2017 essential guide

Unfortunately for Stannard, luck hasn't been on his side so far this spring.

In E3 Harelbeke he punctured just before the Taaienberg, the cobbled climb where Tom Boonen attacked before Philippe Gilbert went over the top to force the winning move, while in Ghent-Wevelgem he found himself isolated after team-mate Luke Rowe was dropped and Gianni Moscon crashed.

Despite the lack of results, Stannard says that he is happy with his form heading into the most important eight days of his season, and while he will take the lead at Roubaix and Rowe at Flanders, both riders will try and be close to the action in both races.

"It's good to have two leaders in the team," Stannard explains. "It lets us ride off one another.

"When you've got attacks going off the front then having two men there means one of us will always be there, whereas when there's just one of you it can be difficult to pick the right move to go with."

>>> Team Sky happy to back both Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe in cobbled Classics

Less explosive than his Welsh team-mate, Stannard has little doubt as to which of the two cobbled Monuments suits him better.

"Roubaix’s the one for me," Stannard says. "My size [6'2" and 83kg] and my kind of riding makes it easier for me whereas Flanders with the smaller bergs isn’t ideal. I struggle with the repeated accelerations into them and then getting over the climb as well.

"But at Roubaix it’s just harder all day, which suits me a bit more. It’s just a steadier power through the whole day. You have to fight and sprint a bit to get into the cobbled sectors but it’s not the same as coming into the bergs."

So Roubaix might be the race that Stannard thinks he is most likely to win, but, having turned pro with Belgian team Landbouwkrediet in 2008, he has a fondness for Flanders.

"I love racing in Belgium. The fans are absolutely mad for it.

"Take E3, for example. It’s a Friday so everyone should be at work, but the roads are lined with people and all the pubs are open.

"You can smell the beer and the frites and burgers as you’re riding through the crowds. It’s a really amazing atmosphere that you don’t get anywhere else.

"The fans are the best things about racing in Flanders. The racing’s awesome but the fans really make it."

Anyone who has been to watch racing in Belgium and has experienced the road-side bars and frites stands that Stannard talks about will also know something about the outstanding knowledge of the fans, and their respect for great riders no matter what their nationality.

At the Tour of Flanders, fans will stand on the major climbs to cheer all the leading riders, before turning their attention to the many big screens around the course, breaking into applause for whoever crosses the line first, whatever the nationality.

But despite their general love of cycling, the Belgian fans still have their favourites, chief among them Tom Boonen and the Quick-Step Floors team.

The Belgian team has named a seriously strong team for the Tour of Flanders, which Stannard believes could influence how the race plays out, potentially playing into his hands.

"Looking at how the races have played out this spring, the winning moves seem to be going from further and further out, like Gilbert's move after the Taaienberg at E3 Harelbeke [with 85km to go].

"I think the moves going further and further away is down to Quick-Step. I mean, look at the strength and depth of that team, they’ve got a lot of leaders and not many guys to work.

"Each of those leaders wants to go earlier and earlier, as they know that if they don’t go earlier than someone else in the team, then they’ll have to work for someone else."

>>> Tour of Flanders live TV guide

"Hopefully that’ll be the same at Roubaix with a long-range move going clear, and it will be a really hard race like last year. That suits me well."

With nothing but praise for rivals like Tom Boonen ("a genuinely nice guy") and Peter Sagan ("phenomenal, the complete rider") it's hard not to like the amicable Stannard when chatting in the calm surroundings of the Team Sky hotel.

But from the slight smile that creeps onto Stannard's face as he says the words "really hard race", there seems to be another side to him ready to come out at the sharp end of the big Classics.

He may not have the character or like the label of being stereotypical "hardman" for the cobbles, but if we are to judge Ian Stannard purely by his racing, then it's difficult to see him in any other way.

Team Sky's Ian Stannard took his first victory of the 2017 season on Sunday, winning the final stage at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia after attacking from an escape group in the final kilometre.

But the British rider's win very nearly turned into embarrassment. Stannard's slow approach to the finish while zipping up his jersey and putting his hands in the air meant he was close to being caught on the line by the chasing group.

Video footage from Eurosport shows just how close Stannard got to not winning the stage.

As he freewheels towards the finish, Aaron Gate (Aqua Blue Sport) is rapidly accelerating behind him – with the 29-year-old from Essex seemingly oblivious to the danger as he looks over the wrong shoulder.

>>> Chris Froome: 'Ian Stannard is an absolute beast'

Or could it be that Stannard is a consummate professional, and perfectly-timed his effort and celebration, with not a gram of excess energy expended? He certainly doesn't look panicked.

Stannard's victory was the third for Team Sky in the race, after Danny van Poppel won the prologue time trial and Luke Rowe secured stage two.

Chris Froome went into the 2017 Herald Sun Tour as defending champion, but simply could not overhaul leader Damien Howson, whose strong Orica-Scott squad rallied around him to ensure his first ever stage race win.

Froome had to settle for sixth overall, with best-placed Sky rider being new French recruit Kenny Elissonde in third.

Stannard and Rowe now head straight back to Europe, where the cobbled classics beckon. Given the British pair's evident form, Sky could see more success – though they may be hoping for a wider margin of victory.

Chris Froome has described Sky team-mate Ian Stannard as 'an absolute beast' after Stannard's final stage victory in the Australia's Jayco Herald Sun Tour on Sunday.

Stannard had spent the preceding week in the service of his Sky team-mates, including Froome, but switched from domestique duties to try his luck in the break on the final circuit-based stage in Kingslake.

Stannard's move into the break of the day paid off, as he attacked his escape companions in the final kilometre up the climb to the finish to take the victory – his first since stage three of the 2016 Tour of Britain.

>>> Ian Stannard wins final stage of Herald Sun Tour as Damien Howson seals overall

Froome has witnessed Stannard's power on many occasions, grinding out a relentless pace at the front of the peloton. The 29-year-old from Essex has been a key part in Froome's three Tour de France victories.

"He's an absolute beast," said Froome. "An incredible rider. That's the thing about Ian. He's so versatile. He's 85 kilos or something but he wins on top of a climb. Scary!"

📹 Man of the moment @IStannard is congratulated by @LukeRowe1990 #SunTour 📹 pic.twitter.com/oW3mFjyuzB

— Team Sky 🚲 (@TeamSky) February 5, 2017

Froome himself missed out on defending his Herald Sun Tour win from 2016, as race leader Damien Howson (Orica-Scott) managed to fend off his rivals and take his first major victory.

Despite missing out on GC, Froome and the whole of Team Sky can come away from the race with some satisfaction as a promising building block for the season ahead.

In addition to Stannard's final stage win, the British WorldTour squad's Danny van Poppel won the opening prologue time trial and Luke Rowe took stage two.

"The atmosphere has been brilliant along the roadside, " said Froome. "And I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for coming out and making the race as special as it is."

Not content with their efforts on the final day of the race, Froome, Stannard and French team-mate Kenny Elissonde – who was Sky's highest-placed rider overall in third – elected to ride over 70km back to the team hotel after the stage.

The Herald Sun Tour concludes Sky's outing in Australia, that also saw them take part in the People's Choice Classic, Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Sky's focus now turns to Europe, with Stannard and Rowe spearheading the squad's Spring Classics aims. Stannard will be looking to build on his third place in last year's Paris-Roubaix.

Froome mixing training camps with early-season races such as Volta a Catalunya in March. His big focus for the season will, of course, be the Tour de France in July and it is highly likely that Stannard will be by his side.

Ian Stannard handed Team Sky their third victory of the 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia, winning the final stage in Kingslake on Sunday, as Damien Howson (Orica-Scott) sealed the overall honours.

The hilly circuit navigated by the riders for the final stage was perfect Stannard territory, as he put himself into the day's large escape group on the first of four laps.

The Essex rider attacked to go solo in the final kilometre, but was nearly caught on the line as he sat up to celebrate. Aaron Gate (Aqua Blue Sport) was the man to come close to upsetting Stannard's moment of glory, placing second. Taco van der Hoorn (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij) was third.

"I knew the guys wanted to spice it up behind and I wasn't quite sure how I felt," Stannard said of the battle for the general classification. "I had a big day chasing for that last 30km yesterday and I went pretty deep.

"I didn't feel great early on but I came round toward the end of the race. I knew they wanted to come up so I thought I might as well see if I could play the game a bit and hang on."

>>> Herald Sun Tour marred by huge crashes as Travis McCabe takes unexpected stage win

Sky's Danny van Poppel had claimed the opening prologue, and Stannard's fellow Classics leader Luke Rowe won stage two making giving the British team cause to celebrate, despite missing out in the general classification...

Defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) had tried to repeat his victory from last year, producing some attacking riding on the final, rain-affected stage. He was accompanied by Sky new recruit Kenny Elissonde, who started the day in third spot overall.

However, Howson once again showed his current form, matching all the accelerations and digs from his rivals on the climbs to safely retain the overall lead.

Howson took the lead after winning stage one, and held on to the yellow jersey until the finale. It marks Howson's first ever overall victory, as the Australian usually serves as a domestique.

“It’s a big sigh of relief now,” said Howson after the win. “It’s been an amazing week and to finish it off the way we did, capitalise on our position, I couldn’t be happier.”

“It comes with a lot of honour (to win the Tour). There are a lot of prestigious names on that list… and I am really happy to join that list of guys.

“To get my first win only a couple of days ago and to continue all the way through and keep the yellow jersey on the final day, it’s my first overall win ever, so it’s nice to break into new territory.”

An oil spill on the final climb of the race prompted the organiser to neutralise the time gaps in the final three kilometres of the stage, which perhaps muted the opportunities for GC riders. However, after the previous day's crashes, rider safety came first.

In the end, there was no real change to the top order of the general classification, with Howson sitting 38 seconds ahead of second-placed Australian Jai Hindley (Korda Mentha-Australia), and Frenchman Elissonde in third at 53 seconds.

Froome settled for sixth place at one minute and 12 seconds. British rider Ian Bibby (JLT Condor) concluded the race in 11th at 1-21.

After finishing the stage and completing the podium presentations, Elissonde, Stannard and Froome elected to ride over 70km back to the team's hotel.

That concludes most of the WorldTour riders' excursion to Australia, as they had back to Europe for the start of the spring campaign.

Result

Jayco Herald Sun Tour 2017, stage four: Kinglake to Kinglake, 121km

1. Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky, in 2-52-44

2. Aaron Gate (NZl) Aqua Blue Sport

3. Taco van der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij

4. Benjamin Hill (Aus) Attaque Team Gusto

5. Robbie Hucker (Aus) IsoWhey Sports-Swiss Wellness

6. Alistair Slater (GBr) JLT Condor

7. Jason Christie (NZl) New Zealand

8. Daniel Fitter (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport

9. Cyrus Monk (Aus) Drapa-Pat's Veg

10. Travis McCabe (USA) UnitedHealthcare, all same time

Other

20. Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-Scott, at 17 secs

41. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 17 secs

Final general classification

1. Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-Scott, in 15-25-13

2. Jai Hindley (Aus) Korda Menthe Real Estate-Australia, at 38 secs

3. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky, at 53 secs

4. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Korda Menthe Real Estate-Australia, at 1-08

5. Michael Storer (Aus) Korda Menthe Real Estate-Australia, at 1-10

6. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 1-12

7. Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Korda Menthe Real Estate-Australia, at 1-13

8. Nathan Earle (Aus) Korda Menthe Real Estate-Australia, at 1-15

9. Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-Scott, at 1-15

10. Timothy Roe (Aus) IsoWhey Sports-Swiss Wellness, at 1-17

Other

11. Ian Bibby (GBr) JLT-Condor, at 1-26

The effort that Ian Stannard (Sky) put in to win stage three of the 2016 Tour of Britain on Tuesday is clear to see on Strava, as the British rider has uploaded his ride.

Still modestly bearing the default name of 'Lunch ride', Stannard's 111-mile (179-kilometre) excursion from Congleton to Knutsford was achieved at an average speed of 26.2mph (42.2kmh) and included 5174 feet (1577 metres) of climbing.

The upload from Stannard's Garmin Edge 1000 GPS computer to Strava has calculated that he average a huge 300 watts power output for the ride and with an average heart rate of 146bpm.

>>> Ian Stannard says he used home advantage to take solo stage glory at Tour of Britain

For many riders, it's all about the Strava KOMs, and Stannard took plenty of those - many of which will stand for quite a while. Stannard lives in the area used for stage three, and it's not the first time that his name will have appeared on the leaderboard for some of the segments.

Prior to his solo attack with 41km to go, Stannard was in an escape group with Graham Briggs (JLT Condor) and Kristian House (One Pro Cycling) and it's no surprise to see the three riders sharing several KOMs along the way.

Stannard is undoubtedly feeling proud that he has added the 'Slacky knows he's done wrong' and 'Dumbers descent' KOMs to his collection.

>>> Top 12 funniest Strava segment names

The 29-year-old is a relative late-comer to Strava, having only started logging rides on the service since May 2016.

He doesn't often log his races on Strava – there are only a couple from the Tour de France – so his ToB data gives a rare insight into his racing performance.

The 2016 Tour of Britain continues on Wednesday with stage four from Denbigh to Builth Wells. The race concludes on Sunday in London.

Ian Stannard admitted he played to his home advantage to take the solo victory on stage three of the Tour of Britain in Cheshire, as the stage covered roads where the Sky rider lives and trains.

The 29-year-old lives in Cheshire and admitted knowing the roads and climbs so well gave him the extra edge as well as the motivation to challenge for the win, his first in the Tour of Britain. Stannard was part of a four-man breakaway that went almost straight from the start, but attacked with 40-kilometres to go and rode alone to the finish.

“I was motivated to get in the break, I’ve been living on these roads since I was 18,” he said. “I didn’t expect the break to go quite so easily.”

Stannard was part of an all-British, four-man breakaway alongside Matt Cronshaw (Madison-Genesis), Kristian House (One Pro) and Graham Briggs (JLT-Condor). The riders amassed a gap up to seven minutes, as the peloton was reluctant to mount a chase.

“We [Sky] are going for stage wins and I think we knew there was a bit of a chance of the breakaway staying away today with the climbs and the sprinters not quite sure how hard they are,” Stannard said.

“I rode quite hard quite early to try and establish that gap because I knew Jack Bauer [Cannondale-Drapac] was behind [trying to bridge across]. He’s fairly close on GC still so I didn’t really want him in the group.”

The 182km stage featured three categorised climbs, with the last - the Cat and Fiddle – the most challenging of the three. Cronshaw was the first of the four to get dropped before Stannard attacked Briggs and House on the Cat and Fiddle climb.

“I kind of felt it a little bit when we got on the climbs,” Stannard continued. “I thought I’ll go early and keep hitting them to try and break them up a bit.

“I went away straight away, so I just committed. Obviously I know the descents quite well as well so I tried to take a good advantage of that and got a good gap.

“You know how hard the climbs are and how to judge your efforts a bit more, certainly the blind corners you know how fast you can take them and that’s a big advantage.”

The win was Stannard’s first victory since he won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February 2015 and is his first on what is his eighth start in his home tour. He attempted a solo breakaway at the race in 2008 on stage two from Milton Keynes to Newbury, but was caught with 15km to go.

“It’s nice, there was massive crowds out today and it was nice to do a really good ride,” he said.

The Sky rider will next race at the Eneco Tour before targeting a place in Great Britain’s squad for the Road World Championships in Qatar.

Ian Stannard (Sky) won the third stage of the 2016 Tour of Britain in Knutsford on Tuesday after launching a solo attack from the day's escape group with 41km to go.

Stannard accelerated away from former break companions Kristian House and Graham Briggs, and time trialled all the way to the finish line in front of home crowds.

It was a mammoth performance from the Essex rider to take his first ever Tour of Britain win, and one which attracted widespread praise on social media platform Twitter.

>>> Tour of Britain 2016: Latest news, reports and info

Stannard's team-mate Chris Froome – currently second overall in the Vuelta a España in Spain – hailed it as a 'brilliant ride'.

Stannard's ToB team-mate Ben Swift paid tribute to a win from a hard worker:

The official race Twitter obviously enjoyed Stannard's effort:

Someone was perhaps a bit too keen on handing Stannard the win, with 20km still to go:

'Belgian former pro' Kenny Van Vlaminck is a fan:

David Millar pays tribute

Plenty of appreciation of Stannard's efforts from hardcore fans:

... and appreciation from the British national team too:

Day three of the 2016 Tour of Britain belonged to Ian Stannard, with the Team Sky man setting up an unassailable breakaway before pushing on alone to take the stage win.

Stannard left breakaway companions Kristian House (One Pro Cycling) and Graham Briggs (JLT Condor) with 40km to go and took advantage of an unenthusiastic chase from the peloton to reach the line first.

The 29-year-old recorded his first win since the 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, finishing over five-and-a-half minutes ahead of the peloton, with Briggs and House claiming second and third respectively.

The trio were initially joined by Matt Cronshaw (Madison Genesis) in the breakaway, but the Carnforth rider was distanced on the climb of the Britckworks with 65km left.

Stannard, House and Briggs worked well together to increase their lead over the peloton to over six minutes, but with 40km remaining Stannard decided to go it alone.

With the Team Sky man sitting 15 minutes back on race leader Julien Vermote the peloton weren't too keen on going all out to bring the big man back.

The sprinters' teams were also unwilling to do the work, with Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) going on a little sojourn off the front of the slow-moving peloton at one stage to demonstrate just how slow the pace was.

Stannard's lead only increased as he reached the line in Tatton Park, with Briggs outsprinting House shortly after to seal the all-British podium.

Having shown little hustle all day, the sprinters lined themselves up for the battle for fourth place and some valuable points in the sprint classification in the final kilometres.

Danny van Poppel (Team Sky) and Nicola Ruffoni (Bardiani CSF) had to be separated by a photo finish in the race for fourth, with the Italian getting the nod from the judges.

The peloton faces the longest stage of the race on Wednesday, with a 218km rolling challenge between Denbigh and Builth Wells sure to test the legs once more.

Tour of Britain stage three, Congleton - Tatton Park (179km)

1. Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky, 4-14-12

2. Graham Briggs (GBr) JLT Condor, at 1-46

3. Kristian House (GBr) One Pro Cycling, st

4. Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSF, at 5-43

5. Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky

6. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Giant-Alpecin

7. Chris Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins

8. Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC

9. Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac

10. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-BikeExchange

Overall standings after stage three

1. Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep in 13-53-15

2. Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data at 6 secs

3. Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx-QuickStep at 1-04

4. Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky at 1-08

5. Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert at 1-08

6. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto-Soudal at 1-08

7. Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-Drapac at 1-12

8. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert at 1-12

9. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin at 1-12

10. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky at 1-16

Dutchman Wout Poels will lead Team Sky's assault on the 2016 Tour of Britain, which starts in Glasgow on Sunday, September 4, and concludes in London on Sunday, September 11.

Poels finished the 2015 race as overall runner-up behind winner Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) having won the key stage to Hartside Fell in Cumbria.

Joining Poels on Sky's six-man roster is Italian sprinter Elia Viviani, fresh from his gold-medal-winning performance in the omnium at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Viviani secured three stage wins in the 2015 edition of the race, including the final stage in London.

>>> Tour of Britain 2016 route/stages

British riders Ian Stannard and Ben Swift are both Tour of Britain veterans, and return to the race as team support as well as seeking their own opportunities for stage victories should they arise.

Irishman Nicolas Roche and Dutch sprinter Danny Van Poppel complete the strong line-up.

Team Sky are one of 10 WorldTour level teams taking part in the 2016 edition of the Tour of Britain.

Poels and Viviani will face some stiff opposition in the fight for the general classification and sprint stage wins respectively.

>>> Tour of Britain 2016 start list

Tom Dumoulin heads up Giant-Alpecin's team, Rohan Dennis and Taylor Phinney will be there for BMC and André Greipel leads Lotto-Soudal.

British riders to watch include Mark Cavendish and Steve Cummings (both Dimension Data), Alex Dowsett (Movistar), Bradley Wiggins (Team Wiggins) and a host of riders from British-based squads looking to mix it up with their WorldTour counterparts.

Despite strong performances from all five riders, the British cyclists were unable to feature in the final sprint for the medals in the Rio 2016 Olympic men's road race.

Rod Ellingworth, Team GB men's road cycling coach, gave his thoughts after a race that saw Geraint Thomas crash out of as possible medal winning position.

"He [Thomas] is alright. He’s fallen heavy, he’s got plenty of skin off but he’s ok I think," Ellingworth said after the rider had been driven away for a medial check.

"Looking at Geraint there, he was proper proper disappointed and he knew that was a proper gold medal chance", the coach said after Thomas was seen sat in a gutter on the final descent of the long and gruelling race.

After other riders, including Vincenzo Nibali, had gone down ahead of his group, Thomas could have been riding to contest the podium. As it was, Greg Van Avermaet was the strongest at the end and took the gold.

Read more

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Analysing the race, the British coach said the race was as they'd expected, "It was exactly what we thought; pretty full on all the way.

"The guys, until we hit the final circuit, rode the perfect race I think, and we had bad luck with Ian [Stannard] breaking his bike. There was lots of little crashes and punctures all the time, a few little issues."

Steve Cummings had been overlooked for selection for the squad until Peter Kennaugh withdrew and Cummings was convinced to re-enter the fold.

On Cummings's ride, Ellingworth said, "Steve did a great job bringing the lads into that first climb. We wanted it to be hard, it was hard"

With the Olympics being a one day race with a national, composite team, analysis is only worth so much, but Ellingwoth gave feedback on all his riders; "G [Thomas] put himself in the bike race perfectly.

"Adam [Yates] came round really good, he had a really bad time at the beginning on that first circuit and then he rode himself in, so that was good.

"In general, good teamwork: the way the lads wanted to race was how they actually raced. It’s just unfortunate about the crash at the end; I knew from the test event that descent was perhaps going to be a deciding factor in the race and it was. You think about how many riders crashed down there it was pretty mad really.

That's the Olympics done for four of the five British riders, but Chris Froome will take the start in the time trial on Wednesday August 10, where he is billed as one of the favourites to take gold.

"He [Froome] is ok, he rode well today," said Ellingworh. "He climbed the last mountain, he left a lot of world class bike riders, favourites like [Alejandro] Valverde, all the French guys couldn’t stay with him.

"I think in general his condition’s good; it’s about recovery now and looking after him and giving him the best chance [in the time trial]."

Just days from the start of the biggest race in the WorldTour calendar and with a title to defend, you'd expect Team Sky to think better than alter their line-up.

But that's not the case. The team have brought in four new members, but they're all slightly familiar.

Introducing Mini Chris Froome, Mini Geraint Thomas and Mini Ian Stannard, plus a non-speaking appearance from Mini Dave Brailsford.

Froome is dedicated, Thomas just loves riding his bike, and Stannard is the tireless worker every team needs.

It looks like the Mini riders will be popping up throughout the three week Tour de France, so we look forward to seeing if Froome's sacrifice pays off.

The Mini Team Sky series can be viewed on the Sky Loves Cycling Facebook page and the Sky Loves Cycling YouTube channel.

Looking at the adult riders, Stannard appears to be a much leaner version of the rider who came third in Paris-Roubaix.

Arguably a necessary adjustment for the mountains of the Tour, but fingers crossed he's lost none of the power he'll need to shepherd Froome through the flatter stages and the expected crosswinds.

Team Sky's Ben Swift, Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe will not race Sunday's National Road Race Championships in Stockton-on-Tees.

The trio were all on the startlist for the men's race but a knee injury sustained at the Tour de Romandie to Swift continues to rule him out, meaning his wait for national stripes continues.

Classics specialists Stannard and Rowe - the former won the race in 2012 - will not compete in the 207km race in order to keep fresh for the start of the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday, July 2.

Reigning champion Pete Kennaugh will also not race because of a broken collarbone suffered at May's Tour of California.

It means that Sky, who apart from Mark Cavendish's 2013 win have won every edition of the race since their inception in 2010, will only field Hackney-born Alex Peters and Scotsman Andy Fenn.

>>> British Cycling testing for motorised bikes at National Championships

The flat course in the north-east is suited to sprinters and despite illness forcing his abandonment at the Tour of Slovenia, Cavendish (Dimension Data) is still expected to take to the start.

Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18), Dan McLay (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Chris Opie (One Pro Cycling) and Chris Lawless (JLT-Condor) are likely to be Cavendish's biggest challengers.

The news of the omission of Sky riders is another blow for organisers after Thursday's time trials were also absent of a number of high-profile personnel: Dani King (Wiggle-High5) and her teammate Amy Roberts didn't take part in the women's time trial, while Team GB track riders Owain Doull and Steven Burke (Team Wiggins) didn't race the men's race as intended, the same as McLay.

>>> Alex Dowsett wins British elite men’s time trial title for a fifth time

In the time trial events, Scott Davies won the men's U23 title for a record third time, Hayley Simmonds defended her women's title and Alex Dowsett (Movistar) won the men's race for the fifth occasion.

Chris Froome will lead a very strong line-up of Team Sky riders at the Critérium du Dauphiné stage race, which starts in France on Sunday, June 5.

The defending Dauphiné champion will be joined by an 'A' team of stage racers, including Spaniard Mikel Landa who makes his return to racing after being forced to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia in May due to illness.

Also making a return to racing is Colombian Sergio Henao, who has been out of action in mid-April after an investigation was initiated into his blood values. Henao has now been cleared and the investigation shelved.

>>> Sergio Henao to return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné

Providing more firepower in the mountains will be Dutchman Wout Poels, who handed Sky their first Monument victory in the spring when he won Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Pole Michal Kwiatkowski, Italian Salvatore Puccio and British classics specialists and super-domestiques Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard complete the line-up.

With the obvious exception of Geraint Thomas – who will be riding in the Tour de Suisse (June 11-19) – and a sprint option such as Elia Viviani, Sky's Dauphiné line-up can't be far short of the British WorldTour team's Tour de France squad.

Froome has won the Dauphiné on two occasions: 2013 and 2015. The 31-year-old went on to win the Tour de France last year.

>>> Critérium du Dauphiné 2016: Latest news, reports and info

This year, Froome will face very stiff opposition in the race from a host of Grand Tour stars, including Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), Fabio Aru (Astana), Romain Bardet (Ag2r), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and former Sky team-mate Richie Porte (BMC).

The 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné kicks off on Sunday, June 5, with a prologue mountain time trial in Les Gets. It concludes in Superdévoluy on Sunday, June 12.

Last year, Froome attacked on the race's last climb to win the final stage and take the overall race win from Tejay van Garderen (BMC).

Ian Stannard became only the third British rider to take a podium at Paris-Roubaix when he finished third in the Roubaix velodrome on Sunday behind Mat Hayman and Tom Boonen.

Stannard forced the final selection of five riders, which also included Sep Vanmarcke and Edvald Boasson Hagen, on the Camphin-en-Pévèle sector of cobbles with 20km to go in the chaotic and crash-ridden race.

Despite carrying speed around the final bank of the famous finish, the 26 year-old was unable to overhaul Etixx-Quick Step’s Boonen and Orica-GreenEdge’s Hayman.

His third place matches those previously earned by Roger Hammond in 2004 and Barry Hoban in 1972.

“It’s pretty awesome [to be on the podium], but it’s so close but so far,” Stannard said at the finish. “Shame I wasn’t in front of Roger. Next year!"

>>> Nine talking points from Paris-Roubaix

Stannard made two unsuccessful attacks on the final run in to the velodrome finish in an attempt to distance the stronger sprinters of Boasson Hagen and Boonen. He explained that the efforts took their toll in the dash to the line.

“I thought I was out of the running, with a kilometre to go Edvald [Boasson Hagen] and I were off the back, but Edvald brought us back and then as they were opening up the sprint I came nicely over the top and had a bit of speed, so I was pretty lucky.”

“It was a real tough race, the early break didn’t go for a long time and it was full gas all day. I think it shows how hard the race was, there wasn’t much speed left at the end.”

Team Sky's Servais Knaven talks about Ian Stannard's performance

Stannard praised the work of his Sky team, who at one point in the race had four riders in the lead group but lost Salvatore Puccio and Gianni Moscon to a crash. Countryman Luke Rowe made one last big turn for Stannard approaching the finale, setting up his move.

“I think the Italians were struggling with their bike handling skills today!” Stannard joked.

“The team did an amazing job putting us in the front for all those sections first, you can ride the line you want then and you can see the slippy bits coming up. I think there were quite a few big crashes early on and it was nice to be out of the way of them.

“I think my only mistake maybe was attacking so much in the final. I didn’t really want to come in with Edvald and Tom [Boonen], normally my strength is on my own, but there we are.”

Sky's Ian Stannard says that he prefers a wet and messy Paris-Roubaix for Sunday (April 10). Local weather forecasts show rain likely the day before on Saturday, and on race day.

Stannard is leading team Sky alongside Luke Rowe, with Geraint Thomas back to stage races and Michal Kwiatkowski aiming at the Amstel Gold Race next Sunday.

He reconnoitred the key cobble sectors that make up the 257.5-kilometre course in northern France on Tuesday. Luke Rowe and others are doing so today.

"I didn't find the recon too bad, the mud in between the cobbles was bad, but the top of the cobbles was fine," Stannard told Cycling Weekly.

>>> Paris-Roubaix 2016: Latest news, preview and more

"If it rains, it's going to be a mess. I like those conditions, and the colder the better, as well. A dry Roubaix is probably nicer to race, but a wet one is better for my riding characteristics."

In recent years teams have found dry and dusty cobble sectors. Not since 2002, 14 years ago, did they have to navigate wet and muddy cobbles. That year, Johan Museeuw won his third title and Tom Boonen, then racing for US Postal Service, marked himself as a future winner by placing third.

Over the border, Belgium enjoyed one of its warmest days in recent weeks on Sunday for its Tour of Flanders. However, the mercury dropped over the last two days and rain clouds constantly circle over the flat farmlands.

Regardless of the weather, Sky appears to be edging closer to a win in one of cycling's monuments. Ben Swift placed second behind Arnaud Démare (FDJ) in Milan-San Remo three weeks ago and Rowe rode to fifth in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

"The confidence is building in the team, individually as well," Stannard said. "We are still going in a great direction."

Kwiatkowski gave the team a second win in the E3 Harelbeke two weeks ago and drew out eventual Flanders winner Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) with an attack. He is backing off to return in the Amstel Gold Race, which he won last year as world champion. He leaves the door open for Stannard and Rowe to start Roubaix as defined co-leaders.

General Manager David Brailsford said: "In the past, we had a strong group who all think that maybe they have a chance, so you lack that real clarity of who's going to give what for whom. Now, it's a lot clearer in the roles and who's doing what."

"It's down to me and Luke, and we are both looking forward to it," Stannard continued.

"We have two more defined leaders, rather than four or five of us all trying to get into the final and then race. E3 really showed that, we kind of missed it on the Taaienberg and Luke and [Salvatore] Puccio got straight on the front and did what they needed to do, there was no hanging around. There was a clear decision, and that comes from knowing who your leaders are."

Team Sky's Ian Stannard went to the start of Ghent-Wevelgem this morning, but decided against participating due to a cold. The team says that he has a sore throat and slight fever and hopes he rebounds quickly for the Tour of Flanders next Sunday.

Stannard placed third in the E3 Harelbeke behind teammate Michal Kwiatkowski two days ago Friday. Today, he stepped off the black bus and into a team car while his remaining seven team-mates mounted their carbon bikes. He returned to the team's hotel in Kortrijk to recover.

"It's just a cold that you'd have in normal life, but a bike rider is under stress," Sky coach, Rod Ellingworth told Cycling Weekly.

"Ian wants to race, but he knows logically he'd only dig himself in a big hole. This is a big race, it's a WorldTour and he wants to race because he loves these Classics. This is a precaution, and it's just can we stop it now before the other races."

Team Sky could already start him in the Three Days of De Panne on Tuesday if he is feeling better. His goal is to be ready for the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and Paris-Roubaix the following Sunday.

"Only they know how they feel and if they are on the edge of being sick. Sometimes you have to be sensible," added Ellingworth.

"Yesterday evening, he started to feel it. He said his throat felt a bit rough and then woke up this morning, feeling a bit worse. If he was going out to do a normal job, no sweat, but he needs to take a precaution.

Stannard will instead stay in nearby Kortrijk, where the team bases itself each year for the cobbled Classics, and watch Luke Rowe, Andy Fenn and Elia Viviani race to Wevelgem.

"He has really good form, his morale is great. The way the team is riding is super, they rectified E3 the other day, Luke brought the group back and sacrificed himself. It was great team work," Ellingworth explained.

"We have a decent group for the Classics. Roubaix is Ian's race, he'd love to be fantastic and that is what we are aiming for with him. Along the route, it doesn't always go to plan and you have to divert left and right sometimes. This is a little diversion, and hopefully he can get back on track, but there's no saying he will.

"A major setback? It's a concern. It's a shame for him personally. Ideally, he wanted to race today. He was up for it."

Other riders are in the same boat. Belgian star Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) skipped E3 Harelbeke due to stomach problems, but is back racing again today. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) skipped today's race with a slight fever.

"Is Flanders in danger? It can be, but I hope not. It's still a week off," 2015 Flanders winner Kristoff said. "Usually, I recover faster than a week. I think I'll be OK before Flanders."

Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe joined Team Sky's Classics group to put in an extra effort by reconnoitring both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix courses on Monday and Tuesday. Sky's head classics sports director, Servais Knaven said: "No other team does it this early as a group."

Still with four months until Flanders, a group of nine met on Monday morning in Belgium, on the last day of November, to ride four hours of the course. They slept that night in Oudenaarde and the next morning, travelled over the border to France to ride 90 kilometres of Paris-Roubaix, from the Arenberg section through Carrefour.

Knaven's hope is that this early bonding experience will help one of his stars, like Brits Stannard and Rowe, win a coveted monument.

>>> A lovely day for the cobbles: Team Sky recon Paris-Roubaix four months early

"They are not ready yet, it's still the beginning of December!" Knaven said. "Ian and Luke are really up for it. They want the leader's role and want to take the chance.

"Luke made a big step last year, worked a lot in Flanders and was still up there in the final. That was impressive. Also in Roubaix, where he just missed the final group on the last sector. That was big for him and he's still disappointed about that. Luke and Ian work well together and they know each other well. They will be able to share the leadership role in some races."

Geraint Thomas skipped the camp because he was moving apartments, but new hire and former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski was there. Both are expected to also lead Sky in Flanders. Kwiatkowski will then focus on the Ardennes Classics and Thomas the Tour de France.

Knaven hosted a nine-man group for Flanders: Kwiatkowski, Rowe, Stannard, Christian Knees, Andy Fenn, Salvatore Puccio, Elia Viviani, Gianni Moscon and Danny Van Poppel. Only Kwiatkowski did not ride on Tuesday.

>>> Team Sky: Now or never for Geraint Thomas at the Tour de France

"Last year, we did some riding on the Roubaix course with Brad Wiggins, Ian Stannard and Bernie Eisel, but that was also for testing the new bike and just for one day. Now we planned for two days and with a bigger group," added Knaven.

"It's always good to freshen up their minds with the courses. It's no stress now. You don't have to go full gas and you can have some fun, you can see the roads, try the bike with the tyres, and have the whole group.

Watch: The 10 Best Riders Right Now

"When you are at the camp with the whole team you have 25 riders, but here we just had the classics group with the new faces like Gianni Moscon, Van Poppel and Kwiatkowski. It's good to have them all together. It's team building.”

Many cyclists live in Belgium or near by and are able to train on the Flanders course or travel to see Roubaix during the winter. With Flanders now ending in a loop, it is easier to preview.

Knaven added, “Maybe some teams are out this time of year with a few riders to test new materials, but most of the time it's not a group."

Sky's 29 cyclists will travel to Mallorca this weekend for a training camp ahead of the Christmas holidays. Afterwards, a group will fly to the Tour Down Under stage race, January 19 to 24, in Australia.

Ian Stannard is plotting a different winter’s training schedule in order to maximise his chances of winning Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

The Team Sky rider is the winner of the last two editions of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, memorably outfoxing three Etixx-Quick Step riders this year to defend his title.

But the 28-year-old, currently in Richmond preparing for the World Championships road race on Sunday, is not planning to focus his ambitions on making it a hat-trick of victories in the Belgian race, instead circling the two biggest Spring Classics as his early season objectives for 2016.

Stannard’s previous results have been relatively unremarkable in the two races: he has competed in both races six times, his highest finish at Paris-Roubaix being 36^th in 2011, the same year he achieved his best result of 50^th at the Tour of Flanders.

Watch: Team Sky's Pinarello cobble bike

A crash at Ghent-Wevelgem that injured his back scuppered his chances of success in 2014, and this year he was too burned out after his earlier exploits in February and March.

Despite his dearth of success in the races thus far, his performances in other Spring Classics and his potency on the cobbles will make him a rider not to underestimate.

“This year I went a bit too well, too early,” he told Cycling Weekly. “Roubaix and Flanders are my favourite races.

“I’ll be pushing forward more for them and maybe changing my training.

“I will have to adapt my training slightly to [concentrate more on] them: do the more intense stuff a little bit later than I did this year. I have to change the race programme for that.”

Alex Dowsett (Movistar) was the only Brit to take to the start of the first WorldTour event post-Tour de France when he rolled out on stage one of the Tour of Poland earlier in August, but three Brits will now take to the start at the Eneco Tour on Monday.

Unsurprisingly, two out of those three Brits feature in the Team Sky squad for the Benelux race, which will see riders take on climbs and sections of some of the season's best one-day Classics, including the Amstel Gold Race, Liège Bastogne Liège and the Tour of Flanders.

Here we take a look at the three riders lining up as the only British representation this week.

Ian Stannard (Team Sky)

There aren't many stage races on the WorldTour calendar which play to the advantage of an out-and-out Classics specialist like Ian Stannard, but Eneco Tour is one which he's unlikely to want to miss.

Even after a gruelling Tour de France which saw Stannard support Chris Froome throughout, the 28-year-old goes into the Eneco Tour marked down as Sky's likely leader, in a race which has seen riders of a similar vain take overall victory in the past.

>>> Where to watch the Eneco Tour 2015: TV guide

It won't be easy for Stannard though. The three opening stages will suit the sprinters and shouldn't be too much of a problem for a rider of his power to navigate without losing too much time, but the fourth day's 14km time trial and the following two stages will prove crucial in Stannard potentially just cutting his losses.

Stage five and six see the riders take on climbs from the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège respectively, with two tough finishing circuits which could be more suited to Stannard's Norwegian teammate Lars Petter Nordhaug.

The final stage into the Geraardsbergen will be more Stannard's style with Tour of Flanders cobbled climbs along the route, but it feels more likely it'll be a search for a stage win by this point after the two days preceding the finale.

Adam Blythe (Orica-GreenEdge)

The Eneco Tour will be Adam Blythe's fifth WorldTour event since stepping back up to cycling's premier level with Orica-GreenEdge this year, having last competed at that level in April's Paris-Roubaix. Since then he's been riding predominantly in support of young sprinting prospect Caleb Ewan, but managed to pull off a third place overall finish for himself in the Tour of Korea in June.

Now the 25-year-old is back riding in the WorldTour and will be working for the Australian team in support of Belgian rider Jens Keukeleire, who took a top-10 last year at the Eneco Tour and will be aiming higher in the GC.

With rumours that Orica won't offer the Blythe a new deal when his one-year contract expires at the end of this season, any opportunity to impress will be valuable if he's to secure employment with a team in the top tier for 2016.

He's potentially the rider with strongest sprint in the Orica squad at the race, which means he could be given some leeway on the opening three stages which are relatively sprinter friendly.

And with the likes of André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) taking to the start, any high placings in the bunch finishes will certainly do Blythe a favour in in attracting a new team for next year, with Tinkoff-Saxo already touted as seeking his services.

Andy Fenn (Team Sky)

While he'll be charged with looking after the likes of Ian Stannard and Sky's sprinter Elia Viviani, Andy Fenn will looking to gain valuable experience on his debut Eneco Tour appearance as he continues to build towards a future as a potential Classics contender.

Having joined Sky from Omega-Pharma - Quick-Step for this year, the 25-year-old, who won the 2008 junior Paris-Roubaix, has quietly gone about his work and managed to break into the Sky Classics squad as he was unable to do with the Belgian team which puts so much emphasis on one-day success.

A powerful rouleur with a decent sprint, the Eneco Tour will be another chance for Fenn to prove his value to the team as we reach the back-end of the 2015 season.

Ian Stannard's chances of a win in this year's Spring Classics may have improved since Tom Boonen's crash in Paris-Nice this week, but the Sky rider says he has nothing but sympathy for his rival.

Boonen would have been a leading contender for this year's Classics from Milan-San Remo, March 22, to Paris-Roubaix, April 19, had he not crashed last Monday, dislocating his shoulder and fracturing his elbow in the process.

"I feel gutted for him," Stannard told Cycling Weekly. "I know the work that I put in, and he probably does the same. It's a lot for him to put in and then for it all to be over due to a crash. I had it happen to me last year as well. I feel pretty sorry for him."

Stannard broke his vertebrae in Ghent-Wevelgem and fractured his wrist in the Tour of Britain, which meant that he missed half of the 2014 season.

Stannard's immediate aim is to complete the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, though his team's preparations have been disrupted by the withdrawal of Chris Froome through injury.

"It changes the dynamics of the team without Chris, but we still have a strong team with Leopold König and Wout Poels. They are going well. It's going to be open for them to see where they are at and what they can do instead of riding for Chris,” Stannard said.

"I just need some good racing, some hard racing. I need to ride hard on the climbs, stretch myself and have good training days for the upcoming classics. That's what makes the difference."

A week and a half ago, Stannard raced to the win in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad semi-Classic. It was not just the win, but the style of it that impressed followers. To claim the trophy for a second year running, he had to beat the odds by going against three rival Etixx cyclists: Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh.

"My confidence is good after some problems last year. I had a hard winter’s training, not knowing where I was and not having all the racing behind me. There was quite a bit of uncertainty, so it was nice to go to Australia and Qatar and do well, then come to Nieuwsblad and go really well,” continued Stannard.

"My level of fitness is definitely slightly better than last year. I still have this race to go and a bit of training before the Classics. It's just going to get better. I'm training harder, getting fitter, getting in racing kilometres."

Leaning on Sky's Jaguar ahead of the stage start, Stannard had a chance to stretch his left leg. Under the medical tape and wrapping, "a chunk" of skin is missing due to a crash in Saturday's Strade Bianche one-day race. Looking ahead to this week in Italy and the upcoming classics, Stannard laughed it off. He said, "It's nothing too bad."

After winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend, Team Sky's Ian Stannard will take part in Italy's Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico in the coming week. He will race there without the expectation or pressure to win, as he continues his important build-up to the classics.

"Strade Bianche is probably too hard for him, we also don't want to always put the pressure on him," Sky sports director Servais Knaven explained.

"He had pressure in Nieuwsblad and in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, so he will have free role in Italy. To say he can go for the win, is asking too much."

Stannard will race Strade Bianche's white gravel roads leading to Siena on Saturday and then the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race from March 11 to 17. He will support Salvatore Puccio and Peter Kennaugh in the former and Chris Froome in the second.

"He had a big programme so far with Tour Down Under, the Cadel Evans race, Tour of Qatar..." Knaven added. "Of course, riding for Froome in Tirreno, being there and surviving the climbs, is hard, but that's a different pressure than trying to win for yourself."

The inside story of Ian Stannard's incredible Het Nieuwsblad win

Three against one and it was a foregone conclusion, surely? Ian Stannard had other ideas when he won Omloop Het

After recovering from a fractured vertebrae and missing half of the 2014 season, Stannard won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for a second consecutive year on Saturday. To do so he had to beat three-to-one odds with Etixx-Quick Step's Niki Terpstra, Tom Boonen and Stijn Vandenbergh with him in the winning move.

"It meant a lot, even if he doesn't show it. He was over the moon. Especially with the way he did it, no one expected him to win. His morale is really good at the moment. This is what he needed after all the problems last year," Knaven said.

"He was still up for Sunday, that was a good sign. Not too many riders can perform on a top level for two days in a row. He has a big engine and can recover very well.

"I don't know how his numbers compared to last year, but look at the way he's racing. In Qatar, especially the time trial in fifth and fourth overall again like last year in GC... He's on a similar level, but his morale is better. His confidence is high and that's what we need. You need to have confidence when you go to the classics."

After Tirreno-Adriatico, Stannard will race Milan-San Remo, E3 Harelbeke, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He will support leaders like Ben Swift, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins, but will be one of Sky's other options to win.

"We have to consider the tactics, like we showed Saturday. It's not easy to say who's the leader, but 'G' [Thomas] is really going for Flanders and there's a big chance that he will be our leader, with Ian as some kind of back up. The backup leader will have some kind of protection, as well. It worked well last year," Knaven added.

"In Roubaix it's different, we have Bradley, G, Ian, Luke Rowe, Bernie Eisel... we have a really strong team and everyone can do a good final. We have to make a decision who is going to be the number one leader, and in a race like Roubaix, the number two, three or four can still win the race."

Read Ian Stannard's exclusive column in this week's Cycling Weekly magazine, in which he says his 'fat arse kind of weighs him down'

Ian Stannard (Team Sky) sprang a surprise at Het Nieuwsblad, escaping with three Etixx-QuickStep riders then beating them all at the finish in Ghent to successfully defend his title.

It was a victory against the odds, but the British rider said afterwards that the circumstances suited him. With a strong chasing group at 20 to 30 seconds for much of the final 30km, it meant the three Etixx riders – Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh – had to keep riding hard rather than attacking Stannard.

It was initially a five-man group that went clear on one of the final cobbled sections, with 43km left, but Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) punctured and was swept up by the chasers. Stannard was then able to sit on the Etixx train, but, with Vanmarcke in particular driving a three-man chasing group, they never had enough of an advantage to, in Stannard’s words, “start playing games.”

Ian Stannard's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad win in pictures

Graham Watson was on hand to record Ian Stannard's mighty win in the 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Stannard said: “I was a little bit worried about it because I thought they were going to attack me pretty hard but the group was only 20 seconds behind so they couldn’t play too much and I could play poker at the back.

“Tom tried to attack me [with 5km to go] and I rode back up. When you ride up to a guy like that you know your legs are pretty good. I went over the top of him, then Niki came up to me, and I was aware Tom was just behind. Niki went a bit early in the sprint and shielded me from the wind a bit and I just had to grit my teeth.”

Stannard squeezed past Terpstra for a a narrow win, with the three Etixx riders second, third and fourth. It was an embarrassing outcome for the Belgian super team, but Stannard sympathised. “It’s a hard situation: there are guys chasing behind, so they had to ride hard. If the gap was a minute they could have played it more. I don’t know what else they could have done, but it played into my hands nicely.”

Stannard’s sports director, Servais Knaven, said that he had told Stannard to work if the chase group – which included another Etixx rider, Zdenek Stybar – got any closer. “The first concern was the chase group,” said Knaven. “I told him if they get closer you have to work because we have no one else behind. Then you’ll just have to go for the podium.”

But as Stannard said, it played into his hands. And 12 months after his breakthrough his win here – during which he suffered a broken back after a crash at Ghent-Wevelgem that saw him off the bike for three months – he was relieved to confirm that he is back to full fitness. “For myself I really wanted to do well in this race and show I was back at my old level,” said Stannard.

Ian Stannard (Sky) defied the odds to win Saturday's opening semi-classic, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium.

Stannard had found himself in a hostile situation, surrounded by three Etixx-QuickStep riders in a four-man escape group in the race's final 20 kilometres. Stannard couldn't have had worse company given the Classics pedigree of his companions: Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh.

Initially, Stannard sat near the back of the group, letting Etixx do all the work to create distance between themselves and a small chase unit containing Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo), who had punctured earlier.

Although the Etixx riders took it in turn to attack Stannard, with the British rider notably chasing down a strong move by Boonen. Rather than wait for more attacks, it was Stannard himself who accelerated into the final three kilometres dropping all but Terpstra.

Stannard then got the better of Paris-Roubaix champion Terpstra in the sprint to the line.

Ian Stannard (Sky) got the better of a trio of Etixx-QuickStep riders to win a second consecutive Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Having made the select group along with Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh, it had looked as though the Sky rider would be outnumbered and worked over by the Etixx teammates, but a mixture of his strength and the others’ tactical errors saw him overcome the odds and win.

Boonen put the first attack in with 4.5km to go, but Stannard, though hesitant at first, gradually clawed back to his wheel. Then Stannard put in his own attack, taking Vandenbergh completely out of contention and leaving Boonen dangling a tantalising few seconds behind him.

That left Stannard and Terpstra to contest the sprint, with the latter in the advantageous position of being able to follow Stannard’s wheel. But Terpstra opted to start his sprint very early, allowing Stannard to use his slipstream up until the final few metres, where the Briton edged ahead for the win.

Etixx-QuickStep will rue not winning having dominated the day’s racing. Boonen asserted his dominance as per usual with an attack on the Taainberg, and later on the Leberg – around 40km from the finish line – forced the selection that saw him, Terpstra, Vandenbergh and Stannard lead the race.

A long pursuit followed between the leading quartet and a group containing Sep Vanmarcke (Lotto NL-Jumbo), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) (with Etixx’s Zdenek Stybar sat on their wheel). The gap yo-yoed up and down but generally stayed at around 25 seconds – enough to force the lead group to continue to work hard, but not enough to suggest the gap was going to be bridged.

Vanmarcke was unlucky not to make the lead group, having made the initial selection only to suffer a mechanical and drop back. His strong turns at the front and ability, along with Van Avermaet, to keep the lead group in their sights suggested he had the legs to win. To some extent Stannard has these two Belgian’s to thank for his win, as their ride forced Etixx’s trio to work harder than they would have liked, and left them visibly tired in the finale.

Stannard will also be grateful for his teammates, who did a good job keeping him at the front for the first two thirds of the race. The bearded Bradley Wiggins and Bernhard Eisel rode near the front for long periods, while Luke Rowe forced others to chase with a brief attack on the Wolvenberg, 50 kilometres from the finish. Rowe went on to finish in ninth place.

They will now turn their attention to tomorrow’s Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, with Stannard set to feature once more.

>>> Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne preview

Result

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2015, 200km

1. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky

2. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx-QuickStep

3. Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep at 3 secs

4. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep at 12 secs

5. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) LottoNL-Jumbo at 1-24

6. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing

7. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx-QuickStep at 1-29

8. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing at 4-35

9. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky

10. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ at same time

Bradley Wiggins says he is ready to work for Ian Stannard at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, as the 2012 Tour de France winner continues his build-up to Paris-Roubaix in April.

As defending champion, Stannard looks likely to lead the team at the first cobbled race of the year, but Wiggins aims to be in the mix in the finale in Belgium.

Speaking to the Team Sky website, Wiggins said he was feeling ready for action after beginning his season at the Tour of Qatar earlier in February, where he donned his rainbow bands for the first time in the time trial.

“I feel good," he said. "I’m coming off the back of a good block of training and I’m ready for what I consider to be the start of my season proper now. I used the Tour of Qatar as a preparation race, but this next month of racing is where it really matters.

“There’s still a long way to go until Paris-Roubaix and for me, it’s all about continuing to work and going through the process in the build up to that.

“For Omloop Het Niuewsblad, we’ve got last year’s winner in Ian Stannard, and he’s trying to do the double, so my job will be to put him in the best position to win.

“I’d like to be there when it matters in the final. It’s not going to be a case of emptying the tank in the first 100km and then swinging over, my goal will be to finish, to finish well, and be there in the last 30-40km when there might be a break that needs chasing down or we to drive things ourselves.

“After everything these guys have given me over the years, I’m looking forward to do a job for them as they go for the win.”

Team Sky out on the cobbles ahead of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

While Wiggins is no stranger to the cobbles, he has rarely fully focussed on a dedicated Classics campaign in his career and hasn't raced Het Nieuwsblad since 2005. A ninth place finish in last year's Paris-Roubaix seemed to spark the 34-year-old's ambition for victory at the monutment, before he returns to track racing.

“Getting yourself into the right mind-set for the cobbled classics is far different to any other race.

“These races are over in one day and you don’t get a second chance. It’s a case of laying everything on the line, taking risks, and every one of them is a warzone. We all know the score and the strongest guys generally win.”

Wiggins didn't join teammates Luke Rowe and Stannard out on a reconnaissance ride on the Haaghoek yesterday, but knows that Saturday's semi-Classic is a tough test, particularly so early in the season.

“I didn’t finish that day [in 2005] and it doesn’t hold many significant memories to me other than it was a hard day out," he said.

“The biggest difference between this race and the other cobbled classics is the cold. Obviously, it’s still February and it’ll be a good 10-15 degrees warmer in five or six weeks’ time when the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix roll around.

"Tomorrow it’ll be around five degrees and that’s the thing that wears people out. Last year it rained as well and that really sorts the men from the boys."

Sky's Ian Stannard is back on track for the classics after a 2014 season derailed by crashes, one which broke his back.

The Englishman made it into the winning moves in the Tour of Qatar, placed fifth in yesterday's time trial and moved to third overall.

"I missed a hell of a lot of training and racing, I don't know the precise amount," Stannard told Cycling Weekly.

"It's been hard getting the racing legs, I've started early in the Tour Down Under though and it's coming on well now."

Stannard won Belgium's classic Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on March 1 – his biggest victory to date – but his season went pear-shaped afterwards. He fractured his vertebrae when he crashed in the Ghent-Wevelgem one-day race in March. He spent his summer recovering. When he did return, he crashed again in the Tour of Britain and broke his wrist.

"It was tough, I was in the best form I ever had. I was going towards [the classics] with a real chance of doing well, but then just for it to disappear like that is pretty frustrating," Stannard said.

"It's a good thing I won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, isn't it!? The year would've been a big failure otherwise. It was nice to get that win in and the confidence that came along with it."

The confidence carried Stannard though the struggles. After a extended winter training camp in Australia and the Tour Down Under in January, he is riding at the top-end of the Tour of Qatar with the who's who of one-day racing: Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Peter Sagan.

>>> Niki Terpstra surprised at beating Bradley Wiggins in Qatar time trial

Paris-Roubaix 2014 victor, Niki Terpstra (Etixx-Quick Step) won yesterdays' 10.9-kilometre time trial over the wind- and sand-swept roads north of Doha, and took the overall lead. Cancellara (Trek), another Paris-Roubaix winner, placed second and Sky's Bradley Wiggins placed third.

Stannard beat former Hour Record holder, Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling) and finished 10 seconds behind Terpstra. He sits third overall at 12 seconds. Team-mate Luke Rowe is fifth at 33.

Even if Stannard does not win the overall or a stage, he is riding well towards his goals in the classics over the next two months.

"Yeah. Especially yesterday, being close to Brad and Fabian, putting out good power there. It's good stead for the classics. Everyone's got a lot of work to do heading there, but I know that I can still improve, as well.

"Luke's really stepped up his game, it's good to see. It's only going to add to our strengths in the classics.

"We were all quite young at the start of the team in 2010, but we've been growing together and learning the races. It comes down to experience, knowing and learning them. We are all learning them, we all have a passion for those races. We enjoy them and look forward to getting there."

Ian Stannard abandoned the Tour of Britain today after fracturing his scaphoid in a crash during yesterday's opening stage in Liverpool.

The 27-year-old Sky rider fell heavily in the final kilometre of Sunday's race, and was unable to grip his handlebars when he attempted to ride his bike at the team's hotel this morning.

This latest injury comes less than a month after Stannard returned to racing following a lengthy spell on the sidelines owing to a fractured vertebra he sustained at Ghent-Wevelgem on March 31.

“Ian is really disappointed. He was struggling yesterday, but after the crash his muscles tightened and he was in a lot of pain,” said DS Nicolas Portal. “He tried to ride his bike this morning, but he could not grip his handlebars. He decided himself it was dangerous to continue.”

Stannard's departure leaves defending champion Bradley Wiggins with just four team-mates, although Portal does not believe this will affect Sky's chances of taking back-to-back titles in the race.

He said: “Our group here are strong. Ian's job was to pull on the front of the bunch on the flat,and protect Brad in any crosswind.

“We have Bernie [Eisel] here, who is really strong, and [Ben] Swifty is really strong and is eclectic in what he can do.

“They will share 50 per cent of what Ian would have done, although David [Lopez] and Sebastian [Henao] can help out too.”

Ian Stannard will miss out on playing a part in the 2014 Tour de France after he suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury sustained at Ghent-Wevelgem on March 30.

The 26 year-old, who rode his debut Tour de France in support of Chris Froome last season, has been advised by doctors not to return to physical activity until late June, ruling him out of playing a part in this year's campaign.

"I was just starting to get back on the turbo and pushing on a little bit, but [after a scan] I was advised not to do anything," Stannard told Cycling Weekly.

"It’s 12 weeks from the crash before they reckon it’s healed sufficiently to do anything," the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner continued.

"That writes off Tenerife [training camp], [Criterium du] Dauphine and the Tour."

Ian Stannard talks about his injury and setback in an exclusive interview in this week's issue of Cycling Weekly, out today.

Ian Stannard (Team Sky) will miss the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix after fracturing a vertebra in a crash during Sunday's Ghent-Wevelgem.

Stannard, 26, was rushed to hospital in Ypres after he crashed heavily into a deep ditch with around 70km to race.

Doctors diagnosed a fracture in one of Stannard's thoracic vertebrae, ending his hopes of becoming the first British rider to win Paris-Roubaix.

"I’ve hurt myself pretty badly before but straight away I knew I’d done something pretty bad. I was in a lot of pain," Stannard told Cycling Weekly.

"I’m pretty lucky to be honest – it could have been a lot worse."

Stannard, who took the best win of his career to date at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last month, will now return home to await a specialist diagnosis before considering his return to the bike.

Team Sky's doctor Phil Riley said: “Ian has a fracture in one of his vertebrae as a result of his fall. The fracture is stable and he will undergo a review with a UK-based neurosurgeon this week, as well as having an MRI scan. That should allow us to find out more information following his CT scan.”

While his teammates, including Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins, head to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Stannard will turn his attention to the 2014 Tour de France, which starts in Leeds on July 5.

"It's going to really tough to get over, I’m pretty disappointed that I wont be there at Paris-Roubaix," Stannard added.

"But the Tour starts in Yorkshire this year and I’m a British rider, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be there. That gives me another focus and something to work towards."

Team Sky suffers in Ghent-Wevelgem

Ian Stannard and Chris Sutton taken to hospital with injuries after four of Team Sky's riders crash in Ghent-Wevelgem

Ian Stannard wins Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Ian Stannard becomes first British winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after out-sprinting Greg Van Avermaet

Team Sky took a hit today in Ghent-Wevelgem with four of its riders crashing, two – Ian Stannard and CJ Sutton – sent to the hospital.

"CJ, I saw his knee was open," Sports Director Servais Knaven told Cycling Weekly. "Ian was in a lot of pain it was hard to say where the problem was but he went straight to the hospital."

Team Sky said that they will issue an update on the condition of Stannard and Sutton when hospital checks have been carried out.

2009 winner, Edvald Boasson Hagen crashed and had to stop behind other incidents today. Geraint Thomas, third in E3 Harelbeke on Friday, survived most incidents but hit the ground with André Greipel and Tyler Farrar at 8.2 kilometres to race.

"I don't know what happened," Thomas said. "Everyone seemed to crash in front of me, I was like, 'Oh sh*t!' I just flipped over the bars.

"It's so stressful out there. Especially today's race, when a lot of guys are still in the race and up for it. It's one of the last sort of sprinter races, it's just sort of stressful."

John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) won the sprint at the front of a 79-man group after 233 kilometres of race.

Thomas and his team-mates go their separate ways ahead of next Sunday's Tour of Flanders. Stannard had planned to reconnoitre tomorrow the final kilometres of Paris-Roubaix.

"But that's not going to happen," Knaven said. "I stay here now and see how he is. Kurt Van Arvesen is with him and the doctor [at the hospital now]."

The bangs, bruises and possibly fractures are hard for Sky to deal with seven days away from the Tour of Flanders. Knaven ran back and forth between the bus and team car this afternoon. He said that the crashes and subsequent last minute schedule changes stressed him.

Wiggins on Flanders' start list

Sky, as it stands now, could have to send Bradley Wiggins to race Flanders. In the race's provisional start list with reserves, it only lists nine: Boasson Hagen, Bernie Eisel, Christian Knees, Salvatore Puccio, Gabriel Rasch, Luke Rowe, Stannard, Thomas, Sutton and 2012 Tour de France winner, Wiggins.

Race officials told Cycling Weekly that teams may change their eight riders and reserves up until 72 hours to race. At that point, they must select from the submitted list.

"Wiggins? I don't know. It's too early to think about that," Knaven said. "You have to be here with eight riders otherwise you pay a fine. Anyway, you need to be with eight riders in a monument like Flanders."

Wiggins has not said that he has plans to race Flanders. He is due to race Scheldeprijs next Wednesday and on Sunday, one week after Flanders, Paris-Roubaix.

Credit: Nick Bull

André Greipel suffers suspected broken collarbone at Ghent-Wevelgem

The pre-race favourite crashed heavily with eight kilometres remaining.

John Degenkolb takes Ghent-Wevelgem victory

German sprinter John Degenkolb survives the bergs and crashes to win in Belgium

Ian Stannard (Sky) out-sprinted Greg Van Avermart (BMC) to become the first ever British winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

The result is also the most impressive in Stannard’s career to date, and marks him out as a serious contender for the rest of the spring classics.

It had looked as the 26-year old had blown his chance of winning when he entered the finishing straight alongside the supposedly superior sprinter Van Avermart, but surprised everyone by opening his sprint early and holding off the Belgian to win by half a bike-length.

Stannard had instigated the race-winning move with around 15 kilometres to go, counter-attacking with Van Avermart when the previous leaders Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) - who had earlier crossed the summit of the final Molenberg climb together - were caught.

This pair later launched another attack with Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) but, with Boasson Hagen wisely letting the others do the work with his Sky team-mate up the road, were unable to bridge the gap to the leading duo. The Norwegian then won the sprint for third, with Vanmarcke finishing fourth and a frustrated Terpstra fifth.

Earlier, Vanmarcke had animated the race with an explosive attack on the Taainberg, a climb that Tom Boonen usually leads the peloton over. But Boonen was nowhere to be seen today, and instead it was the seemingly inexhaustible Vanmarcke who punctuated the race with attack after attack. It’s too early to say whether this marks a changing of the guard in Belgian cycling, but Vanmarcke’s aggressive racing certainly seems like a statement of intent.

Conditions were cold with some light rainfall that cause some crashes in the run-in to the decisive Taainberg. However the biggest name retiree, Thor Hushovd (BMC), fell before the rain came on an innocuous looking corner.

British rider Luke Rowe, Sky team-mate of Stannard and Boasson Hagen, finished just outside the top 10, in 11th spot.

Result
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2014

1. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky in 4-49-55

2. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing at same time

3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky at 24 secs

4. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Belkin

5. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-QuickStep at same time

6. Jempy Drucker (Lux) Wanty-Groupe Gobert at 1-34

7. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing

8. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Giant-Shimano

9. Egoitz Echeguibel (Spa) Cofidis

10. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ at same time

Other

11. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky at same time

Ian Stannard will look to elbow his way onto the top of the Tour of Qatar classification following the crucial stage three time-trial taking place on Tuesday.   

The 26 year-old Sky team leader moved up to sixth on the general classification on stage two, a reward for making the key, race-winning move with 60km to go along with Sky teammates Luke Rowe and Bernie Eisel.

Many eyes at tomorrow’s 10.9km time trial will be on the likes of Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory) and race leader Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

However Stannard, who is 23 seconds down on Terpstra, believes the fact that it will be raced on road bikes (in order to save teams the cost of sending their TT bikes from Europe to Qatar) could play to his advantage.

“It’s definitely an advantage to do it on road bikes, it suits me more,” he said at the end of the stage as he tucked into a slice of pepperoni pizza.

“I haven’t been working on time trialling, but the Tour of Britain time trial went quite well, that was the last one, so I can take some positives from that.”

It took some 100km of racing on the 160km second stage of this year’s Tour of Qatar for a break to stick, but when it did there was no doubting its compostion.

Five Omega Pharma-Quickstep riders and a host from Lotto-Belisol, Tinkoff-Saxo and Belkin forced their way to the front around a notorious right hand bend before powering down the motorway to Al Khor with a roaring tailwind.

Tom Boonen took the sprint to the line after a leadout from Andy Fenn, whose fourth place moved him into the pearl white jersey of best young rider. Stannard placed sixth.

“That was probably one of the toughest days I’ve had here,” said Luke Rowe, who crossed the line a few seconds down on the winner. “It split with 60km to go and that’s a lot way when you’re going full gas at the end.

“It’s always nice to make the front group. I pulled as hard as I could for as long as I could to try and get as many seconds as possible for the benefit of Ian, so I’m pretty happy with myself.”

Three more typical flat and windy road stages follow tomorrow’s time trial, with the race concluding on Friday in Doha.

“He [Stannard] is looking good for the TT tomorrow,” Rowe added. “I think he can put in a good performance and get on the podium.”

Tom Boonen wins Tour of Qatar stage two

Tour of Qatar 2014, stage two: Tom Boonen back to winning ways in the Tour of Qatar

Andy Fenn in Omega Pharma-Quickstep 'A-team' at the Tour of Qatar

Andy Fenn playing his part in the Omega Pharma-Quickstep powerhouse at the Tour of Qatar

Ian Stannard: Rider Profile

Ian Stannard - rider profile, biog, cycling results, photos

British national road champion Ian Stannard says Sky has "plenty of cards to play" at the first WorldTour race of the 2013 season that starts tomorrow in Adelaide, Australia.

Stannard is competing at the Tour Down Under for the first time and in what is his earliest season start ever with the Classics, and specifically Paris-Roubaix, being a major objective for the 25-year-old this year.

Sky is set to support two-time Tour de France stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen throughout the 15th running of the Australia race that features a hillier course not, overall, suited to pure sprinters unlike some previous editions.

The British-based team moved to the front of affairs at the People's Choice Classic 51km prelude criterium on Sunday, which Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) won, but lost position in the final lap with Chris Sutton the best-placed in fifth.

"It was pretty sketchy at the end and we just got broken up a little bit," Stannard said. "With a lap to go it looked alright but it was a really fast last lap and we just couldn't move up so it kind of stuffed us a bit."

Stannard arrived in Australia on Thursday and on the weekend was still fighting the remnants of jetlag. "It's almost like racing drunk!" he quipped.

However, he and his teammates, after very specific work at Majorca training camps in December and January, are fit and ready ahead of Down Under and the February Tour of Qatar in what could be a defining season for the Sky Classics squad.

>>>Sky riders in Belgium for early classics reconnaissance

"We've been training really hard so we're all in good shape and hopefully it will show once we get into some proper road stages," he said.

"It's been a lot more structured in December and January - we did a lot of efforts there. It's exciting to see. Hopefully here and in Qatar it will start to show the work we are putting in."

Sky is keen to capture a Classic in what is its fourth WorldTour season and riders and management alike have admitted it has room to improve in the one-day races.

Come the Classics the team too has options in Stannard, Boasson Hagen, dual Olympic track gold medalist Geraint Thomas as well as 2010 Ghent-Wevelgem champion Bernhard Eisel. Then there is Australian Mathew Hayman who has finished in the top 10 of Paris-Roubaix the last two editions, and former Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne winner Sutton.

"Roubaix really is my aim so hopefully go alright there," Stannard said.

Thomas will make his return to road racing tomorrow having dedicated much of the 2012 season to the velodrome and winning a second team pursuit gold medal for Great Britain at the London Olympic Games.

"G (Thomas) is in good shape and Eddy for the sprints. We've obviously got CJ (Sutton) as well, Hayman's going good, so plenty of cards to play," Stannard said.

Greipel and his drilled lead-out will enter the 135km opening stage to Lobethal tomorrow as favourite but Australia's Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) will also be one to watch. The 2011 Milan-San Remo champion was the only rider to come close to Greipel in Sunday's prelude race, where he finished second.

Goss is said to be in top shape for January having spent much of the pre-season at his Europe base in Monaco and not native Tasmania. Burgeoning fast-man Marcel Kittel may also figure in the opening stage. He headlines the Argos-Shimano team that has gained a top-tier licence after racing last season as a Professional Continental outfit.

World champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC) appeared to take it easy at the prelude criterium on the weekend ahead of his season debut in the rainbow jersey. Andy Schleck (RadioShack Leopard Trek) will begin his 2013 race count in Australia as he returns to competition having been sidelined for most of 2012, including the Tour de France, due to an injury.

Twitter: @SophieSmith86

Related links

No Paris-Nice or Tirreno for Sky's classics riders

Andre Greipel wins Down Under Classic

Ian Stannard: Rider Profile

People's Choice Classic 2013 photo gallery

Tour Down Under 2013 team presentation photo gallery

Tour Down Under 2013: Coverage index