Bradley Wiggins

A third place for Bradley Wiggins in the Tour of Murcia has put him on track for a spectacular Tour de France, says Team Sky coach Rod Ellingworth.

HTC-Columbia leader Frantisek Rabon took both the final stage and, ultimately, the overall classification, Wiggins finished 48 seconds behind Rabon but three places higher than Lance Armstrong.

"Bradley put himself on the line for the win but this is a process and one that's coming together well," said Ellingworth. "He's getting increasingly consistent, and rode strongly in the mountains."

With no specific theme for my latest blog, I thought I would round up some of the recent goings on in my world and planet cycling.

Thankfully after singing their praises, Decathlon came good with their delivery and I am now proudly donning a Bell Crossfire helmet, just in time for the upcoming trip to Girona for a bit of pre-wedding cycling action in the mountains.

Triple Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins finished second in the individual time trial during yesterday's penultimate stage of the Tour of Andalucia.

Teak Sky rider Wiggins's time of 13mins 4secs on the 10.9km course initially slotted him into first place, but he was eventually beaten Saxo Bank rider Alex Rasmussen, who clocked in five seconds ahead.

Wiggins' team-mates Greg Henderson and Stephen Cummings were ninth and 14th.

Mark Cavendish of Team HTC-Columbia, who is competing in his first race of the year, came home in 38th.

It’s hard to believe given the way he has stamped his authority on the sport in the last couple of years, but with British cycling fans’ focus in the early weeks of the 2010 road racing season being very much on the performance of new pro outfit Team Sky, Mark Cavendish has almost become the forgotten man of the peloton.

Bradley Wiggins celebrated his racing debut for Team Sky today as he led the squad to victory in the opening team time trial of the Tour of Qatar.

Resplendent in the UK National Time Trial Champion’s colours, the double Olympic Individual Pursuit champion helped drive his team-mates to a time of 9 minutes 41 seconds on an 8.2km circuit of West Bay Lagoon, beating Cervélo TestTeam and Garmin-Transitions, who both finished eight seconds down to tie for second place.

A clearly defined 'transfer system' for pro cyclists needs to be introduced, according to the team boss who let Bradley Wiggins go to Sky.

Jonathan Vaughters, head of Team Garmin-Transitions, let Wiggins duck out of the final year of his contract and received a settlement from Team Sky to avoid a legal battle.

Two years exactly since the death of Bradley Wiggins's father Gary, a former Australian champion cyclist, the family are still hoping to bring those believed to be responsible to justice.

The 55-year-old alcoholic was found beaten to death in a street in the town of Aberdeen, New South Wales. He died from haemorrhaging caused by a blow to the back of the head.

We won’t see any of Team Sky’s riders racing for real in their swish new kit until the Tour Down Under begins in less than a fortnight’s time, but Chris Sutton has already given a sign that he’s starting the new season where he left off in 2009 by winning the Jayco Bay Criterium Series in and around Geelong, Victoria, this week.

Claiming the overall title in the four-race series had an extra significance for Sutton, whose father Gary won the inaugural edition of the race back in 1989.

Team Sky rider cards

Team Sky Musette