Bradley Wiggins ended his first race of 2012 in style with victory on the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve, while Sky team-mate Richie Porte took the overall title.
Wiggins clocked 32 minutes and 48 seconds over the 25.8km time trial course to claim victory ahead of Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), who beat Wiggins to the world time trial title last year, by less than a second.
Porte finished third on the final stage to extend his overall lead to 37 seconds over Martin, with Wiggins, who is targeting overall victory at the Tour de France in July before making an assault on the Olympic time trial, moving up to third overall to finish the lumpy five-stage race on the podium.
“We’ve dominated the race,” said directeur sportif Sean Yates. “The boys rode fantastic and it is a massive display from the team. It is only early in the season but we’ve beaten some really strong riders here.
“The plan coming into the race was to build on our form. But our form was so good here anyway with the quality athletes we have here we thought we might as well go for the win.
“We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground but the boys rode relaxed, in control, communicated and dominated. End of story.”
Wiggins’ stage win caps a fine week for Team Sky, with Porte moving into the overall leading after winning stage three, while Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed stage two.
Porte, who won the best young rider jersey at the 2010 Giro d’Italia, signed for Sky from SaxoBank ahead of the 2012 season and the Australian admitted there was no better way in which to start his career with the team.
Porte said: “I knew I had good form and I raced here as preparation for Paris-Nice. So to come away with the stage win and the overall I’m really happy. Of course to win the mountain-top finish on the third stage was great.
“I thought I had good enough form to do a good time trial and I was able to finish it off. It’s a nice way to start my time with a new team.”
Volta ao Algarve stage five
1) Bradley Wiggins (GBR) – Sky Procycling – 32:48 minutes
2) Tony Martin (GER) – Omega Pharma-QuickStep
3) Richie Porte (AUS) 0 Sky Procycling +13″
4) Tejay Van Garderen (USA) – BMC Racing – +14″
5) Jesse Sergent (NZ) RadioShack-Nissan-Trek
6) Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) – Lotto Belisol +29″
7) Andrew Talansky (USA) – Garmin-Barracuda 39″
8) Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) – Omega Pharma-QuickStep +53″
9) Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) – Sky Procycling +56″
10) Luis Leon Sanchez (SPA) – Rabobank
General classification
1) Richie Porte (AUS) – Sky Procycling – 19:02.43 hours
2) Tony Martin (GER) – Omega Pharma-QuickStep +37″
3) Bradley Wiggins (GBR) – Sky Procycling +44″
4) Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) – Lotto Belisol +50″
5) Rui Costa (POR) – Movistar Team +58″
6) Tiago Machado (POR) – RadioShack-Nissan-Trek +1:02
7) Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team +1:13
8) Andrew Talansky (USA) – Garmin-Barracuda +1:14
9) Johnny Hoogerland (NED) – Vacansoleil-DCM
10) Gianni Meersman (BEL) – Lotto Belisol +1:39
