...LONG RIDE HOME.......

.....Sometime back in 2009 , Sky announced to the cycling world that they were intending to enter a British Team in the Tour de France in 2010 , with a view to winning the race within 5 years , Given the relative lack of interest in road racing within the UK and a somewhat lack of success in the race over the past 100 years or so this was generally met with a degree of amusement and scepticism on the continent , amongst those in the know........No chance.....especially after their first effort in 2010 resulted in the team leader arriving in 23rd position.............

In the end it didn't happen in 5 years at all - it only needed 3 - and they did it in style.

Sunday , July 22nd , Paris . The last day of the Tour is generally a gentle ride into Paris for the winner elect , safely surrounded by his team in the middle of the peleton. Not this time - instead the crowds were treated to the site of Bradley Wiggins in the Yellow Jersey putting in a hard stint at the front of the race and acting as lead-out man through the Place De La Concorde for Cav to rock up and win his fourth stage in a row in Paris and the 23rd of his career...............three weeks of effort finally over - at least for a week or so , until Wiggins put it all together again for the Gold in the Olympics time trial . Way to go.....................and maybe the UK will start to take cycling seriously now and recognise the talent here , at least until Murray wins Wimbledon or something............

.....which in the end was all of  about ten days or so...................oh well.